By Larry Jones
February 12, 2007

Before a crowded room of mayors and delegates attending the January 25 plenary Session of the Winter Meeting, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) commended The U.S. Conference of Mayors leadership for developing a 10-Point Plan that outlines policy priorities and recommendations urging congressional action on key issues facing cities. These include energy, crime, homeland security, energy, health care and infrastructure investment. Responding to the plan, Clinton said, “This agenda is right on the mark. It’s time for our country to get back to solving the problems that confront us here at home.” She spoke passionately about establishing a strong partnership with mayors across the nation to give them the support they need to make decisions that are right for their cities.

Commenting on the energy block grant called for in the plan, Clinton told mayors, “There is a lot we can do on energy and your plan, modeled on the Community Development Block Grant, has so much promise.” She urged mayors to “…look broadly at what we can do together to get cities to play a leadership role in dealing with our energy and environmental challenges.” She proposed creating a strategic energy fund, which could be funded by amending the tax code to eliminate huge tax breaks for oil companies. “They’re doing quite well without subsidies from all of us,” she added. Clinton explained that the money from the strategic fund would be used “…to give you and others the resources to make changes in your energy profiles.” She pointed out that this could help cities become more energy proficient, more conservation minded and better at using smart alternative energy sources. “So I hope that we’re going to move this part of your agenda in this Democratic Congress,” she said.

On the issue of crime, Clinton told mayors, “I know crime is on your mind, because it is increasingly on your streets.” According to a recent Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report, 2005 proved to be the largest single-year increase in the rate of violent crimes in 14 years. Clinton explained that Buffalo experienced a 30 percent increase in homicides. And she added that the nation has suffered from double digit increases in murder, assault and robbery. To address this concern she said, “One of your priorities that I support is the COPS program. This is a success story; let’s do what works. We know it has made a difference. The Government Accountability Office did a report which made that abundantly clear. The COPS program put 100,000 police officers on the streets in 13,000 towns and cities. And from 1994 until 2001, violent crime fell by 29 percent — the biggest drop in 40 years.” She added, “We don’t need to create new programs we just need to get the funding back into the COPS program and the local law enforcement block grant.”

Clinton also discussed homeland security and more specifically interoperable communications. She reminded mayors that during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 police and fire departments could not communicate with one another. She discussed her commitment to making sure that we get interoperable communications in America. One of the things she mentioned was her “plan to put in the federal government one person responsible for and to be held accountable for getting our interoperable communications done right once and for all.” She also pointed out that she was fighting to get healthcare for the first responders and workers involved in 9/11 who are now suffering, and in some cases even dying, from illnesses they contracted from Ground Zero. “I will do everything I can to take care of the people who took care of us. And I think as a nation, we owe them that,” she said.

On the issue of health care, Clinton spoke passionately about the rising number of uninsured people in America, which currently exceeds 46 million people. To address this problem, she said, “I believe we still need to make a commitment to universal healthcare. We need to make coverage, quality and cost the pieces of any strategy.” She also told mayors that she was pleased to see the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIPS) listed as a priority in the 10-Point Plan and pledged to work to ensure its reauthorization.

Senator Clinton also acknowledged the need for investment in the nation’s infrastructure, referring to a 2005 report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers that calls for a $1.6 trillion investment to address infrastructure needs. To ensue a viable economy, she said we must “repair and build those roads and bridges and tunnels and transit systems” across the nation as we prepare to meet the challenges of our 21st century global economy. “It is an investment we need to make,” she added. One of the ideas she mentioned was long-term bonding such as 50-year bonding, which is currently being used in Europe to restore some of its aging infrastructure. “I am not sure that’s the best solution, but let’s get our heads together and figure it out,” she said.