Taser Us Conf of Mayors Resolutions Passed 2007

• Topics: Excessive Force, Stun Guns/Tasers

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PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS
75th ANNUAL U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS
LOS ANGELES, CA JUNE 22-26, 2007
TOURISM, ARTS, PARKS ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
13.

INCREASING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES
THROUGH VISA REFORMS, ENTRY IMPROVEMENTS AND
PROMOTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL
INITIATIVE (WHTI)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
URGING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO A BILATERAL
AGREEMENT TO EXPAND LEISURE GROUP TRAVEL FROM CHINA TO THE
UNITED STATES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURE
INDUSTRY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
FUTURE OF PRIVATE SECTOR GIVING TO THE ARTS IN AMERICA………9
NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH…………………………………………………………11
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, HUMANITIES AND MUSEUMS…………13
SUPPORT FOR CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING………………………15
SUPPORTING ISSUANCE OF POSTAL STAMP IN HONOR OF MAYOR TOM
BRADLEY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17
THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND AND THE URBAN PARK
AND RECREATION RECOVERY PROGRAM…………………………………………………………………19
COMBATING THE EMERALD ASH BORER IN OUR NATION’S CITIES……21
SUPPORTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO COMBAT GLOBAL PIRACY AND
COUNTERFEITING OF GOODS………………………………………………………………………………………23

CHILDREN, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
14.

15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

REFORMING FEDERAL PROGRAMS SO THAT THEY BETTER HELP
FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS REACH AND MAINTAIN ECONOMIC SELFSUFFICIENCY………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………25
PROVIDING FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSAL
PRESCHOOL …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………28
REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE CHILDREN’S HEALTH
INSURANCE PROGRAM………………………………………………………………………………………………………32
REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE CHILDREN’S HEALTH
INSURANCE PROGRAM………………………………………………………………………………………………………34
PROVIDING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE…………36
MAKING TANF WORK REQUIREMENTS MORE FLEXIBLE…………………………………38
IN SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH PARITY…………………………………………………………40
REFORMING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL POLICY……………………………………………41
RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE RECURRENCE OF VIOLENT CRIME…………43
HEALTH DISPARITIES……………………………………………………………………………………………………45
EXPANDING THE NATIONAL INVESTMENT IN AFTER-SCHOOL AND OUTOF-SCHOOL PROGRAMS……………………………………………………………………………………………………47
HEAD START REAUTHORIZATION………………………………………………………………………………49

26.

APPROPRIATION FOR RYAN WHITE TREATMENT AND MODERNIZATION
ACT (FORMERLY KNOWN AS RYAN WHITE TREATMENT AND
MODERNIZATION ACT)……………………………………………………………………………………………………51
27. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CARE SUPPORT……………………………………………………………53
28. FUND HOMELAND SECURITY INITIATIVES RELATED TO BIOTERRORISM
AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS……………………………………………………………………54
29. SUPPORT FOR ADEQUATE MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT…………………………………55
30. SAVING LIVES, SAVING MONEY: CITY-COORDINATED DRUG OVERDOSE
PREVENTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………57
31. A NEW BOTTOM LINE IN REDUCING THE HARMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………60
32. 2008 COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT RESTORATION………………………65
106. ADEQUATELY FUND TITLE V AND POPULATION BASED SERVICES………67

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT (CDBG)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………69
SUPPORTING THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS (HOME) PROGRAM
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………71
ENDORSING INNOVATIVE POLICIES TO SUCCESSFULLY END AND
PREVENT CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE NATION…………………………73
SUPPORTING POLICIES TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE
NATION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………76
ENDORSING PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATIONS, AND INVESTMENTS TO
END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE NATION……………………………………79
ENDORSING THE INNOVATION OF NATIONAL PROJECT HOMELESS
CONNECT TO END HOMELESSNESS……………………………………………………………………………81
ENDING HOMELESSNESS FOR VETERANS BY INCREASING PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESOURCES…………………………………………………………………………84
SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………86
NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND……………………………………………………………………………88
IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES…………………………………………90
SUPPORT FOR HOPE VI PROGRAM……………………………………………………………………………92
IN SUPPORT OF THE MOVING TO WORK PROGRAM…………………………………………93
PROTECTING HOMEOWNERS FROM MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE………………………95
FORCLOSURE PREVENTION AND FHA REFORM RESOLUTION………………………97
PROTECTING AGAINST PREDATORY LENDING AND FINANCIAL
SERVICES ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………100
INCREASING WORKING FAMILIES’FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ACCESS
TO BANKING SERVICES………………………………………………………………………………………………102
RESOLUTION ON DOWN PAYEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS……………………104
SALUTING CITIES UNITED FOR SCIENCE PROGRESS, DOROTHY
HEIGHT AND CALLING FOR INCREASED HUD FUNDING FOR
LEAD-SAFETY FFORTS…………………………………………………………………………………………………107

51.

52.
53.

A RESOLUTION TO DEVELOP NEW MODELS STRENGTHENING LOW-INCOME
HOME OWNERSHIP INTEGRATING WEATHERIZTION, HOME
REHABILITATION AND RELATED PROGRAM RESOURCES………………………………110
STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT………………………112
IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESERVE AMERICA ACT OF 2007…………………………114

CRIMINAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
22.
60.
13.
28.
61.
62.

63.
64.
65.
31.
30.
66.
67.

PROVIDING PRISONERS REENTERING SOCIETY AND EX-OFFENDERS
GREATER OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY……………………116
HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS BECOME
SELF-SUFFICIENT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………119
SUPPORTING VOTING RIGHTS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………121
IN SUPPORT OF EFFORTS TO FIGHT ILLEGAL GUNS…………………………………123
URGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OFFICIAL SYSTEM FOR THE
MANAGEMENT AND RELEASE OF CRIME DATA……………………………………………………126
BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES THROUGH DEPLOYMENT OF LESSLETHAL POLICE TECHNOLOGIES………………………………………………………………………………128
RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE RECURRENCE OF VIOLENT CRIME…………131
HUMAN TRAFFICKING: PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION……………………………133
SUPPORTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO COMBAT GLOBAL PIRACY AND
COUNTERFEITING OF GOODS………………………………………………………………………………………135
FUND HOMELAND SECURITY INITIATIVES RELATED TO BIOTERRORISM
AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS……………………………………………………………………137
PROTECTING CITY CRITICAL ASSETS UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE
AND MANHOLE SECURITY………………………………………………………………………………………………138
ASSURING NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE CAPABILITIES BY
AUTHORIZING AND FULLY FUNDING URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK
FORCES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………140
SUPPORTING THE REPEAL OF THE REAL ID ACT OF 2005……………………143
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM………………………………………………………………146
U.S. IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY POLICY…………………………………148
A NEW BOTTOM LINE IN REDUCING THE HARMS OF SUBSTANCE
ABUSE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………152
SAVING LIVES, SAVING MONEY: CITY-COORDINATED DRUG OVERDOSE
PREVENTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………157
OPPOSING RANDOM, SUSPICIONLESS STUDENT DRUG TESTING:
PROTECTING FAMILY PRIVACY AND STUDENT SAFETY…………….………………160
RESOLUTION CALLING UPON THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES TO INITIATE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST
PRESIDENT GEORGE W.BUSH………………………………………………………………………………………163

JOBS, EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE
68.
69.
24.

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT FUNDING…………………………………………………………………167
INVESTING IN AMERICA’S YOUTH……………….………………………………………………………169
EXPANDING THE NATIONAL INVESTMENT IN AFTER-SCHOOL AND OUTOF-SCHOOL PROGRAMS……………………………………………………………………………………………………173

70.
71.
72.

THE REAUTHORIZATION OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND………………………………175
MAYORAL LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION……………………177
SUPPORT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN OUR
NATION’S SCHOOLS………………………………………………………………………………………………………181
15. PROVIDING FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSAL
PRESCHOOL ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………183
54. PROVIDING PRISONERS REENTERING SOCIETY AND EX-OFFENDERS
GREATER OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY…………………187
73. IMPROVING ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION……………………………190
74. INCREASING ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………193
75. PROVIDING FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT FOR CAREER ACADEMIES
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………196
107. SUPPORTING LIFETIME LEARNING SAVINGS ACCOUNTS…………………………200
76. STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT……………………………………………………204
77. INCREASING FUNDING FOR YOUTHBUILD…………………………………………………………207
19. MAKING TANF WORK REQUIREMENTS MORE FLEXIBLE………………………………210
78. PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYMENT……………………………………………………212
79. INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE…………………………………………………………………………214
80. USING THE TAX CODE TO HELP LOWER INCOME FAMILIES DEVELOP
ASSETS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………216

ENERGY
81.
82.
12.
51.

83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.

ADOPTING EPA’S ENERGY STAR CHALLENGE TO REDUCE ENERGY USE
IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUILDINGS……………………………………………219
GRIDWISETM and SMART GRID POLICIES…………………………………………………………222
ENDORSING FEDERAL POLICIES TO INCREASE RESIDENTIAL ENERGY
EFFICIENCY USING STRATEGICALLY-PLANTED TREES……………………………224
A RESOLUTION TO DEVELOP NEW MODELS STRENGTHENING LOW-INCOME
HOME OWNERSHIP INTEGRATING WEATHERIZATION, HOME
REHABILITATION AND RELATED PROGRAM RESOURCES……………………………226
PROMOTING DOMESTIC SOURCES OF ENERGY FOR AMERICA…………………228
PROMOTION OF CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES……………………………230
PROVIDING COMPARABLE INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY BY PUBLIC ENTITIES……………………………………………………232
FORMATION OF A FEDERAL TAX POLICY FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE,
CLEAN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE PROTECTION…………234
ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS FEDERAL CLIMATE POLICY FRAMEWORK
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………237
SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF AN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BLOCK
GRANT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………243

ENVIRONMENT
89.
21.
90.
11.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FUNDING………………………………………………………………246
REFORMING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL POLICY…………………………………………247
IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL WATER……………………………………………………………………249
COMBATING THE EMERALD ASH BORER IN OUR NATION’S CITIES…251

91.
92.
87.
81.
88.

INCREASING FEDERAL ROLE IN THE ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND
FINANCING OF CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE…………………………253
SUPPORTING WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION…………………………………………………256
ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS FEDERAL CLIMATE POLICY FRAMEWORK
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………259
ADOPTING EPA’S ENERGY STAR CHALLENGE TO REDUCE ENERGY USE
IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUILDINGS……………………………………………265
SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF AN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BLOCK
GRANT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………268

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
93.
94.

1.
2.
3.

RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY AND IMMEDIATELY TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS
TRAGEDY IN SUDAN………………………………………………………………………………………………………271
CALLING ON ALL NATIONS AND ALL WORLD POWERS TO PROHIBIT THE
USE OF ANY WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION AGAINST CITIES AND
OTHER CIVILIAN TARGETS AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO EMBRACE THE
CONCEPT OF PEACE………………………………………………………………………………………………………275
INCREASING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES
THROUGH VISA REFORMS, ENTRY IMPROVEMENTS AND PROMOTION……277
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE
(WHTI)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………279
URGING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO A BILATERAL
AGREEMENT TO EXPAND LEISURE GROUP TRAVEL FROM CHINA TO THE
UNITED STATES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………281

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
95.
96.

97.
98.
91.

OPPOSING THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION’S ORDER
REGARDING MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS AND CABLE FRANCHISING………283
PROVIDING ADEQUATE FUNDING SOURCES TO ADDRESS CAPACITY
NEEDS IN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM THROUGH FAA
REAUTHORIZATION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………286
STREETCARS, TROLLEYS AND AMERICAN CITIES…………………………………………289
SUPPORT OF CHANGES TO FTA CHARTER SERVICE REGULATIONS………291
INCREASING FEDERAL ROLE IN THE ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND
FINANCING OF CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE……………………………294

URBAN ECONOMICS POLICY
99.

URGING SUPPORT FOR A TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF THE INTERNET
TAX FREEDOM ACT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………297
100. REPEALING LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITHHOLDING PROVISIONS (SECTION
511) IN THE TAX INCREASE PREVENTION AND RECONCILIATION ACT
OF 2005…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………299
91. INCREASING FEDERAL ROLE IN THE ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND
FINANCING OF CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE……………………………301
86. FORMATION OF A FEDERAL TAX POLICY FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE,
CLEAN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE PROTECTION……………304
53. IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESERVE AMERICA ACT OF 2007…………………………306

101. FUNDING THE 2010 CENSUS………………………………………………………………………………………308
80. USING THE TAX CODE TO HELP LOWER INCOME FAMILIES DEVELOP
ASSETS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………310
102. REAUTHORIZING THE NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM……………………313
103. DOLLAR WI$E…………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………315
104. REVISING THE FEDERAL DEFINITION OF POVERTY……………………………………317
105. SUPPORTING FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY ACT OF 2007………………………319
85. PROVIDING COMPARABLE INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY BY PUBLIC ENTITIES………………………………………………………321
79. INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE……………………………………………………………………………323
48. INCREASING WORKING FAMILIES’ FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ACCESS
TO BANKING SERVICES…………………………………………………………………………………………………325

Resolution No.2
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE
(WHTI)
1.

WHEREAS, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is
an important measure for securing our nation’s borders and
protecting America’s cities and citizens; and

WHEREAS, it is important that the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) and the Department of State have sufficient
time to securely and efficiently implement these
regulations at our land and sea borders; and

WHEREAS, Canada is our largest trading partner and closest
ally, accounting for more than 30 percent of all inbound
travel to the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, Congress passed and the President signed into law
FY2007 DHS Appropriations bill, which included provisions
to extend the WHTI deadline at land and sea ports-of-entry
until certain criteria, including the proper testing of
document technology and infrastructure at the borders, have
been met; and

WHEREAS, the FY2007 DHS Appropriations bill granted DHS and
the State Department additional time (up to June 1, 2009)
to achieve the necessary criteria; and

WHEREAS, the testing phase of an alternative travel
document, the passport card, will not be fully tested until
(at the earliest) spring 2008; and

WHEREAS, the pilot project in Washington state to enhance
driver’s licenses as an acceptable and secure document to
meet WHTI requirements is still underway; and

WHEREAS, passport demand is exceeding the State
Department’s ability to facilitate passport issuance in a
timely fashion; and

WHEREAS, neither security nor efficiency should be
sacrificed at America’s borders; and

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges the Department of Homeland Security and
Department of State to utilize the additional time granted
by Congress to meet the Congressional criteria and execute
a coordinated public-private outreach campaign to potential
American and Western Hemisphere travelers before
implementing WHTI at land and sea ports-of-entry.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.3
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

URGING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO A BILATERAL
AGREEMENT TO EXPAND LEISURE GROUP TRAVEL FROM CHINA TO THE
UNITED STATES
1.

WHEREAS according to the Travel Industry Association,
travel and tourism generates $104.9 billion in tax revenue
for local, state and federal governments; and

WHEREAS international travelers spent $102.6 billion in the
United states in 2005; and

WHEREAS with its rapid economic growth over the past
decade, the increase in Chinese outboud travel has more
than triple in the past five years; and

WHEREAS China’s Ministry of Public Security estimates that
in 2006, 34.5 million Chinese from Mainland China traveled
to foreign destinations, such as Japan, Korea, Thailand and
other Southeast Asian Countries, Europe and Russia; and

WHEREAS while many Chinese travelers would like to visit
the United States, the major hurdle lies in the U.S. visa
process, which requires all visa applicants to be
interviewed in person by U.S. consular officers; and

WHEREAS there are only five U.S. consulates in the entire
Mainland China, thereby making it extremely difficult for
many would-be travelers to obtain the necessary visas to
visit the U.S.; and

WHEREAS the Chinese government has developed a wellmanaged, orderly and controlled system of travel abroad for
a greater number of its citizens by granting Approved
Destination Status (ADS) to countries under a bilateral
agreement whereby a foreign government allows Chinese
tourists to travel to its territory; and

WHEREAS over one hundred countries have entered into such
agreements, have been granted ADS and have experienced a
substantial increase in the number of Chinese tourists
visiting their countries; and

WHEREAS if the U.S. were to enter into a bilateral
agreement that will make leisure group less restrictive ,
more Chinese tourists will be able to visit the U.S.
thereby establishing a win-win relationship between China
if the U.S.,

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United States
Conference of Mayors urges the Bush Administration to enter
into a bilateral agreement with China to expand Chinese
group leisure travel to the United States.

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors encourages the US Department of Homeland Security,
the Department of State, and the Department of Commerce to
streamline the visa application process for Chinese group
leisure travelers to the United States."

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.4
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence

ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURE INDUSTRY
1.

WHEREAS, Americans for the Arts, in partnership with the
United States Conference of Mayors conducted the third
national economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture
industry in 156 communities in every state in the United
States in 2006; and

WHEREAS, it was found that the nonprofit arts and culture
industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity
annually, which supports 5.7 million U.S. jobs in
communities ranging from large urban to small rural—an
increase of 850,000 jobs since 2000; and

WHEREAS, the nonprofit arts and culture industry annually
returns $12.6 billion in federal income taxes, $9.1 billion
in state government revenue and $7.9 billion in local
government revenue; and

WHEREAS, this new Arts and Economic Prosperity III study
collected extensive survey data from 6,080 arts and culture
organizations and 94,478 of their attendees; and

WHEREAS, data colleted from the 94,478 attendees at a range
of events reveal an average spending of $27.79 per person,
per event—in addition to the cost of admission—generating
$103.1 billion of valuable revenue for local merchants and
their communities annually; and

WHEREAS, 39 percent of audience attendees are non-local—
living outside of the county—and spend more than twice that
of their local counterparts: $40.19 vs. $19.43 per person;
and

WHEREAS, findings from Arts and Economic Prosperity III
study reveal that America’s nonprofit arts and culture
industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity
7

every year—$63.1 billion in spending by arts and culture
organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in eventrelated spending by arts audiences—resulting in a
significant benefit to the nation’s economy:
Total Expenditures
Full-Time Jobs
million
Household income
billion
Local Government Revenue
State Government Revenue
Federal Income Tax Revenue
8.

$166.2 billion
5.7
$104.2
$7.9 billion
$9.1 billion
$12.6 billion

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors supports the conclusions of the Arts
and Economic Prosperity III study and urges mayors across
the country to invest in nonprofit arts organizations
through their local arts agencies as a catalyst to generate
economic impact, stimulate business development, spur urban
renewal, attract tourists and area residents to community
activities, and to improve the overall quality of life in
America’s cities.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.5
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu

FUTURE OF PRIVATE SECTOR GIVING TO THE ARTS IN AMERICA
1.

WHEREAS, the National Arts Policy Roundtable, a
distinguished group of high profile private executives and
public officials , identified the following actions that
the government sector could do to positively influence
private sector giving to the arts; and

WHEREAS, federal, state and where appropriate, local
government could enact or adopt charitable tax legislation,
regulations and policies that support the arts, such as
exemption from income and sales taxes, tax deductibility
for charitable gifts, tax–free gifts from retirement
accounts, enhanced deductibility for artists’ business
expenses, and sensible regulatory regimes that promote
voluntary service; and

WHEREAS, federal, state and local governments could modify
or create zoning ordinances encouraging economic
development and community revitalization through the arts;
and

WHEREAS,
policies
the arts
matching

WHEREAS, local governments could include private
development in existing percent-for-art ordinances and
programs, or establish new ordinances that include both
public and private development; and

WHEREAS, federal, state and local governments could engage
with partners in the private sector and the nonprofit
community to declare literacy in the arts as a key
educational goal for the 21 st century – as central to an
educated citizenry as reading, math and science; and

WHEREAS, federal, state and local governments could
strengthen arts literacy for every child by supporting

federal, state and local governments could enact
and legislation that provide funding support to
and arts education, and encourages private sector
funding; and

national, state and local standards in the arts, arts
standards for teachers, and efforts to address disparities
in the delivery of high quality arts education in urban,
rural and high-minority or economically disadvantages
schools; and
8.

