Washington, D.C.
May 29, 2006

Las Vegas – 100 Years Old

Welcome to Las Vegas – our 74th Annual Conference of Mayors and our first-ever Annual Meeting in Las Vegas as America’s fastest growing city celebrates its 100th Birthday

As we say “Happy Birthday and Viva Las Vegas,” we also congratulate Host Mayor Oscar Goodman for his dynamic leadership and we are most grateful for his efforts to provide the resources and sponsors that will no doubt make our Las Vegas 74th a meaningful, productive and, yes – an enjoyable meeting. Mayor Goodman dubs himself as “the happiest mayor in the universe.” His goal is to inform you of the challenges that he and his citizens face with unparalled growth in our nation’s history. His goal is also to make you laugh and to understand that you must have a sense of humor if you are going to survive as Mayor of Las Vegas. And most mayors agree that that attribute is important today to be mayor anywhere in the USA.

We come to Las Vegas to celebrate and thank our President – Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill – not just for an incredible year of leadership as President of The United States Conference of Mayors, but for a platinum three terms of astonishing accomplishments as Mayor of Long Beach.

On Sunday night at the Fremont Street Experience USCM Event at 7:30 pm, I, along with officers, will recognize President O’Neill. We urge all of you as you come to Las Vegas to plan now not to miss the opportunity to be with us to thank President O’Neill for her service to Long Beach, to the State of California, to our nation and even more for her outstanding leadership and service to our great organization – The United States Conference of Mayors.

It is important to note that Mayor O’Neill leaves office almost immediately after we all leave Las Vegas. The new mayor of Long Beach is sworn in July 17. So come with us. Join in the celebration Sunday night downtown Las Vegas where Mayor Goodman has planned an evening you won’t forget as we celebrate the O’Neill year and also welcome our new President, Dearborn Mayor Michael Guido as he takes the gavel to lead us toward our 75th Anniversary next year at this time in Los Angeles.

We come together this year not knowing as we left Chicago last year that Katrina would hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast cities and challenge the mayors and the cities of Gulf Coast to survive. And also Katrina challenged all mayors and cities in our nation to render assistance when our governments did not respond in a timely and comprehensive manner.

Conference President O’Neill was quick and most decisive as she dispatched staff to the Gulf Coast to assist and she went there personally to tour the region via helicopter and have substantive meetings with New Orleans officials and mayors and city officials of the Alabama and Mississippi Gulf Coast.

As we established our response strategy and followed through to help the region, Conference President O’Neill said that our organization should also be about the business of the ongoing challenges ad opportunities during her year as President.

She brought to life and action the theme she announced in Chicago “Cities for a Strong America.” Forums were held throughout America and here in Las Vegas this week we are bringing the best practices to you in smaller more intimate meetings so that, thanks to Mayor O’Neill, you can take new ideas home to implement and better serve your city and your citizens.

Innovations from America’s best in areas of energy, transportation, housing, public safety, the environment, health services, tourism, arts, recreation and leisure activities, sports, entertainment, work-force development, education and international relations and trade are presented here just for you.

On top of those best practices, Mayor O’Neill presides over a Mayors Only Best Practices Luncheon on Monday, June 5. Mayors throughout the nation have sent us their best practices. Come have lunch with all the mayors and feast among your accomplishments, your best practices and share and learn as never before at an Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Mayor O’Neill indicated to me three years ago that as President, she wanted to strengthen our organizational relationship with China and establish an ongoing series of meetings similar to the ongoing relations we have with Israel, Japan., etc.

Her mission to China was most successful in accomplishing the goal she gave us. This week – Mayor Wang Qishan of Beijing, the Olympic Mayor for 2008 will address us. We also have a strong delegation of Chinese Mayors and China business leaders as delegates to our 74th. The United States Conference of Mayors and The Chinese Association of Mayors will announce this week their joint plans for more summits among the mayors of China and the USA.

Please welcome our Chinese Delegation as we work together to learn from each other and share in the economic growth and expansion in both of our nations.

Oscar is the Mayor! But he is also the Chair of the Mayors Business council, which now totals 104 members, and continues to provide resources, innovations and public-private best practices.

