Forging America: My Campaign Manager is Roosevelt

Chapter 382: Chapter 180: Questioning

"You only make deals with big corporations and powerful Unions. You only look after those with the right to vote, the ones with the ability to organize."

"And we are still the ones paying the price."

Alina took a deep breath and shouted the most piercing accusation.

"You’re becoming the very person you used to hate, Mr. Mayor."

"You’ve put on a suit. You’ve learned to drink red wine with capitalists."

"You’ve forgotten where you came from."

Leo looked at Alina.

In the girl’s angry eyes, he saw himself from three years ago.

The him who had worked in a coffee shop, worried about overdue bills, been filled with rage at the entire system, and thought all politicians were liars.

Back then, he had looked at Carter Wright the exact same way.

Angry, uncompromising, full of idealism, but also full of prejudice.

Roosevelt’s voice echoed in his mind.

’This girl represents the corners your New Deal hasn’t reached yet. She represents the forgotten and the silent.’

’You need this fire.’

’You need someone to scream in your ear, to prick you when you get self-righteous.’

’It will keep you from turning into a cold-blooded dictator.’

’Don’t drive her away.’

’Let her finish.’

’Mr. President.’

Leo replied in the depths of his consciousness.

’I never thought about driving her away.’

Leo continued in his mind, ’Do you think I’m like those bureaucrats with a guilty conscience, afraid of being exposed in public? Do you think I’m like Carter Wright, who would fly into a rage just because someone pointed out his mistakes?’

’No.’

’I’m not afraid.’

’Because my path is righteous.’

Leo looked at the angry girl before him, his gaze unwavering.

’For the revival of this city, I’ve certainly done a lot of dirty work. I’ve wallowed in the mud and walked through the darkness.’

’But I haven’t put a single cent into my own pocket.’

’I have sacrificed myself for this city. I’ve shouldered the blame and endured the pressure, all just to keep the lights on here a little longer.’

’It’s because my conscience is clear that I have no need for cover-ups.’

’It’s because I truly want to make Pittsburgh better that I dare to face all this anger.’

’If I’ve made a mistake, I’ll admit it. If I’ve overlooked something, I’ll fix it.’

’Politicians cover up their mistakes because they’re afraid of losing power.’

’But leaders correct their mistakes because they are responsible to the people.’

’This honesty is my strength.’

The crowd fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, watching the two people at the center of the stage.

Leo took a deep breath.

Facing Alina, facing the people, he didn’t need a facade.

He took a step forward, approaching the trembling girl who was clutching the microphone stand.

He stood beside Alina.

He didn’t rebut, didn’t argue, and didn’t use his polished political rhetoric to pick apart the logical fallacies in the girl’s words.

He just looked at her, his gaze sincere.

"You’re right, Alina."

Leo’s voice was low, but through the microphone, it carried clearly to every corner of the auditorium.

"I’ve been up high for too long."

"I sit in that office on the third floor of City Hall, the one with the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Every day, I look at the map on the wall, the data flickering on my computer screen, and the charts representing funding and project progress."

"I thought I was seeing the entire city."

"I thought I had my finger on its pulse."

"But I was wrong."

Leo turned to face the audience, to face all the camera lenses.

"Sometimes, when you stand too high, you really can’t see the cracks on the ground."

"For the greater good, for so-called strategy, to get the revival plan off the ground quickly, I did sacrifice some things and overlook some people."

Leo’s voice grew heavy.

"The revival has brought prosperity, but it’s also brought side effects. When capital flows in and construction projects begin, it inevitably leads to rising land and commodity prices. That’s a basic law of economics, and I anticipated it."

"But I didn’t do enough."

"I was busy securing bonds and arranging projects, and I forgot about the pressure being put on the most vulnerable group in this process: the tenants."

"I didn’t roll out rent stabilization measures in time, nor did I build a firewall to protect tenants from eviction. This led to your plight, to the risk of citizens like you ending up on the streets."

"That was my dereliction of duty."

Leo admitted all of this frankly.

"And the rights of non-Union workers," Leo continued. "That was a blind spot for me as well."

"I focused on steel, on the port, on the big Unions that could organize and make their voices heard. Because they have power, they could help me build the city."

"But I forgot the people washing dishes in restaurant kitchens, the people delivering food late at night, and the people who are unorganized, voiceless, or even without legal status."

"They are builders of this city too, and they should also enjoy the dividends of its revival."

"And I... overlooked them."

Leo paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall.

"Power can make a person blind and deaf."

"It surrounds you in an information cocoon of endless praise and applause, making you think everything is perfect."

"That’s why I need you."

"I need people like Alina."

Leo gestured to the girl beside him.

"I need someone to point their finger right at my face and tell me, ’Leo Wallace, you got this wrong! You’re not doing a good enough job!’"