WHEREAS, federal, state and local governments could adopt
policies and enact legislation that ensure that the arts
are implemented as part of the core curriculum in our
nation’s schools, and an integral part of every child’s
preparation for work and life in the new creative economy.
Such policies could support comprehensive strategies for
achieving arts literacy for every child through: Rigorous,
sequential arts instruction in the classroom, Participation
and learning in high quality community based arts programs
with artists and arts organizations, and the use of the
arts in developing 21st century workplace skills; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors urges mayors to consider these
recommended arts policy strategies to help stimulate
private giving to the arts and arts education in America.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.6
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu

NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH
1.

WHEREAS, the arts and humanities enhance and enrich the
lives of all Americans; and

WHEREAS, the arts and humanities affect every aspect of
life in America today including the economy, social problem
solving, job creation, education, creativity, and community
livability; and

WHEREAS, cities and states – through their local and state
arts agencies and representing thousands of cultural
organizations – have celebrated the value and importance of
culture in the lives of Americans and the health of
thriving communities during National Arts and Humanities
Month for several years; and

WHEREAS, the United States Conference of Mayors has
actively participated in National Arts and Humanities Month
since 1984; and

WHEREAS, the United States Conference of Mayors’ national
arts partner, Americans for the Arts, will again coordinate
this year a national awareness campaign of activities for
National Arts and Humanities Month; and

WHEREAS, the nation's 40,000 cultural organizations, the
National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for
the Humanities, the nation's 4,000 local arts agencies, the
arts and humanities councils of the 50 states and U.S.
jurisdictions, and the President of the United States have
participated in the past and will be asked to participate
again this year in this national celebration; and

WHEREAS, the month of October 2007 has been designated as
National Arts and Humanities Month, and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors urges mayors to build partnerships
with their local arts agencies and other members of the
11

arts and humanities community in their cities to proclaim,
to participate in, and to celebrate the month of October as
National Arts and Humanities Month.
Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.7
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, HUMANITIES AND MUSEUMS
1.

WHEREAS, the arts, humanities and museums are critical to
the quality of life and livability of America's cities; and

WHEREAS, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA),
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Office
of Museum Services (OMS) within the Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS) are the primary federal agencies
that provide federal funding for the arts, humanities and
museum programs, activities, and efforts in the cities and
states of America; and

WHEREAS, the NEA's and the NEH's forty years of promoting
cultural heritage and vitality throughout the nation has
built a cultural infrastructure in this nation of arts and
humanities agencies in every state, more than 40,000
nonprofit arts organizations, and 4,000 local arts agencies
in cities throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, federal funding leverages up to 7 times more from
state and local governments, private foundations,
corporations and individuals in communities across the
nation to support the highest quality cultural programs in
the world; and

WHEREAS, federal funding for cultural activities stimulates
local economies and improves the quality of civic life
throughout the country — the NEA, NEH and IMLS support
programs that enhance community development, promote
cultural planning, stimulate business development, spur
urban renewal, attract new businesses, draw significant
cultural tourism dollars, and improve the overall quality
of life in our cities and towns; and

WHEREAS, federal arts funding to cities, towns and states
has helped stimulate the growth of local arts agencies in
America's cities and counties and more than $800 million
13

annually in local government funding and more than $350
million in state government funding to the arts and
humanities; and
7.

WHEREAS, federal funding for cultural activities is
essential to promote full access to and participation in
exhibits, performances, arts education and other cultural
events regardless of family income; and

WHEREAS, the NEA has undergone a major restructuring of its
grants programs to more directly reach and help build
communities across the nation through its Challenge America
grant program; and

WHEREAS, although the federal cultural agencies have
received small funding increases in an effort to begin
restoring the devastating 40 percent cuts made in 1995,
major increases are still needed to address the growing
needs of our cultural organizations; and

10.

WHEREAS, the President has proposed a modest increase
funding for the NEA and NEH; and

11.

WHEREAS, the delicate balance in shared responsibility and
partnership for public funding of the arts and humanities
at the federal, state and local government levels has been
in serious jeopardy since local governments cannot make up
for the current funding cuts in the federal government’s
share; and

12.

WHEREAS, the United States Conference of Mayors has
unanimously passed policy resolutions and issued official
letters in the past on Arts Advocacy Day to the President
and leaders of the U.S. Senate and House, signed by more
than 200 of the nation’s mayors, to increase federal
funding for the arts and humanities; and

13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of the National
Endowment for the Arts (and specifically the valuable
Challenge America program), National Endowment for the
Humanities, and the Office of Museum Services within the
Institute of Museum and Library Services and calls upon
Congress to restore full funding for these agencies in the
FY’08 appropriations bills.
Projected Cost:
NEA -$176 million
NEH - $177 million;
OMS -$39.9 million
14

Resolution No.8
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu

SUPPORT FOR CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
1.

WHEREAS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
supports public television through its partner, the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS). A trusted community resource,
PBS brings quality programs and education services to
nearly 100 million people each week; and

WHEREAS, with community-based arts programming and
nationally televised shows, PBS is often the only source of
arts programming in many rural parts of the country; and

WHEREAS, Public television airs arts programming that is
not available on commercial television. For example, the
Legends of Jazz television series on PBS marked the first
time in 40 years that jazz has been the focus of a national
network weekly series; and

WHEREAS, proposed cuts in the President’s budget will
weaken National Public Radio (NPR) stations and thus the
availability of high-quality arts programming. CPB funding
represents an average of 13 percent of the budget for
individual member stations of NPR. If NPR loses CPB
support, many stations will have to make severe cuts to
their programming and local services. This will especially
impact rural areas and stations serving minority
populations, as these stations heavily rely on federal
funding for their operating budgets. While local and state
arts agencies also support these stations, they could not
make up for a loss of federal funding on this scale; and

WHEREAS, Congress should reject the Administration’s
proposed funding cuts to the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB) in the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education
appropriations bill. Any reduction in CPB’s budget will
drastically reduce the access that many Americans have to
public broadcasting, and thus to high-quality arts and
cultural programming.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors, joins a broad coalition of public
broadcasting supporters with this request to urge Congress
to support a budget of no less than $430 million for the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as part of the
FY08 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

Projected Cost: no less than $430 million

Resolution No.9
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

SUPPORTING ISSUANCE OF POSTAL STAMP IN HONOR OF MAYOR TOM
BRADLEY
1.

WHEREAS, the unsung heroes of the governing of this nation
are the thousands of local elected government officials,
Mayors, Council members and Commissioners; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the nation honor the
service of these dedicated officeholders by issuing a
postal stamp in honor of one of their rank: former Mayor
Tom Bradley of Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, Tom Bradley was first elected Mayor of Los Angeles
in 1973, and he paved the way for many other leaders on the
local and national level. Although he made history as the
first black mayor of a major city, Tom Bradley ran and won
his campaign, pledging to be a representative of the entire
city; and his achievement of this promise made him one of
this nation's most respected mayors; and

WHEREAS, Tom Bradley’s career was the implementation of the
Civil Rights movement of the 1960's and 70's. After 21
years of service to the Los Angeles Police Department, he
retired with the rank of lieutenant in 1961 and began to
practice law. In 1963 he ran for a seat on the Los Angeles
City Council. He won and served for 10 years before
becoming the city's 37th Mayor in 1973; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Bradley opened the doors of city hall; his
staff and administration appointees represented the rich
cultural fabric of the city. He attracted businesses to
the city and established policies that resulted in the
dramatic resurgence of the downtown Los Angeles economic
center. He turned the city's harbor and airports into topof-the-line businesses, expanding the number of people
employed and the city's ability to compete in a world
market; and
17

WHEREAS, Mayor Bradley also focused his attention on
creating economic opportunities both for the inner city, as
well as the entire city, where he put forward affordable
housing and fair planning policies; and

WHEREAS, Tom Bradley’s achievements as the first African
American Mayor of a large metropolitan area helped to
transform municipal government throughout our nation and
gave new stature for city leaders on the international
scene; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Tom Bradley's record of service to Los
Angeles and to the nation is so exceptional that it is
especially fitting that the achievement and legacy of this
great man be marked by the issuance of a special
commemorative U.S. Postal Stamp in his honor,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors recognizes the national interest in
commending the dedicated service which all local elected
officials provide to the nation through the issuance of a
commemorative U.S. Postal stamp in honor of Mayor Tom
Bradley, and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be submitted to
the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee of the U.S. Postal
Service in support of the Committee’s approval of the
issuance of such a commemorative stamp.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.10
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Bill Bogaard
Mayor of Pasadena, CA
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose

THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND AND THE URBAN PARK AND
RECREATION RECOVERY PROGRAM
1.

WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and
Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR) return
conservation and recreation funds to states and local
governments; and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR have been responsible for more than
40,000 community parks; and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR have been integral to a healthy and
safe urban community life through funding municipal parks,
and creating urban soccer, baseball, and football fields;
and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR encourage and promote healthy
lifestyles, an area of growing concern; and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR promote smart growth and livable
communities; and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR are critical resources for
providing recreation places for America's young people; and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR advance economic and job
development in cities; and

WHEREAS, LWCF and UPARR provide opportunities for safe,
accessible parks and recreation areas, leading to increased
physical activity,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Congress restore
funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund's stateside
program at no less than the $100 million; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress fund the UPARR at no
less than $30 million.

Projected Cost: $30 million

Resolution No.11
Submitted by:
The Honorable George K. Heartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Virg Bernero
Mayor of Lansing
The Honorable Brenda L. Lawrence
Mayor of Southfield
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa

COMBATING THE EMERALD ASH BORER IN OUR NATION’S CITIES
1.

Whereas, the ash tree, which makes up six percent of the
nation’s forests and parks, provides an urban canopy for
America’s cities; and

WHEREAS, the emerald ash borer has devastated ash trees
throughout the country, costing cities millions of dollars
to remove and replace infested ash trees; and

WHEREAS, in fewer than five years, the emerald ash borer
has infested more than thirty million ash trees in America
and continues to pose a threat to the nation’s remaining
eight billion ash trees; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture’s
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has instituted a
federal quarantine on all timber from ash trees in
Michigan’s lower peninsula, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the states mentioned above,
Maryland and Virginia have also reported outbreaks of the
emerald ash borer; and

WHEREAS, although cities are working to develop action
plans to help combat the spread of the emerald ash borer,
more resources are needed;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the United States Congress
should provide cities and localities all the necessary
resources to help remove and replace trees infested by the
emerald ash borer; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Congress also must work with the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the U.S. Forest
Service and other relevant agencies to insure that future
outbreaks of the emerald ash borer do not occur; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Federal Government should work
with cities and local governments to help increase public
awareness programs on emerald ash borer infestation, so as
to help prevent future outbreaks from occurring.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.13
Submitted By:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

SUPPORTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO COMBAT GLOBAL PIRACY AND
COUNTERFEITING OF GOODS
1.

WHEREAS, intellectual property (music, movies, TV programs,
home video, books, computer software) brings in more
international revenues than agriculture, aircraft,
automobiles and auto parts and it is responsible for over
five percent of the GDP. Intellectual property is creating
new jobs at three times the rate of the rest of the
economy; and

WHEREAS, conservative estimates place the impact on the
United States economy of global piracy and the
counterfeiting goods at nearly $250 billion a year and
nearly 4.6 million jobs lost; and

WHEREAS, local governments are impacted in three ways by
the counterfeiting of intellectual property and goods, a
loss of tax revenue, money spent on enforcement and the
relationship between counterfeit goods and gang activity;
and

WHEREAS, most fraudulent products are bought in the black
market where the transactions go unrecorded and untaxed,
thereby nullifying tax dollars that should be spent on
vital city services, local governments also lose tax
revenue – income tax, sales tax, payroll taxes – when
workers are laid off by firms that face competition from
fraudulent goods; and

WHEREAS, local government pay for police who investigate
piracy, the court time to prosecute counterfeiters, and the
jail space to house convicted counterfeiters, which
depletes resources to fund vital city services; and

WHEREAS, under current law counterfeiters can earn more
money, with a lower risk of capture and lighter sentences
if they are prosecuted than bank robbers, which has led to
an increase in the involvement of organized crime in
counterfeiting, and often serves as a gateway to gang
activity; and

WHEREAS, there is no legitimate purpose for a person taking
copyrighted material not legally available to the public in
any form, and putting it on the Internet or duplicating it
for free distribution without authorization;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors in recognizing the significant national interest in
prosecuting these crimes, calls on Congress to immediately
develop a comprehensive plan for combating the crisis of
domestic and international piracy and counterfeiting of
goods; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
calls on Congress and State Governments to enact
legislation, which strengthens penalties for those
convicted of intellectual property crimes, makes it easier
for prosecutors to convict individuals who commit these
crimes and for aggrieved parties to file lawsuits.

Projected Cost:Unknown

Resolution No.14
Submitted by:
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

REFORMING FEDERAL PROGRAMS SO THAT THEY BETTER HELP FAMILIES
AND INDIVIDUALS REACH AND MAINTAIN ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
1.

WHEREAS, many existing federal government programs intended
to help low-income individuals and families reach economic
self-sufficiency are not easily accessible or
understandable to the populations that could benefit from
them; and

WHEREAS, many existing federal government programs intended
to help low-income individuals and families reach economic
self-sufficiency are not compatible with one another
because they are administered by many different federal
agencies and have significant differences in eligibility
and enrollment processes; and

WHEREAS, the rules governing many federal programs require
that individuals receiving benefits are no longer eligible
for those benefits when their household income increases
even modestly; and

WHEREAS, the nation’s poverty system has not kept pace with
the latest developments in technology and, as a result,
low-income citizens stand in line at counters to receive
benefits while the rest of the world is moving faster with
new technology; and

WHEREAS, many of the discretionary federal programs
intended to help families and individuals achieve selfsufficiency are able to help only a very small portion of
those who are eligible to receive them, and many of the
entitlement programs intended to assist these same people
provide very low benefit levels; and

WHEREAS, there is a widening income gap despite government
programs which are helping low-income families lift
themselves above the poverty line, and many more low-income
families are falling further behind, while the nation’s top
earners are gaining a larger share of total income; and

WHEREAS, estimates by the Congressional Budget Office
indicate that $11 billion in child support payments will go
uncollected over the next 10 years as a result of cuts to
child support enforcement funding included in the Deficit
Reduction Act, including elimination of the federal match
on performance-based incentive funds and reduction of the
federal match on paternity testing,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to
provide ample funding for existing programs benefiting lowincome families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors calls
on the federal government to:
• Ensure that low-income populations can easily access
the tools they need to reach economic selfsufficiency;
• Streamline and simplify programs to enable more of
those who are eligible for them to effectively and
efficiently take advantage of them;
• Adopt standard, complementary eligibility guidelines
for income support programs, and ensure that
26

•

government anti-poverty programs are broad enough to
include middle class families at risk of slipping into
poverty;
Reinvent the delivery mechanisms for the nation’s
income support programs by using the latest technology
and new systems to reach low-income families, and
ensure that they receive the full spectrum of benefits
for which they are eligible;
Make resources available for coordinated and expanded
outreach efforts which connect families to the work
supports that they are eligible to receive, including
the EITC, food stamps, Medicaid, energy assistance,
and childcare assistance, through robust communitybased centers;
Restore federal funding for child support enforcement,
including the match for performance-based incentive
funds;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
further urges that federal policies be revised to encourage
upward mobility without the threat of withdrawal of
services when a modest increase in household income occurs;
and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all levels of government and
the private sector identify opportunities to develop
collaborative solutions for targeting and serving lowincome populations;

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors compile, exchange and
implement best local practices.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.15
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

PROVIDING FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL
1.

WHEREAS, sweeping changes are posing new challenges to the
upward mobility of workers into the middle class, as well
as to American prosperity more generally; and

WHEREAS, more that 37 million people in the U.S. are
officially poor today despite the fact that one-half of
poor families are now working; and

WHEREAS, to successfully boost economic opportunity and
grow the middle class, the U.S. must broaden investments
in poverty policy from their focus on helping yesterday’s
workers to boosting the prospects of more of tomorrow’s
workers; and

WHEREAS, this approach gives lower income Americans the
tools to help themselves, positions the government to
achieve long-term savings as the need for today’s povertyrelated programs declines, and – most importantly – takes
advantage of some of the key opportunities to reduce
poverty that have been created by the sweeping changes of
our time; and

WHEREAS, today, more than 45 percent of public school
students tested in kindergarten and middle school fail to
achieve age-appropriate proficiency in reading and
mathematics, and only 35 percent of our urban middle
school students achieve proficiency in math; and

WHEREAS, lower income children consistently perform worse
in achievement tests in both reading and mathematics than
higher income children, and they make up a
disproportionately large share of those who drop out,
doing so at twice the overall rate; and

WHEREAS, only one-half of lower income children even begin
college, compared with more than 75 percent of higher
income children; and

WHEREAS, the more success a child achieves in school, the
less likely he or she is to live in poverty as an adult,
and the poverty rate of high school dropouts is three
times that of those who graduate; and

WHEREAS, one of every four American children drops out of
high school before graduating, and the Council of the
Great City Schools reports that in major cities like New
York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, fewer than one-half of
entering ninth graders graduate high school within four
years; and

10.

WHEREAS, as a result millions of young Americans reach
adulthood with dramatically lower chances for economic
success, as the overwhelming majority of those who drop
out spend much of their lives on the margins of the
economy; and

11.

WHEREAS, educational attainment is the best predictor of
economic success for an adult, and research shows that
children who enter K-12 schools with no previous classroom
time are less prepared to learn than children who attend
preschool programs; and

12.

WHEREAS, research has shown that investment in early
childhood development programs brings a real (inflation
adjusted) public return of 12 percent and a real total
return, public and private, of 16 percent; and

13.

WHEREAS, early childhood education benefits taxpayers
through reduced need for welfare assistance, increased
income tax revenue, less burden on the criminal justice
system, and fewer children needing remedial education
services; and

14.

WHEREAS, research indicates that children who do not
receive an early education are more likely to struggle as
young adults and as adults, score more poorly on
achievement tests, have children as teenagers, engage in
criminal activity, and face chronic unemployment; and

15.

WHEREAS, a recent study indicates that governmental
investment in high quality, universal preschool could add
more than $2 trillion to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
by 2080; and

16.

WHEREAS, Head Start successfully provides early education
and wrap-around services to needy youth and their families
who hope to move into the middle-class, but the current
federal investment in the program serves only 60 percent
of eligible three- and four-year-olds; and

17.

WHEREAS, access to preschool and early education will help
make the United States more globally competitive and
secure in its future; and

18.

WHEREAS, the members of the Conference of Mayors have
previously adopted resolutions supporting investment in
early childhood education and preschool,

19.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal and state
governments to work with local governments to provide
universal and standards-based preschool and early
education to all families; and

20.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all regulated early care and
education program settings be included in this universal
preschool and early education system if they can
demonstrate that they meet local, state, and federal
quality standards; and

21.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
urges that in addition to expanding access to quality
preschool programs, the hours of service of these programs
be extended to accommodate the schedules of working
families; and

22.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
encourages the continued support of the Head Start
program, which provides additional services for families
in need above and beyond preschool education; and

23.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the federal government
provide additional funding for Head Start to support a
full-day option and raise the income threshold for Head
Start eligibility.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.16
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE
PROGRAM
1.

