Washington, DC
February 4, 2002

Winter Meeting/2002
The 70th Winter Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors is one we'll never forget. It came at a time when the nation's mayors had asked President Bush for help in making our cities safer from the terrorist threat and our President answered by announcing to the mayors in The White House that he is proposing significant increases for homeland defense. Conference President Marc H. Morial of New Orleans called this a "giant leap in terms of funding." The mayors asked and the President responded.

This meeting also came at a time when mayors were most desirous of paying their respect for those who died in New York on September 11th and also to show the City of New York that The U.S. Conference of Mayors — representing the nation's mayors — will stand in support for federal assistance for New York to rebuild lower Manhattan. We stand today with New York City as we did through the economic crisis of New York in the 1970's.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has opened up his city and welcomed the nation's mayors. His openness and genuineness impressed every mayor attending from every region of the nation. We thank him and his staff for providing mayors the opportunity to bring the strong feelings of sympathy for those who died on September 11th. The horrendous event on September 11th traumatized every city — large and small — and it also energized the mayors to recognize that we are one city — united — in the way we feel about New York City.

We were also honored to have former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to address us and join with us as we paid our respect at the World Trade Center site.

The mayors also were pleased to hear from their former first lady — now Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. At a press conference flanked by mayors from both parties, Senator Clinton was most articulate in her support for flexible block grants to assist mayors and their police departments. At lunch her remarks drew strong applause as she talked the talk of mayors. And she walks the walk with them too because long before the speech in New York, earlier this year, she introduced a massive federal homeland defense block grant that proposes a distribution structure like the very popular Nixon federal Hud Community Block Grant Program, now over 25 years old. This was not a former first lady talking. This is a stand-up get it done Senator who states the overwhelming need and then quotes what police persons in Buffalo have told her they need now. She is advocating the funds for cities be provided retroactively because as she said, "You are already in the hole for all the money you have spent defending the nation."

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick points out that his city has already spent $13 million protecting the Canadian border which is why he believes federal funds are needed as his city is already strapped in providing resources to put a halt to everyday continuing street crime. For the first time ever, we had a "power-merger" when the Women Mayors joined the Women Senators in a special meeting. Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu welcomed women mayors in the Mansfield Room of The Capitol Building. Women Mayors' Chair Sarah Bost of Irvington, N.J., led the delegation and Senator Landrieu singled out the new Mayor of Cleveland Jane Campbell and recalled the times they had shared together as legislators from Ohio and Louisiana. This is a beginning of a powerful force and it will continue as the women mayors and women Senators come together to get things done for America's cities across the nation.

The fast train ride to New York aboard the Acela gave mayors the opportunity to advocate along with Amtrak President George Warrington and Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith the need to save our national rail system Amtrak. We are committed to resist the curtailment of Amtrak. Now is not the time to abandon our only existing national railway system. Quite the contrary, Mr. Felix Rohatyn told the mayors in New York that we need a $500 billion, ten year investment in modernizing overall infrastructure systems of the nation which would include rails. Mr. Rohatyn cited President Abraham Lincoln, a wartime President who during the Civil War pushed for a transcontinental railroad. Mr. Rohatyn called on President Bush, the current wartime President, to be bold and propose a massive infrastructure investment initiative along with a general revenue sharing block grant to assist strapped local governments provide necessary service during this critical time in history. Mr. Rohatyn's proposals were well- received. Mayors flocked to the head table for copies of his speech. Later Conference President Morial announced a task force to consider and make recommendations to the Administration and Congress, using Mr. Rohatyn's proposals as guidance for a thoughtful approach in proposing our plan to modernize the obsolete infrastructure of many sectors within the metropolitan population centers of the nation.

Other head table images — Surgeon General David Satcher's farewell address — Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, reminding us once again that true homeland defense means economic security for our precious children — Congressman Charlie Rangel, the ringmaster of New York City — at home with the mayors telling them what we all have to do together for New York and all our cities — New York City Emergency Management Director Richard Sheirer recalling with emotion his world of September 11th before and after when he lost hundreds of personal friends — Small business champion George Cloutier of Partner America joining with Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy and Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes to put a face on small business and what working men and women face in this economic downturn — Loews CEO Jonathan Tisch educating the mayors on the necessity of the freedom of travel in The USA and the need for our national government to promote USA tourism — Forty-four CEOs being recognized by Mayor Morial — DuPont's Stacey Mobley, Senior VP, Administrative Officer announcing DuPont's commitment in our partnership to a public school initiative educating our children about science, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Vice President of Sales, Mr. Tom Houle reporting on our stellar national retirement program which provides economic security for millions in our city governments - Scott Syphax showing us the Nehemiah way to help people with down payments on houses - James M. Murphy, CMB, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America echoing Boston Mayor Tom Menino's charge for housing initiatives for all Americans, and the poetic Charleston Mayor Joe Riley whose every word came from his soul to a hushed audience waiting and listening to a slow melodic almost musical performance and presentation that brought you to a different place and then came home to hit you right where he wanted to hit you and caused you to say — thank you, God, for giving us this mayor — the dean — the mayor's mayor. Providence's Mayor "Buddy" Cianci's taking the dull task of presenting the awards from our Business Council and transforming it into a brilliant hilarious performance with prefect timing that you'd pay to see on Broadway — Hempstead Mayor James Garner summing it up at the closing lunch with a magnificent big picture speech as big as he is — Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman beaming because the Annual Conference of Mayors is coming to Las Vegas in 2006 for the first time ever in our history.

The seriousness, the solemn visit to the World Trade Center, the grandeur of being with the President in our White House, the genuine Bloomberg hospitality in New York's Gracie Mansion will forever be fond memories that will give us strength in the days ahead. But perhaps the proudest moment to me was when all the mayors rose up from their hotel and met at 6:00 AM to board buses to go to Times Square to appear on Good Morning America. Three bus loads of dressed-up mayors — Willie Brown in his boiled wool brown coat — Kwame Kilpatrick's magnificent fedora and Rita Mullins in her splendid hat — with Charlie Gibson, Diane Sawyer and Tony Perkins the weatherman all being led by our President Mayor Morial. "Hi, I'm Marc Morial, President of the Conference of Mayors, Mayor of New Orleans and I want to say:" — and all mayors screamed "GOOD MORNING AMERICA!" We had to do it four times. It was cold! We almost froze to death and Andy Solomon, our Director of Public Affairs, is still trying to figure out why we didn't have coffee for the mayors. I'm trying to figure out how we did it without coffee. I couldn't stop laughing for some reason. I guess it was I was so proud that the mayors all came out to say in such a grand way — we are the mayors and we are proud to be together, and this is our special way to show unity for New York City, our cities and our nation and most of all for the people who died and the suffering and pain that follows for those relatives and loved ones left grieving. It was a special morning — a special moment I'll never forget.

Thank you Mayor Morial for your leadership and vision in leading and implementing the split meeting in Washington and New York. Thank you Mayor Bloomberg for opening up "our" city to us. We will be with you every step of the way.

Now, we go forward to make certain that Congress and The White House come together — united. Cities do unite America. The 70th Winter Meeting proves that — and we will go forward with renewed strength more united for our cities than ever before.