J im knew he needed to concentrate his resources. He had arrived at the Dempsey Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) over a year earlier full of excitement. After his first job as an assistant program manager at a local development corporation in neighboring Giant City, he had been hired by the DEDC to create a new, citywide commercial revitalization program for Dempsey, a city of nearly a quarter million people. The DEDC's executive director, Brendan Grace, was a supportive boss. Like Jim, he believed that Dempsey could really benefit from some of the latest approaches to neighborhood economic development. But, after more than a year of working long hours, Jim had nothing concrete to show for his efforts, there were still too many worthy potential initiatives and competing priorities to address all at once, and he needed to show some results quickly. And, although Jim knew that a professional public servant should be above partisan politics, elections were coming up. If the administration changed, his entire program was likely to be canceled or dramatically changed. What should I do first, and how can I balance electoral politics with my professional priorities? Jim mused. Or should I just bail out of Dempsey and take a safe job in the bureaucracy back in Giant City? The city of Dempsey was in many ways awakening from a decades-long slumber. Once a major industrial and port city, Dempsey had fallen on hard times along with most of the surrounding area as much of the middle class moved to the suburbs, manufacturers moved away, and trucks replaced railroads. But now, there were signs of change and promise for the future. The exploding real estate market in Giant City had encouraged commercial and residential development in the parts of Dempsey and its neighboring towns that were near stations on the light rail lines leading into Giant City. New office towers and condominiums were going up, and the prices of apartments and houses in the Central Square and Downtown sections of Dempsey were skyrocketing as those neighborhoods gentrified. Long-time residents were glad for the promise of economic renewal, but many of them also resented the commuting newcomers, who