To The Mayor
From The Executive Director
Key West
February 19, 1999

Post Trial Issues
Now that the Presidential trial is over, Washington will seriously focus on a number of our issues. Earlier this month mayors met with a group of county executives, the Large Urban County Caucus within The National Association of Counties. The meeting took place in Miami and the local officials present mapped out strategies concerning a number of common agenda items.

Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe a past President of the Conference, led our delegation to this meeting, the second of its kind in our history. Last year they chose the TEA-21 legislation to support into a law that provides billions for highways and public transportation needs. This year they chose to work on urban parks as our top issue. Mayor Ashe, a long time parks advocate for the nation, tells us that the most important park to the average American is not Yellowstone or Yosemite. He says it's the park in your neighborhood that's the most important. The need for more parks for youth and adult recreation resonates with the voters and the city and county leaders plan to push Congress to provide parks legislation that provides a more balanced distribution of funds between national parks and local parks.

Later this month at the Winter Legislative Meeting of The National Association of Counties, city and county leaders will announce a major legislative drive. Mayors will meet with The Large Urban County Caucus, L.U.C.C., hold a press conference, and then go to Capitol Hill to make their point. They believe they can be successful. They are encouraged by the success they had last year as they secured passage of the transportation bill. They have reasons to be hopeful and they will continue to focus more on this issue as Washington starts to focus on the nation's business that has been postponed because some wanted to take our President out of office.

Key West / Mayor Leadership Meeting
This week the Conference of Mayors Leadership meets in Key West to make priority decisions after our very successful Winter Meeting last month. Conference President Deedee Corradini will preside as she continues to implement the national action plan against youth violence adopted at the Salt Lake City Leadership Summit last September. Mayor Corradini is most interested in establishing a joint task force between mayors and the entertainment and media industry.

HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo will be with us, too. He continues to be our advocate within the Administration and to the nation. We will also be discussing our plans to have a number of events around the 25th Anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant program, CDBG. He will also discuss President Clinton's new thrust of investment in the new markets of challenged areas within our cities. Cuomo says if we can go overseas and invest, we must also invest in our own cities. America's Private Investment Company, APIC, would receive $37 million if Congress accepts President Clinton's proposal. Cuomo says $37 million of federal money would leverage 1.5 billion in private equity investment for distressed urban, suburban and rural areas.

Crime and drugs are also on our agenda. Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles and Gary Mayor Scott King continue to focus on the question of drugs in prisons. They do not want prisoners released who are on drugs. They want drug addicted persons to be treated and tested before their release.

The COPS programs is up for renewal too and mayors will be involved in supporting President Clinton in continuing this most important resource we have for additional police officers. Crime is down nationally, but in some areas crime and violence are at unacceptable levels. Denver Mayor Webb, our incoming President, continues to emphasize the importance of keeping public safety up front and center.

New Orleans / Mayor Morial / Marriage / Mardi Gras
Congratulations to Mayor Marc Morial on the biggest and safest most diverse Mardi Gras Carnival ever. According to estimates, over 2 million people were in attendance for the carnival, which began in 1699 and is 300 years old this year. In addition to the 300th Anniversary, the 1999 Mardi Gras was the 50th Anniversary of the 1949 Carnival when the genius trumpeter, Mr. Louis Armstrong, was King of Zulu. And even more important, Mayor Morial presided over the first time ever King of Zulu and King of Rex have publicly met to toast each other in a most diverse and celebratory moment at the riverfront on the eve of Mardi Gras.

Congratulations also to Mayor Morial on the occasion of his announcement that he will marry Ms. Michelle Miller. A ring was presented at Christmastime and Mrs. Sybil Morial, Marc's mother, says the wedding will take place this year. Ms. Miller is a television news anchor reporter. They met -- well you can guess how they met. She was covering him as part of her job. Love happens. Congratulations to Mayor Morial and Michelle and the entire Morial family on this happy occasion. We look forward to seeing all of you at our 67th Annual Conference, June 11-15 at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans.