By Ed Somers
December 17, 2007

Madison (AL) Council Member Cynthia McCollum was elected president of the National League of Cities (NLC) at the organization’s annual meeting in New Orleans November 13-17. Northglenn (CO) Mayor Kathleen Novak was elected first vice president and Riverside (CA) Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge was elected second vice president.

During the upcoming year, McCollum said she plans to focus on three priorities: sharpening the NLC voice on critical national issues and increasing awareness and exposure of NLC to presidential candidates; enhancing the value of NLC membership to cities and towns; and strengthening NLC’s ability to help local officials solve local problems.

Outgoing NLC President Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said to the gathering, “If there is anything that is clear to me about government, it is that the heavy lifting is done at the city level. More and more, the federal government and our state governments leave it to us to fix whatever is broken.”

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin thanked NLC for its commitment to holding the conference in his city saying, “You are here because you care about us… we appreciate you and we’re glad you are here.”

Comparing his experience in the private sector to what he has seen in government, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said that the major difference is the level of accountability. Accountability is the norm in the private sector, Bloomberg said, where failing customers means companies go out of business. But, he said, “Government never goes out of business. When there’s no accountability, problems just keep getting worse, and that’s what we’re seeing in Washington right now.” Bloomberg added that, “Government tends to move resources from things that work to things that don’t work.”

To keep on track, Bloomberg has issued report cards on the progress made on each of his campaign promises, with his Administration having completed or in the process of completing about 80 percent of the agenda items. Bloomberg said that ideas like this could help drive leaders in Washington to be more accountable and follow the example of local leaders who tend to be more innovative and results oriented. He also said that local leaders understand the need to invest in the future and work on issues that may not yield results until after a term in office.

Bloomberg outlined three key priorities that can improve accountability for elected officials, especially those at the national level.

First, he said that government should not be about political parties, and that elected leaders should seek to be more independent and to hire the “best and the brightest” regardless of political affiliation.

Second, Bloomberg said that government leaders cannot let special interests compromise their honesty and integrity. For example, Bloomberg derided the federal Farm Bill, which he said is a “special interest goldmine” that mostly helps big business instead of family farmers, resulting in $1 billion being given to dead people, and ends up taking money out of city priorities. He said that the federal government must resist “pay to play” politics and pork barrel spending that infects both political parties.

Third, Bloomberg said that elected leaders must be willing to take risks and confront big problems with innovative ideas, even when they run against the accepted consensus. Specifically, he said that America must invest in its crumbling infrastructure, and he promoted merit pay for teachers, which has been put in place in New York City.