Conference President Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles addressed the opening plenary session of the Illinois Municipal League on October 6 during their annual conference in Chicago.

Mayor Coles outlined the Conference's presidential transition agenda and work with both the Bush and Gore campaigns. He then spoke about his two top priorities within that agenda, the need for a national rail policy and the continued fight against illegal drugs. On rails, Coles tied the issue to his overall theme of strengthening families. He said that by developing true multi-modal public transportation, parents will be able to reduce the need for their children to take jobs to purchase cars, leaving more time for family activities and studies.

He said that it will take money to develop the systems needed for the nation, and that federal support is appropriate. "Why should only highways benefit from a federal partnership?" Coles asked. Coles is supporting a $3 billion annual investment for rails in order to link the nation's metro economies, and wants to see a strong federal, local and private sector partnership on this effort.

On drugs, Coles focused on the need for stronger enforcement, treatment and prevention. On the continued concern of drugs in prisons, Coles pointed out that in Idaho, for example, only 14 percent of prisoners are provided treatment in state prisons, and only 20 percent are said to be provided treatment in the local county jails.

Focusing on the money wasted by the cycle of releasing prisoners still addicted to drugs, Coles asked, "Why don't we as a nation require that every prisoner pass a drug test prior to release?" Coles also expressed his continued belief that more focus must be placed on adult drug use, with growing evidence that a great deal of first-time youth drug use comes as a result of parental use. Coles said that there must be stronger drug-free workplace policies.

Coles expressed concern that neither Bush nor Gore has been focusing on drugs or rails. He pointed out that a national rail policy would be a logical extension of a national energy policy, yet was not mentioned by either candidate when questioned about energy during the first debate.

Chicago Mayor Daley

Coles was joined on the dais by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, a past president of the Conference, and National League of Cities President Wichita Mayor Bob Knight.

In his remarks, Coles credited Mayor Daley for teaching America about the problem of social promotion, and his overall leadership on education and drug control.

In his remarks, Mayor Daley spoke of the continued need to strengthen public education and enact common-sense gun control to protect children.

Daley credited the outsourcing and privatization of $3 billion in school activities for much of the recent Chicago school improvement. He also said that every new school facility in Chicago is being built for "community use" with early childhood development, library and gym facilities available for public use during non-school hours. Prior to the session, Mayors Coles and Daley held a meeting at which they discussed the Conference's transition agenda and the importance of a strengthened agenda focused on American families.