Washington, DC
November 1, 2002

Travel and Tourism Summit, Atlanta

The first United States Conference of Mayors Travel and Tourism Summit in Atlanta on October 16-17 was a strong beginning for our organization. Partnering with the Travel Business Roundtable and the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, mayors and the leaders of the travel and tourism industry have developed a 10-point action plan that will be carried forward to our 71st Winter Meeting for strategies aimed at the new Congress and assistance from the White House.

We are fortunate to have Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin as our Task Force Chair and leader on this most important objective which is to encourage our federal government for a stronger commitment in promoting travel and tourism in USA cities. In Atlanta, Mr. Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels and Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable, continued to remind us that France, Spain and Italy spend millions promoting their cities and our government doesn't spend a cent.

Mr. Spurgeon Richardson, President of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and the incoming President of IACVB, stands solid with us to put thousands of his members in action with us to implement the plan adopted unanimously in Atlanta. We are fortunate in having the two leaders from Atlanta, Mayor Franklin and Mr. Richardson, who have worked together on many successes for Atlanta and that same energy will be devoted to this effort.

Also in Atlanta at our Summit, we released a major report proving the enormous economic impact the travel and tourism industry has on our local/metro economies. The report resonated on CNN and other national media outlets. Individual stories were carried concerning the travel and tourism impact on local/metro economies in major newspapers in the USA.

Menino/Bush/National Ballistics Imaging

On October 28, Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino wrote President George Bush a letter urging the Administration to support the creation of a national ballistics imaging and identification system. Mayor Menino based his letter on extensive research that has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and discussions with law enforcement professionals. He said it is his strong belief that a national "crime bullet tracing" system be established.

Mayor Menino stated that "this is not an issue of gun control or gun registration and would in no way limit the right of law-abiding citizens to purchase and own firearms — rather this system would allow law enforcement to trace bullets and casings to original gun purchasers only when a crime has been committed using existing tracing mechanisms."

On October 31, Ed Somers and I met with ATF officials, along with Mr. Toby Burke of the White House, to discuss the new National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) which was funded by Congress and the Administration with approximately 233 sites to have this new technology by the end of this year.

We hope to have this issue discussed more for all mayors and police chiefs when they come to our Winter Meeting in January.

Senator Paul Wellstone

Conference President Thomas Menino expressed our sadness and grief over the loss of "a friend of the cities," Senator Paul Wellstone. Mayor Menino also recalled how Senator Wellstone had been there with us this past September 26, when we all came to Washington on Mayors Lobby Day. Paul Wellstone was one of a kind, a free spirit, a college professor turned politician who, like Hubert Humphrey — the "boy mayor" of Minneapolis — was a happy warrior. Many Senators did not agree with him. There were hard-fought political debates and when it was all over, people still liked and loved him. Our hearts go out to the grieving Minnesotans, to his two sons who lost not only their loving father but a loving mother and sister.

We also feel the frustration and pain of our friend, former St. Paul Mayor Norman Coleman, an active member of our organization, who has been put in a most difficult situation because of these tragic and sudden deaths. We wish him well as he carries on in his vigorous campaign as his state grieves over losing their Senator. At times like this, we are reminded of what President Kennedy once said, "Life is unfair."

Mr. Jason Mizell, "Jam Master Jay," Hip Hop Man of Peace

In a nation of urban and suburban cities, we are also saddened over the violent execution-like death of hip-hop pioneer, Mr. Jason Mizell. Mr. Mizell was a pioneer of hip-hop music and throughout his distinguished career expressed over and over his aversion to violence. Hip-hop music, so much a part of our pop culture today, first came to us in 1984 when Mr. Mizell and the group, Run-DMC, fused rock with hip-hop and their album was the first rap album to go gold. While a lot of the hip-hop scene has become violent, Mr. Mizell was a person of peace who was against the violent nature found in this most popular pop culture of our cities. Someone said when John Lennon was killed, it was like killing a beautiful innocent singing bird. And to the rap world, Mr. Mizell, as a rap star said upon hearing of the death, "These are our Beatles." It is sad that this artist, a man of peace and love for our youth and all ages, is gone.

Elections 2002

As this year's national mid-term elections with dramatic and sometimes tragic events capture the national audience, it is important to note that there are voters in 223 USA cities with populations over 30,000 who will vote to elect the mayor. Among cities electing mayors are Washington, DC, Louisville, Reno, Augusta, Little Rock and Tallahassee. A complete listing with election results will be on your website, usmayors.org.

This has been a quiet week in Washington. President Bush and his team are out on the husting trail. Members of Congress and some Senators are trying to get reelected. And some mayors not up are definitely involved in supporting the Governors, Senators and Congress members of their choice. Soon it will all be over and then we will know what we have in the way of a new Congress. If the mayors do their job — and I'm sure you are working on it — we'll have a new Congress that will support cities and the people you serve. But let's face it, we have a lot of work to do. With Conference President Menino and all of you, we will move forward with an agenda to provide homeland security and economic security for our cities and our people.