WHEREAS, the number of uninsured children increased by
400,000 to 8.3 million from 2004 to 2005; and

WHEREAS, children without coverage are more likely to go
without immunizations, and end up in emergency rooms when
conditions could have been addressed sooner at the primary
care level; and

WHEREAS, uninsured children get less medically necessary
care, and are more likely to have unmet needs for care; and

WHEREAS, estimates are that 70 percent of all uninsured
children are eligible for low-cost or free health care
coverage under Medicaid and State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP); and

WHEREAS, many children are eligible for coverage but are
not enrolled in existing programs because of bureaucratic
barriers that make it difficult to obtain or keep coverage,
are excluded from programs or go uninsured when their
parents change jobs, or receive varying levels of services
because program benefits vary from state to state; and

WHEREAS, SCHIP provides coverage to children in low-income
families whose income exceeds Medicaid income eligibility
limits; and

WHEREAS,
not only
children
Medicaid
had been
coverage

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to reauthorize and
expand the State Child Health Insurance Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors urges
this Congress to ensure all children health insurance
coverage by providing:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

10.

every state has an SCHIP program, and SCHIP has
been successful in covering newly eligible
but also in triggering major improvements in
that allowed millions of uninsured children who
eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled to gain
and access to care,

A national eligibility level to cover all children;
A national benefit package that guarantees that children
in every state receive all medically necessary health,
mental health and dental services;
Streamlined mechanisms for enrollment and active outreach
to eligible but not enrolled children;
Guaranteed coverage and elimination of waiting lists;
Adequate provider reimbursement rates at or near the
levels for private coverage to ensure that children
actually receive needed services;
Assurance that states would incur no additional cost for
expanding coverage and enhancing benefits or for
increased provider reimbursement; and
Assurance that insurance coverage is maintained for all
who currently receive insurance including eligible
parents and children.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
commends Congress for seeking an additional $50 billion as
part of the FY 2008 Budget Resolution for the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This important
deficit-neutral funding would cover most of the nine
million children without health insurance in this country
and we urge its passage.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

Resolution No.17
Submitted by:
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
Mayor Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
Mayor Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

REAUTHORIZATION AND EXPANSION OF THE CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE
PROGRAM
1.

WHEREAS, the number of uninsured children increased by
400,000 to 8.3 million from 2004 to 2005; and

WHEREAS, children without coverage are more likely to go
without immunizations, and end up in emergency rooms when
conditions could have been addressed sooner at the primary
care level; and

WHEREAS, uninsured children get less medically necessary
care, and are more likely to have unmet needs for care; and

WHEREAS, estimates are that 70 percent of all uninsured
children are eligible for low-cost or free health care
coverage under Medicaid and State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP); and

WHEREAS, SCHIP provides coverage to children in low-income
families whose income exceeds Medicaid income eligibility
limits; and

WHEREAS, every state has a SCHIP program, and SCHIP has not
only been successful in covering newly eligible children
but also in triggering major improvements in Medicaid that
allowed millions of uninsured children who had been
eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled to gain coverage and
access to care,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to reauthorize and
expand the State Child Health Insurance Program and for the
President to sign this vital legislation; and

IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend Congress for seeking
an additional $50 billion as part of the FY 2008 Budget
Resolution for the State Children's Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP). This important deficit-neutral funding
would cover most of the 9 million children without health
insurance in this country and we urge passage of this; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conference of Mayors urges
the Administration and Congress work to ensure all
children health insurance coverage by:
•
•
•

Making every effort to insure all children who are
currently eligible but not participating;
Improving the SCHIP benefit package so that children in
every state receive all medically necessary health,
mental health and dental services; and
Streamlining mechanisms for enrollment and active
outreach to eligible but not enrolled children

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.18
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

PROVIDING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
1.

WHEREAS, the number of people without health insurance
coverage increased by 1.3 million to 46.6 million – 15.9
percent of the population – between 2004 and 2005; and

WHEREAS, the percentage of people covered by employmentbased health insurance declined slightly – from 59.8
percent to 59.5 percent – between 2004 and 2005, while the
percentage of people covered by government health insurance
remained at 27.3 percent during the same period; and

WHEREAS, the number of uninsured children increased by
400,000 to 8.3 million from 2004 to 2005; and

WHEREAS, if
significant
that family
making many
away from a

one breadwinner in a middle class family has
medical bills due to lack of health insurance,
is at high risk of slipping into poverty, thus
middle class families one accident or illness
catastrophe,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls for the repair of the nation’s
health insurance system so that all Americans have access
to affordable, quality health care.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.19
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

MAKING TANF WORK REQUIREMENTS MORE FLEXIBLE
1.

WHEREAS, on February 8, 2006, President George W. Bush
signed budget legislation that extends the Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families program through 2010 and
requires most states to substantially increase the number
of parents receiving TANF who have jobs or are in training;
and

WHEREAS, forcing individuals into the workforce without the
proper career development skills will not break the cycle
of poverty; and

WHEREAS, although TANF allows three educational activities
– vocational education training, secondary school
attendance, and education directly related to employment –
38

to count toward a state’s work participation rate, there
are limitations:
• Vocational education training can only count toward a
recipient’s work requirement for up to 12 months;
• Education directly related to employment can only count
toward the work requirement of an adult high school
dropout or teen parent; and
• No more than 30 percent of recipients counted toward the
state’s work participation rate may participate in
vocational training or be a teen parent in secondary
school,
4.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that TANF work requirements
be waived to allow individuals to attend a community
college or university to develop a career, not just a job;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that TANF regulations allow more
flexibility so that participation in mental health and
substance abuse programs can count towards meeting the
“work participation” requirement.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.20
Submitted by:
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
IN SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH PARITY
1.

WHEREAS, mental health and addiction treatment is something
that has touched virtually everyone. Everyone has a family
member, friend or co-worker who has been affected by mental
illness and/or addiction; and

WHEREAS, mayors know from experience that improving mental
health and addiction benefits improves people’s lives and
reduces health care costs by avoiding unnecessary
hospitalizations, controlling chronic physical diseases and
reducing emergency room visits, improves productivity in
the workplace, and reduces law enforcement problems; and

WHEREAS, mayors, as chief executives of local governments
that are large employers, recognized that treatment for
mental illnesses and addiction is effective and it can
improve people’s lives and that this treatment is costeffective from an economic standpoint; and

WHEREAS, according to the General Accountability Office,
nearly 90 percent of health plans impose such financial
limitations and treatment restrictions on mental health and
addiction care despite voluminous scientific research
documenting the biological, genetic, and chemical nature of
these diseases, and the effectiveness of treatment; and

WHEREAS, equal benefits are in the interest of cities’
public health, education, law enforcement and social
services needs,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges that mental health and addiction benefits be
equalized with other health care benefits; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and
Addiction Equity Act sponsored by Congressman Patrick
Kennedy and Congressman Jim Ramstad and urges Congress to
pass this legislation.
Projected Cost: Unknown
40

Resolution No.21
Submitted by:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City

REFORMING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL POLICY
1.

WHEREAS, Mayors are committed to supporting agricultural
reforms in the 2007 Farm Bill that will improve the health
and protect the environment of all Americans through
significantly strengthening Federal nutrition programs,
improving access to healthy food for low income Americans,
promoting environmental stewardship and conservation, and
protecting our food supply; and

WHEREAS, there are major concerns about food and farming
issues that affect the health of citizens in urban America
because of increased levels of hunger and food insecurity
in low-income populations, lack of access to healthy food
in low income areas, chronic diseases related to poor diet
such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and

WHEREAS, there are major environmental concerns that impact
residents arising from distribution of agricultural
products distributed through an inefficient food supply
transportation network which contributes to greenhouse gas
emissions, and agricultural dependence on pesticides and
chemically intensive production that contributes to air and
water pollution, and dramatic losses of prime agricultural
land in certain states due to urban sprawl, which threatens
the preservation and protection of urban water sheds; and

WHEREAS, a strong agriculture conservation program in which
city water utilities are full partners is critical to
reducing the environmental impact of farming and to
protecting watersheds and urban drinking water supplies,
41

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports the promotion of healthy diets for all
residents, including strengthening incentives and
infrastructure to encourage more fruit/vegetable
production, organic farming, better access to fresh foods
and investment in programs promoting healthy food,
expansion of programs that help communities invest in
retail markets, food-based businesses and increasing access
to farmers markets, farm-to-cafeteria programs that bring
the freshest, locally grown food into school lunch
programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports increasing the minimum food stamp benefits,
revising asset limits, removing the residency cap for legal
non-citizens, simplifying the application and renewal
process of the food stamp program, and developing
incentives to encourage food stamp recipients to increase
their consumption of fruits and vegetables; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports strengthening The Emergency Food Assistance
Program (TEFAP), and fully funding the Commodity
Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to strengthen and expand agriculture
conservation programs as a strategic investment in our
country's agricultural infrastructure, including improving
air and water quality and the protection of urban water
sheds, to sufficiently fund agriculture conservation
programs and make water utility watershed management
programs eligible for funding under the Partnerships and
Cooperation Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports investments in infrastructure, entrepreneurship
programs and facilities that process, distribute and
develop value-added products using locally-grown
commodities purchased from small and mid-sized local
farmers to meet the demand for local, healthy food.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.22
Submitted by:
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston

RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE RECURRENCE OF VIOLENT CRIME
1.

WHEREAS, youth violence is the second leading cause of
death nationwide for young people between the ages of 10
and 24; and

WHEREAS, the likelihood of recurrence of street violence
for a victim is estimated at up to 44%; and

WHEREAS, 5,570 young people age 10-24 were murdered – an
average of 16 each day – in 2003; and

WHEREAS, over 780,000 violence-related injuries in young
people age 10 to 24 were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in
2004; and

WHEREAS, nearly 5.3 million incidents of intimate partner
violence occur each year among U.S. women ages 18 and
older, and 3.2 million occur in men; and

WHEREAS, being a victim of violence can result in a
multitude of physical and psychological health problems, as
well as tremendous economic costs to both the victim and
society; and

WHEREAS, many young people seek medical care for violencerelated injuries, some of which can lead to lasting
disabilities; and

WHEREAS, violence can also affect the health of communities
by increasing the cost of health care, decreasing property
value, and disrupting social services. The cost of youth
violence exceeds $158 billion each year; and

WHEREAS, promising interventions in some cities have shown
the potential to stop repeat violence by providing safety
43

and support to all victims of violence in hospitals and
other health care settings,
10.

NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED that in order to ensure
reduction of the recurrence of violent injury, The U.S.
Conference of Mayors (USCM) urges cities to recognize all
violence as a public health issue; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the USCM encourages cities to
work with health care institutions to establish programs
that protect the safety of all victims of violence,
including but not limited to intimate partner and other
intentional violence, seeking medical care in emergency
rooms, community health centers, and other sites; and

12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the USCM urges cities to
partner with health care institutions to train health care
providers in community health centers and acute care
hospitals to establish protocols and effectively respond to
and treat all victims of violence.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.23
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston

HEALTH DISPARITIES
1.

WHEREAS, the Institute of Medicine’s 2002 Report “Unequal
Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in
Healthcare,” documents and defines “differences in
incidence, prevalence, mortality and burden of disease and
other adverse health conditions”, as disparities; and

WHEREAS, racial and ethnic health disparities are caused by
many social factors, including discrimination, poverty,
inequitable access to resources essential to health such as
education, healthy housing, healthy environments, and
culturally competent health care;

WHEREAS, minority populations have higher prevalence rates
of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer
and diabetes, which are also among the most prevalent,
costly, and preventable of all health problems; and

WHEREAS, heart disease and stroke are the first and third
leading causes of death for both men and women in the
United States; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, the medical costs and indirect economic
costs from lost productivity due to chronic illnesses were
estimated at $352 billion for heart disease, $189 billion
for cancer, and $132 billion for diabetes; and

WHEREAS, without concerted and coordinated political
action, the gains achieved in the 20th century of reducing
the burden of infectious diseases will be washed away as
45

the lives of millions are cut short by preventable and
treatable chronic illnesses,
7.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors requests continued and expanded national support for
a) federal programs that explicitly tackle this major
social problem; b) funding streams to local public health
departments to provide chronic disease prevention and
health promotion interventions.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.24
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of New York
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver

EXPANDING THE NATIONAL INVESTMENT IN AFTER-SCHOOL AND
OUT-OF-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
1.

WHEREAS, insuring access to high-quality after-school and
out-of-school programming for school-aged youth and their
families continues to be a critical priority at the local,
state and national levels; and

WHEREAS, after-school programming reinforces a positive
attitude towards education and staying in school, enhances
the physical, social, emotional and moral development of
youth, and provides support for working families; and

WHEREAS, affordable, accessible and high-quality afterschool and out-of-school programming is an essential need
for most American families; and

WHEREAS, the risk of youth becoming victims of or
participating in a violent crime triples in the hours
following the school day; and

WHEREAS, unsupervised youth are at greater risk of truancy,
pregnancy, abusing alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, receiving
poor grades, and experiencing mental depression; and

WHEREAS, children who attend high-quality after-school and
out-of-school programs experience greater academic success,
develop stronger peer relations, have better emotional
47

adjustment and conflict resolution skills, and have better
conduct in school compared to peers not in after school
programs,
7.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government, along
with state and local governments, to increase investment in
community-based after-school and out-of-school programs;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors urges the federal government to re-establish a
summer jobs program for the nation’s economically
disadvantaged youth, to initially fund this program at a
level equivalent to or greater than the FY 2001 funding
levels, and to utilize the same needs-based funding formula
to allocate these funds nationally; and.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls
on Congress to ensure that any new targeted grant program
for youth is funded only from the excess of the amount
appropriated for the WIA youth formula program when it is
at a level of at least $1 billion and not at the expense of
the year round program.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.25
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of New York
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia

HEAD START REAUTHORIZATION
1.

WHEREAS, the Head Start program for over four decades has
successfully delivered comprehensive early childhood
education, health and social services, and has a proud
history of bipartisan support in Congress; and

WHEREAS, almost one million of America’s most at-risk
children and their families currently depend on Head Start
programs for a solid foundation for their future, for their
first educational experiences, for immunizations, dental
and health care, for learning social skills and good
nutrition habits; and

WHEREAS, one-third more at-risk children who attended a
quality early childhood program graduated from high school
than those who did not attend; and

WHEREAS, Head Start serves the nation's poorest children,
those living in families at or below the poverty line, as
well as children with disabilities or other special needs;
and

WHEREAS, Head Start from its creation was conceived as a
federal-local partnership, with funds delivered directly to
local grantees in thousands of communities across the
country, and with more than 150 Head Start programs-including some of the nation’s largest--being managed and
operated by local city or county governments; and

WHEREAS, as a locally-run and locally-focused program, Head
Start educates and cares for its children, improves and
enriches the lives of their parents and siblings, and
engages and benefits the residents, organizations and
49

institutions of the neighborhoods and cities in which it
operates,
7.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors strongly opposes any attempt to move Head Start to
the states through a block grant or other means; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
strongly supports the current federal to local funding
structure and supports the continued coordination of Head
Start, child care and pre-kindergarten programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
strongly supports the current continuous improvement review
and resolution process for grantees, and expresses its
concern over any changes that could lead to arbitrary,
unwarranted and indiscriminate mandatory re-competition for
local Head Start grantees, and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
strongly supports proposed legislative language increasing
the family income eligibility guidelines from 100% to 130%
of the federal poverty level for all Head Start
participants, thus allowing local programs to serve more
low-income working families who have successfully moved off
of public assistance and bringing eligibility criteria in
line with the higher costs of living for families in urban
areas; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
opposes proposed legislative language prohibiting local
Head Start programs from using federal funds to appeal
decisions by the U. S. Department of Health and Human
Services, and from registering parents to vote; and

12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to fully fund the Head Start program SO THAT
ALL ELIGIBLE CHILDREN CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THESE HIGHLY
VALUABLE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND ENRICHMENT
SERVICES.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.26
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver

APPROPRIATION FOR RYAN WHITE TREATMENT AND MODERNIZATION ACT
(FORMERLY KNOWN AS RYAN WHITE TREATMENT AND MODERNIZATION ACT)
1.

WHEREAS, the Ryan White Treatment and Modernization Act has
had a significant impact on the lives and health of people
with HIV/AIDS in our cities; and

WHEREAS, the services provided by the Treatment and
Modernization Act are urgently needed by low-income,
uninsured and underinsured persons living with HIV/AIDS;
and

WHEREAS, since its enactment in 1990, the Ryan White
Treatment and Modernization Act has dramatically improved
the quality of life of people living with HIV-disease and
their families, reduced use of costly inpatient care, and
increased access to care for low-income, underserved
populations, including people of color; and

WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated that those receiving
services from the Treatment and Modernization Act providers
are up to 40 to 90 percent more likely to report
appropriate medical care, including access to anti-HIV
medications; and

WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the Ryan White Treatment
and Modernization Act was signed in December 2006; and

WHEREAS, the reauthorized Act should build on the Act’s
previous success by modernizing it to address new
challenges in the HIV/AIDS epidemic while maintaining the
51

successful structure, strong local control and continuity
of care of existing services present in the current law,
7.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges Congress to provide increased immediate
funding to fairly and adequately address the epidemic in
areas with longstanding as well as emerging HIV/AIDS crises
and to provide appropriate and sufficient funds for
localities to implement the Treatment and Modernization Act
programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to continue to provide sufficient funds for
all previously allowed service categories; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges that Congress allow cities and their communities to
use the proper tools to address new challenges confronting
the HIV/AIDS epidemic so that life-saving health services
are not interrupted.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.27
Submitted by:
The Honorable Raul Salinas
Mayor of Laredo

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CARE SUPPORT
1.

WHEREAS, the support for environmental health services,
environmental health assessments, testing remediation,
disease investigation and control, as well as research for
environmental health needs is an emerging and critical need
at the local level; and

WHEREAS, biological and other hazardous materials and its
health impact, as well as emergency/disaster preparedness
are critical issues of the environmental agenda; and

WHEREAS, to adequately address this will require additional
epidemiological surveillance, investigation, health risk
assessments and training,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors sees as an absolute critical need dedicated funding
for Environmental Health Care Support.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.28
Submitted by:
The Honorable Raul Salinas
Mayor of Laredo

FUND HOMELAND SECURITY INITIATIVES RELATED TO BIOTERRORISM AND
PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
1.

WHEREAS, funding for Homeland Security activities related
to public health preparedness, emergency preparedness,
response and training are based on a standard formula, not
local need, as different border communities are
disproportionately affected; and

WHEREAS, best practices have already been developed for
regional response, strategic national stockpile, and all
hazards preparedness; and

WHEREAS, public health emergency/disaster and bioterrorism
and preparedness and response are a challenge, requiring an
immediate and expert local response; and

WHEREAS, funding and program support continues to be
developed with regional approaches, which are not practical
in all areas of the country; and

WHEREAS, additional and enhanced services in surveillance
report, health alerts, and health risks assessment, as well
as risk communication and education, mental health support
and the training for response, preparedness and personal
protective equipment is critical,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors sees an absolute critical need for Homeland Security
Initiatives Related to Bioterrorism and Public Health
Preparedness.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.29
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mark Begich
Mayor of Anchorage

SUPPORT FOR ADEQUATE MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT
1.

