But last week stretched her patience. That much seemed clear when Anderson sat before the group, outlining his city priorities to push at the 2005 Legislature.
Love said her commitment and political passions have been every bit as strong as Anderson's. But, she added, "at times you can be a lightning rod in the community. Maybe having you or the city up there fighting for these issues may not be the best strategy."
The rest of the council chimed in. With decorum, of course, they told Rocky he was out on a polar ice chunk, floating alone on frigid waters.
Anderson's list is based on a manifesto he announced last summer - nine points of freedom he believes are essential to personal good and a stronger community.
Indoor smoking at all public places would be banned. Sex education would encompass a wider vista than "abstinence only." Bicyclists would be entitled to 3 feet of clearance on the road when vehicles pass them. Cities could require contractors to pay workers a living wage. "Photo cop" video technology should be used to nab motorists who speed and run lights.
This wasn't the first time our mayor got grief for an agenda that seems more suited to the United Nations than little ol' Salt Lake. Anderson also has weighed in on universal health care, global warming and the sex trade in Asia. Many folks would prefer the boy stay home on the farm.
He refuses. When Councilwoman Nancy Saxton asked Anderson which items he might drop in favor of gaining a more sympathetic ear at the state Capitol, he said, "I'm not going to be stepping aside on any of them."
Now might be the time to ask, what, exactly, is the role of a mayor.
The first definition is easy. A mayor is statutorily required to provide for the "health, safety and welfare" of the city. Police and fire protection, sewage service and trash collection, zoning, airport facilities, street lighting and repairs - all fall under the power of the mayor.
It is a strict constructionist view, and one the current City Council wants followed. As in, "Do your job, Rocky, and anything beyond it is a waste of taxpayer dollars."
And then there is the Big Picture, the sweeping view embraced by Anderson. This is the role people often belittle. This is the kind of mayor whom residents of Sandy, Riverton and Kaysville blast in protest letters to newspapers.
These are the mayors with ideological fire. You saw it in Rudy Giuliani after 9-11. Yes, he met his first responsibility in covering the health and safety needs of devastated New Yorkers. But then came the bigger, bolder Rudy: the guy who rallied the troops, who pumped his fist in the air and kept going to Yankees games.
None of it was in his job description. But Giuliani the cheerleader, the idealist - this is what his city will remember.
Salt Lakers with a memory will recall a long line of mayors who used their power to push ideology. In the '50s, firebrand J. Bracken Lee took a stand against the feds by temporarily refusing to pay his taxes. In the early '70s, Jake Garn chastised the EPA for cracking down on air quality in Salt Lake. To paraphrase, Garn told the D.C. bureaucrats he was not their manager in Salt Lake. He was the mayor of Salt Lake.
People loved them for it. They built their political personas as tough, freethinking mavericks. So perhaps this begs the question: If Anderson's manifesto were a conservative laundry list - backing tuition tax credits, fighting same-sex marriage and urging reversal of abortion rights - would he get a big group hug at the state Capitol?
Just wondering.
hmullen@sltrib.com
