By Elena Temple
December 17, 2007

For the first time ever in a Presidential campaign cycle, the nation’s mayors traveled to Iowa this December to participate in pre-caucus events. Conference of Mayors President Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett joined Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie on December 1 for both the Heartland Presidential Forum and the Brown and Black Presidential Forum.

The goal of the mayors was to stress to Presidential candidates how important city issues are to the country and a growing number of Americans. With over 85 percent of people in the United States living in our nation’s cities and metro areas, mayors clearly understand how urban issues impact everyday Americans and are calling on candidates to focus on these issues.

Mayors are also convinced that despite their geographic location, cities large and small across the country are plagued by the same challenges including access to healthcare, job creation, affordable housing, immigration, crime, illegal guns, workforce development and climate protection. These priorities for cities and urban areas are highlighted in The Mayors’ 10-Point Plan, Strong Cities, Strong Families, for a Strong America, which mayors presented to the voters of Des Moines at a press event in between the Heartland Presidential Forum and the Brown and Black Presidential Forum.

The mayors were stage guests for The Heartland Presidential Forum, which brought candidates forward one by one for questions from every-day Americans about healthcare, living wages, fair housing, immigration reform, farming and the environment and clean elections. Jointly sponsored by The Center for Community Change and the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the event featured over 3,000 attendees at HyVee Hall in downtown Des Moines.

Cownie opened the forum with welcoming remarks saying, “The nation’s mayors are here to support Iowa as a leader in this great experiment that we call Democracy. Mayors all over Iowa share similar concerns just as mayors all over the country share similar concerns; and mayors know well that the politics of urban Iowa are the politics of the nation.”

Palmer gave closing remarks and reminded everyone that, “We are all in this together. Mayors need you to promote the issues that matter to real Americans and we will continue to support you to ensure that the candidates talk about things that impact your lives most.”

The mayors also attended the Black & Brown Presidential Forum – one of the oldest non-partisan presidential forums in the nation, and the oldest presidential forum dedicated solely to minority issues. Forum co-founders Mary Campos and Wayne Ford welcomed the mayors to North High School - The Home of the Polar Bears - where the forum was held. Michelle Norris from National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and Ray Suarez from Public Broadcasting Service’s “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer” were moderators for the forum and asked the candidates a broad array of questions on subjects ranging from immigration, gun violence, education, Cuba and mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. Over 1,500 people attended the forum – including students and Spanish'speaking residents of Des Moines.

Following the Brown & Black Forum, mayors also had the opportunity to discuss with reporters their 10-Point Plan and the issues of urban America in the media spin-room at North High School. During one interview, Villaraigosa said, “If America is going to prosper, we must be proud of the fact that our country is a nation of immigrants, working families and the middle class – which is the major force in our economy.” Villaraigosa also added, “Although 87 percent of the wealth in this country is created in America’s cities, the lack of federal investment in our cities is abysmal.”

Cornett also stated how important it is that the Presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle give attention to the economic challenges plaguing America’s cities. “Issues such as our crumbling infrastructure point to the lack of sufficient federal investment that is critical to our nation’s health and well-being. We need the federal government as our partner,” said Cornett.

“For the first time in our history, The United States Conference of Mayors brought a bipartisan group of mayors to the Iowa Caucuses. We believe that the issues of Iowa and the City of Des Moines are the same issues that face mayors around the country each and every day. We support Mayor Cownie and the other Iowa mayors as we present to the presidential candidates of the United States the challenges and opportunities before us,” said Cochran.