On Dec. 16, President-elect Joe Biden chose former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg to lead the federal Department of Transportation.
The transportation department manages the nation's roadways, railways, shipping and airlines. It's not the first federal department most citizens think of, but current South Bend Mayor James Mueller said it's the one with the most direct impact on people's daily lives.
From that perspective, he said it makes sense to appoint a local official to head the department.
"The local level of government is literally where the rubber meets the road," Mueller said. "These are issues that cities and mayors have to deal with the most."
However, some local activists feel that Buttigieg's record on race doesn't qualify him for a national position. Black Lives Matter - South Bend member Jorden Giger held a call on Dec. 15 to urge the Biden-Harris administration to consider other candidates.
"We saw Pete Buttigieg give less than 1 percent of city contracts to Black businesses," Giger said. "We saw Black communities here have their homes torn down by his administration. We saw the machinery of his police department turn against Black people."
Mueller said Buttigieg understands those challenges, and that will help him make decisions for cities like South Bend across the nation.
"Whether you think that he was perfect during his time as mayor in addressing them, he's lived it and he understands it," he said. "Now he has a great platform to deliver on those issues."
Buttigieg needs to be confirmed by the Senate before formally becoming the transportation secretary.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.
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