Washington, DC
January 13, 2006

Welcome to our 2006 Winter Meeting. We come together for the first time with mayors across our nation since our very exciting and dynamic meeting in Chicago last June.

Conference President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill stood before you as she took the gavel as our 63rd President, promising in her inaugural speech a strong national campaign promoting “Strong Cities for a Stronger America.”

None of us knew that Katrina, Rita and Wilma, three hurricanes, would hit us just a few weeks later. And yet, we have always said that the President of The United States Conference of Mayors, “America’s Mayor” for a year, never knows what future events will affect his or her year as our President.

As Executive Director, I can honestly and with pride point to the strength, energy and rapid response given by President O’Neill in the aftermath of Katrina. Together we were in the gulf cities of Alabama and Mississippi as well as with the New Orleans City Government led by Council President Oliver Thomas and Mayor Ray Nagin. We are also most appreciative of the assistance and leadership Lt. Mitch Landrieu gave us during the time we were there and afterwards.

In addition to raising our flag after Katrina, Mayor O’Neill has supported our sustainable efforts since she was there. She lent her support to Charleston Mayor Joe Riley’s leadership as he took the Conference back to Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans after O’Neill had received the request to use our resources on helping mayors in the design of the rebuild efforts. Our partners, National Endowment for the Arts and the American Architectural Foundation, were there with us and we are most appreciative.

As promised in Chicago, Mayor O’Neill, even with the post-Katrina challenge, has held forums in Albuquerque, Denver, Long Beach, Washington, San Francisco, and with our new mayors at the JFK School at Harvard. These forums were all topical with in-depth review and planning on initiatives to keep our cities strong for a stronger America.

As we gather in Washington for this Winter Meeting, Mayor O’Neill will need your help on a number of issues. She is halfway through her term as we head to our 74th Annual Meeting for the first time in our history in Las Vegas, June 2-6. There is a lot to be done between now and the day that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman welcomes the Annual Meeting to his city of Las Vegas.

There are a number of issues before this Winter Meeting that will require your attention and personal time:

CDBG - We must stand firm to protect our CDBG - the Community Development Block Grant Program at HUD, as is, more successful and more needed than ever.

Guns/Gangs - The violence coming from guns on our streets from individual criminals and from gang activity in cities large, medium, small, suburban and urban is a matter that cannot be ignored. While we have all been focusing on international terrorist threats, we must also be aware of the violence and murders committed by our local and home grown terrorists here in our own American cities.

Energy/Environment - The energy challenge American cities face continues to affect our environment, our health, and our pocket books. At our Annual Meeting in Chicago, the energy/environment challenges were presented and we will continue here in Washington this week as we plan for a major national cities forum on energy and the environment in the Spring of this year.

Transportation Funds and Security - In Denver this Fall, Mayor O’Neill and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper led a dynamic and innovative meeting centering on the need and lack of transportation security in public transit, which includes rail and bus. Also the evacuation of an American city is a challenge all cities face following Rita and Texas cities such as Beaumont and Houston.

And, of course, we must be ever mindful that federal transportation funds intended for cities have gone to our state houses and people need to be activated in the large metro populated cities to bring the money to our city to help us meet the traffic challenges we face with the mass daily movement of millions each day along with the transporting of goods and services to strengthen metro economies and our national economies.

Bird Flu - Mayors need more good and sound information on this possible pandemic than they have at the present time. We have been working with Washington on this challenge. There have been a number of meetings. The thrust is somewhat state related and we need to have questions unanswered - answered. When and if bird flu hits the USA, the mayors are the ones who will use their trust to change human behavior to save lives. In a crisis, people go to television looking for that direction from their mayor and we must continue to equip all of you with the most updated information on the many facets of challenges that will hit us if there is an epidemic in our nation. We are hopeful all mayors will feel more comfortable about this issue as you leave our Winter Meeting.

There are other issues too. Eminent Domain has created an outcry from recent cases and Congress is responding in a harmful way to our cities. We have always taken the position that the power and the right to take property should be used in a most judicious manner. History will show that overall there has been a balance between the overall economic development of a city and the individual needs. The possible response from Congress to cut off federal funds when eminent domain issues arise is too severe. We need sound policy and direction from our mayors on this issue.

We are pleased this year to continue to celebrate the arts with our Mayors Arts Luncheon. Our great partnership with the Americans for the Arts continues to grow and reap economic, spiritual, soulful and cultural benefits for our city people.

Also, our relationship with the business community is important as our cities need their partnerships to foster and continue to “strengthen America” as President O’Neill has emphasized. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is our new Chair of the Mayors Business Council. Our breakfast Thursday morning will be an interactive one where there will be an opportunity to talk openly about how the business community can work with us in partnership in cities throughout the nation as well as work with us when confronted with common goals toward the Congress and The White House.

We welcome all new mayors. Burnsville, Minnesota Chair Elizabeth Kautz has worked diligently with staff and mayors to increase our membership. She needs your help on some new initiatives she and her Membership Committee are announcing here in Washington.

At the JFK School of Politics at Harvard, we had the opportunity to welcome many of the new mayors who attended. To those who were not there, we want you to know this is your organization and we will work with you to make certain you gain for you and your city.

We especially welcome Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to our first Winter Meeting. Mayor Villaraigosa will be most involved with us on a number of initiatives. Conference President O’Neill has asked him and he has accepted to Chair our leadership task force on poverty in America. In addition, he will host, at Mayor O’Neill’s request, our Second Mayors National Summit on Gangs in his city of Los Angeles on March 31. Welcome to The United States Conference of Mayors Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Again, we welcome you to our Winter Meeting! Join with us as Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill leads us through 2006 as we continue to showcase the USA cities and as we continue to be your advocate here in Washington, in our nation and, indeed throughout the world.

I look forward to seeing you January 25. If I can be of any assistance to you while you are here in Washington, please let me know.