--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mayors could never get away with the kind…" description: "\"Mayors could never get away with the kind of nonsense that goes on in Washington. In our world, you either picked up the trash or you didn't. You eithe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-nutter-14707_abandoned_mayors-could-never-get-away-with-the-kin_284978.jpg" --- # Mayors could never get away with the kind of nonsense that… ![“Mayors could never get away with the kind of nonsense that goes on in Washington. In our world, you either picked up the trash or you didn't. You either moved an abandoned car or you didn't. You either filled a pothole or you didn't. That's what we do every day. And we know how to get this stuff…” quote by Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-nutter-14707_abandoned_mayors-could-never-get-away-with-the-kin_284978.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-nutter-14707_abandoned_mayors-could-never-get-away-with-the-kin_284978.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46d/michael-nutter-14707_abandoned_mayors-could-never-get-away-with-the-kin_284978.jpg) > “Mayors could never get away with the kind of nonsense that goes on in Washington. In our world, you either picked up the trash or you didn't. You either moved an abandoned car or you didn't. You either filled a pothole or you didn't. That's what we do every day. And we know how to get this stuff done.” [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective governance demands taking responsibility for all tasks, big or small. **In simple terms:** Do the work, no excuses. Key Takeaway Take ownership of every duty. Themes leadership accountability service Mood determined pragmatic Type political practical When to use this quote - city management - community projects - infrastructure maintenance Key Concepts public administration civic duty Questions to Reflect On - How do you prioritize tasks without neglecting details? - What systems ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on minutiae can neglect strategic vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abandoned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abandoned/) [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Either](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/either/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Filled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filled/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Goes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Mayors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors/) [Mayors Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayors-away-2755005/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Our world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-world/) [Picked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picked/) [Picked Trash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picked-trash-1735377/) [Pothole Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pothole-didn-2755006/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Trash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trash/) [Trash Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trash-didn-2670765/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [It doesn't matter what I do, I will try to be the best that ever did it. 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I want to be the mayor forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/i-love-being-the-mayor-i-want-to-be-the-mayor-forever/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [As mayor, I'm in the frying pan. I'm just sitting here on the griddle now, and I've got to really think, you know, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-a-williams/as-mayor-i-m-in-the-frying-pan-i-m-just-sitting-here-on-the-griddle/) [Anthony A. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-a-williams/) ## More by Michael Nutter > [Politics in Philadelphia is a contact sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/politics-in-philadelphia-is-a-contact-sport/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [For those of us in the political business, generally, it's been pretty much an unwritten but understood rule that family and children are out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/for-those-of-us-in-the-political-business-generally-it-s-been-pretty/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [Everyone felt comfortable with these guys and what their vision was, and when they said they want to keep the staff intact, that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/everyone-felt-comfortable-with-these-guys-and-what-their-vision-was/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [There is no Democratic or Republican way to fill a pothole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/there-is-no-democratic-or-republican-way-to-fill-a-pothole/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [If you want to act like a butthead, your butt is going to get locked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/if-you-want-to-act-like-a-butthead-your-butt-is-going-to-get-locked-up/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [Somehow, someway, for some people there's an automatic assumption that a mayor who is African-American or some other elected official has to support another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/somehow-someway-for-some-people-there-s-an-automatic-assumption-that/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [Philly is a place where people love change as long as things stay the same for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/philly-is-a-place-where-people-love-change-as-long-as-things-stay-the/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [If you walk into somebody's office with your hair uncombed and a pick in the back, and your shoes untied, and your pants half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/if-you-walk-into-somebody-s-office-with-your-hair-uncombed-and-a-pick/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [I'm honored to serve as mayor of my hometown where our founders started America with three simple words: 'We, the people.' 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