WHEREAS, approximately 43,000,000 U.S. residents are
enrolled in Medicare and enrollment is expected to grow
markedly over the next twenty years; and

WHEREAS, the formulas used to develop Medicare
reimbursement rates fail to adequately reflect the true
costs of practicing medicine; and

WHEREAS, medical doctors have testified that Medicare
reimburses less than 50% of physicians’ costs of patient
care; and

WHEREAS, fewer and fewer medical doctors accept new
Medicare patients and many current patients are being
terminated from care for a lack of sufficient
reimbursements so that the numbers of untreated Medicare
patients is reaching critical levels; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congressional Budget Office
recently forecast that, under current law, Medicare
reimbursement rates for medical doctors will be reduced by
an additional 10 percent in 2008; and

WHEREAS, cumulative reductions in Medicare reimbursement
rates for medical doctors are expected to reach 40 percent
by 2015, and, during the same time frame, medical practice
costs are expected to rise 20 percent; and

WHEREAS, the American Medical Association calls the
Medicare reimbursement formula, “broken beyond repair” and
wants it replaced; and

WHEREAS, the United States Medicare Payment Advisory
Commission is concerned that Medicare reimbursement rate
cuts will worsen patient access to medical doctors; and

WHEREAS, a national survey of medical doctors conducted by
the American Medical Association found that nearly half of
55

the medical doctors surveyed will be forced to decrease or
stop accepting new Medicare patients if reimbursement rates
are lowered; and
10.

WHEREAS, The Military Officers Association of America
stated that Medicare reimbursement rate cuts will
significantly damage military beneficiaries’ access to care
since military health insurance is linked to Medicare
reimbursement rates,

11.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the United States
Conference of Mayors urges the United States Congress and
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to
comprehensively rewrite the Medicare reimbursement system
to address inequities in physician reimbursement that are
leading to the collapse of the primary care system and
limiting senior citizens’ access to the physicians best
qualified to coordinate their care.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.30
Submitted By:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
SAVING LIVES, SAVING MONEY: CITY-COORDINATED DRUG OVERDOSE
PREVENTION
1.

WHEREAS, the current outbreak in fatal and nonfatal
overdoses due to heroin contaminated with clandestinely
manufactured fentanyl is a public health emergency, killing
over 750 people in at least 8 states, including nearly 200
in Chicago, 150 in Detroit, nearly 100 in Philadelphia, and
nearly 75 in Camden, New Jersey, since April 2006; and
WHEREAS, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is
warning world health authorities to prepare for a sharp
rise in rates of heroin overdose death due to a dramatic
increase in the supply and purity of heroin; and

WHEREAS, death from opioid overdose is easily preventable
through use of naloxone, an opiate antagonist that reverses
the respiratory failure that usually causes death from
overdose; and

WHEREAS, naloxone is effective, affordable and safe, works
within minutes, is not addictive and has no psychopharmacological effects; and

WHEREAS, naloxone is currently administered by paramedics and
emergency room personnel to treat opiate overdose, but could
prevent far more deaths through widespread distribution to
police and first responders; and

WHEREAS, establishing emergency “Good Samaritan” policies that
protect people who call 911 from prosecution would increase
timely medical attention to overdose victims, as many overdose
fatalities occur because peers delay calling 911 for fear of
police involvement; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico recently enacted the first such law in the
country--the 911 Good Samaritan Act of 2007--which is expected
to save countless lives in cities across the state; and
WHEREAS, programs that provide overdose prevention education,
rescue breathing training and take-home naloxone directly to lay
people have been developed in New Mexico, Connecticut, Northern

California, and the cities of Baltimore, New York City, Chicago,
Philadelphia and most recently Los Angeles; and
9.

WHEREAS, several young people in the Salt Lake City area
have died of drug overdoses after their friends panicked
and failed to call for or otherwise seek medical help; and

10.

WHEREAS, distributing naloxone directly to lay people, as
opposed to restricting it to medical personnel, saves lives as
people frequently use in pairs or groups and there is often
someone nearby to detect the signs of an overdose in time and
administer emergency treatment; and

11.

WHEREAS, naloxone distribution programs save cities money by
averting significant health care costs. Los Angeles County,
which approved a pilot naloxone distribution program in
September 2006, admitted 232 patients for opioid overdose
treatment in the county-run hospitals from 1997 to 2002, at a
cost of $3.7 million

12.

WHEREAS, naloxone distribution programs are inexpensive: the
material costs are minimal (naloxone-filled syringes cost less
than two dollars apiece) and naloxone distribution programs have
been added to existing services, such as syringe exchanges,
without the need for increased staff or space; and

13.

WHEREAS, naloxone distribution programs have dramatically
reduced city overdose death rates: in New Mexico, about 100
people have said that they saved a life with naloxone and New
Mexico doctors report up to a 20% drop in overdoses since they
started distributing the drug. In San Francisco, more than 150
people who were trained to administer naloxone stated that they
saved someone with the drug; and

14.

WHEREAS, in Baltimore, more than 50 people who were trained
reported saving a life with naloxone, and overdose deaths are
now at a ten-year low. In Chicago, at least 319 people have
reported peer overdose reversals, halting and reversing a
consistent trend of increasing overdose deaths the very same
year the city instituted its naloxone distribution program; and

15.

WHEREAS, participants in programs reported that education about
and availability of naloxone has opened up new avenues of
thought regarding safety and personal health and frequency of
heroin use decreased among opioid users in a pilot study of
naloxone distribution;

16.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United States Conference
of Mayors encourages cities to implement overdose prevention
education programs that provide overdose prevention education,
rescue breathing training and take-home naloxone directly to lay
people; and

17.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors supports establishing emergency “Good Samaritan” policies
that protect, and do not punish, people for calling 911 in the
event of an overdose.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.31
Submitted By:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
A NEW BOTTOM LINE IN REDUCING THE HARMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
1.

WHEREAS, the United States Conference of Mayors has long
been concerned about substance abuse and its impacts on
cities of all sizes; and

WHEREAS, this Conference recognizes that addiction is a
chronic medical illness that is treatable, and drug
treatment success rates exceed those of many cancer
therapies; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health, an estimated 112,085,000 Americans aged 12 or
over (46.1% of the US population aged 12 and over) have
used an illicit drug at least once; and

WHEREAS, the United States has 5% of the world’s
population, but 25% of the world’s prisoners, incarcerating
more than 2.3 million citizens in its prisons and jails, at
a rate of one in every 136 U.S. residents—the highest rate
of incarceration in the world; and

WHEREAS, 55% of all federal and over 20% of all state
prisoners are convicted of drug law violations, many
serving mandatory minimum sentences for simple possession
offenses; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution
at it 74th Annual Meeting opposing mandatory minimum
sentencing on both the state and federal levels and urging
the creation of fair and effective sentencing policies; and

WHEREAS, drug treatment is cost-effective: a study by the
RAND Corporation found that every additional dollar
invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.46
in societal costs, a reduction that would cost 15 times as
much in law enforcement expenditure to achieve; and
WHEREAS, the National Treatment Improvement Evaluation
Study shows substantial reductions in criminal behavior,
with a 64% decrease in all arrests after treatment, making

public safety a primary beneficiary of effective drug
treatment programs; and
9.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a
“Comprehensive National Substance Abuse Strategy” at its
69th Annual Meeting, and a “Comprehensive Drug Prevention
and Treatment Policy” at its 66th Annual Meeting, both of
which called for treatment to be made available to any
American who struggles with drug abuse; and

10.

WHEREAS, federal, state, and local costs of the war on
drugs exceed $40 billion annually, yet drugs are still
widely available in every community, drug use and demand
have not decreased, and most drug prices have fallen while
purity levels have increased dramatically; and

11.

WHEREAS, according to the Office of National Drug Control
Policy (ONDCP), only 35% percent of the federal drug
control budget is spent on education, prevention and
treatment combined, with the remaining 65% devoted to law
enforcement efforts; and

12.

WHEREAS, over one-third of all HIV/AIDS cases and nearly
two-thirds of all new cases of hepatitis C in the U.S. are
linked to injection drug use with contaminated syringes,
now the single largest factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS in
the U.S.; and

13.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has, on three
separate occasions, adopted resolutions in support of
expanded access to sterile syringes by people who inject
drugs as a public health strategy to decrease the
transmission of blood-borne diseases and provide links to
treatment without increasing drug use; and

14.

WHEREAS, virtually all independent analyses have found
ONDCP’s drug prevention programs to be costly and
ineffective: the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
recently found that both the National Youth Anti-Drug Media
campaign and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)
program have not only failed to reduce drug use, but
instead might lead to unintended negative consequences; and

15.

WHEREAS, blacks, Latinos and other minorities use drugs at
rates comparable to whites, yet face disproportionate rates
of arrest and incarceration for drug law violations: among
persons convicted of drug felonies in state courts, 33% of
convicted white defendants received a prison sentence,
61

while 51% of black defendants received prison sentences;
and
16.

WHEREAS, women are the fastest growing prison population in
the U.S., increasing by over 700% since 1977, to 98,600 at
the end of 2005. Drug law violations now account for
nearly one-third of incarcerated women, compared to onefifth of men; and

17.

WHEREAS, at year end 2005, over 7 million U.S. residents—
about 3.2% of the adult population, or 1 in every 32
adults—were incarcerated or on probation or parole, of whom
28% were under correctional supervision for a drug law
violation; and

18.

WHEREAS, at its 73rd and 72nd Annual Meetings, the U.S.
Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution to promote the
successful reentry of people leaving prison or jail,
through job training, transitional housing, family
reunification, drug abuse and mental health treatment, and
the restoration of voting rights; and

19.

WHEREAS, the cost of local law enforcement and of providing
services to formerly incarcerated residents is borne
primarily by local governments; and

20.

WHEREAS, cities across the country have experienced a rise
in violent crime and must prioritize scarce law enforcement
resources, yet the nation’s police arrested a record
786,545 individuals on marijuana related charges in 2005—
almost 90% for simple possession alone—far exceeding the
total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined;
and

21.

WHEREAS, there is no easy, “one-size-fits-all” solution to
substance abuse and drug-related harms: individual cities,
counties, and states face unique challenges and therefore
require local flexibility to pursue those policies that
best meet their specific needs;

22.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United States
Conference of Mayors believes the war on drugs has failed
and calls for a New Bottom Line in U.S. drug policy, a
public health approach that concentrates more fully on
reducing the negative consequences associated with drug
abuse, while ensuring that our policies do not exacerbate
these problems or create new social problems of their own;
establishes quantifiable, short- and long-term objectives
62

for drug policy; saves taxpayer money; and holds state and
federal agencies accountable; and
23.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that U.S. policy should not be
measured solely on drug use levels or number of people
imprisoned, but rather on the amount of drug-related harm
reduced. At a minimum, this includes: reducing drug
overdose fatalities, the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis,
the number of nonviolent drug law offenders behind bars,
and the racial disparities created or exacerbated by the
criminal justice system; and

24.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that short- and long-term goals
should be set for reducing the problems associated with
both drugs and the war on drugs; and federal, state, and
local drug agencies should be judged – and funded –
according to their ability to meet specific performance
indicators, with targets linked to local conditions. A
greater percentage of drug war funding should be spent
evaluating the efficacy of various strategies for reducing
drug related-harm; and

25.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a wide range of effective drug
abuse treatment options and supporting services must be
made available to all who need them, including: greater
access to methadone and other maintenance therapies;
specially-tailored, integrated services for families,
minorities, rural communities and individuals suffering
from co-occurring disorders; and effective, community-based
drug treatment and other alternatives to incarceration for
nonviolent drug law offenders, policies that reduce public
spending while improving public safety; and

26.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conference supports
preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other
infectious diseases by eliminating the federal ban on
funding of sterile syringe exchange programs and encourages
the adoption of local overdose prevention strategies to
reduce the harms of drug abuse; and

27.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the impact of drug use and drug
policies is most acutely felt on the local communities, and
therefore local needs and priorities of drug policy can be
best identified, implemented and assessed at the local
level. A successful national strategy to reduce substance
abuse and related harms must invest in the health of our
cities and give cities, counties, and states the
flexibility they need to find the most effective way to
63

deal with drugs, save taxpayer dollars and keep their
communities safe.
Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.32
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose

2008 COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT RESTORATION
1.

WHEREAS, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides
assistance to low-income families; and

WHEREAS, community action agencies administer and
coordinate services, and leverage approximately $9.9
billion in other federal, state, local, and private
resources to develop and provide a coordinated array of
resources to help families and individuals achieve selfsufficiency, and build stable and healthy communities as a
means of combating poverty; and

WHEREAS, each Community Services Block Grant dollar
leverages $5.40 in non-federal funds; and

WHEREAS, the nationwide network of community action
agencies leverage resources to provide services including
Head Start, literacy and job training programs, health
care, child care, and after-school programs; and

WHEREAS, community action agencies support LIHEAP,
weatherization assistance, housing and home ownership
services, transitional housing, financial literacy, asset
development, community and economic development, food
pantries, and meal programs; and

WHEREAS, demands on community action agency services from
the working poor, older Americans, families struggling with
unemployment, and the number of people departing TANF
increase; and
65

WHEREAS, CSBG has received level funding in the amount of
$650 million since FY 2002; and

WHEREAS, the President’s proposed 2008 federal budget
reflects the elimination of CSBG funding without any other
funding identified to provide the bridge in funding for
services needed by poor and working poor,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United States
Conference of Mayors strongly supports investment in CSBG,
and thereby, supports increasing FY 2008 CSBG funding at a
minimum level of $700 million, the level consistent with
the final FY 2002 appropriation with proper adjustment for
inflation.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No. 106
Submitted by:
The Honorable Raul Salinas
Mayor of Laredo

ADEQUATELY FUND TITLE V AND POPULATION BASED SERVICES
1

WHEREAS, because of under and uninsured populations, the
demand for maternal child health services has multiplied in
recent years; and

WHEREAS, many cities maintain primary care physicians,
nurses, dentists, and mental health providers to assist
service many in the under and uninsured populations; and

WHEREAS, the constant reduction in Title V has resulted in
the gap between needs and resources becoming increasingly
critical; and

WHEREAS, the rising need for service and the lack of
adequate providers and Title V funding cuts have greatly
affected local governments’ ability to adequate address
health concerns,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors sees as an absolute critical need the full and
dedicated funding level for Title V funding.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

Resolution No.33
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston, MA
The Honorable Raul G. Salinas
Mayor of Laredo, TX
68

INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG)
1.

WHEREAS, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
program was signed into law by President Gerald Ford as the
centerpiece of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974; and

WHEREAS, the primary objective of the program is the
development of viable communities by providing decent
housing and suitable living environments, and expanding
economic opportunities for low-and moderate-income persons;
and

WHEREAS, the CDBG program has considerable flexibility to
allow urban, suburban, and rural communities to carry out a
broad range of activities that are tailored to their unique
affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization needs;
and

WHEREAS, throughout its 32-year old history, the CDBG
program has been a partnership among all levels of
government, the business community, and the nonprofit
sector to carry out activities that improve the lives and
neighborhoods of low-and moderate-income families; and

WHEREAS, according to HUD, over 95 percent of FY2006
funding was allocated to activities principally benefiting
low-and moderate-income persons and their neighborhoods;
and

WHEREAS, also according to FY2006 HUD data, CDBG provided
housing assistance to 179,835 housing projects, created or
retained 55,957 jobs for low-and moderate-income persons,
provided essential public services to an estimated 11
million households; and

WHEREAS, CDBG formula grants were cut by 10 percent in
FY2006 from $4.1 billion to $3.71 billion, and also cut in
FY2005 by five percent, resulting in a 15 percent cut in
two years; and

WHEREAS, CDBG formula grants remained at the same funding
level in FY2007 as FY2006, $3.71 billion; and

WHEREAS, a survey on the impact of the CDBG cuts released
by 20 organizations, including the Conference of Mayors, on
69

March 15, 2006 found that reduced formula allocations
between FY2004-FY2006 has had a substantial negative effect
on the 68 percent of all state programs and 28 percent of
all entitlement communities that responded to the survey;
and
10.

WHEREAS, the survey found that CDBG cuts to cities,
counties and states between FY2004 — FY2006 has led to
5,588 fewer businesses, 5,843 fewer homeowners, 5,064,408
fewer low—and moderate-income persons served, 255,569 fewer
elderly persons served, 391,823 fewer children and youth
served, 253,187 fewer persons with special needs served,
196,150 fewer homeless persons served, 50,046 fewer units
of rehabilitated housing, and 1251 city and county
improvement projects(water and sewer, street and sidewalks,
fire stations, public facilities) canceled or delayed; and

11.

WHEREAS, the administration’s FY2008 budget request
proposes to cut nearly $1billion in CDBG formula funding;
and

12.

WHEREAS, on March 9, 2007, fifty-two members of the Senate
sent a letter to the Budget Committee urging it to include
sufficient funding to permit CDBG formula grants to be
funded at $4.1 billion in FY2008; and

13.

WHEREAS, the Conference of Mayors in its 10-Point Plan
released in January, 2007 calls for CDBG formula funding to
be doubled to $8 billion;

14.

WHEREAS, mayors contend that the additional funding of $8
billion would address the delayed projects and activities
which have come about because of cuts to CDBG, and further
build on the proven record of an effective affordable
housing and revitalization program;

15.

NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors strongly supports that formula funding for the
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program be
increased to no less than $4.1 billion in FY2008;

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
also strongly supports that formula funding for the CDBG
program be doubled to at least $8 billion.

Projected Cost: $8 billion

Resolution No.34
Submitted by:
The Honorable Michael B.Coleman
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio

SUPPORTING THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS (HOME) PROGRAM
1.

WHEREAS, decent, safe, affordable housing is at the core
of family stability and strong neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, since 1992, the HOME program has expanded the
supply of decent, safe, affordable housing, strengthened
public-private partnerships; improved the lives of lowand moderate-income people, and strengthened
neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, the HOME program provides direct formula grants
to jurisdictions to fund a wide-range of affordable
housing activities, including home buyer assistance,
construction and rehabilitation of rental housing, and the
rehabilitation of existing homeowner properties; and

WHEREAS, since 1992, the HOME program has committed over
$18 billion dollars to affordable housing nationwide. As
of April 30, 2007, the program has committee funding to
develop and rehabilitate 849,687 affordable homes for very
low-, low-, and moderate-income families; and

WHEREAS, the majority of HOME funds have been committed to
housing that will be occupied by very low-income people
and a substantial amount will assist families with incomes
no greater than 30 percent of median income. As of April
30, 2007, more than 87 percent of HOME assisted rental
housing (including tenant-based rental assistance) was
benefiting families at or below 50 percent of area median
income. More than 56 percent of all HOME-assisted rental
housing (including tenant-based rental assistance) assists
families earning no more than 30 percent of area median
income.

WHEREAS, the HOME program helps persons purchase a home by
providing down payment and closing cost assistance and by
subsidizing the construction and/or rehabilitation costs
of the home. As of April 30, 2007, the program has

assisted 331,840 households realize the dream of owning a
home; and
7.

WHEREAS, the HOME program is cost effective and
strengthens public-private partnerships by leveraging
additional private resources to HOME projects. For each
HOME dollar, an additional $3.78 in private funds is
leveraged; and

WHEREAS, HOME formula grants to cities and States did not
increase in FY 2007, remaining at $1.68 billion; and

WHEREAS, the HOME program provides technical assistance to
jurisdictions to manage their programs. Last year,
Congress directed approximately 70% of the $10 million in
HOME technical assistance funds to Community Housing
Development Organizations (non-profit organizations),
which make up only 15% of the total HOME program, thereby,
sharply reducing the technical assistance funds available
to local jurisdictions.

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference
of Mayors strongly supports the HOME Investment
Partnerships (HOME) Program and, thereby, supports
increased funding for the HOME program formula to at least
$2 billion in FY 2008; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports no less than 70% of the HOME technical assistance
funds being directed to local governments to provide
training and technical assistance to local government
agencies which directly administer the HOME program.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.35
Submitted by:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable David Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose

ENDORSING INNOVATIVE POLICIES TO SUCCESSFULLY END AND PREVENT
CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE NATION
1.

