Rybak, Coleman correctly push collaboration as a building tool

Partnership power was a major state-of-the-city theme of both Twin Cities mayors this year.

Leaders in the twin towns have done an exemplary job of creating coalitions to get things done that they could not do alone.

On Monday, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman focused on the importance of education in building great cities. He highlighted smart public, business, nonprofit and intergovernmental cooperative efforts that boost student achievement.

Worthy projects include Sprockets -- a program that involves more than 70 community groups that provide quality out-of-school opportunities for St. Paul kids.

Across the Mississippi, Mayor R.T. Rybak's state-of-the-city address last month focused on making strategic investments in people, the common ground and small business to promote economic growth.

He also talked up the value of partnerships that have and will continue to create jobs and business activity and undergird the city's tax base.

Predictably and rightly, both mayors took some state lawmakers to task for considering dramatic local government aid (LGA) cuts to their cities.

And that would be only the first cut on the way to zero beginning in 2015. That reduction alone would be more than the combined budgets of the city's library, parks and city attorney's office, according to Coleman.

State budget-balancing should be done through shared sacrifice -- not by depending on the state's larger cities to bear such a large share of closing the deficit.

Just this month, the two mayors announced partnerships to retain, grow and attract green-manufacturing businesses and jobs in the region.

And they jointly presented a regional business development plan at a Brookings Institution forum.

"We now have the strategic tools to realign our strong assets to increase innovation and competitiveness in this region," Rybak said. "The specific focus on entrepreneurship acceleration will facilitate long-term growth through business creation and expansion."

In St. Paul, Coleman received a lengthy ovation this week after announcing that a federal agreement to pay for half of the $957 million Central Corridor light-rail project would be signed next week.

He added that, at the end of February, nearly 12 percent of the corridor's construction had already been completed.

However, the massive transit project that will connect the two core city downtowns must be done well to minimize negative effects on businesses and communities along the busy corridor.

And if education is key to the city's success, as Coleman stressed, then a lot is riding on the massive school district reorganization plan that will be phased in beginning in this fall.

School options will shift for thousands of students; if those changes don't bring results, even more families could opt out of the city's traditional public schools.

Facing those challenges and others, the emphasis both mayors are placing on partnerships and regional cooperation is welcome.

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