Washington, DC
September 26, 2008

A few days after Mayor Manny Diaz became our President, Ed Somers and I met with him at his home to get his thoughts and vision as we looked at the year ahead. After we discussed our normal business, he expressed deep concern over the dangerous situation we faced with the national financial situation. He couldn’t let go of it. In his mind he knew we were facing rough days ahead and he raised the question as to whether America’s financial supremacy in the world would be lost – or severely diminished.

Since that meeting in June, his thoughts and predictions, unfortunately, are headed toward becoming a reality as each day passes.

It was in that spirit that Mayor Diaz launched the “third campaign” with 5 Forums highlighting the need for major investments in our people and our infrastructure.

This week we moved to Los Angeles with a dynamic Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as our host as he pushed the nation on confronting the poverty, workforce, housing and financial literacy of our people.

As we planned the LA Forum weeks ago, we had no idea we would be on the West Coast looking at a divided Washington and almost in a constitutional crisis and standstill similar to what we had at times when President Nixon took us on some rollercoaster experiences.

In our discussions during the LA Forum, we focused on the resolutions we have passed and applauded Mayor Villaraigosa for his standing up as our Poverty Task Force Chair last year to provide 23 resolutions, quite comprehensive, and all transferred to the appropriate Committees where favorable action was taken. Mayor Villaraigosa’s leadership on national antipoverty efforts last year puts us in a solid bipartisan position as we will soon have a new President with a new perspective of investing in our people to provide a competitive workforce.

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor emphasized the need for a modernized and streamlined national workforce structure with the appropriate federal investments to keep our cities and nation competitive and strong as we move forward. And Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin provided information on best practices in Atlanta that could be used on a national scale after January 20.

All was going on course, as outlined in the program, until Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums took the mike to give his Housing Report. He started by saying that while we, as a group, have argued for national investments for our people, we were told there is not money to be found. He said we were told that up until two days ago. Now, Washington has suddenly discovered $700 billion to bailout private companies. The “elephant” in the room, said Dellums, is the bailout will take away all investments we need for infrastructure and people needs.

At that point, after Mayor Dellums’ initial remarks about the $700 billion elephant, mayors focused somewhat on the static funding of CDBG for 32 years, with moves recently by the Bush Administration to eliminate the Nixon program. Dellums also reviewed cuts and elimination of key federal-city initiatives over the past several years. These cuts to our nation’s cities were implemented by the Congress and the White House. Clarion calls from us backed up with evidence of proven success were all ignored. The deficit, Washington is broke, wasteful spending were reasons given.

But it’s amazing, said Dellums, in the twinkling of an eye that suddenly we can find $700 billion for the bailout to bolster Wall Street.

The press conference following the Poverty Forum centered on the national financial crisis and how the largest bailout in history will affect moderate and even wealthy individuals and families in our cities

As U.S.Mayor goes to press, Washington is in turmoil. The Presidential Debate down in Oxford, Mississippi, is in question.

Soon things will settle down and we know that on November 4 there will be a new sheriff in town. We will have a new President.

Mayor Diaz reminds us that when this national financial crisis is over, we still have the continuing and nagging challenges that many cities and neighborhoods in a crisis condition every day.

Meantime, with President Diaz’s leadership, we must stay focused on our national metro-urban agenda that we will present to the next President. The three Forums we have had, Crime in Philadelphia, Infrastructure in New York City and Poverty in L.A. are being well received for future strategies and decisions.

Let us go forward with two more Diaz Forums, Environment and Energy in Miami, October 1 and 2, and Arts and Tourism in Palm Beach, October 2.

We then will have five reports on the table based on the 08 Mayors Ten Point Plan.

Mayor Diaz’s leadership has produced clear and succinct recommendations and many, if not all will be acceptable to both Senator McCain and Senator Obama.

Let us continue to stay focused so that we can move quickly to help our new President. Working together and working with him and our friends in Congress, we will be in a strong position, knowing that the new President must have us at his side with the support of the people in our metro areas to have our nation finally working together to do what we have to do to keep us competitive, safe and a better place for all Americans.