By Ed Somers
March 28, 2005

Over a key two-week period as the House and Senate acted on the FY 2006 budget resolution, Conference President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic engaged in a series of national meetings and lobbying efforts on the priority of saving the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

In addresses to the legislative conferences of both the National Association of Counties (NACo) and National League of Cities (NLC) in Washington (DC), Plusquellic carried the same message to highly engaged crowds: "Full Fund and Don't Move CDBG."

At both meetings, thousands of delegates wore "Save CDBG" buttons and spent a large portion of their conventions focused on the priority of keeping CDBG at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and making sure it is fully funded at $4.7 billion. And both organizations sent delegations to Capitol Hill focused on saving CDBG.

Plusquellic also engaged in a series of discussions with key policy makers including HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Sen. Norm Coleman (MN), Rep. Mike Turner (OH), Sen. John McCain (AZ), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), and House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (IA) at the invite of both organizations.

NLC President Washington (DC) Mayor Anthony Williams spoke passionately for CDBG leading the delegates in a chant of "No cuts, no move." "This is not a partisan message, this is not a blue versus red state message — this is an issue that binds us all in building hope for our communities," Williams said at NLC's Capitol Hill press conference with several Congressional champions including Sen. Paul Sarbanes (MD), and Representatives Chris Shays (CT) and Barney Frank (MA).