WHEREAS, mayors are committed to ending chronic
homelessness in our nation's cities; and

WHEREAS, chronically homeless individuals, those with the
most persistent forms of homelessness, are afflicted not
only by poverty but also by severe conditions such as
mental illness and substance abuse; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the
response to chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, in order for persons experiencing chronic
homelessness to succeed in their housing, supportive
services are necessary to mitigate health, substance abuse,
and mental health problems; and

WHEREAS, numerous studies compiled by the United States
Interagency Council on Homelessness have shown that
permanent supportive housing models to end chronic
homelessness are highly effective and that the cost of
providing supportive housing is substantially offset by
savings in the most expensive systems of community care
including hospitalizations, jails, and other correctional
facilities; and

WHEREAS, these supportive strategies improve the quality of
life for both the individuals being housed and the
community at large; and

WHEREAS, ending chronic homelessness requires collaboration
and coordination at all levels of government, together with
community institutions, businesses, and faith-based
organizations, to determine how best to implement
prevention and intervention strategies; and

WHEREAS, over 300 cities have created jurisdictionallybased 10-Year Plans to end chronic homelessness, many of
which are showing results; and

WHEREAS, though there is progress in many communities, new
data demonstrates that homelessness continues to be one of
our nation’s most challenging social problems; as many as
3.5 million people experience homelessness over the course
of a year; and

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors strongly supports the increased investment in proven
strategies that end chronic homelessness, with a strong
focus on permanent housing with supportive services; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors,
to achieve the goal of ending chronic homelessness in 10
years, urges Congress to appropriate $1.8 billion in HUD’s
Homeless Assistance Grants program, which would enable
communities to develop 15,000 units of permanent supportive
housing; and

12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
continues to endorse and urges Congress to create new
permanent funding sources for supportive services for the
homeless within the Health and Human Services budget; and

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to re-authorize the McKinney-Vento Act with
74

provisions for regulatory relief that would allow existing
federal funds appropriated through McKinney-Vento to be
fully expended and more efficiently utilized each budget
year; and
14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors,
through the re-authorization of McKinney-Vento Act, fund an
innovative grants program that would provide demonstration
grants to communities across the nation implementing tenyear plans to end chronic homelessness; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
calls on Congress and the Administration to provide
permanent supportive housing to assist the nation’s
significant and growing homeless veterans population,
including providing additional Section 8 Vouchers for the
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) program,
which provides permanent housing subsidies and case
management services to homeless veterans with mental and
addictive disorders; and through the VA Medical Care
Account, provide a dollar for dollar supportive services
match for the HUD-VASH Section 8 vouchers; and

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress and HUD to end homelessness for the roughly
600,000 families who are homeless each year by providing
rapid rehousing programs that focus on helping homeless
families move back into permanent housing as quickly as
possible.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.36
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Littlefield
Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Honorable William V. “Bill” Bell
Mayor of Durham, North Carolina

SUPPORTING POLICIES TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
ACROSS THE NATION
1.

WHEREAS, mayors are committed to ending chronic
homelessness in our nation’s cities; and

WHEREAS, veterans are disproportionately represented in the
chronically homeless population; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the
response to chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the National Partnership created by the United
States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has
brought together 20 federal agencies, 53 governors of
states and territories, and over 300 mayors to remedy
chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the partnership of USICH with the U.S. Conference
of Mayors has resulted in the creation of over 300
jurisdictionally based 10-Year Plans to end chronic
homelessness, and more than two dozen cities of all sizes
now report quantifiable results in reducing street and
chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, new engagement strategies and services are
targeting persons who are chronically homeless and homeless
veterans, including the adoption of Project Homeless
Connect in over 115 cities and the convening of veterans
Stand Downs; and

WHEREAS, in order for persons experiencing chronic
homelessness to stabilize and succeed, permanent supportive
housing with appropriate services is necessary to mitigate
health, substance abuse, and mental health problems and
support recovery and employment; and

WHEREAS, research compiled by the United States Interagency
Council on Homelessness suggests that supportive housing
models to end chronic homelessness are highly effective and
that the cost of providing supportive housing is
substantially offset by savings in the most expensive
systems of community care including hospitalizations,
treatment, jails, and other correctional facilities; and

10.

11.

WHEREAS, these supportive strategies are beneficial for
both the individuals who are housed, the community,
neighborhoods, and the taxpayer; and

12.

13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports the increased investment in proven
strategies that end chronic homelessness, such as permanent
housing with supportive services and engagement strategies
that reach and serve veterans, and that the U.S. Conference
of Mayors commends and urges Congress to fund the proposed
6.8 % increase in spending on targeted homeless assistance
across various federal departments in the Administration’s
Fiscal Year 2008 budget, including the continued commitment
of $200 million for the Samaritan Initiative at the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), part of
an overall 10% increase in HUD's homeless funding request,
and the 6.5% increased targeted funding for the Department
of Veterans Affairs; and

14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
affirms the value of the United States Interagency Council
on Homelessness and supports its initiatives to disseminate
innovations and to develop partnerships, tools, and
initiatives to help implement ten year plans in partnership
with mayors; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors,
having endorsed over 300 plans to end homelessness across
the country in support of the Bush Administration’s
Initiative to end chronic homelessness in ten years
encourages mayors to develop veteran specific strategies in
their plans and to adopt the Project Homeless Connect
innovation during the National Project Homeless Connect
Week in December 2007.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.37
Submitted by:
The Honorable John M.Fabrizi
Mayor of Bridgeport, CT
The Honorable Heater Fargo
Mayor of Sacramento, CA

ENDORSING PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATIONS, AND INVESTMENTS TO END
CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE NATION
1.

WHEREAS, mayors are committed to ending chronic
homelessness in our nation’s cities; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the
response to chronic homelessness; and

WHEREAS, research compiled and circulated by the United
States Interagency Council on homelessness suggests that
supportive housing models to end chronic homelessness are
highly effective and that the cost of providing supportive
housing is substantially offset by savings in the most
expensive systems of community care including
hospitalizations, treatment, jails, and other correctional
facilities, and that the investments, innovations, and
partnerships of mayors who are achieving results are of

great importance in supporting other mayors in their
similar efforts; and
7.

WHEREAS, these supportive strategies are beneficial for
both the individuals who are housed, the community,
neighborhoods, and the taxpayer; and

WHEREAS, ending chronic homelessness requires collaboration
and coordination at all levels of government, together with
community institutions, businesses, faith-based
organizations, and veterans organizations to determine how
best to implement prevention and intervention strategies;
and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the US. Conference of
Mayors supports increased investment in proven strategies
that end chronic homelessness; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
affirms the value of the United States Interagency Council
on I4omelessness and commends its initiatives to support
mayors as they implement ten year plans; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors,
having endorsed over 300 plans to end homelessness across
the country in support of the Bush Administration’s
initiative to end chronic homelessness in ten years,
encourages mayors to work in partnership to recognize and
adopt best practices to end chronic homelessness.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.38
Submitted by:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable R.T. Rybak
Mayor of Minneapolis
The Honorable Tom Potter
Mayor of Portland
The Honorable Manual Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Paul Fraim
Mayor of Norfolk
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego
The Honorable Oscar Goodman
Mayor of Las Vegas
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose

ENDORSING THE INNOVATION OF NATIONAL PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT TO
END HOMELESSNESS
1.

WHEREAS, mayors are committed to ending homelessness for
families and individuals in our nation’s cities; and

WHEREAS, mayors and cities are on the front lines of the
response to homelessness; and

WHEREAS, Project Homeless Connect was created by San
Francisco, CA in October 2004; and

WHEREAS, the recent innovation of National Project Homeless
Connect is helping cities welcome people experiencing
homelessness back into community life by mobilizing
volunteers from all walks of life to provide services and
housing in one-day, one-stop engagement events that support
the goals of their ten year plans; and over the last two
years more than 115 cities of all sizes have adopted this
innovation, and building on models of response to Katrina
and in veterans’ Stand Downs; and

WHEREAS mayors have organized Project Homeless Connect
events specifically to engage homeless youth, homeless
families, and chronically homeless individuals; and

WHEREAS, mayors have engaged business, academia,
professional sports, and an expansive range of new public
and private partners in executing Project Homeless Connect
events; and

WHEREAS, research compiled by the United States Interagency
Council on Homelessness suggests that Project Homeless
Connect provides consumer-centric strategies to deliver
immediate results in needed services, housing, and
employment, and supports a new way of doing business to
achieve results for homeless consumers; and

10.

WHEREAS, cities of all sizes have developed best practices
in Project Homeless Connect events and have been encouraged
to share their strategies with other cities; and

11.

WHEREAS, the Interagency Council has convened coordinated
annual National Project Homeless Connect events in December
82

2005 and December 2006, to partner with cities, and has
designated December 3 -7, 2007 as 2007 National Project
Homeless Connect Week; and
12.

WHEREAS, Project Homeless Connect strategies and results
improve the quality of life for individuals, the community,
neighborhoods, and the taxpayer; and

13.

WHEREAS, ending homelessness requires collaboration and
coordination at all levels of government, together with
community institutions, business, and faith-based
organizations, to determine how best to implement
prevention and intervention strategies; and

14.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports the increased involvement of mayors in
joining the 2007 National Project Homeless Connect Week and
throughout the year in proven strategies that end
homelessness; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
commends this innovative initiative and encourages mayors
to adopt the National Project Homeless Connect model and
participate in the 2007 National Project Homeless Connect
Week.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.39
Submitted by:
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable David Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable John Hinkenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose
The Honorable John Peyton
Mayor of Jacksonville
The Honorable Manual Diaz
Mayor of Miami
ENDING HOMELESSNESS FOR VETERANS BY INCREASING PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESOURCES
1.

WHEREAS, the men and women of the armed services have made
sacrifices for the American people and we have an
obligation to care for them if they need services or
housing; and

WHEREAS, mayors are committed to supporting homeless
veterans and assuring they have the housing and services
they need to rebuild their lives; and

WHEREAS, the Veterans Administration CHALENG report
estimates that there are 195,827 homeless veterans in our
nation; and

WHEREAS, the FY 2006 CHALENG report indicates that the one
of the greatest unmet needs for veterans is long-term,
permanent housing and that over 24,000 units of long-term,
permanent housing are needed; and

WHEREAS, homeless veterans with disabilities often need
housing that is deeply affordable with onsite services to
help them remain housed and thrive in our communities; and

WHEREAS, creating permanent supportive housing for disabled
veterans will increase the availability of existing
transitional housing units for the men and women returning
from Iraq and Afghanistan who become homeless and are in
need of stabilization services to re-integrate back into
the community; and

WHEREAS, ending homelessness, especially for veterans will
require distinct funding sources including capital,
operating and services dollars, in addition to strong
partnerships with the Veterans Administration to support
the development and services within these settings;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors support the increased investment to end homelessness
for veterans using proven strategies such as creating
permanent supportive housing units designated for veterans;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
continue to endorse legislation that creates new funding
sources to create permanent supportive housing for homeless
veterans that includes funds for new construction with
dollars for operating and onsite treatment services through
increased resources for the HUD-VA Supportive Housing
program, and targeted resources within the Department of
Health and Human Services for mental heath and substance
abuse treatment services and within the Department of Labor
for workforce assistance.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.40
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of
The Honorable Cory Booker
Mayor of Newark
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis

SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND
1.

WHEREAS, housing is at the core of strong communities,
promoting neighborhood stability, improving educational
opportunity, employment stability, and helping owners to
build wealth; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors 2006 Hunger and
Homelessness Survey found that one of the primary causes of
homelessness is the lack of affordable housing; and

WHEREAS, a 2006 National Low Income Housing Coalition study
found that there are roughly nine million renter households
nationwide who pay half or more of their income for
housing; and

WHEREAS, the three decade long housing trust fund movement
continues to grow to where there is now more than 600 state
and local housing trusts that collectively generate 1.6
billion dollars a year; and

WHEREAS, federal legislation recently passed the U.S. House
of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee authorizes
the creation of an Affordable Housing Fund based on the
revenues of the government sponsored enterprises Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac; and

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that the Affordable Housing Fund
will become a part of the National Housing Trust Fund,
providing for even more funding capacity for the production
and preservation of housing; and

WHEREAS, the Conference of Mayors has already adopted
strong policy for a National Housing Trust Fund;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Conference of
Mayors reaffirms its policy by calling for the passage of a
National Housing Trust Fund primarily, but not exclusively,
designed to meet the needs of the very low income, i.e. 30
percent of the AMI or below, through the preservation and
production of housing;

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
strongly supports that 60 percent or more of the funding of
the National Housing Trust Fund should be allocated to
localities.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.41
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mayor Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle, WA
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Mayor New York
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable John F. Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego

NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND
1.

WHEREAS, safe, decent, and affordable housing is at the
foundation of strong families and communities; and

WHEREAS, unmet housing needs have reached an all-time
high; and

WHEREAS, working people in our cities are having a
difficult time finding affordable housing and 9.6 million
of the lowest income families in the U.S. pay more than
half of their income for housing; and

WHEREAS, since 1976, new federal spending on housing has
decreased substantially; and

WHEREAS, housing represents 23 percent of the U.S. gross
domestic product, is an economic stimulus and creates
jobs; and

WHEREAS, affordable housing must be a national priority;
and

WHEREAS, nearly 600 state and local housing trust funds
have been created, which serve as models for what can and
should be done at the national level; and

WHEREAS, a national housing trust fund should be
established to construct, rehabilitate and preserve
housing; and

WHEREAS, legislation will be introduced in the House of
Representatives to create a national housing trust fund;
and

10.

WHEREAS, local governments have played a significant role
in the development of affordable housing and that role is
recognized and supported by the proposed national housing
trust fund,

11.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference
of Mayors strongly supports the creation of a national
housing trust fund that provides funding directly to
cities and urges the passage of legislation to establish
a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Projected Cost: unknown

Resolution No.42
Submitted By:
The Honorable John F. Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston

IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES
1.

WHEREAS, Public Housing Authorities are an instrumental
part of revitalizing and empowering our communities; and

WHEREAS, the nation’s public housing authorities are
struggling to provide services to those in dire need of
public housing because of a lack of federal funding; and

WHEREAS, locally based housing assistance helps stabilize
low income households and reduces relevant costs to state
and local government for services to low income families,
children and seniors; and

WHEREAS, the public housing program provides homes for 1.1
million low-income families, over half of whom are elderly
or disabled; and

WHEREAS, public housing is a national asset worth over $100
billion; and

WHEREAS, the Public Housing Operating Fund supports the
operation of public housing including maintenance,
security, and social services for residents; and

WHEREAS, since 2003, public housing residents have been
feeling the effects of $1.16 billion in cuts to funding for
the Public Housing Operating Fund; and
WHEREAS, the Public Housing Capital Fund supports the
capital needs of public housing; and

WHEREAS, there is an estimated backlog of capital
improvements needs for public housing estimated between $18
and 20 billion; and

10.

WHEREAS, funding allocated by Congress for the Capital Fund
has decreased 24% since 2001 despite the burgeoning backlog
of capital needs; and

11.

WHEREAS, on
authorities
of the need
2007. This
and

12.

WHEREAS, HUD is attempting to implement a new and
inflexible Public Housing Operating Fund Rule that will
require housing authorities to spend significantly more to
operate than under the existing system; and

13.

WHEREAS, Public Housing Authorities have had
these cuts with the elimination services and
example, the City of Philadelphia has had to
staff by over 300 and the City of Trenton by

14.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors calls upon Congress to fully fund the
Public Housing Operating Fund at $5 billion for fiscal year
2008; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the United States Conference of
Mayors supports the full funding of Public Housing Capital
Fund at $3.5 billion for the 2008 fiscal year; and

16.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the United States Conference
of Mayors supports a delay in the implementation of the
Public Housing Operating Fund Rule until the new rule can
be tested and proven to be effective.

December 28, 2006, HUD notified housing
that the operating fund would be funded at 76%
to run safe, decent housing for calendar year
funding amounts to a $1.0 billion shortfall;

Projected Cost: $8.5 billion for FY2008

to respond to
staff; for
reduce its PHA
about 50%.

Resolution No.43
Submitted by:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia

SUPPORT FOR HOPE VI PROGRAM
1.

WHEREAS, the Hope VI Program has been an important catalyst
for transforming distressed and disinvested neighborhoods
into viable mixed income residential communities; and

WHEREAS, the HOPE VI program has become a model for cities
nationwide working to replace obsolete public housing with
a range of affordable housing opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the HOPE VI program has been credited with
increasing employment opportunities and incomes for
residents of public housing and improving the social fabric
of neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, the Hope VI Program has attracted a wide range of
private investment resources to reinforce public housing
resources to fund the cost of public housing assisted
units; and

WHEREAS, the Urban Institute estimates that there are up to
80,000 units in need of HOPE VI funding, the public housing
inventory has an accumulated capital needs backlog of
approximately $18 billion, with an estimated $2 billion
accruing each year; and

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges the Administration and Congress to reauthorize
and provide increased funding for the Hope VI Program.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.44
Submitted By:
The Honorable John F. Street
Mayor Philadelphia
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose

IN SUPPORT OF THE MOVING TO WORK PROGRAM
1.

WHEREAS, the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Moving to Work Program is critical to helping low income
families in our communities; and

WHEREAS, Moving to Work (MTW) allows for greater
flexibility for PHA and HUD to design and test various ways
of addressing the housing needs for low income families;
and

WHEREAS, MTW provides incentives for families seeking work
or preparing for work by participating in job training,
educational programs, and programs that assist people to
gain employment and become economically self-sufficient;
and

WHEREAS, experience gained from the existing MTW Program
shows that residents benefit from the increased flexibility
given to Public Housing Authorities; and

WHEREAS, participating PHAs have concluded that MTW
encourages residents to seek employment, work more
steadily, and pursue opportunities to increase their
income; and

WHEREAS, Moving to Work agencies administer over 130,000
public housing and 230,000 Section 8 units, or more than
10% of current housing stock; and

WHEREAS, MTW has shown how to operate and manage in ways
that are accountable to their residents and local
communities without penalizing rules that add to the cost
but not to the value of the program; and

WHEREAS, innovation is key to solving the housing needs of
our communities; and

WHEREAS, MTW generates more housing for low income workers.

10.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors calls upon Congress to reauthorize and
expand the program in such a way that allows maximum local
flexibility in the operation of housing programs and to
allow the continuation of current successful
demonstrations.

Projected Cost: Dependent on size of program expansion

Resolution No.45
Submitted by:
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
PROTECTING HOMEOWNERS FROM MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE
1.

WHEREAS, homeownership provides benefits to individual
homeowners and to society as a whole; and

WHEREAS, there is now a subprime mortgage crisis that is
leading to widespread foreclosure on home mortgages; and,

WHEREAS, the Center for Responsible Lending predicts that
20% of subprime loans issued in the past two years will go
into foreclosure and that 2.2 million subprime mortgages
are failing or have already failed; and,

WHEREAS, the growing number of foreclosures are strongly
related to the loose standards banks have adopted to make
risky loans during the housing boom; and,

WHEREAS, many homeowners who secured home financing during
the housing boom of the early 2000s are now experiencing
rising debt and are likely candidates for home foreclosure;

WHEREAS, foreclosure can lead to the abandonment of owneroccupied housing thereby having a negative impact on
neighborhoods and loss of property taxes;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors, calls on Congress to adopt legislation that would
regulate the mortgage lending industry, especially with
respect to subprime loans that can lead to mortgage
foreclosure;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
supports increased federal funding for pre- and postpurchase homeownership education and counseling, as well as
a federal program that would allow families to be rescued
from bad subprime loans;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that mayors also urge Congress to
provide funding to cities for the restoration of vacant and
abandoned housing.

