Washington, DC
August 21, 2008

Democratic – Republican - Independent MAYORS!

Welcome to Denver!

Welcome to Minneapolis'st. Paul!

10 Points for Obama! 10 Points for McCain! And 10 Points for America!

Conference President Manny Diaz continues his “third campaign.” In New York City last week, our 08 Mayors Action Forum on Infrastructure was a great success. Mayors, experts, and Obama and McCain campaign representatives met together as mayors worked to forge a consensus on infrastructure and water initiatives to be recommended to the next President. Mayors are “pumped” as President Diaz facilitates serious discussion with give and take as they probe and produce the infrastructure segment of our national metro-urban agenda for our new President after he takes office.

Denver

We are pleased that on Monday night, August 25, Conference President Manny Diaz will address the nation and the world from the Pepsi Center podium during prime time evening radio and TV broadcasts. Mayor Diaz will appear in the “One Nation” part of the national and international TV audience. He has not endorsed either candidate; as our President, he remains neutral as he focuses like a laser demanding both candidates to come forth with a bold action agenda for the metro cities of America. We urge all delegates to the Denver Convention to be on hand in the Pepsi Center to cheer him on as he pushes our 10 Point Plan.

Prior to the Convention address, all mayors, delegates and non-delegates are invited to The United States Conference of Mayors lunch where we will welcome and salute America’s mayors. The mayors’ luncheon and reception will take place in the Grand Hyatt, downtown Denver, in the Imperial Ballroom from 11:30-2:30 pm. This year’s candidates for President are invited to drop by and pledge their efforts in the respective places of power to support our Mayors’ 10 Point Plan. Other notables, including House and Senate members, will be there. Monday is the day for you, our organization, and allies to gather and be fierce in support of President Diaz as he pushes and encourages Senator Obama to adopt our 10 Points for him, us, and the metro cities and people of America.

While Mayor Diaz hits the airwaves Monday night, he has asked Former President, Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer to lead the ground action operation. Beginning Tuesday morning, Mayor Palmer will take our 10 Point Plan message to the key State Democratic Caucus Breakfast. Working with our USCM team, President Diaz and Mayor Palmer are asking mayors to request some airtime at the caucus breakfast to push our agenda.

The Mayors’ 10 Point Plan message will permeate with special materials distributed on the Pepsi Center floor and state delegations, and then it’s on to Bronco Stadium where thousands of messaged dog tags will be distributed throughout the Center as we await the great speech from Senator Barack Obama.

From Denver, we move to the Republican Convention. On Tuesday, September 2, at the St. Paul Hotel, President Diaz kicks off our activities with New York City Infrastructure Forum recommendations at a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Second Vice President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz will be alongside our President, along with Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO) President Oklahoma Mayor Mick Cornett. The infrastructure recommendations will be released at our 11:30 a.m. press conference. Also attending will be former St. Paul Mayor, who became a Senator, Senator Norm Coleman.

Following our press conference on Tuesday, September 2, Conference President Diaz joins Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO) President Mayor Mick Cornett, Maricopa County Arizona Supervisor Don Stapley, President of the National Association of Counties, and Madison, Alabama Council Member Cynthia McCollum, President of the National League of Cities in a Republican National Convention reception at 3:30 p.m. at Landmark Center, St. Paul.

NACo, the counties’ organization, has been leading our effort, “Restoring the Partnership.” The thrust of it is that the federal government/local government partnership is gone and it must be restored. The Conference supports this effort and while there are issues of difference on occasion with cities, counties and states, the main thing is to have a White House that relates to all relative to unfunded mandates and other issues that all three, USCM, NLC and NACo, agree to support. When we have -- all three -- worked together through the years, we have had some wins. The White House intergovernmental system works best when the staff has political juice and reports directly to the President. Today, it needs to be strengthened.

I hope to see many of you in Denver and in Minneapolis/St. Paul. You can reach me 24/7 at 202-744-9110 or at tcochran@usmayors.org. I hope you have great success in Denver or St. Paul. Let’s continue to push both parties for a national metro-urban agenda.