By Ed Somers
February 11, 2008

“I am in awe of the work that you do not only in your cities… but also for the Conference of Mayors. Our hard work has really paid off,” USCM President Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer told his colleagues on January 23 as he reviewed the past six months, and upcoming advocacy efforts.

Following a video presentation (see usmayors.org) highlighting key USCM activities — including the Los Angeles Annual Meeting, bipartisan primary and caucus events in Iowa and New Hampshire, the largest summit of mayors on climate protection in Seattle, and of passage of a $10 billion energy block grant — Palmer thanked every mayor for their leadership and involvement in USCM.

“I couldn’t be blessed more to have a better partner in leadership than Vice President Manny Diaz,” Palmer said. He added, “Greg Nickels, Chair of the Advisory Board, started a movement on climate change…and now because of his efforts and our efforts, we have over 780 mayors who have signed the climate protection agreement.”

Palmer highlighted many successes on priorities contained in the Mayors’ 10-Point Plan: Strong Cities, Strong Families for a Strong America — such as restoration of public housing funding, enactment of the 9/11 Commission Act, and increased homeland security funding.

And speaking to passage of USCM’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, Palmer said, “A year ago, we pushed an energy and environment block grant …a year later we have the bill passed and signed by the President. That is unheard of.” Palmer thanked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV), Senators Robert Menendez (NJ) and Bernie Sanders (VT), Representative Albert Wynn (MD) and many others for their work to get the bill signed into law.

Palmer pledged that the nation’s mayors will continue to lead on the response to the mortgage crisis. “Housing is the backbone of our economy, and right now our backbone is in traction — but it does not have to stay in traction.”

Palmer said that the Conference of Mayors will continue the fight to make sure that cuts in the Community Development Block Grant are restored.

“We need to make sure that real funding is provided for the COPS program and that we have not just homeland security, but also hometown security,” he added.

And, addressing the Conference’s top priority, Palmer asked every mayor to help secure a $2 billion appropriation for the Energy Block Grant this year.