Office of Urban Affairs

Given today's economic swivel, the failure of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families system calls for a major overhaul before the crisis of poverty in inner-city communities gets worse.

Carrion's departure leaves the Office of Urban Affairs at a crossroads. Without a formal leader, the Office is at risk of being lost in a White House filled with powerful figures and, as will always be the case, competing priorities.

When Washington politicians speak about cities, their speech is reliably punctuated with catchphrases about decline, crumbling infrastructure, and Detroit. This is a strange phenomenon.

Criticism of Obama and the czar "system" is overblown. In fact, a czar's power comes not from dictatorial authority, but from humble restraint.

President Obama seems committed to shifting federal urban policymaking from a reactive, "Marshall Plan"-type strategy to a proactive, cooperative approach.

Though this is less robust a beginning than urban policy advocates might have liked, Obama will address the Urban and Metropolitan Policy Roundtable, which demonstrates his continued commitment to cities.

Why not set up stimulus accountability outposts of the White House in cities? Obama came into office with a metro mandate and now is the time to claim it.