Washington, D.C.
May 1, 2007

We continue to gain ground and make progress toward our goal of passing block grant legislation for implementing energy/environment climate control initiatives in cities, counties and states across America. This week, Conference President Palmer and I, along with our Climate Protection Center staff, worked the House side.

We met with Kansas City former mayor, now Congressman, Emanuel Cleaver. He has been appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be our liaison on climate control and energy efficiency as we go forward. Congressman Cleaver was very active with us when he was mayor and he continues to express his concern about how cities must be an active part of the nation’s overall goals toward climate protection. We discussed with him our top priority, an energy/environment block grant bill, similar to the HUD CDBG program, to assist local governments in their efforts to meet national goals. He will work with President Palmer as we go forward. He is our friend.

In addition, President Palmer, staff and I also met with Maryland Congressman Albert Wynn. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chaired by the one and only Chairman John Dingell of Michigan. Congressman Wynn gave us his commitment to introduce our CDBG structured Energy/Environment Block Grant legislation on the House side.

We thank and commend President Palmer for spending time in DC, working our agenda. He continues to provide the excellent leadership we need at this time.

As reported last week, on the Senate side we have US Senate 1115 introduced. We need signatures and letters of support for our Senate legislation. Please watch for my faxes and messages. We need your help in the Senate now. And thanks to the work this week, we will soon need your help in the House.

All this is great progress, but we know that these are bills of authorization and we must also secure help with the appropriations so money and block grants will head your way where it is needed. Our efforts are indeed progress, but we still have to do heavy lifting. President Palmer is working it for all of you. We need your help now. Please be responsive so we can be successful this year.

Yesterday I met with the Executive Directors of NLC Don Borut, and NACo Larry Naake. They are on board with us. Our proposed legislation calls for 200 thousand population direct funding for counties, as is in the CDBG legislation. NACo is assessing where they are with their membership relative to the direct funding population issues. At our Winter Meeting, the mayors charged us to support the CDBG delivery structure and we are holding that position. We are all aware of the tweaking that may be needed for sign off and that’s part of compromise and passing legislation. No matter, I feel confident that the local organizations will be lockstep together soon and we can go forward to secure block grants for our cities and counties.

Again, do what you must with your Senator to support US Senate 1115. And soon, we’ll be back at you with a bill to support on the House side. It’s happening.

Join with me in congratulating Elena Temple as our new Director of Communications. Elena succeeds Rhonda Spears Bell, who has resigned to form her own communications company (RSB Marketing Group), to be with her family in Atlanta.

We thank Rhonda for her outstanding service to The U.S. Conference of Mayors and we will be working with her in a consultant relationship on given projects.

We salute Elena who will continue to give us energy and leadership as the mayors lead the way in advocacy and telling the story of how the USA mayors and cities of America are leading the way to make our nation, the greatest on earth, even better than what it is.

We must push forward to inform the Congress and the public the information about what cities are doing. It’s most important and Elena is well equipped to do the job for us. Give us your support and ideas. We welcome it.

All of us here at our headquarters and friends of Gene Lowe throughout the nation have been very concerned over Gene Lowe’s health since he was stricken at his home on April 15 and was hospitalized in critical condition for several days. We are happy to report that Gene is no longer in critical condition. He is recovering and soon will be released from the hospital to go home and recuperate and be back soon serving the nation’s mayors as our number one housing effort. Thanks to all for your hopes and prayers for Gene, his wife Geraldine, and son Cebonia.

Sign up now. Los Angeles is the place you want to be next month. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is working hard with his team to make this special Annual Meeting one that you will never forget.

LA is where we will begin to celebrate 75 years of service to our nation and world from USA mayors and cities. Join with us. 2008 Presidential candidates are invited and many will be there to give you their vision of what they would do as President for our nation’s cities, our mayors and our people.

Register now online at usmayors.org/registration or contact Carol Edwards in the Conventions and Meetings Department at 202-861-6747. We need you to be with us for this most important and historic Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.