Projected Cost: Unknown
95

Resolution No.46
Submitted by:
Honorable Kwame Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
Honorable Elaine N. Walker
Mayor of Bowling Green, Kentucky

FORCLOSURE PREVENTION AND FHA REFORM RESOLUTION
1.

WHEREAS, Mayors are committed to ensuring affordable
housing opportunities for low and moderate income families
and individuals, including the elderly and disabled, in our
nation’s cities; and

WHEREAS, homeownership is the most effective wealthbuilding tool available to average American families with
the residential real estate assets in the United States now
totaling $22.6 trillion; and

WHEREAS, homeownership is near its highest level in history
with nearly 70% of the population purchasing their own
homes in which many are first time home buyers; and

WHEREAS, adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) -- accounting for
one sixth of all lending -- and subprime loans have
substantially increased over the last several years; and

WHEREAS, many homeowners are threatened with default and
foreclosure as their subprime hybrid ARMs reset, resulting
in significant payment shocks; and

WHEREAS, the rates of homeowners defaulting on home loans
is increasing throughout the nation with 310,000
foreclosures in the 4th quarter of 2006, according to the
Federal Reserve Board; and

WHEREAS, investors, homeowners, servicers, lenders, and
communities all benefit when homeowners are able to avoid
foreclosure; and

WHEREAS, many consumers have been subjected to predatory
lending practices which resulted from mortgage fraud,
deceptive marketing, improper federal oversight and/or a

disincentive for mortgage brokers to represent the
interests of the borrower; and
9.

WHEREAS, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) should
play a key role in the expanding affordable homeownership
opportunities for the low and moderate income families, the
disabled and elderly, in our nation’s cities; and

10.

WHEREAS, the FHA has declined in influence in the mortgage
market due to restrictions in its authority to develop
innovative loan products, thereby providing an opening for
scrupulous predatory lenders to make unfair loans because
no sound FHA alternatives existed; and

11.

WHEREAS, the FHA cannot compete with new subprime mortgage
programs that lend to higher risk borrowers by providing
flexible or zero rate down payments; and

12.

WHEREAS, Senator Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the United
States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs, recently convened the Homeownership Preservation
Summit where many of the leading mortgage lenders,
counseling organizations and civil rights groups agreed on
a wide range of principles to resolve loan default issues.

13.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors endorses the “Dodd principles” and
calls on the mortgage industry and loan servicers to adhere
and aggressively implement such principles agreed to at the
Homeownership Preservation Summit including, but not
limited to; contacting borrowers early and evaluating their
mortgage; where appropriate, modifying the loan to help
borrowers over the long-term by changing the term, reducing
the principal, and/or reamortizing the loan; encouraging
low-cost refinancing of mortgages; helping make credit more
available through GSEs and the FHA; maximizing the number
of successful mortgages saved from foreclosure while
minimizing the impact on those borrowers who cannot prevent
their loan from defaulting; dedicating resources and staff
to provide help with new programs; and creating a system
for tracking and measuring progress; and

14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that cities, community organizations
and key financial players should encourage borrowers in
financial difficulty to seek assistance and advice to avoid
foreclosure by contacting their lender or servicer or
trusted intermediaries like non-profit home retention

counselors supported by NeighborWorks, the homeownership
preservation foundation and/or other United States Housing
and Urban Development (HUD)-approved agencies.
15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congress should enact
legislation requiring the federal government to establish
minimum licensing standards for mortgage brokers and that
mortgage brokers should be required to be an agent of the
borrower and to represent his or her best interests;

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that cities and the mortgage
industry are encouraged to continue financial education
initiatives that help citizens select the best mortgage
product for their financial situation; and

17.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors urges the Congress to pass legislation to reform the
Federal Housing Administration by allowing them to offer
viable refinance options for today’s borrowers facing
difficulty making mortgage payments and to be more
competitive and innovative by providing low and moderate
income consumers with sound mortgage options both in the
prime and subprime markets; including but not limited to
more flexible down payment options, higher loan limits and
lengthened mortgage terms.

Projected Cost: Unknown

Resolution No.47
Submitted by:
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis

PROTECTING AGAINST PREDATORY LENDING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
1.

WHEREAS, predatory lenders charge more in interest and fees
than necessary for services ranging from insurance to
remittances to rent-to-own agreements, and make loans with
abusive terms and conditions that trap borrowers and lead
to increased indebtedness, and fail to take into account
the ability of borrowers to repay loans; and

WHEREAS, predatory financial service and lending practices
target society’s most vulnerable populations, including
senior citizens, low income individuals, and minorities,
and strip hard-earned equity from homeowners, thus putting
them at risk of foreclosure and damaging their credit
ratings; and

100

WHEREAS, predatory lending is a key factor in many
foreclosures and the creation of vacant properties, leading
to decreasing property values for neighboring homeowners
and neighborhood blight; and

WHEREAS, many state and local governments have passed antipredatory lending laws to protect consumers from abusive
and predatory lending practices, and many state and local
governments are acting to reduce the presence of financial
services; and

WHEREAS, families struggling to get ahead can achieve very
real improvements in their economic well-being, increasing
spendable income and savings when they are not victims of
excessive fees, interest, and exploitive financial service
agreements,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges Congress to pass strong mortgage
lending and financial service protections, based on
existing successful state laws and regulations, which guard
against price-gouging practices by unscrupulous brokers and
lenders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors urges
the Administration to promulgate regulations which restrict
the practices of predatory financial service providers.

Projected Cost: Unknown

101

Resolution No.48
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

INCREASING WORKING FAMILIES’FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ACCESS TO
BANKING SERVICES
1.

WHEREAS, many working families have never learned to
effectively manage their finances, with the result that
they often experience problems related to major purchases,
particularly those involving a home or a car; and

WHEREAS, because of their lack of understanding of the
financial services industry and the need for personal
financial management skills, many Americans have poor
credit and are subject to unfair and abusive practices; and

102

WHEREAS, credit cards have become a financial safety net
for the many Americans who live from paycheck to paycheck;
and

WHEREAS, a greater commitment among all levels of
government and the private sector is needed to promote
financial education and literacy; and

WHEREAS, many lower-income working families do not have
access to mainstream financial services and must often pay
high costs for check-cashing and other financial services;
and

WHEREAS, access to mainstream financial services and
improved personal income, money management, and planning
skills can put working families in a better position to
accumulate and retain wealth, own homes, raise healthy
families, educate their children, and invest in small
businesses,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges that governments and the private
sector make financial literacy education available to
working families; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this education cover areas
such as basic banking, electronic banking, basic
investments, debt management, predatory lending, and home
mortgages, and be provided through adult education classes,
community-based organizations, and other local programs;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that government and the private
sector work together to make more bank branches and
responsible banking products available to families and
individuals who live in underserved communities; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that banking institutions be
encouraged to establish accounts for everyone, starting at
birth, by exempting low-income workers and other eligible
individuals from some or all fees for checking or other
accounts and by levying only reasonable charges for checks
written on accounts that have insufficient funds.

Projected Cost: Unknown

103

Resolution No.49
Submitted by:
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of Columbus
The Honorable Kwame Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Heather Fargo
Mayor of Sacramento
The Honorable Tom Barrett
Mayor of Milwaukee
The Honorable Miguel Pulido
Mayor of Santa Ana
The Honorable George Hartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids
The Honorable James M. Baker
Mayor of Wilmington

RESOLUTION ON DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
1.

WHEREAS, home ownership is still the most effective wealth
creation tool for working middle class families, and

WHEREAS, according to a 2004 study by the Milken Institute
and the US Conference of Mayors concluded that working
families qualifying to purchase a homes only because of
receiving a private downpayment assistance grant,
experience an $18,000 wealth equity gain through their
successful ownership of a single family home, and

WHEREAS, homeownership stabilizes neighborhoods and makes
for strong families and stronger cities, and

WHEREAS, the down payment is the primary barrier to
homeownership for many qualified middle class and lower
income families, and

104

WHEREAS, nonprofits and cities are currently allowed to
assist families with downpayment to unlock the door to
homeownership, and

WHEREAS, since 1997 over 500,000 families have accessed
homeownership from a gift of downpayment assistance from
non-profits, and

WHEREAS, 40% of the FHA's current single family mortgage
production is from FHA loans combined with private
downpayment assistance, and

WHEREAS, nonprofit and city downpayment assistance programs
combined with FHA mortgage insurance is often a cheaper and
financially better homeownership solution than other
products available in the private mortgage marketplace, and

WHEREAS, downpayment assistance nonprofit providers are
unregulated and like other communities there are good and
bad actors and despite the lack of regulation downpayment
has a much better performance record than abusive sub-prime
lending products, and

10.

WHEREAS, on May 11, 2007 – the U.S Department of Housing
and Urban Development issued a Federal Register Notice FR5087-P-01, RIN 2503-AI52 banning the use of private
downpayment assistance for use in obtaining an FHA insured
loan, even by local governments including cities, and

11.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED The US Conference of Mayors
calls on Congress to continue to support private
downpayment assistance provided by non-profits and cities
regardless of contribution source, and
• Calls on Congress to hold hearings on private
downpayment assistance to gain greater insight into
its successes and its need for further regulation to
support sustainable homeownership, and
• Calls on Congress to regulate the downpayment
assistance industry to ensure that providers offering
services that support successful homeownership are not
harmed by unscrupulous providers operating in an
unregulated marketplace, and
• Calls on HUD to withdraw Federal Register Notice FR5087-P-01, RIN 2503-AI52 restoring the ability of
local governments and non-profits to provide private
downpayment assistance and urges HUD to work with
Congress as well as other stakeholders in promoting
105

homeownership in preserving this vital tool in helping
cities to stabilize neighborhoods and support working
families in creating long term prosperity for their
families.
Projected Cost: Unknown

106

Resolution No.50
Submitted by:
Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
Honorable Bart Peterson
Mayor of Indianapolis
Honorable Sheila Dixon
Mayor of Baltimore
Honorable Kwame Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
Honorable Gary Becker
Mayor of Racine
Mayor Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester
Honorable James M. Baker
Mayor of Wilmington

SALUTING CITIES UNITED FOR SCIENCE PROGRESS, DOROTHY HEIGHT AND
CALLING FOR INCREASED HUD FUNDING FOR LEAD-SAFETY EFFORTS
1.

WHEREAS, the US Conference of Mayors and DuPont have
partnered on Cities United for Science Progress (CUSP) for
six years, and

WHEREAS, CUSP programs have received outstanding support
from USCM members with close to 100 cities partnering with
DuPont for a Science in the School Day event or over 30
Mayors who have received some of the over $4 million in
grants under the Lead-Safe for Kids’ Sake, and

WHEREAS, public private partnerships such as USCM/DuPont
partnership are working to make our nation’s cities safer,
smarter and healthier by organizing events in the cities,
sharing best practices on lead-safety and funding
outstanding ideas on making communities lead-safe, and

WHEREAS, from evidence gathered from Lead-Safe for Kids’
Sake applications and Best Practices, the USCM has learned

107

that poorly maintained older housing can expose children
and families to a number of health risks including pests,
mold, lead and a variety of safety hazards, and
5.

WHEREAS, in many low-income and troubled neighborhoods, bad
landlords unnecessarily exposed children to substandard
housing conditions that could present a serious danger to
their health, and

WHEREAS, property owners who choose to be in the business
of providing housing to low-income residents, or for that
matter any resident, are responsible for the condition of
the housing, and

WHEREAS, local enforcement of housing codes and increased
awareness of potentially dangerous housing conditions in
these troubled communities are critical to protecting
children against potential risks that arise from housing
neglect.

WHEREAS, others including Dr. Dorothy Height and The
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) have great publicprivate partnerships including, “NOT IN OUR HOUSE,” an
initiative to educate families about health risks in the
home arising from poor maintenance and neglect and to
encourage property owners and landlords to provide safer
living environments.

WHEREAS, The National Organization of African Americans in
Housing (NOAAH) has investigated the nature of
environmental hazards in residential and supports programs
to encourage better maintenance in troubled housing, and.

10.

WHEREAS, property owners failing to provide safe housing
should be subject to the strict enforcement of local and
state law and public nuisance litigation should be used as
a tool to target these property owners and should not
become a source of funds to reward bad landlords.

11.

WHEREAS, President Clinton’s Task Force on Environmental
Health Risk and Safety Risks to Children called for the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lead
program to be funded at a rate of $230 million per year and
this year’s budget is proposed at $116 million cutting out
Senator Bond and Mikulski’s important, landmark lead hazard
demonstration program.

108

12.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors supports:
•

•

Mayors and DuPont to continue working together to make
cities lead-safe via the USCM Lead-Safe for Kids’ Sake
grant program and to work together to identify best
practices for the improvement of housing code
enforcement and making rental properties safer for
families.
Efforts that encourage landlords to properly maintain
the condition of their properties through better
enforcement and community awareness, and opposes
efforts that would reward or benefit neglectful
property owners failing to provide safe housing and
also oppose litigation or legislation that would
benefit landlords who fail to properly maintain their
properties, and
NCNW and NOAAH and/or other organizations efforts that
disseminate information to landlords and families on
how to identify potential health hazards and to
perform proper maintenance, such as lead-safe and
healthy home practices and applauds legendary civil
rights leader Dr. Dorothy Height for her leadership on
this critical urban issue,
Funding HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard
Control’s lead-safety programs at $230 million
including a restoration of funds for the successful
Bond-Mikulski Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration
Program ($50 million) so mayors can reach the
federally stated goal of making all cities lead-safe
by 2010.

Projected Cost: Unknown

109

Resolution No.51
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mark Begich
Mayor of Anchorage

A RESOLUTION TO DEVELOP NEW MODELS STRENGTHENING LOW-INCOME HOME
OWNERSHIP INTEGRATING WEATHERIZTION, HOME REHABILITATION AND
RELATED PROGRAM RESOURCES
1.

WHEREAS, home ownership is one of the primary vehicles for
low- and moderate-income families to build assets and
strengthen neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, rising energy prices and sub-prime lending is
threatening the ability of millions of low-income families
to own and retain their homes; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has established many
programs to sustain low income housing and dedicates a
considerable sum of resources to this area; and

WHEREAS, because these programs were not designed with
coordination amongst them in mind, their varied
requirements unnecessarily increase the administrative
burden on local governments and the agencies that deliver
these services and prevent attaining the full potential
they could realize if used to promote low-income home
ownership in a coordinated, synergistic way; and

WHEREAS, a new initiative, the Weatherization, Rehab and
Asset Preservation (WRAP) Partnership program has partnered
with mayors in a number of cities to develop an integrated
program that brings together grant resources with energy
efficient mortgage refinancing and has shown considerable
promise to provide new models of sustaining low- and
moderate-income home ownership; and

WHEREAS, some of the barriers to achieving a synergistic
effect of federal programs amongst each other and with
others have been the varied requirements each federal
program has in defining and documenting household income,
proof of homeownership, qualification of a housing unit for
repeat assistance (even after the useful life of prior

110

assistance has ended or ownership has changed), and the
impact of minor repairs on historic properties; and
7.

WHEREAS, mayors do not currently have “waiver authority”
from the U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE), Health and Human
Services (HHS), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to
eliminate these program differences, streamline application
processes and creatively integrate program resources,
similar to the “waiver authority” provided to Governors
under Medicaid,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVE that the United States
Conference of Mayors supports the federal government
granting Mayors the ability to request waivers from the
HUD, HHS and DOE that simplify and encourage integration of
program resources including the stream-lining of program
requirements to support models of low income homeownership
that build on lessons learned by Mayors participating in
the WRAP Partnership to provide low- and moderate-income
homeowners alternatives to predatory lending when they seek
energy efficiency, accessibility, and health and safety
home-improvements.

Projected cost: Unknown

111

Resolution No.52
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Michael B. Coleman
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
The Honorable Cory Booker
Mayor of Newark
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1.

WHEREAS, cities continue to have as a goal and virtually all of
them work toward bringing more financial services and products
into their low-income neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, mayors and state officials have made use of the New
Markets Tax Credit and are working to achieve more with it by
encouraging the private-sector to target more of their
resources and products in underserved areas; and

112

WHEREAS, banking development districts have not been developed
to any degree of success as a tool to bring more branches and
responsible banking into underserved areas; and

WHEREAS, banks have not done well in identifying low-income
neighborhoods that are underserved and then follow up by
opening branches in these markets with appropriate products for
underserved markets; and

WHEREAS, there have been too few attempts at leveraging
underused assets in inner-city neighborhoods, particularly
those neighborhoods with unmet market need; and

WHEREAS, there has been a great deal of work in identifying
regulatory barriers to housing, there has not been a similar
effort with respect to state and regulatory barriers to
economic development; and

WHEREAS, the private sector has not done a number of things to
assist the economic development of low-income areas: using
nontraditional methods to promote economic development; using
successful business models already identified in low-income
areas; committing venture capital and other capital investments
to low-income markets; and

WHEREAS, cities also have need to provide assistance to
minority workers; and

WHEREAS, many of the economic development needs of cities
listed in this resolution could be solved with a strengthened
and reformed Community Reinvestment Act that would include the
rapidly developing financial institutions under its purview,
strengthen its branch banking power, and increase the range of
financial services required for low-income people and
communities;

10.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors calls on Congress to strengthen and reform the Community
Reinvestment Act, by widening its purview of financial
institutions, adding to its branch banking power so as to
include more low-income areas, and increasing banks’ financial
services to low-income people and communities;

11.

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, that The Conference of Mayors also calls
on the private sector not covered by the CRA to work closely
with mayors to deliver services and products to underserved
low-income areas in the many ways cited in this resolution.
Projected Cost: Unknown

113

Resolution No.53
Submitted by:
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable Bill Bogaard
Mayor of Pasadena
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago

IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESERVE AMERICA ACT OF 2007
1.

WHEREAS, Representatives Mel Carnahan (D-MO) and Charles
Rangel (D-NY) have introduced the bipartisan Preserve
America Act of 2007 (HR 610), and

WHEREAS, HR 610 would increase the Historic Preservation
Tax Credit from 20 percent of qualified rehabilitation
expenditures to 25 percent of qualified rehabilitation
expenditures and up to 130 percent of such expenditures
in low-income, high-cost areas, and

WHEREAS, HR 610 would also expand eligibility for the
Historic Preservation Tax Credit to include all certified
historic structures that are over 50 years old, and

WHEREAS, HR 610 would create a new Historic Homeownership
Rehabilitation Tax Credit that would provide homeowners
with a tax credit of up to $40,000 for the costs of
rehabilitating a qualified historic primary residence,
and

WHEREAS, both the owners of single and multi-family
residences could claim the Credit, and

WHEREAS, taxpayers without sufficient tax liability to
claim the Credit could instead opt for a mortgage credit
certificate that would lower their mortgage interest
rate, and

WHEREAS, the Credit would not be refundable but could be
carried forward to future tax years, and

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WHEREAS, the Credit could be transferred to new owners if
the home is sold within five years of the Credit first
being claimed, and

WHEREAS, homes located in federally, state and locally
designated historic districts would qualify for the
Credit, and

10.

WHEREAS, rehabilitation standards for the Credit would be
the same as those under the Historic Preservation Tax
Credit but could be relaxed in the case of non-National
Register of Historic Places homes located in Empowerment
Zones, Renewal Communities, low-income census tracts and
areas designated by a state as chronically distressed if
relaxed standards are necessary to prevent further
deterioration or demolition of the home or adverse
impacts on neighboring properties and the community, and

11.

WHEREAS, acquisition and enlargement costs would not be
eligible for the Credit, and

12.

WHEREAS, proposal to create a Historic Homeownership
Rehabilitation Tax Credit received broad bipartisan
support in the past, and

13.

WHEREAS, the Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Tax
Credit would spur efforts to revitalize historic urban
neighborhoods and preserve historic homes,

14.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the United States
Conference of Mayors supports the general goals of HR
610, and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference
of Mayors specifically supports the creation of a
Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Tax Credit and the
expansion of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit as
outlined in HR 610.

