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The letter addressed to "The Right Worshipful the Mayor of York City," wasn't just any old letter. With a salutation of "Mr. Mayor!" this note--sent to William Althaus, mayor of York, Pa., last February--was a plea from a married couple in the Russian city of Stavropol for jobs in America, preferably in York.
"My wife and me are wanting to go out from the former Soviet Union," wrote Yuri Khlustikovs. "Please help us!" Although the mayor could not provide the two with jobs (they're both accordion players), he did pass the information on to the press in hopes that someone who read about the letter could help. According to the York Daily Record, the mayor planned to respond to the couple and said, "I really feel for them."
Those feelings are not just window dressing. Bill Althaus likes serving the public; working for "the people." Ask him his political priorities, and he'll name domestic issues such as the environment, drugs and housing, issues identified more often with Democratic party politics. Althaus, however, is a Republican.
Althaus' agenda is not the product of party politics, but rather the result of being a mayor and simply understanding the plight of cities. His position suits him well, for during this election year, Althaus is in line to be the next president of the United States Conferenee of Mayors (USCM).
The office presents him with big shoes to fill. His big-city, rather flamboyant predecessor--Boston's Ray Flynn--will be a tough act to follow because his high profile focused considerable national attention on the USCM. Coming from a city with a population of about 45,000 it will be more difficult for Althaus to command that spotlight.
"Ray is good at getting visibility," says Althaus. "He gets a lot of media attention. I don't agree with him on everything, but he is very good. I'm going to have to work harder at it as the Mayor of York.
"But in terms of dealing with the press, I'm as articulate as the next person, and I can make my points."
Comparing himself to Flynn, he says, there are differences in style and rhetoric, pointing out that he uses "more calm, not-as-aggressive language to voice his views.
The first item on Althaus' agenda, then,...