Washington, DC
May 16, 2008

McCain Breaks with Bush on Climate Change/Demands National, International Action

Presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain this week broke with President Bush and called for mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to fight climate change.

Senator McCain’s new position is great news for mayors and cities especially the 852 cities that have signed on to The United States Conference of Mayors Mayors Climate Agreement. And Senator McCain’s position brings him closer toward being receptive to the number one issue of our 10-Point Plan ...Strong Cities...Strong Families...for a Strong America.

Said Senator McCain, “I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears. I will not permit eight years to pass without serious actions on serious challenges. Instead of idly debating the precise extent of global warming, or the precise timeline of global warming, we need to deal with the central facts of rising temperature, rising waters, and all the endless troubles that global warming will bring. We stand warned by serious and credible scientists across the world that time is short and dangers are great.”

Senator McCain, along with positions held by Senators Clinton and Obama on our number one issue – climate protection – gives us every reason that the next President will join us for the solutions, change and successes mayors and cities are experiencing today while Washington is asleep on the issue. We applaud Senator John McCain for demanding national and international action. If elected, Democratic and Republican mayors are ready to work with Senator McCain on our priority of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and overall climate protection.

Senator McCain’s statement this week is a major win for us. It guarantees the mayors that this issue will be a part of the general election and even more it will be a major priority of one of the three candidates must include, if elected, in their respective 100-day agenda after the January 2009 inauguration.

Chicago Mayor Daley convened a remarkable and historic Arab/USA Mayors Summit in Chicago, 50 mayors from 18 nations, April 28-30 and Mayor Daley stressed the importance of mayors joining hands to share and work together even where our national governments have differences. Even with the Iraq War and Mid Eastern conflicts, mayors from war torn and war threatened nations came to Mayor Daley’s Summit in Chicago. We all know that the role of mayor is a common international thread that runs all over and around our globe – and that role centers on service to people. Throughout the Chicago meeting, mayors learned from one another, gained much from the exchanges.

In addition to sharing best practices, I signed a letter of intent to work with the Arab Towns Organization Leaders. The ATO was formed in 1967, is based in Kuwait City. We are pleased to have been a part of Mayor Daley’s historic Summit. And there will be more dialogue and future exchanges as we go forward.

In Boston the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City awarded Miami Mayor Manny Diaz the 2008 Mayoral Award that is given each to the top mayor who has done more to support and encourage inner city business in their city.

In addition, I, along with the Conference was awarded the 2008 National Inner City Economic Leadership Award for our ten years of strong support in working through our mayors to identify the “winners” among the business within a city.

So much of our business is to deal with the challenges and the misery but this ICIC Meeting takes place each year and it is most positive and exciting. Michael Porter, Founder of ICIC and Harvard Business professor has taught us to seek out our “winners” and support these businesses. It is astounding when you see the growth of some of these private companies in a year’s time. And it is great to be there with Michael and the ICIC team as we celebrate the economic progress and vitality of mayors and USA cities.

The Conference is humbled and most thankful for this distinguished award citing ten years of service. We look forward to even more progress as mayors, cities, and the business Community are doing great things for our cities and our nation. Congratulations to Mayor Diaz – a well deserved 2008 honoree!

We were saddened to learn of the passing of former Colorado Springs Mayor Robert Isaac, the 48th President of The United States Conference of Mayors.

“Mayor Bob,” as we respectfully called him, was a forceful advocate for cities and the sovereignty of local governments. He called for an elimination of costly State and federal unfunded mandates sent down to weaken local government and he was a legal watchdog for American cities, always there to stop any pre emption of our powers.

He had a bullfrog voice, a bulldog bark and a heart that loved our organization and our staff. A staunch Republican, he wasn’t at all shy to call his own party to task if they did not support our attempted to do harm to our cities. So many of us were delighted to see him last at our 2003 Annual Meeting in Denver. We send our special thoughts out to his family and friends in Colorado and we are respectful and thankful for his leadership and what he gave of his own life to our Conference of Mayors.

We are pleased that Ed is now out of the rehab hospital and is now a very happy man at home following up with home rehab procedures as he shows daily progress on his road toward a recovery that will allow him to be back doing the great work he does for all of us. His home address is 1995 Barkham Lane, Vienna, Virginia 22182. Your notes and letters of concern and support are much appreciated.

If you have not registered for the mayoral event of the year, the 76th Annual Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors in Miami, you need to do so

Please contact Carol Edwards, Director of Conference and Conventions at 202-861-6747.

Miami is the place for you to be June 20-24. We need you there!