Projected Cost: Unknown

115

Resolution No.54
Submitted by:
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Cory Booker
Mayor of Newark
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester, NY
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

PROVIDING PRISONERS REENTERING SOCIETY AND EX-OFFENDERS GREATER
OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY
1.

WHEREAS, approximately 650,000 state and federal prisoners
reenter society each year; and

WHEREAS, persons leaving jail or prison often lack not only
the most basic necessities, such as food, shelter and
clothing, but also job skills, training and placement;
transitional housing; and support services, including
substance abuse and mental health treatment; and

WHEREAS, about half of all former prisoners are returned to
prison for a new crime or parole violation within three
years; and

116

WHEREAS, the social costs of reentry have profound
consequences for our communities, including public health
risks, homelessness, unemployment and public safety
concerns; and

WHEREAS, incarceration and the challenges of reentry have a
profound impact on the family members of those who are
incarcerated, with children of those in prison at a higher
risk of living in poverty; and

WHEREAS, more than two-thirds of the incarcerated
population has a high rate of infectious disease, substance
abuse and/or mental health disorders; and

WHEREAS, close to 27 percent of prisoners expect to go to
homeless shelters upon release from prison, and 16 percent
of the local jail population is mentally ill; and

WHEREAS, many former prisoners are denied employment,
educational assistance, TANF benefits, subsidized housing,
parental rights, health care, driver’s licenses, and the
right to vote, and barriers to these rights and services
often prevent effective reintegration into society,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors supports efforts to more effectively
integrate persons leaving jail or prison back into society,
including:
• Providing education to prison inmates;
• Providing inmates with the necessary skills to become
productive citizens upon return to society;
• Providing inmates with opportunities to gain the skills
to be effective and to have positive influences in the
life of their family upon reentry, including their roles
as parents;
• Providing support suited to the particular needs of
children of incarcerated individuals to improve their
life chances;
• Allowing individuals returning from prison the option of
living in public housing when it is in the best interests
of their families and communities;
• Providing government jobs for re-entering individuals;
• Providing tax subsidies for businesses that hire
returning individuals;

117

•
•
•

Changing employment requirements which prohibit hiring
people with criminal records, and providing incentives to
hire returning prisoners;
Encouraging businesses which contract with the government
to hire people with a criminal record, and providing
businesses tax credits for bonding them; and
Encouraging governments and other employers to consider
establishing a special temporary worker category for
returning prisoners to make it easier for them to get a
first job.

Projected Cost: Unknown

118

Resolution No.55
Submitted by:
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Cory Booker
Mayor of Newark
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester, NY
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS BECOME
SELF-SUFFICIENT
1.

WHEREAS, juvenile criminal records exist for young people
arrested or detained for crimes regardless of whether they
were convicted of those crimes; and

WHEREAS, laws and regulations governing the sealing,
expunging or releasing of juvenile criminal records vary
from state to state; and

WHEREAS, the ability of employers to consider the existence
of juvenile criminal records also varies from state to
state; and

119

WHEREAS, the existence of criminal records can affect young
people’s future ability to be self-sufficient, adding to
their difficulty in getting a job, obtaining the experience
necessary to qualify for a job, or obtaining access to
public benefits, such as welfare cash assistance, food
stamps, and public housing assistance,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to
explore ways in which it can work with the states to
develop a more consistent and enforceable system to govern
the sealing, expunging and releasing of juvenile records,
particularly those associated with nonviolent crimes, so
that young people affected have the maximum opportunity to
become self-sufficient, successful adults; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conference of Mayors urges
that serious consideration be given to expunging children’s
criminal records relating to nonviolent crimes.

Projected Cost: Unknown

120

Resolution No.56
Submitted by:
The Honorable Adrian M. Fenty
Mayor of Washington, DC
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle

SUPPORTING VOTING RIGHTS FOR RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
1.

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia, which has 572,000
residents, does not have a voting representative in the
United States Congress; and

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia is the only jurisdiction
in the United States whose residents are required to pay
federal income taxes but have no voice in how those taxes
are spent; and

WHEREAS, the federal tax burden borne by District of
Columbia residents, which is approximately $6 billion a
year, is the second highest per capita among the states;
and

WHEREAS, District residents have served in every major U.S.
combat action – including the war in Iraq – but do not have
a vote in the legislative body that approves and funds
military action; and

121

WHEREAS, the State of Utah missed gaining a fourth
congressional district in the last census by 857 people,
amid objections over the failure to include 11,000 overseas
missionaries in that count; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives passed
legislation that adds a seat for both the District and
Utah; and

WHEREAS, companion bipartisan legislation has been
introduced in the United States Senate,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors calls on the U.S. Senate to approve legislation
granting District residents the same voting rights enjoyed
by other U.S. citizens who pay federal taxes, and to create
an additional congressional seat for the State of Utah; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
calls on the President to sign such legislation into law,
should it be presented to him, and grant District residents
full voting representation in the U.S. House of
Representatives.

Projected Cost: Unknown

122

Resolution No.57
Submitted by:
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable John F. Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego

IN SUPPORT OF EFFORTS TO FIGHT ILLEGAL GUNS
1.

WHEREAS, sixty percent of the guns used in crimes are
traced back to just one percent of gun dealers; and

WHEREAS, eighty-five percent of gun dealers have never had
a gun used in a crime traced back to them; and

WHEREAS, local governments and law enforcement have the
responsibility to curb gun trafficking that jeopardizes the
safety of their communities; and

123

WHEREAS, the ability of local governments and law
enforcement to use trace data held by the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is crucial
to shutting off the supply of guns to criminals; and

WHEREAS, Congress has enacted restrictions that prevent
local governments and law enforcement from using the trace
data to its greatest effect, that prevent courts from
compelling its disclosure and that prevent courts from
hearing the data as evidence; and

WHEREAS, the Tiahrt Amendments, which have been inserted
into the Department of Justice appropriations bill each
year since FY 2003, place unnecessarily broad restrictions
on access to and use of gun trace data that is compiled by
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

WHEREAS, prior to the Tiahrt Amendments the ATF worked with
local jurisdictions to analyze gun trafficking patterns and
ATF prepared reports using crime gun tracing information
which were extremely valuable to local law enforcement, and

WHEREAS, on April 25, 2006 a bipartisan group of fifteen
Mayors met in New York City at the Mayor’s Summit on
Illegal Guns, co-chaired by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, to begin a nationwide effort to
fight illegal guns, and

WHEREAS, today, over 226 Mayors, representing over 50
million people across the United States are now members of
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and

10.

WHEREAS, 30,000 Americans across the country are killed
every year as a result of gun violence, destroying families
and communities in big cities and small towns, and

11.

WHEREAS, as Mayors, we are duty-bound to do everything in
our power to protect our residents, especially our
children, from harm and there is no greater threat to
public safety than the threat of illegal guns,

124

12.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to reject
legislative proposals such as the Tiahrt amendment and
others, that limit our cities’ ability to solve and prevent
crime in our communities; and

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local governments and law
enforcement be given access to ATF gun trace data as such
information is critical to successful investigation and
reduction of violent crime in our cities; and

14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the ATF should resume its
publication of the Annual Crime Trace Reports that were
last published in 2000 and which are extremely valuable to
local governments and law enforcement in their efforts to
combat illegal guns.

Projected Cost: Unknown

125

Resolution No.58
Sponsored by:
The Honorable Francis G. Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester, NY

URGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OFFICIAL SYSTEM FOR THE MANAGEMENT
AND RELEASE OF CRIME DATA
1.

WHEREAS, crime data is gathered annually by American cities
and reported to the FBI; and

WHEREAS, the FBI annually repackages the data from American
cities and re-releases them; and

WHEREAS, private interests take that data and misuse it to
mislead the American people about the safety of American
cities; and

WHEREAS, the Conference believes strongly that cities
should count crime accurately and uniformly in order to
give mayors the needed information to reduce crime in their
communities; and

WHEREAS, the Conference believes the uniform collection and
reporting of crime data to the FBI benefits the country;
and

WHEREAS, mayors are convinced that the inaccurate reporting
of cities' crime data by unofficial and unreliable sources
damages cities, unnecessarily alarms residents and
visitors, and hurts efforts to attract new investment; and

WHEREAS, the Conference realizes that it would be in the
best interest of all cities to have this data presented in
a fair and accurate manner by an official authoritative
source,

126

NOW, THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Department of
Justice and FBI Criminal Justice Information Services
Division to work with the Conference to develop a joint
working group to establish a new system for the management
and release of crime data, and to educate reporters,
elected officials, and citizens on what the data means and
doesn't mean.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

127

Resolution No.59
Sponsored by:
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable John J. Fretti
Mayor of Valdosta
The Honorable Jerry E. Abramson
Mayor of Louisville Metro
The Honorable Martin J. Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego

BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES THROUGH DEPLOYMENT OF LESS-LETHAL
POLICE TECHNOLOGIES
1.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has worked for
nearly a decade to provide information and assistance to
mayors and police chiefs on a variety of community policing
and other criminal justice issues by convening meetings of
mayors and police chiefs, developing publications on city
programs, and disseminating information on innovative crime
prevention and enforcement programs in cities and on
critical research; and

WHEREAS, safer communities start with demystifying
policing, with helping communities to understand how law
enforcement works and how to work with it, and with
building and maintaining community trust and confidence in
police officers; and

WHEREAS, in an on-going effort to make our communities
safer for all citizens, law enforcement is deploying more

128

less-lethal options as a way of de-escalating potentially
violent situations; and
WHEREAS, electronic control devices have been demonstrated
to be one of the safest and most effective less-lethal
options available to law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, more than 10,500 federal, state and local law
enforcement agencies currently deploy electronic control
devices, and

WHEREAS, statistical data has shown dramatic decreases in
officer and subject injuries in cities where electronic
control devices are deployed; and

WHEREAS, reducing officer and citizen injuries furthers the
goals of community oriented policing by building community
ties with law enforcement to make our cities safer; and

WHEREAS, statistical data has shown that a reduction in
injuries to both suspects and law enforcement officers
translates directly into communities savings through fewer
lost wages, workmen's compensation, and lawsuits; and

WHEREAS, public education, sound community-based policies,
proper training, and appropriate use of electronic control
devices are crucial to maintaining their efficacy and
safety; and

10.

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police
(IACP) has developed a nine-step guideline to help law
enforcement agencies first deploy electronic control
devices and develop policies, procedures and training
curricula that are responsive and relevant to the
communities they serve; and

11.

WHEREAS, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) has
developed independent guidelines addressing a broad
spectrum of issues pertaining to electronic control devices
and generally focusing on use issues, including safety,
training, and operational protocols; and

129

12.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors previously has taken
strong positions in support of the Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) program, against gang violence,
and for safer communities; and

13.

WHEREAS, the mission of the COPS program is to increase the
ranks of local law enforcement agencies and to provide
training and grant funds to enable local agencies to
acquire new technologies and equipment while promoting
innovative approaches to fighting crime,

14.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S Conference of
Mayors urges cities seeking to deploy, or currently
deploying, electronic control devices to review and
consider the guidelines developed by the International
Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive
Research Forum; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
calls on Congress to continue to support the Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) within the U.S.
Department of Justice, and specifically its ability to
provide direct funding to assist local law enforcement
agencies in acquiring new technologies and equipment,
including state-of-the-art less-lethal technologies such as
electronic control devices, and implement community-based
policies and programs governing appropriate training, use
and placement of such devices in the local use-of-force
continuum.

Projected Cost: Unknown

130

Resolution No.22
Sponsored By:
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
RESOLUTION TO REDUCE THE RECURRENCE OF VIOLENT CRIME
1.

WHEREAS, youth violence is the second leading cause of
death nationwide for young people between the ages of 10
and 24; and

WHEREAS, the likelihood of recurrence of street violence
for a victim is estimated at up to 44%; and

WHEREAS, 5,570 young people age 10-24 were murdered – an
average of 16 each day – in 2003; and

WHEREAS, over 780,000 violence-related injuries in young
people age 10 to 24 were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in
2004; and

WHEREAS, nearly 5.3 million incidents of intimate partner
violence occur each year among U.S. women ages 18 and
older, and 3.2 million occur in men; and

WHEREAS, being a victim of violence can result in a
multitude of physical and psychological health problems, as
well as tremendous economic costs to both the victim and
society; and

WHEREAS, many young people seek medical care for violencerelated injuries, some of which can lead to lasting
disabilities; and

WHEREAS, promising interventions in some cities have shown
the potential to stop repeat violence by providing safety
and support to all victims of violence in hospitals and
other health care settings,

131

10.

11.

12.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

132

Resolution No.60
Submitted by:
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION
1.

WHEREAS, human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery.
Juveniles used for commercial sex acts and all persons used
for labor and commercial sex acts by force, fraud, and
coercion are victims of human trafficking; and

WHEREAS, approximately 600,000 to 800,000 victims annually
are trafficked across international borders worldwide, and
between 14,500 and 17,500 of those victims are trafficked
into the United States according to the U.S. Department of
State; and

WHEREAS, victims of human trafficking are young children,
teenagers, women and men; and

WHEREAS, victims of human trafficking exist in towns and
communities throughout the United States, in a $13 billionper-year global industry, according to State Department
estimates – including $7 billion in the illicit-sex
industry; and

WHEREAS, in 2003, the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) was signed into law; and

WHEREAS, Title II of the TVPRA which addresses the needs of
domestic victims, has been significantly under funded
impeding the ability of programs and services to be offered
to domestic victims,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges that Title II of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act be fully funded so that critical programs
can be offered to domestic victims of human trafficking;
and

133

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges funding be included in the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice,
Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to fund
the biennial survey of the unlawful commercial sex industry
so that cities and towns can have the data they need to
successfully combat human trafficking; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
applauds the efforts of the Department of Health and Human
Services’ Rescue and Restore Campaign which promotes public
awareness about trafficking and the protections available
for trafficking victims and urges that this program be
expanded; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that every effort be made to raise
the awareness of the horror and inhumanity of human
trafficking and the harm done by sex traffickers to
victims, families and the community.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

134

Resolution No.13
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

SUPPORTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO COMBAT GLOBAL PIRACY AND
COUNTERFEITING OF GOODS
1.

WHEREAS, conservative estimates place the impact on the
United States economy of global piracy and the
counterfeiting goods at nearly $250 billion a year and
nearly 4.6 million jobs lost; and

135

Projected Cost:

Unknown

136

Resolution No.28
Submitted by:
The Honorable Raul Salinas
Mayor of Laredo

FUND HOMELAND SECURITY INITIATIVES RELATED TO BIOTERRORISM AND
PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
1.

WHEREAS, best practices have already been developed for
regional response, strategic national stockpile, and all
hazards preparedness; and

WHEREAS, public health emergency/disaster and bioterrorism
and preparedness and response are a challenge, requiring an
immediate and expert local response; and

WHEREAS, funding and program support continues to be
developed with regional approaches, which are not practical
in all areas of the country; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors sees an absolute critical need for Homeland Security
Initiatives Related to Bioterrorism and Public Health
Preparedness.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

137

Resolution No.61
Submitted by:
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable David G. Wallace
Mayor of Sugar Land
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester, NY
The Honorable Bob Foster
Mayor of Long Beach

PROTECTING CITY CRITICAL ASSETS UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE AND
MANHOLE SECURITY
1.

WHEREAS, there are approximately 9 million manholes in the
nation’s metropolitan and urban areas; and

WHEREAS, the underground houses critical assets, such as
telecommunications cable and fiber optics, telephone lines,
(voice, data, video, audio, digital) gas and electric
lines, water and sewer pipes, transit systems that are our
lifelines for commerce, safety and general welfare; and

WHEREAS, manholes, only covered by manhole-covers, are the
access points to the underground critical infrastructure
and assets are open and apparent access-targets, and are;
and

WHEREAS, an attack of terrorism, vandalism or sabotage to
our nation’s underground infrastructure can cause
devastating and paralyzing damage to our communities in
service, communication, utility, transit interruptions,
loss of business operations and systems, loss of revenue,
and have a paralyzing effect upon a city; and

WHEREAS, the manholes are unsecured or inadequately secured
and access to the underground infrastructure and critical
assets can be so readily accomplished, by lifting the
manhole cover or by a turn or clip; such effortless breach
of security invites attack and is further conducive to
unplanned and surprise attack; and

138

WHEREAS, technology exists for manholes to be cost
effectively secured by a self contained independent locking
device,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors supports federal policy, study and
funding that secures our cities’ vulnerable underground
infrastructure by protecting against breaches of our most
critical manholes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such funding would be a pilot
program and would NOT be a set-aside or in any other way
have a negative effect on current dollars the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security distributes to our nation’s
mayors for critical homeland security efforts.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

139

Resolution No.62
Submitted by:
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
ASSURING NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE CAPABILITIES BY AUTHORIZING
AND FULLY FUNDING URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCES
1.

WHEREAS, in the early 1980s, the Fairfax County Fire &
Rescue and Metro-Dade County Fire Department created elite
search-and-rescue (US&R) teams trained for rescue
operations in collapsed buildings, and working with the
U.S. State Department and Office of Foreign Disaster Aid,
these task forces provided vital search-and-rescue support
for catastrophic earthquakes in Mexico City, the
Philippines and Armenia; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
established the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)
Response System in 1989 as a consequence of the Loma Prieta
earthquake, establishing a framework for structuring local
emergency services personnel into integrated disaster
response task forces; and

WHEREAS, in 1991, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) incorporated this concept into the Federal Response
Plan (now the National Response Plan), sponsoring 25
national urban search-and-rescue task forces; and

140

WHEREAS, today there are 28 US&R task forces hosted by
local governments throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, each US&R task force is staffed by at least 70
local firefighters and paramedics with highly specialized
training in engineering, emergency medicine, canine
handling, firefighting, hazardous materials handling,
communications, logistics, and other areas; and

WHEREAS, US&R task forces are equipped to conduct roundthe-clock search-and-rescue operations following
earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, aircraft
accidents, hazardous materials spills, incidents involving
weapons of mass destruction, and catastrophic structure
collapses; and

WHEREAS, US&R task forces must continue training and
evaluation to maintain FEMA accreditation status; and

WHEREAS, FEMA can deploy and direct US&R task forces
nationally and internationally for the rescue of victims of
structural collapse; and

WHEREAS, the successful deployments of US&R task forces
after Hurricane Katrina, the terrorist attacks of 2001, the
bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City in 1995, and other disasters have drawn
national attention and highlighted their value to the
national response system; and

10.

WHEREAS, the individual local governments that employ US&R
task force members and sponsor their participation have
been the primary source of funding to maintain those
national assets; and

11.

