Washington, DC
February 14, 2003

This was the week of tapes here in Washington, DC. First, another tape purported to be from terrorist Osama bin Laden urging Iraqis to carry out suicide attacks on Americans and calling on Muslims everywhere to launch a holy war against "the crusaders." The tape was played on the Arab satellite TV network Al-Jazeera on Tuesday of this week hours after our CIA Director George Tenet told the Senate that al-Qaeda plans new methods of attacks which "is the most specific we have seen." Tenet said intelligence reports point to a "dirty bomb," a device that uses conventional explosives to contaminate areas with radioactive materials.

Then we wake up one morning with a front page story telling us to go out and buy duct tape. On TV all week the duct tape chatter has overshadowed the chatter of the terrorist and specifically the serious message to all of us from Bin Laden.

Last Friday the Office of Homeland Security notice calling for Americans to buy duct tape that was posted on their website hit the front page and everybody went buying duct tape and plastic sheeting.

On Wednesday, the New York Times lead editorial "Duck and Cover" reads as follows: "There is certainly nothing wrong with dispensing tips on how to put together a household disaster supply kit. But the timing seemed ironic, given the fact that states and local governments have yet to get the federal aid they were promised to buy needed antiterrorism equipment. Washington is urging people to prepare for chemical attack by purchasing duct tape while it fails to provide fire departments with funds for protective suits or bioterrorism detectors.

And Sally Quinn, noted author, reporter and columnist and a Washington, DC citizen and mother, wrote an op-ed piece entitled "We Can Do Better Than Duct Tape" in which she urges Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to schedule "as many news conferences as needed to update Americans about new information and he should withhold nothing that will not compromise national security." Ms. Quinn, as a citizen participant, attended a conference at the Johns Hopkins Center and she offered this comment about the fear that presently exists in America. She says what she learned at the conference "was that fear itself is healthy - it motivates us to take care of ourselves and others. Panic is not. The only way to avoid panic is to tell us the truth." She says to Secretary Ridge that "We can take it (the truth)."

We all know that we are not anywhere close to being where we should be for an adequate homeland defense. But mayors and police chiefs, fire chiefs and emergency chiefs have, since 9/11, moved forward to do their best. But we are about to go to war. We are at orange level terror alert — and rumors fly that we may be going to red alert. We do need more of Secretary Ridge now. I agree with Sally Quinn. In times of fear Americans want someone on television talking to them. It was Mayor Joe Riley of Charleston, South Carolina when Hurricane Hugo hit. It was Chief Charles Moose when the sniper hit the Washington, DC metro area. It was New York Mayor Giuliani after 9/11.

Unfortunately, President George W. Bush has to deal with the international front and people understand it. For our mental suffering, our fear, our panic and yes — for our economy — we need one voice, one person to talk to us in the bars, the breakfast room, the dens, the spas, or anywhere there is a TV and that person is our new Secretary, Governor Tom Ridge. Talk to us, Governor. As Sally said — we can take it and we-re here and there and everywhere to help us get through the continuing newness of the terrorist war that has caused thousands of deaths and will cause others here, yes here, on the soil of the contiguous 48 states of our nation.

Manchester, New Hampshire - Menino and Baines

We commend Manchester (NH) Mayor Robert Baines for his leadership along with Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino for the urban economic policy forum held in Manchester last week.

As President Menino stated, the purpose of the meeting was to take our homeland and economic security message to the voters of New Hampshire. Mayor Menino wanted to be heard and he wanted to listen. It was a most successful meeting. We heard from civic, business, academia and religious leaders of New Hampshire. And we also heard from Governor Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont, a candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination. He continues to articulate our issues and holds up real well with questions from audiences. We need more give and take with all candidates of all political parties with the nation's mayors. We have an open conspiracy to take our message to all persons in power of the government, business, academia and religion and civic leadership. Manchester was our first but it won-t be our last. We will continue to take our message to the citizen — to the voter — and then he or she can make better decisions about our issues which are most nonpartisan and affects all Americans in all cities, big, medium, small and tiny, throughout America.

The Governors/Where Are They?

In a political situation that I have never seen in my long history with the Conference, we find ourselves in a position of supporting a massive temporary fiscal relief package for our troubled states. That position is supported by the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments and the City Managers Association. But guess what? Who is missing? The Governors. Yes, the National Governors' Association is bogged down in some kind of partisan bickering that prevents the organization from supporting emergency fiscal relief to help 43 states now economically sick, the worst since World War II and worsening each month according to the accurate and very credible statistical information provided by the National Council of State Legislators organization. The political writers have failed to cover this. Cities and Counties organizations lobbying for states — with no support from the governors group. Let's hope when the governors come to town next week for their Annual Winter Meeting, they will decide they need to help us get the money they need - now.