Book Table of contents
LESSONS FROM THE HOT SEAT: GOVERNING AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL
Introduction
One: Confronting Controversy
1. The Shooting of Oscar Grant: Handling a Crisis
2. Keep the trees or cut them down? Dissecting a Difficult Decision
3. Commuter Rail Crippled by Strikes: Finding Imperfect Solutions
Two: Culture Clashes
1. Black Protestors Shut Down System: Dealing with Disruption
2. Suburban Growth Wars: Reconciling Visions about Traffic
3. Why Don’t You Fix That Darn Road? Balancing the Pain Vs. the Cost
4. The Rolling Quads Battle for Access: Accommodating Disabilities
5. Suburban/Urban Conflicts: Compromising on Problems
Three: Building for Posterity
1. And Now, On with the Show! Building a Performing Arts Center
2. Trains are Coming: Reconciling Visions with Reality
3. One Stop Living: Creating a Transit Village
4. Grass Roots Battle for Open Space: Preserving Land for the Future
5. The Planning Commission: Seeing Changes Through the Years
Four: Building Relationships
1. Understanding Other Cultures: Developing Sister City Programs
2. Working Across Borders: Preventing Disputes through Negotiations
3. My First Brush with Politics: Defending Freedom of the Press
4. The Cloak of Confidence: Speaking in Public
Conclusion
"I want to be in the room where it happens."
When I heard that lyric in the musical “Hamilton,” it encapsulated the driving force behind my desire to enter public service and politics. Motivated by the conviction that government could improve, I became involved myself. I wanted to shape the future “in the room where it happens.”