Creating America: My campaign manager was Roosevelt

Chapter 25 Welcome to the Ruins

Roosevelt's voice faded.

A diagram of the Pittsburgh city government organization appeared in Leo's mind.

It was an incredibly complex network, consisting of dozens of departments and committees of all sizes, densely packed and intricately intertwined.

"Now, let's analyze this map."

Roosevelt's voice was quite calm, which calmed Leo down, who was feeling a chill run down his spine when he saw the complex architectural diagram.

"The Treasury, the Police Department, the City Planning Commission—these are the core pillars of Mayor Cartwright's power structure. They are where he controls the city's purse strings, gun barrels, and land seals. Don't even think about giving you any of these core departments."

Leo's gaze swept over the names of those departments.

"What about the non-core departments? Like the Parks Authority, or the Public Library Board?"

"Those places may look nice, but they are all just figurehead positions with no real power," Roosevelt immediately denied. "Putting you there is like keeping you in captivity, making you attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies and community book clubs every day, slowly turning you into a harmless mascot under the media spotlight."

"What we're looking for is a place that they completely ignore, that they consider worthless, but that gives us the opportunity to produce gold."

Roosevelt's consciousness guided Leo's gaze, which moved rapidly across the complex organizational chart.

Ultimately, his gaze settled on a name located in an inconspicuous corner at the very edge of the organizational chart.

The Pittsburgh Urban Renewal Commission.

"What is this place?" Leo asked, the name sounding unfamiliar to him.

"A zombie organization forgotten by everyone," Roosevelt replied.

He began to introduce the history of the committee to Leo.

This committee was established in the 1980s when Pittsburgh's steel industry collapsed and the city fell into severe decline.

Its original purpose was to plan and coordinate urban redevelopment projects and revitalize communities that had fallen into disrepair due to factory closures.

In its early days, it possessed considerable power and a substantial budget.

But as time went on and Pittsburgh’s economy transformed, the committee was gradually marginalized.

The new economic engines are healthcare and education, and the new development focus is on city centers and university towns.

Those old neighborhoods in the rusty areas have long been forgotten by the city's planners.

The Urban Renewal Committee thus became a nominal elderly care department.

It is nominally responsible for planning urban redevelopment projects, but in reality, because the municipal government no longer allocates funds to it, it has no money or real power.

Most of the twelve seats on the committee are vacant for most of the years.

The entire committee is now reduced to a few retired senior employees who spend their days drinking coffee and reading newspapers in the office, maintaining the organization at a minimum level of operation.

"A zombie organization?" Leo said, somewhat disappointed. "What would we do with a place like that? We wouldn't be able to do anything there."

"Quite the opposite, son," Roosevelt said with a hint of excitement, "that's precisely its greatest value."

"First of all, Cartwright dumped it on you without hesitation because it was a zombie organization. It was a perfect solution for him, putting this troublesome guy into a useless backroom while showing the public his magnanimity of 'forgiving past grievances and promoting talent'."

"Secondly, and most importantly," Roosevelt's voice turned serious, "this committee, though now a zombie agency, still retains a vast and powerful legal mandate."

"According to the city ordinance that established this committee, its jurisdiction covers almost any area of ​​urban renewal, from infrastructure renovation in old communities to providing retraining for unemployed workers and environmental restoration and replanning of abandoned industrial sites."

"It's like a Swiss Army knife that's been forgotten in a warehouse; it's covered in dust, but all its functions are still working."

"And it also possesses a special power that even Mayor Cartwright himself may have forgotten."

Roosevelt's consciousness, in Leo's mind, brought up the original text of that city ordinance from back then.

He showed Leo one of the highlighted lines.

"The Urban Renewal Commission has the authority to apply directly to the relevant federal government departments for special funds for 'urban development and reconstruction' on behalf of the city of Pittsburgh, without the need for approval from the Pennsylvania state government."

"Do you understand what this means, Leo?"

Leo's heart began to race: "This means we have a chance to bypass the city and state finances, which are firmly controlled by Cartwright and his allies, and get the money we need directly from Washington."

"Absolutely right," Roosevelt said. "It's like they've opened a little back door in their power structure. And we're going to use that back door to keep bringing in the resources we need."

The target has been identified.

Now, we need to develop specific negotiation strategies.

Roosevelt devised a perfect pitch for Leo.

"Call Jennings back right now," Roosevelt instructed. "You need to be proactive and show that you've already made the decision without hesitation."

"Once the call connects, you should sincerely thank the mayor for his kindness, but politely decline the position of deputy director of the Community Relations Coordination Office in a very humble tone."

"You need to tell him that, after careful consideration, you believe you are neither good at nor enjoy doing those complicated coordination tasks in an organization. You need to portray yourself as an unsophisticated idealist."

"Then you must act innocent," Roosevelt said with a hint of slyness.

"You need to tell him that your only interest is to do something real for those declining communities in Pittsburgh. You don't care about the position or the salary."

"Next, you should casually mention that you've heard there's a place in the city government called the 'Urban Renewal Committee,' although it seems to be useless now and not many people want to go there."

"But you, Leo Wallace, are willing to go there. You don't care about fame or fortune, you don't care about treatment, you can even serve as a volunteer, for free, as long as it gives you the opportunity to work for those forgotten communities."

