By Crystal Swann
July 16, 2007

U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (OH) addressed mayors during the morning plenary session on Sunday, June 24. The Democratic presidential candidate was given a warm introduction by North Olmsted (OH) Mayor Thomas O’Grady, who said that the Congressman is a “tireless proponent for peace in our world” and asked mayors to “judge him based upon the content of his character.”

Noting several times that he is a former mayor and understands the concerns of mayors, Congressman Kucinich outlined key elements of his 2008 platform, including several that relate to urban concerns. Some of these include:

• Creation of a cabinet-level “Department of Peace” that will not only address the issue of war but also devise programmatic approaches toward problems such as domestic and child abuse, racial violence, gang violence, gun violence, and violence in schools;

• Reintroduction of a general revenue'sharing program that will give cities sufficient funds to meet their basic needs and help them maintain hometown security;

• Creation of a WGA (“Works Green Administration”) modeled after Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) which would put millions of people to work creating a sustainable and renewable energy economy and would also involve a “Green Cities Program” to help build sustainable cities;

• A universal single payer health care system, which would relieve financial pressure on millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured and is central to the reduction of poverty in the U.S.;

• Promotion of a bill to create a new infrastructure program to rebuild urban water systems, sewers, bridges, parks, etc. Funding would come from zero-interest loans from existing treasury funds;

• Support for universal pre-K programs;

• Investment in community arts programs; and

• Efforts to revive the economy of cities including advocating for an end to NAFTA and the WTO and the creation of a cabinet-level position headed by a mayor to work with cities.

The Congressman ended by stating that his “goal is to make cities economically viable,” adding that he “looks at cities as being the heart and soul of the country.”