Washington, DC
October 8, 2009

The Seattle Leadership Meeting last week gave the USCM Leadership Mayors the opportunity to have in-depth discussions in give and take sessions on key issues with Cabinet Officers and Senior White House Officials.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan continues to get rave reviews and true appreciation for his style and his articulation of his vision of where our cities are and where we must go.

Also on Secretary Donovan’s top team was former King County Executive Ron Sims who gave the mayors his honest assessment of what mayors and Urban County Officials could accomplish by coming together on a common agenda. His portfolio at HUD as Deputy Secretary gives us the opportunity to breathe more life into The US Conference of Mayors body of work recognizing the economic strength of the metro areas of the nation

Deputy Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari presented on behalf of Secretary Ray LaHood of the US Department of Transportation. Looming over the new transportation legislation that will come in 2010. No doubt, the moment of truth for the anti'silo and pro-metro agenda will manifest itself with the Administration’s proposals for the new transportation totaling billions. The effort to streamline the way Washington distributes transportation funds is a challenge. Many mayors and county leaders report that the system is broken and does not meet today’s transportation needs of our cities and urban counties.

Robert Groves, US Census Director, gave an incredible presentation. He has supported the USCM position for an accurate count. Together, we know, with his leadership we can finally have a census count that meets our policy goals.

While we had a large turnout in Seattle, we knew that many of the mayors could not be there because of the budget crises that are occurring in so many cities.

The joblessness and the economic condition of the nation have risen to be the number one issue. The stimulus program, ARRA, has not overall provided direct funding to cities. Because of the statutes from which the money flowed, it went more to Governors. Many Governors stabilized their governments and passed more budget cuts down to the city and county level. Incumbent mayors running for re-election are feeling the heat and the pain of people who live in their cities and neighborhoods.

Joblessness and economic conditions will continue. Members of Congress and Senators who are running for office will be forced to, whether they like it or not, come forth with another economic relief agenda soon.

I raised this to our board in Seattle and kept discussing it in our Executive Committee meeting.

Upon returning from our board meeting, USCM senior staff and I will be working with mayors to present our agenda for any economic agenda as Washington must and will respond to the joblessness, layoffs and pain that is hitting our metro areas. Washington politicians including the President, all House Members, and some Senators will not be able to ignore the economic pain and rage of voters who want a direct response from the White House to Congress.

The national unemployment rate continues to move toward ten percent. Fourteen states are already at ten percent. And in many of our cities, it is several points over ten now.

We need to get the stimulus money going to the right places this time. It should be targeted to where the need is. It should be administered to ease the pain. Unemployment areas should be targeted like a telescopic rifle, not a 12-gauge shotgun.

Of the $787 billion Congress approved in the stimulus program (ARRA) signed by the President, only 0.86 percent of the money came directly to cities. That’s less than one percent. We can do better. We must, and with your help, we will.