WASHINGTON, DC (WSAU) -- Amid the shutdown chaos in Washington, over 300 Mayors from across the country have gathered to meet with lawmakers and discuss future projects for their cities.
Wisconsin Rapids' Zach Vruwink is one of them. "It's very quiet here. Just kind of walking around, [you can tell] there's a mood of 'we need to end this shutdown and find common ground,'" he told WSAU News on Wednesday in between sessions of the conference.
Vurwink says after having the chance to listen to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday there is some hope for a compromise, but he remains cautiously optimistic. He says he would like to see both sides be able to open the Government then come together to negotiate on border security and find areas they can agree on.
While on the way to Washington for the conference, Vruwink said he made sure to spend some extra time thanking the TSA agents working at the Central Wisconsin Airport. "They're not being compensated, and boy do we thank them for their service in light of that. They are facing tough times, possibly having to choose between paying their mortgage and putting food on the table."
Vruwink's priorities for the conference include working to secure funding for infrastructure improvements in the coming years and finding ways to keep the city's economy strong in a time when unemployment remains low and competition for employees is high.
Other Wisconsin Mayors attending the conference include Paul Soglin of Madison, Sheboygan's Mike Vandersteen, Jim Schmitt of Green Bay, and Steve Ponto of Brookfield. The conference wraps up on Friday.
