The Nation's Mayors Applaud President Clinton's Bold New Initiatives That Will Better Prepare our Cities for the 21st Century
February 4, 1999The Nation's Mayors Applaud President Clinton's Bold New Initiatives That Will Better Prepare our Cities for the 21st Century
Statement of U.S. Conference of Mayors President Deedee Corradini, Mayor of Salt Lake City, on release of President Clinton's FY 2000 Budget.
The President's new budget proposal provides unparalleled increases for many U.S. Conference of Mayors' priorities and initiatives including a record increase for our nations public transit systems, placing more cops on our city streets, and providing funds to help communities modernize their public schools. This budget helps preserve open spaces where families can go to play and much needed money to hire and train more teachers for our neighborhood schools, and provides the much needed assistance to help those on welfare to receive the proper training for job opportunities.
This President is one who is doing the people's business by making our cities safer, educating our children, and preparing our cities to become world urban centers for the 21st Century.
We applaud the President for his leadership on numerous innovative proposals that include:
COPS II - Provides an additional $1.275 Billion to place 50,000 more cops on our cities streets.
Welfare-to-Work - Proposes an additional billion dollars to continue the welfare-to-work program that has been effective in taking thousands off the welfare rolls.
School Modernization Bonds - Proposes for nearly $25 billion in new bonds to build and renovate nearly 6,000 public schools.
100,000 New Teachers - Proposes for $1.4 billion, an increase of $200 million over 1999, to help schools hire and train an additional 100,000 new teachers by 2005.
After-School Programs - Proposes for a $400 million increase for after-school and summer-school programs for our at-risk youth.
Community Development Block Grants/HOME - Proposes a modest increase of $25 million that will bring the total to $4.775 billion for the successful CDBG programs and proposes a $10 million increase for the HOME Investment Partnership program.
Public Transit Programs - Proposes for a record $6.1 billion for local public transportation systems.
Better America Bonds - Proposes for a new initiative that will provide $700 million in tax credits to support $9.5 billion in bond authority for use by state and local communities preserve and promote green space and brownfields redevelopment.
Ryan White Care Act - Proposes $1.5 billion for HIV/AIDS treatment and after-care assistance for those who need it most.
Tax Credits - Provides for $1 billion in tax credits that will generate an expected $6 billion of private investment to spur growth in our urban and rural distressed neighborhoods.
Although we support many of the innovative proposals in the President's budget, the nation's mayors have expressed their concerns with certain proposals, in particular, the lack of support for drug treatment programs. Despite mayor's continued call for drug treatment on demand, this budget proposes a modest increase that still leaves 2/3 of needy Americans without any drug treatment options.
Local parks and recreation areas for America's families remains a top priority. This budget proposes a mere $4 million to develop and maintain thousands of urban parks and recreation centers nationwide. We call on President Clinton and the Congress to support local efforts to provide families with places where they can walk, play and relax by more adequately funding the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery program.
Mayors were pleased to meet with President Clinton and his cabinet officers during the 67th U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting this January to discuss these matters and other initiatives that impact urban areas.
   
The United States Conference of MayorsJ. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director
1620 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone (202) 293-7330, FAX (202) 293-2352
Copyright © 1996, US Conference of Mayors, All rights reserved.
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