Mayors from around
the country voiced cautious optimism Saturday in the initial draft of new
stimulus legislation, hoping that Congress will provide billions in aid
directly to the nation’s metropolitan areas.
“The broad outline
of the stimulus package is very responsive to what we’ve been advocating,” said
Martin Chavez (D), mayor of Albuquerque. “A lot of [the package] is going to go
directly to metropolitan areas.”
{mosads}Mayors have asked
for as much as $358 billion in funding for shovel-ready projects they say will
employ thousands of workers at a time when unemployment figures are rising
nationally. Much of the federal money, many said, should be directed straight
to metropolitan areas instead of through state government.
“The city
governments and the state governments have different priorities, so we’re
asking that some money go directly to the metropolitan areas,” Seattle Mayor
Greg Nickels (D) said.
“A fair portion
[of the stimulus money] needs to go directly to the cities if it’s going to be
spent quickly,” Albuquerque’s Chavez said.
If money goes to
the states instead, argued Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), “it
diffuses through the state and it doesn’t go where it is needed most.”
The early House
version of the bill is “a great start. I’d like to see more money directly to
cities,” Villaraigosa said.
“What we see in
the House package we like,” Seattle’s Nickels added.
The group voiced
optimism that Congress would fund the Energy Efficiency Block Grant along with
local infrastructure and other projects.
Just one of the
country’s 363 metropolitan areas will add more than 200 jobs this year,
according to a report the conference released Saturday. Unemployment is
expected to rise above 10 percent in 70 metropolitan areas, including Detroit,
Cleveland and Riverside, California.
The new federal
money could put as many as 1 million people back to work, according to
conference estimates.
“Out of all of the
dark storm clouds, there is opportunity,” said Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (R).
Meeting in Washington,
members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors also expressed hope that the incoming
Obama administration would work more closely with cities than President Bush’s
administration has.
“We as cities have
been neglected for eight years. We’re basically playing catch-up for eight
years of neglect,” said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D).
During the opening
session, mayors heard from incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and
top Obama advisors Valerie Jarrett and Cecilia Munoz.
Jarrett will serve
as a senior White House advisor and assistant to the president for
Intergovernmental Relations. Munoz will serve as the White House’s director of
intergovernmental affairs.
“It feels like we
actually have partners. Previously, it was [like] twisting arms to get anyone
to come” from the White House, Albuquerque’s Chavez said. “It’s a strong
signal.”
“We have the right
people here from the administration,” said William Bell (D), mayor of Durham.
“We’ve been working
with the Obama transition team from day one, and they get it,” added Trenton
Mayor Doug Palmer (D).