Speaking of one-liners, forty-year-old Mayor Paul TenHaken kicked off his administration of Sioux Falls with an inaugural address that describes his generation:
A new generation hungry for opportunity and prosperity – one that embraces technology, embraces diversity and embraces change [Mayor Paul TenHaken, quoted in Joe Sneve, “Mayor TenHaken Promises New Generation That’s ‘Hungry for Opportunity and Prosperity’,” that Sioux Falls paper, 2018.05.15].
Is a hunger for opportunity and prosperity supposed to differentiate we forty-somethings from any past South Dakotans?
But to the good, on two of TenHaken’s three embraces—technology, diversity, and change—he sure doesn’t sound like the conservative Republican/Family Heritage Alliance endorsee. Diversity and change—you’ve been played, GOP!
Oh yeah, and remember how much Republicans respected Barack Obama for bicycling?
Now, THAT is more like what needs to happen. And anyone who can promote the bike path as a way to commute and recreate would be doing a lot of good. It’s not just for the youngsters, either. My brother is almost retired, and he rides his bike to work almost every day.
Biking to work every day, promoting bike commuting, and building more bike paths could almost make me forgive hanging out with the Family Heritage Alliance. Almost.
Actually, promoting bicycling, through example and dedicated infrastructure, would do more practical good for families than most of what FHA does.