At our Mayors Business Council Breakfast Saturday, June 3 at 8:00 am in the Champagne Ballroom, Paris Hotel. Mayor Goodman will present his incredible team together for the first time in history to share how the fastest growing city in America’s history, now a century old, markets its images and opportunities to the world. Come hear how to handle a city that has a new person every six minutes and every nineteen minutes a house is built. Prepare for an entertaining and learning experience as Mayor Goodman and his team tell you how they do the great job they do. That’s Saturday, June 3, morning in the Champagne room.

We appreciate Senator John McCain coming to our meeting as he, no doubt, is a serious contender for President. He is a friend of ours. In New Orleans in 1999, he was with us and we welcome him to our meeting this year, knowing that the cities of America will be a part of his campaign, his Presidency, if he is nominated and elected.

We are also pleased to have with us New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. At every stage of his career, Governor Richardson has proven over and over and over again that he understands and supports our cause for our cities and our people. On the Democratic side for 2008, he is more experienced in domestic and international relations than many who are already saying they are running for the Democratic nomination. Today, a Hispanic Governor with international expertise and the knowledge of the energy issues he learned as President Clinton’s Secretary of Energy, is a person that must be listened to. Plus, he’s got more common political sense than a lot of them. He is our friend. He was with Mayor O’Neill and Albuquerque Mayor Chavez earlier this year, when Mayor Chavez held our Water Summit. This week, he’s back with us. We welcome him and thank him for his good work of public service and our friendship.

For the first time ever, we have three concurrent sessions going at the same time, early afternoon at 2:30 pm.

The most successful Energy Summit in Chicago now comes to Las Vegas to share with you innovations and mayoral action at the local level. Mayors are not waiting for a national energy policy; they are working in every region with new businesses and nonprofits creating a bottoms-up approach to meet our current energy crisis. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley will also address on energy independence at our morning session.

Poverty, Jobs Opportunity is the subject being brought to you by the new and dynamic leader of Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. This is our third event this year on this important challenge still facing America in 2006. Come learn new approaches that will be helpful to all of you as we work together to provide the best education, training and jobs needed to keep America cities and our nation competitive.

The Exploitation of Children / Internet Child Pornography issue affects every city in America, large and small. For the first time ever, we are bringing you a most informative session on the present and future harm being done to our children. This past week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales released a major report and action plan on the criminal justice side of this issue. Experts and best practitioners will also give you the latest on what you, your city and your police department can do to help the parents and your constituency protect the children of your city from the present and future harm from child predators on and off line.

Over the past few years, cities are using non-lethal devices to bring down criminals and mentally deranged or emotionally disturbed person who are threatening lives in a city. The use of tasers is controversial to some and yet police departments praise this device as an alternative to the use of lethal weapons to keep the peace. Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Police Chief Timoney will offer you their experience with tasers to protect the lives of their citizens. This workshop will not be dull. Come learn.

We urge all mayors to attend the standing committee meetings on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3. After all is said and done in Las Vegas, the most important thing happening for me and my staff is the positions all of you vote on and decide as to where we should be here in Washington on the many issues that face us. The Annual Meeting is a business meeting. Resolutions sent in by member mayors will be considered, debated, amended, tabled and all brought to the floor for action Monday, June 5. Voting credentials must be picked up by USCM members and their proxies at the Conference Registration Desk, Concorde Ballroom A, Casino Level, Paris Hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon on Sunday, June 4 and outside the entrance of Concorde Ballroom B & C, Casino Level, Paris Hotel beginning at 7:00 am on Monday, June 5. in order to vote.

Go to your Standing Committee meetings. Show up for the floor action . Your presence is needed.

On Sunday afternoon we are pleased to present to the mayors assembled the world premier of Cirque du Soleil and The Beatles production “LOVE.” As Mayor Oscar Goodman said, “Tom, This is big.” And he’s right. It is. You don’t want to miss this major event scheduled for your pleasure at The Mirage at 3:00 pm sharp on Sunday, afternoon.

Viva The U.S. Conference of Mayors 2006! Again, we thank our host mayor, Oscar Goodman, and all our sponsors for Las Vegas host events and for USCM events. We welcome all mayors to the fastest growing city in America. We ask that you join with us as we work through the day to learn and share. We ask that you join with us to enjoy the spectacular events Mayor Goodman has planned for all of you. And after those events in the evening, we wish all of you the best of luck!