By Washington, DC
February 6, 2004

President Bush came to "our house" last week to address our 72nd Winter Meeting at The Capital Hilton here in Washington. Our mayors gave our President a warm welcome. Mayors appreciate his coming to talk to us and our mayors know that our President, Hempstead Mayor James A. Garner deserves credit for delivering President Bush to all attending our meeting.

President Bush was conversational in his remarks to us. He talked to us about what was on his mind. It was not an address. He was talking to the mayors about the challenges we face with homeland security funds. He told the mayors that apparently a lot of homeland security funds are "stuck" somewhere and he promises to help us "unstick" the funds so that needed funds get down to our cities and our first responders. There was a feeling in the room that the President understands our problem and wants to help us fix it.

The President also commended us in establishing our USCM Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives. Over the past few years the faith based community initiatives, on-going in hundreds of our cities, have caused the nation's mayors to bring this issue into our organization. We recall when the President addressed us in Detroit at our 69th Annual Meeting in June of 2001 he urged us to work with our faith based community to improve the life of so many people in need of attention, need and care. We promised to continue to work with the White House and all the federal agencies involved as we go forward to strengthen the relationships with faith based organizations and to, of course, share best practices to meet our goals.

Nicole Maharaj is the Director of our USCM Faith Based Center. Mayors may contact her by phone — (202-861-6735) to learn more about our activities as we network with mayors and their faith based liaisons and staff throughout the nation.

We also were fortunate to have the Speaker of The House, Congressman Dennis J. Hastert and the Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. It is the first time in our history that we have had the President, the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader. Someone joked (I hope) with me that maybe next year we should bring them all back and have also Chief Justice Rehnquist to address us.

Mr. Tony Bennett, icon of American pop music and Mr. Henry Winkler, "The Fonz" of TV fame, also were honored by the mayors and The Americans for the Arts. We also honored our own Irish rock star Mayor Martin O'Malley for his exemplary arts initiatives in Baltimore. And it was good to have back with us former Philadelphia Mayor, our friend Governor Ed Rendell, honored for his support for arts through the years and for standing up to arts budget cutters even in this budget crunch era so many states are facing.

Last — but believe me not least — was Senator Hillary Clinton who addressed our closing lunch and took questions from the floor. She has stood with us from day one as an advocate to our government that homeland security funds must be sent in a straight line from Washington, D.C. to city halls throughout the nation. Senator Clinton continues to impress our delegates and mayors with her understanding and strong voice. She is excellent in expressing and advocating the important role the USA men and women mayors play to make our nation safer and economically stronger.

President Garner to President Bush

Our USCM President James A. Garner has sent a letter to the President thanking him profusely for coming to talk to us and specifically thanking him for acknowledging that we are not getting the federal homeland security funds down to our first responders.

President Garner has asked the President to appoint a team of federal officials to work with a team of mayors appointed by President Garner to work toward the goal of fixing the flawed delivery system of homeland security funds which as the President stated leaves the funds "stuck" somewhere between Washington and the cities throughout America.

USCM/Nationwide Retirement Solutions

As Executive Director, I was presented an award along with Duane Meek President of Nationwide Retirement Solutions, for our 25 years of corporate partnership in providing the best deferred compensation/retirement program in the nation.

This business relationship continues to provide substantial resources for the operation of the basic core services of The United States Conference of Mayors. It also helps millions of local government employees enjoy an enjoyable, productive and meaningful life in their retirement.

I dedicated the award as I accepted to two outstanding staff professionals of the Conference — Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland and Roger Dahl. Through the years, they have toiled relentlessly to make this USCM/Nationwide business partnership a model to the nation providing resources that have enabled us to be what we are today. Thanks again to Kathryn and Roger. Let us continue! We urge all mayors to be a part of our deferred compensation program — now. For information, call Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland at 301-460-5251.

72nd Winter Meeting

We thank all mayors, staff, and Mayors Business Council members who participated in our Winter Meeting.

Boston Mayor Tom Menino told the mayors we are going to have a great gathering for our 72nd Annual Meeting in Boston, June 25- 29, 2004. We appreciate Mayor Menino's leadership as our President last year and we know as our Host Mayor of 2004, we will come together in Boston in June with mayors having one bipartisan voice and one bipartisan message. Cities are where it's at in 2004 and the United States of America is what it is because of our cities. Cities unite America they are our strength and our salvation. And we must push our Metro 04 Mayors/Business 5 Point Agenda, released by Conference President Garner at our Winter Meeting, into the voice and the agenda of all those running for President as the nation goes forward to have the big one — the campaign and election of the President of the United States.

Join with us in Boston. Come help us keep the momentum going. Mayor Garner and Mayor Menino and all of us need you to be in Boston for the 72nd Annual Meeting, June 25-29, 2004. For information and registration, call Carol Edwards, Director of Conferences and Conventions at (202) 293-7330.

Again, thanks to all who joined with us to make our Winter Meeting unforgettable. It was a winner, thanks to you!