By Juliette Jardim
February 2, 2009

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg addressed the nation's mayors during the closing luncheon of the 77th Winter meeting, calling for a number of major policy changes through a "renewed partnership with Washington."

Calling for immigration reform both in policy and outlook, Bloomberg pronounced, "Cities continue to be the magnets for all those, immigrants and native born, who seek better opportunity and a better life. And that reaffirms what's best about our nation. It's good news for our cities' future and for America's future. And now to realize that promise, we need a renewed partnership with Washington. So I think we should put our President and our Congress on notice and force them to work on a consistent immigration policy."

Bloomberg advocated for practical changes, insisting on effective enforcement while ensuring sufficient legal routes for immigrants to become American citizens.

Initially, Bloomberg addressed the task of reviving the economy by focusing on the lack of confidence which has prevailed throughout the country and charging the mayors with reviving the faith in the American people. He then suggested how the federal government could take action to solve some of the more immediate economic problems.

"I think what we need is a focus in our stimulus packages on something that would work for the cities. Let's call it an Urban Innovation Fund. If we're spending trillions of dollars to help big business and big banks, why not spend five or ten billion dollars to help the cities, not by subsidizing things they've done before, but by giving an incentive to do innovative things and to help create the jobs that will give America hope for the future," Bloomberg proposed.

He went on to name several ways mayors could utilize the fund, from providing childcare as part of the Earned Income Tax Credit to creating programs to make community service more accessible to citizens.

Bloomberg also spoke about the constantly increasing number of white-collar workers who are unemployed. He noted that while infrastructure development is important for the long term, there are many unemployed who use intellectual capital rather than brawn, and we need to provide jobs for those people as well. Bloomberg recommended investing in green jobs as a way to help the environment and repair the short-term problems in our economy.

"We think that a renewed partnership with Washington can keep helping American cities go green. So let's work together with the President and with the Congress to enact a National Energy Policy that encourages conservation, promotes clean energy, invests in updating our transmission grid, and gives cities the role we deserve in crafting environmental policy," Bloomberg articulated.

In his concluding remarks, Bloomberg stressed the importance of equal education for all. He admonished America for the longstanding achievement gap, and encouraged the nation's mayors to make a difference, saying, "Stand up and do something about it. If we do that, we can change the world."