By Elena Temple
January 12, 2009

President-Elect Barack Obama invited a delegation of U.S. mayors, led by U.S. Conference of Mayors President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, to join him January 8 at George Mason University in Fairfax (VA) for a major announcement on his economic stimulus plan for America.

While mayors are encouraged with the President-Elect’s commitment to swift and decisive action, mayors also remain committed to the position that direct investments in cities and metropolitan economies is the quickest path to creating jobs and stimulating the business that can begin to reverse the current economic downturn.

Prior to the President-Elect’s speech, the mayors were briefed on the new Administration’s Economic Recovery Plan. In that session, mayors stressed that cities and metropolitan economies drive the national economy and are where 85 percent of the people in this country live. Thus, it is very important that economic recovery funds go directly to cities and not get stuck in state bureaucracies.

Mayors also say metro infrastructure projects can start quickly because the funding for them can come directly to their cities through existing funding channels. Hundreds of mayors from across the country have already identified and presented thousands of “ready-to-go” projects to Obama that could create over a million jobs and improve the basic infrastructure of cities and metropolitan regions with federal investment.

Mayors offered their help to the Obama economic transition team to craft the best possible economic recovery plan. Mayors also stressed that they are not asking for earmarks, but a partnerships between cities and the federal government to ensure that people who need help the most actually receive it.

Mayors who participated in the meeting are:

USCM President Miami (FL) Mayor Manny Diaz

USCM Past President Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas Palmer

USCM Past President Louisville (KY) Mayor Jerry Abramson

USCM Past President Akron (OH) Mayor Don Plusquellic

USCM Past President Charleston (SC) Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr.

New York (NY) Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Providence (RI) Mayor David Cicilline

Albuquerque (NM) Mayor Martin Chavez

Columbus (OH) Mayor Michael Coleman

Philadelphia (PA) Mayor Michael Nutter

Salt Lake City (UT) Mayor Ralph Becker

Washington (DC) Mayor Adrian Fenty

Columbia (SC) Mayor Bob Coble

Jacksonville (FL) Mayor John Peyton