[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 181 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING MR. RAYMOND THOMAS ``R.T.'' RYBAK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEITH ELLISON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 19, 2013

  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the 
contributions of R.T. Rybak to the city of Minneapolis during his 12-
year tenure as mayor, and to applaud his leadership in areas from 
education to government accountability to economic opportunity. Mayor 
Rybak has been an outstanding leader, a great public servant and a 
close friend.
  R.T. Rybak, a Minneapolis native, began his distinguished career as a 
journalist for the Minneapolis Tribune. While working for various media 
outlets--including the Twin Cities Reader, Minnesota Public Radio, and 
Public Radio International--he was also an organizer who ran political 
campaigns and engaged in community activism. He campaigned for airport 
noise mitigation, sponsoring the famous ``Pajama Protest'' of 1999. 
Mayor Rybak's tactics have been inventive and inclusive, and his 
openness has made him a strong ally of communities often left out of 
the political process.
  Mayor Rybak confronted a city with serious challenges: an increasing 
budget deficit, a stark achievement gap, pension issues, and public 
safety concerns. He went to work immediately, making difficult 
decisions to adjust taxes and budget priorities. Under his leadership, 
Minneapolis cut spending by 16 percent and paid down $350 million of 
the city's debt, in spite of repeated state-level funding cuts. Faced 
with crises such as the 2007 collapse of the I-35W bridge, and the 2009 
Great Recession, Mayor Rybak helped the city recover with poise and 
energy. He was a strong advocate for Minneapolis residents, while also 
using these opportunities to bolster mass transit infrastructure and to 
further diversify our economy. Minneapolis has recovered all 10,000 
jobs lost in the recession, and added an additional 5,000. The city now 
ranks first in the country for its low unemployment rate, and is less 
susceptible to future economic fluctuations.
  Minneapolis is safer now than it has been in years. Most crimes have 
fallen to levels not seen in 35 years.
  The people of Minneapolis are also more connected and informed. City-
wide wireless internet, digital access to government information and 
services, and a forum for viewing city goals have made Minneapolis more 
open and accessible.
  Mayor Rybak's advocacy for North Minneapolis, in particular, has been 
long overdue on the city's agenda. He increased city investment in 
addressing persistent gaps in education, housing, and economic 
opportunity that have faced North Minneapolis for decades. He 
championed programs that trained residents and placed them into good 
jobs, working with businesses to create sustainable, meaningful 
employment. He reduced foreclosures, and used city-owned land to 
promote affordable green housing. Mayor Rybak has laid the foundation 
for revitalizing North Minneapolis, and I am confident that our city's 
future leaders will follow his lead.
  Mayor Rybak has also tackled the significant challenges facing 
Minneapolis schools. He started Minneapolis Promise, which provides 
young people with free college and career counseling and high-quality 
summer jobs. Since 2004, the STEP-UP internship program has given real-
world job experience to over 18,000 Minneapolis youth. Rybak has led 
the effort to close one of the nation's widest achievement gaps by 
connecting schools, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and 
businesses to work together for our children's futures. This will be 
one of the lasting achievements he leaves with Minneapolis, as he 
continues the fight to close the achievement gap as the next Chief 
Executive of Generation Next.
  Minneapolis will always be indebted to Mayor Rybak. From the balanced 
books of the city's treasurer, to the youth who can aspire to greater 
opportunity than their parents, to the residents headed to a secure job 
after months or years out of work, his achievements have improved 
Minneapolis and I thank him for his tireless service to our community.

                          ____________________