Leo almost burst out laughing when he heard Roosevelt's plan.

"What will they think?" Leo asked.

Roosevelt smiled.

"They'll think you're just a fool who's all enthusiasm but has absolutely no idea how power works."

"They'll throw you, this troublesome threat, into what they consider a dumping ground, leaving you there to fend for yourself, with no hope of ever getting out."

"They would grant your foolish request without hesitation."

"And we, amidst their laughter, acquired our first base."

Leo picked up the phone and found Mark Jennings' number.

He took a deep breath and dialed the number.

The call was answered quickly.

Mark Jennings' voice came through the receiver, tinged with anticipation.

"Mr. Wallace, what's your decision?"

Following the script designed by Roosevelt, Leo began his performance.

"Mr. Jennings, I must thank the mayor again for his recognition and kindness." Leo's tone was very sincere. "It is a very good position, and I believe anyone would be tempted by it."

"However," he changed the subject, "after careful consideration, I think I may not be suited for such an important coordination role in an organization. I'm just a student, lacking experience, and not very good at handling complex interpersonal relationships."

Jennings remained silent for a moment on the other end of the phone.

"So, you mean you declined the mayor's invitation?" Jennings' voice was filled with surprise.

"Yes," Leo said, "but I hope you and the mayor don't misunderstand. My refusal is not because I have any issues with the city government, but because I have a clear understanding of myself."

"My only interest is to do something real for the declining neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. I don't care about the position or the salary. I just want to find a place where I can use my professional skills to contribute to the revitalization of this city."

He paused for a moment, then casually threw out the real target.

"I heard that there's a department in the city government called the 'Urban Renewal Committee.' I looked it up, and its scope of responsibility happens to align perfectly with the community issues I'm concerned about. I know that place probably doesn't have many people willing to go there now, and it doesn't have much of a budget."

"But I think, if I could, I would be willing to work there. I don't care about fame or fortune, I don't care about the salary, I could even serve as a volunteer. As long as I can have the opportunity to work for those forgotten communities, I would be content."

After Leo finished speaking, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

He could almost picture Jennings over there, his face flushed red from trying to hold back his laughter.

After a long while, Jennings spoke again.

His voice could no longer conceal the condescending disdain and smugness.

"Mr. Wallace, I must say, I deeply admire your selfless dedication," Jennings said. "You are a true idealist and a role model for young people of this era."

"Please rest assured, I will immediately report your idea to the mayor. I believe the mayor will definitely support an ambitious young person like you."

Things progressed exactly as Roosevelt had predicted, and Jennings readily agreed to Leo's request.

A week later, the Pittsburgh city government posted an unassuming appointment notice on its official website.

Community activist and history graduate student Leo Wallace has been appointed as an executive member of the Pittsburgh Urban Renewal Commission.

The appointment is effective immediately.

Leo's annual salary was naturally not $80,000, but in the end it was $33,500.

This appointment caused no stir in Pittsburgh's political and public discourse.

The Pittsburgh Chronicle even published a short commentary in their opinion section.

The author wrote in a sarcastic tone.

"That radical young man who once shone brightly at the hearing ultimately chose to bow to reality and accepted the city government's offer of amnesty. However, he was relegated to a forgotten corner, and his political career ended before it even truly began."

Leo threw the newspaper into the trash can.

He put on that secondhand suit and walked toward the city hall for the first time as a municipal employee.

He went down the stairs to the basement of the city hall.

The place was dimly lit, and the air was filled with a musty smell of old paper and dust.

At the end of the corridor, a small bronze plaque hangs on a wooden door with peeling paint.

"Urban Regeneration Committee".

Leo pushed open the door and went inside.

The office was filled with outdated filing cabinets and stacks of reports tied with rope.

The only window was small and high up, making it difficult for sunlight to shine in.

In the entire office, there was only one Black female secretary, wearing a blue dress, with gray hair and a slightly plump figure, sitting at her desk, slowly painting her nails.

She heard the door open, looked up, and gave Leo a lazy glance.

"Are you the new committee member?"

"Yes, my name is Leo Wallace."

The female secretary nodded, took a key from the drawer, and tossed it onto the table.

"My name is Gloria," she said. "Welcome to the committee, child."

"That table in the corner over there is yours. In the filing cabinet are all the discarded reports we've written about urban regeneration over the past decade; you can use them as a pillow."

"The restroom is at the end of the corridor, turn left. The coffee machine broke down a month ago and no one has come to fix it, so don't expect to get coffee here."

After she finished speaking, she continued to focus on her bright red nail polish and didn't look at Leo again.

Leo picked up the key and walked to his own desk.

A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the table.

Looking at this office, which had been completely forgotten by power, he felt no disappointment or frustration; instead, his eyes blazed with an unprecedented fire.

He knew that this ruined office was his New York State Legislature, his Navy Department, and the starting point for all his future endeavors.

This is a blank canvas that everyone has discarded.

His paintbrush was already parched with thirst.

Roosevelt's voice echoed in his mind, filled with the pride of ushering in a new era.

"Very good, child, our base has been established."

"Now, let's draw the first stroke."

"It's time to ask those bureaucrats in Washington for money, and then use federal funds to undermine our mayor."