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<br /> ems . FINANCIER; Cade Study
<br /> 1 throughout California' with-a number consulting service promised enough
<br /> of local-public officials, urban and po- difficulties under the best .of condi-
<br /> litical strategists, and well-informed tions; it was imperative to start with a ..
<br /> people in the academic community, to good relationship among all the pri'nci-
<br /> test the premise that, under the right pal parties. " " - . ' = .'
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<br /> N circumstances, the public and private It was-also important that the impact
<br /> 4, - sectors could in_ fact create a partner- of the private sector teams be highly
<br /> ship devoted to the 'long-term -eco- ' visible, not to the, public through'.the
<br /> ti nomic health of our cities. - media, but to department "heads and
<br /> These discussions went on for nearly- -staff'inside the local community. We
<br /> s ' six months. In time, it became clear - wanted to,create a model for others to
<br /> that to test the premise, there would be . - follow, to show that cooperation be-
<br /> : need for a catalyst to help, make it tween ,the private and .public sectors
<br />. .- - happen. With the encouragement and s could, in fact, be achieved and exert a
<br /> ,. strong support of our Chairman, Nor- , positive influence on the complex'
<br /> man Barker, Jr., and our then Presi-- planning of a city's financial-structure.
<br /> dent, Joe -Pinola, now Chairman of The evolution of the UCB program
<br /> ;& Western Bancorporation, our- parent was'not the result of a structured cere-
<br /> ' holding company, the bank assumed bral exercise, but rather a sensible an-
<br /> this role. ticipation ofthe crisis of the cities —
<br /> We would develop an "urban team" ' now likely to accelerate as Proposition
<br />,,.t _ approach. 13 counterparts throughout the coun-
<br /> In the private sector, we found im- try begin to have an impact.
<br /> mediate support for organizing task
<br /> Not Purely Altruistic
<br /> forces of professionals from a variety of ,
<br /> fields who could go to small city Gov- : Nor was our development of this
<br /> z ernments and offer their help. Profes- - program purely altruistic. No business
<br /> sionals :in banking, accounting, urban can continue to grow if the communi-
<br /> planning, economics, political science, ties in which 'it operates are not
<br /> `, ,personnel, administration, and' com-- healthy. At the least, it amounts :to
<br />:,. puter- technology were organized. In enlightened self-interest, to focus pri-
<br /> rr consultation with the League of. Cali vate,resources on the public problems
<br /> fornia Cities we concluded that, for our .. of urban. America, either to correct
<br /> _ initial test, cities with populations not those already apparent, or through as-
<br /> exceeding 50,000 would be selected. , sistance with planning to avoid those -
<br /> F discernible ahead.
<br /> Harmony Imperative Although we brought the expertise
<br />. It was imperative„to find cities where of the urban teams to four small cities,
<br />,_ the paid city manager and the elected I am convinced that the. manner 'in
<br /> - city council 'members all worked in which we approached them could be
<br /> 1
<br /> hmny, and the chief financial of ` applied just as eectvely to larger mu-
<br /> fiver arof it into that same harmonious- nicipalities. Theffectively
<br /> differences between
<br /> relationship. That chemistry was criti- the troubles of New York and Cleve- -
<br /> •
<br />_ cally important; we did not need politi-. ' land and those of smaller cities are-
<br /> cal cliques .to take sides on any pro- .' really a matter 1 of scale rather than
<br /> posed Cnges later on." The substance.
<br /> complexi offering this type of free -When the pilot program was.started,`
<br /> s.
<br /> 38 Febr -irNANCIER
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<br />{ ,... ., Win.
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