By Kevin McCarty
May 19, 2008

During recent visits to Capitol Hill, Conference President Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer continued his efforts to marshal support for the mayors’ priorities, as set forth in the 10-Point Plan, calling for strong federal commitments to energy block grant funding, green jobs initiatives and public transportation.

Following up on the Conference’s successful effort to enact a new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program as part of last year’s energy law, Palmer has been urging key Congressional leaders and others to respond to the call from mayors and other city and county leaders to fund the new block grant program and “get it up and running for America.”

At a recent Congressional forum on green-collar jobs, Palmer touted the importance of EECBG funding as part of a national strategy to support America’s transition to a green economy, including the green-collar jobs and green-collar careers that come with it. “Mayors are already working in their cities to develop America’s potential for green jobs and green careers, but we know that full funding by Congress of the Green Jobs Act and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program will dramatically accelerate these efforts,” he said.

Palmer joined with other green jobs proponents at the May 6 forum organized by Green-for-All, supported by several other organizations committed to a strong green jobs agenda. “Mayors everywhere are seizing on this potential (green jobs), but to realize the benefits of a green economy and green jobs, we need a much stronger engagement and commitment by our federal partner. It is what led to the energy block grant. It led to the Green Jobs Act,” Palmer said.

Van Jones, founder and president of Green For All, told the packed briefing that “we need to move dramatically to conservation and energy efficiency,” citing the energy block grant program and the green job initiative set forth in last year’s energy bill as critical to this effort. Joining with Palmer and Jones were Bracken Hendricks of the Center for American Progress, Elsa Barboza of SCOPE and the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance, and Michael Peck of the Gamesa Corporation, at the forum sponsored by Senators Hillary Clinton (NY) and Bernard Sanders (VT), and Representatives Hilda Solis (CA) and John Tierney (MA).

Earlier in the day, Palmer joined with Representative Chaka Fattah (PA) to deliver opening remarks at a House Urban Caucus-sponsored forum on transit and infrastructure issues, a newly-former caucus group which Fattah chairs with Representative Michael Turner (OH).

In his remarks which focused largely on transit issues, Palmer also touted the benefits of the new EECBG program to help cities and counties strategize that transportation investments are more responsive to growing energy and climate concerns. “This new energy block grant program will help us (local leaders) with our transportation challenges, by getting our energy house in order and working from the ground up, community-by-community,” Palmer said.

“For the nation’s mayors and the Conference, public transit has been a top priority for many years. During the Carter Administration, mayors like the late Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, played a role in making sure that federal gas tax revenues were dedicated to transit programs. Today, this commitment remains strong, and is growing even stronger,” Palmer said.

“Climate protection means transit spending at all levels must increase. After all, about one third of our emissions come from the transportation sector,” he emphasized during his remarks.

The new caucus, an initiative backed by Conference of Mayors, now boasts nearly 50 House members. At its first briefing in March, Conference Executive Director and CEO Tom Cochran joined with Fattah to brief participants on the EECBG program.

During his two recent visits to Washington (DC) as well as previous visits, Palmer continues to meeting with key Congressional leaders and appropriations to support funding for the EECBG program.

Palmer recently met with Representative Pete Visclosky (IN), who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, the panel with jurisdiction over appropriations for the EECBG program. On May 15, during visits on the Senate side, he met with Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, to underscore the need for prompt funding for the program.