WHEREAS, creating permanent funding authorization for the
US&R task forces, each a national asset, will provide the
necessary stability to ensure they are available to assist
in times of natural and/or man-made disasters,

12.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports an explicit authorization of the Urban
Search and Rescue Program within the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and providing for grants to task forces
that ensure equipment, operational, administrative, and
training costs continue to be met; and

141

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges inclusion of a provision that, for any US&R task
force member who suffers personal injury, illness,
disability, or death as a result of performance of duties
during a FEMA deployment, requires the Federal Government
to reimburse the state or local employer for the value of
any workers compensation benefits paid; and

14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
calls on the Congress to fully fund the operation and
maintenance of US&R Task Forces as essential national
emergency response assets.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

142

Resolution No.63
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu
SUPPORTING THE REPEAL OF THE REAL ID ACT OF 2005
1.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports and
recognizes the Constitution of the United States as our
charter of liberty and the Bill of Rights as affirming the
fundamental and inalienable rights of all Americans,
including the freedom of privacy and the freedom from
unlawful searches and seizures; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors denounces terrorism
in all its forms and condemns all acts of terrorism by any
entity, wherever the acts may occur, and we wholeheartedly
agree that the tragic events of September 11, 2001, require
the strengthening of the security, standards, procedures,
and requirements for the issuance of driver licenses and
identification cards — but we have major concerns with the
implementation of this law, as proposed in the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking issued by the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security; and

WHEREAS, any new security measures to provide protection
from terrorist attacks should be carefully designed to
enhance public safety without infringing on the civil
liberties and rights of citizens; and

WHEREAS, the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, Public Law
109-13, creates a national identification card by mandating
federal standards for state driver licenses and
identification cards and requiring state governments to
share their motor vehicle databases; and

WHEREAS, the REAL ID Act mandates the documents that state
governments must require to issue driver licenses and
requires them to place uniform information on every
driver's license in a standard, machine-readable format;
and

WHEREAS, the REAL ID Act prohibits federal agencies and
federally regulated commercial air carriers from accepting

143

a driver's license or identification card issued by a state
that has not fully complied with the act, which will
inhibit air travel and cripple commerce, tourism, and the
freedom of citizens to travel; and
7.

WHEREAS, the REAL ID Act creates a costly unfunded mandate,
currently estimated to cost in excess of $11 billion to
implement, and although the Department of Homeland Security
announced that 20 percent of the states’ Homeland Security
Grant Program funds will be made available during the 2007
grant cycle, most of these funds have already been
dedicated to first-response agencies of numerous cities,
counties and municipalities; and

WHEREAS, the REAL ID Act requires the creation of a 50state database containing information on every American
that is accessible to motor vehicle employees and law
enforcement officers nationwide and that can be used to
gather and manage information on citizens, which is not the
responsibility or business of the government; and

WHEREAS, the act enables the creation of additional massive
private sector databases, and it is likely that these
databases will contain numerous errors and false
information, creating significant hardships on Americans
attempting to verify their identities in order to fly, open
bank accounts, or perform many other ordinary and everyday
functions; and

10.

WHEREAS, the REAL ID Act contains onerous record
verification and retention provisions that place
unreasonable burdens on the motor vehicle divisions and on
third parties required to verify records, while
concurrently placing enormous burdens on consumers seeking
new driver licenses, including waiting in longer lines,
higher costs, increased document requests, and longer
waiting periods; and

11.

WHEREAS, the act will place motor vehicle division staffs
on the front lines of immigration enforcement by forcing
public employees to determine federal citizenship and
immigration status; and

12.

WHEREAS, the act was passed despite not receiving a hearing
by any Congressional committee or a vote solely on its own
merits, despite widespread opposition; and

144

13.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors expresses its
support for the United States government's campaign against
terrorism, as well as the belief that such campaign should
not be waged at the expense of the civil rights and
liberties of the citizens of this country,

14.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports the legislative initiative in United States
Senate S. 717 IS, which calls for the repeal of Title II of
the REAL ID Act of 2005, to restore Section 7212 of the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004,
which provides states additional regulatory flexibility and
funding authorization to more rapidly produce tamper- and
counterfeit-resistant driver licenses, and to protect
privacy and civil liberties by providing interested
stakeholders with guidance for negotiated rulemaking to
achieve improved 21st century licenses to improve national
security; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United
States through the Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
the United States House of Representatives, and the members
of The U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

145

Resolution No.64
Submitted by:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
1.

WHEREAS, our federal immigration system is broken and has
become mismatched to the economic and social realities of
cities; and

WHEREAS, the existing system has created waiting lists for
most categories of family reunification to grow longer than
five years; and

WHEREAS, the United States federal government and many
employers, through practices and policies that are entirely
inconsistent with federal laws, have led millions of
immigrant workers to believe they are allowed to work in
the U.S. without appropriate documentation; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. economy requires hundreds of thousands of
foreign workers, far exceeding the outdated quotas
currently placed on visas for foreign workers; and

WHEREAS, authorized and unauthorized foreign workers have
become essential to the functioning of local economies; and

WHEREAS, inadequate border and internal enforcement
mechanisms have allowed an increasing number of
unauthorized workers to reside in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the current system has caused societal strain in
cities because of the system’s tendency to push
unauthorized workers into second-class status; and

WHEREAS, federal attempts to deputize local police to
enforce federal immigration law have chilled budding
relationships between local police and immigrant
communities; and

WHEREAS, the federal effort at deputizing local police with
limited immigration authority has the tendency to distract
local police departments from their principal charge of

146

preventing crime, ensuring public safety, and serving local
communities,
10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges comprehensive immigration reform that would
improve security, bolster economic prosperity, and provide
the approximately 12 million people already in the U.S.
without legal authorization an opportunity to earn their
permanent residence and citizenship, provided (1) they have
not committed serious crimes, (2) they have learned, or are
in the process of learning English, and (3) they pay taxes
and social security on their earnings.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

147

Resolution No.65
Submitted by:
The Honorable Raul Salinas
Mayor of Laredo

U.S. IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY POLICY
1.

WHEREAS, the topics of immigration reform, border security,
and state and federal cooperation on these issues are of
great importance to The United States Conference of Mayors;
and

WHEREAS, the United States is a nation of immigrants, a
nation in which immigrants have made and continue to make
important contributions to both our economy and culture;
and

WHEREAS, studies reveal that immigrants are a major source
of tax revenue; and

WHEREAS, immigrants have demonstrated their patriotism
through their valor and bravery in defending this country
in numerous military conflicts; and

WHEREAS, border security is critical to the safety, quality
of life, and economic prosperity of the border regions of
the United States; and

WHEREAS, our historical receptiveness toward immigrants
reflects our faith in the American ideal, that it is
possible for all men and women to improve their status via
hard work, and that opportunity should be denied to no one
on the basis of their race or country of origin; and

WHEREAS, though today's immigrants, like yesterday’s, may
arrive in the United States with no money, looking
different and speaking foreign languages, they come with an
entrepreneurial spirit and desire to live the American
Dream; and

WHEREAS, immigrants come to the United States because we
are a nation that cherishes individual freedom and rewards
individual effort; and

148

WHEREAS, across the world, walls erected to divide peoples
and nations are symbols of failed and repressive efforts to
thwart human freedom and prosperity; and

10.

WHEREAS, enforcement of federal immigration laws is neither
a state nor local responsibility and further that state and
local agencies do not have the training, expertise or
authority to enforce immigration laws; and

11.

WHEREAS, the principle of posse comitatus, meaning the
necessary and traditional separation of civilian and
military authority, is critical and should be renewed and
strengthened; and

12.

WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has been,
and remains, committed to the protection of civil rights,
liberties and security for all peoples as expressed in the
United States Constitution,

13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors calls on our nation’s immigration policies to the
following principles:

Economics/Fiscal Impact
•
Limited state resources should not be diverted to support
policies and initiatives that tolerate or result in racial
profiling in our communities.
•
Instead of wasting precious resources on erecting a wall,
the federal government should invest now in secure, fast
and smart technology solutions to afford fast movement in
our Hemisphere of people and products.
•
Initiatives aimed at promoting investment and economic
opportunities in Mexico, such as the U.S.-Mexico
Partnership for Prosperity and Mexico's 3 for 1 program
that encourages the use of remittances to build local
infrastructure and economic development in Mexico, should
be supported.
•
Legislation that authorizes additional federal funds to
states and hospitals for reimbursement of the indirect and
direct costs related to emergency health services,
prosecution, and the incarceration of undocumented
immigrants should be supported.
Education
•
A temporary worker program that allows employers to sponsor
low-skilled immigrant workers to obtain a permanent

149

•

residence status should be supported. Undocumented students
under the age of 21 should be able to satisfy the
requirements under such a program by attending an
institution of higher education or a secondary school fulltime.
Our nation must remain committed to the constitutional
principles that guarantee a public education for all
children regardless of their immigration status.

Legal/Political
•
Legislation that focuses solely on enforcement will be
ineffective. Our nation needs and should support fair and
comprehensive immigration legislation that balances border
security concerns with a recognition of the demands of the
U.S. for workers in the numerous sectors of the U.S. labor
force, including agriculture, construction, and the service
economy.
•
Local law enforcement should not be required to stop,
interrogate, detain or otherwise participate in immigration
enforcement activities.
•
Our nation should offer a path to citizenship, under
clearly defined guidelines, to immigrants who have
demonstrated citizenship, paid taxes, and parented citizen
children and grandchildren.
•
Legislation that provides a larger number of employment and
family-based green cards to promote family unification,
reduce backlogs in application processing, and that demands
sensitive quotas, should be supported.
Security
•
Federal resources should be focused on strategies to
improve interdiction at our borders.
•
It is the federal government's obligation to fund and
oversee a robust Border Patrol.
•
The United States should embrace technological solutions
that offer low-cost alternatives to the interdiction
efforts of local law enforcement that lead inevitably to
racial profiling
•
The development and implementation of plans regarding
information-sharing, international and federal-state- local
coordination, technology, and anti-smuggling should be
supported.
•
The development of multilateral agreements to establish a
North American security plan to improve border security
should be supported.

150

•
•

Measures that would include anti-fraud measures and
biometric data on all visa and immigration documents should
be supported.
The ongoing implementation of the Security and Prosperity
Partnership of North America between the U.S., Canada and
Mexico aimed at establishing a common security strategy,
competitiveness, quality of life, and to promote economic
growth by streamlining the secure movement of low-risk
traffic across our shared borders, should be supported.

Social Justice
•
Legislation that promotes any action by civilians individual or groups - that interfere with the duties of
United States law enforcement officials in securing the
border region should be condemned. This should include the
apprehension of individuals, the use of any weapons against
individuals, or purporting to act in any law enforcement
capacity.
•
Legislation that criminalizes immigrants, their families,
and the organizations that provide assistance to them,
should be condemned.
•
Legislation or any acts that violate the human rights of
immigrants, documented or undocumented should be condemned.
Law enforcement agencies, both federal and state, must
treat all immigrants with respect and dignity and adhere to
the legal rights they are entitled under state, federal or
international treaties, especially the rights of minors
through the utilization of procedures and programs that
protect them.
Projected Cost:

Unknown

151

Resolution No.31
Submitted by:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City

A NEW BOTTOM LINE IN REDUCING THE HARMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
1.

WHEREAS, the United States Conference of Mayors has long
been concerned about substance abuse and its impacts on
cities of all sizes; and

WHEREAS, this Conference recognizes that addiction is a
chronic medical illness that is treatable, and drug
treatment success rates exceed those of many cancer
therapies; and

WHEREAS, 55% of all federal and over 20% of all state
prisoners are convicted of drug law violations, many
serving mandatory minimum sentences for simple possession
offenses; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution
at its 74 th Annual Meeting opposing mandatory minimum
sentencing on both the state and federal levels and urging
the creation of fair and effective sentencing policies; and

152

with a 64% decrease in all arrests after treatment, making
public safety a primary beneficiary of effective drug
treatment programs; and
9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

WHEREAS, blacks, Latinos and other minorities use drugs at
rates comparable to whites, yet face disproportionate rates
of arrest and incarceration for drug law violations: among

153

persons convicted of drug felonies in state courts, 33% of
convicted white defendants received a prison sentence,
while 51% of black defendants received prison sentences;
and
16.

17.

18.

19.

WHEREAS, the cost of local law enforcement and of providing
services to formerly incarcerated residents is borne
primarily by local governments; and

20.

21.

22.

154

abuse, while ensuring that our policies do not exacerbate
these problems or create new social problems of their own;
establishes quantifiable, short- and long-term objectives
for drug policy; saves taxpayer money; and holds state and
federal agencies accountable; and
23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

155

level. A successful national strategy to reduce substance
abuse and related harms must invest in the health of our
cities and give cities, counties, and states the
flexibility they need to find the most effective way to
deal with drugs, save taxpayer dollars and keep their
communities safe.
Projected Cost:

Unknown

156

Resolution No.30
Submitted By:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City

SAVING LIVES, SAVING MONEY: CITY-COORDINATED DRUG OVERDOSE
PREVENTION
1.

WHEREAS, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is
warning world health authorities to prepare for a sharp
rise in rates of heroin overdose death due to a dramatic
increase in the supply and purity of heroin; and

WHEREAS, death from opioid overdose is easily preventable
through use of naloxone, an opiate antagonist that reverses
the respiratory failure that usually causes death from
overdose; and

WHEREAS, naloxone is effective, affordable and safe, works
within minutes, is not addictive and has no psychopharmacological effects; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico recently enacted the first such law in the
country--the 911 Good Samaritan Act of 2007--which is expected
to save countless lives in cities across the state; and

157

WHEREAS, programs that provide overdose prevention education,
rescue breathing training and take-home naloxone directly to lay
people have been developed in New Mexico, Connecticut, Northern
California, and the cities of Baltimore, New York City, Chicago,
Philadelphia and most recently Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, several young people in the Salt Lake City area
have died of drug overdoses after their friends panicked
and failed to call for or otherwise seek medical help; and

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

WHEREAS, in Baltimore, more than 50 people who were trained
reported saving a life with naloxone, and overdose deaths are
now at a ten-year low. In Chicago, at least 319 people have
reported peer overdose reversals, halting and reversing a
consistent trend of increasing overdose deaths
the very same year the city instituted its naloxone distribution
program; and

15.

WHEREAS, participants in programs reported that education about
and availability of naloxone has opened up new avenues of

158

thought regarding safety and personal health and frequency of
heroin use decreased among opioid users in a pilot study of
naloxone distribution;
16.

17.

Projected Cost: Unknown

159

Resolution No.66
Submitted by:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City

OPPOSING RANDOM, SUSPICIONLESS STUDENT DRUG TESTING: PROTECTING
FAMILY PRIVACY AND STUDENT SAFETY
1.

WHEREAS, experts in the fields of medicine, adolescent
development, education, and substance abuse treatment,
including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the
Association for Addiction Professionals, the National
Education Association, the American Public Health
Association, the National Association of Social Workers,
and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence,
have opposed random, suspicionless student drug testing;
and

WHEREAS, the over one-million member California State
Parent Teachers Association supported a proposed ban on
random, suspicionless student drug testing; and

WHEREAS, in March of this year, the American Academy of
Pediatrics reiterated its opposition to random student drug
testing, declaring that “there is little evidence of the
effectiveness of school-based drug testing in the
scientific literature;” and

WHEREAS, the best available research does not support the
use of student drug testing programs. The largest study
conducted on the topic compared 94,000 students in 900
American schools with and without a drug testing program,
and found no difference in illegal drug use; and

WHEREAS, the majority of school drug testing programs give
parents no choice whether their child will be tested or
not, unnecessarily violating parents’ right to make this
important decision in the privacy of their homes; and

WHEREAS, student drug testing is invasive and humiliating,
often requiring students to submit urine samples in the
presence of a school official and forcing them to disclose
their prescription medications, thereby infringing upon
their medical privacy; and

160

WHEREAS, drug testing is expensive, costing schools an average of
$42 dollars per student tested, an expense that amounts to
$21,000 for a high school testing 500 students. School districts
across the country could better use their scarce resources on proven
drug prevention and education policies; and

WHEREAS, suspicionless drug testing erodes relationships of
trust between students and adults, damaging an essential
characteristic of a safe and rewarding learning
environment, and hindering open communication; and

WHEREAS, random drug testing is typically directed at
students who want to participate in extracurricular
activities, which have been proven among the most effective
pathways to preventing adolescent drug use by providing
structure and supervision from 3-6 pm, the hours during
which drug use is highest among teens; and

10.

WHEREAS, all too often drug testing policies actually deter
students from engaging in these protective activities and
punishes those who test positive by suspending them from
such activities; and

11.

WHEREAS, the vast majority of student drug testing programs
do not test for alcohol and tobacco and thus risk sending
the message that the most commonly used substances among
teenagers are tolerable and less dangerous; and

12.

WHEREAS, the window of detection for most drugs other than
marijuana is less than 48 hours, and the standard drug test does
not detect many of the most frequently used substances
among young people, including alcohol, nicotine, Ecstasy
(MDMA), Oxycotin and inhalants; and

13.

WHEREAS, student testing may unintentionally encourage
dangerous behaviors such as binge drinking or may shift
higher risk students towards more serious drugs that are
harder to detect because they leave the body quickly; and

14.

WHEREAS, drug testing can yield false positive results,
leading to devastating accusations for innocent students;
and

15.

WHEREAS, there is no regulatory oversight to insure that
schools use certified laboratories or follow proper
specimen collection and chain of custody procedures,

161

safeguard confidentiality, or utilize a Medical Review
Officer and confirmatory testing to reduce false-positive
results; and
16.

WHEREAS, random student drug testing programs attempt to
control behavior though fear and external threats rather
than educating students so they can make rational decisions
that support their health and well-being,

17.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United States
Conference of Mayors states its opposition to the use of
random, suspicionless student drug testing programs in
their cities’ schools; and

18.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors supports better use of taxpayer dollars to support
proven alcohol and other drug prevention and educational
policies in their cities.

Projected Cost: Unknown

162

Resolution No.67
Submitted By:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City

RESOLUTION CALLING UPON THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES TO INITIATE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
1.

WHEREAS, the remedy of impeachment for abuses of power,
breaches of trust, and violations of law causing injury to
our nation is central to the United States Constitution and
our form of government; and

WHEREAS, key figures in the founding of the United States
and the writing of our Constitution, such as James Madison
and George Mason, repeatedly emphasized the critical
importance of the remedy of impeachment to our
constitutional system of government; and

WHEREAS, of the seventeen people impeached by the House of
Representatives, five were impeached for criminal offenses,
while the other twelve proceedings targeted abuses of
power; and

WHEREAS, impeachment provides an effective mechanism to
calibrate the balance of power between the three branches
of government, to ensure that public officials are
accountable for their actions and do not abuse the power
entrusted to them; and

WHEREAS, President Bush made numerous material false and
misleading statements to Congress and the American people
concerning Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction
programs, including the following:
•

On September 7, 2002, President Bush represented that a
1998 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report
stated that Iraq was “six months away” from building a
nuclear weapon. “I don’t know what more evidence we
need,” commented the President. In fact, the IAEA had
never issued a report like the one described by President
Bush, and had actually found in 1998 that there were no
indications there remained in Iraq any physical

163

capability for the production of weapon-usable nuclear
material of any practical significance.
•

President Bush stated in an October 7, 2002 speech in
Cincinnati and in his 2003 State of the Union Address
that Iraq was attempting to purchase high-strength
aluminum tubes for use in developing nuclear weapons.
However, undisclosed by President Bush, a National
Intelligence Estimate (NIE) delivered to the White House
on October 1, 2002 reflected the views of the Department
of Energy and the State Department’s Bureau of
Intelligence and Research (INR) that the tubes were not
intended for use in enriching uranium, and that there was
no evidence Iraq was attempting to reconstitute its
nuclear weapons program.

•

President Bush represented in his 2003 State of the Union
Address that Saddam Hussein was trying to purchase
uranium from Africa to make nuclear weapons, despite the
fact that, undisclosed by President Bush, INR had deemed
that claim “highly dubious” in the October 2002 NIE.

WHEREAS, President Bush on numerous occasions claimed that
Iraq was linked to al Qaeda, despite the fact that the
intelligence community’s consensus, as set forth in a
Presidential Daily Brief delivered to President Bush on
September 21, 2001 (and in the conclusion of every
investigation since the war began) was that there was no
operational connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda,
and that Iraq was not involved in the September 11 attacks;
and

WHEREAS, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was not
undertaken in self-defense, and is therefore a crime
against peace, in violation of the Kellogg-Briand Pact, the
Nuremberg Convention, and the UN Charter—all of which
prohibit attacks against one country by another unless in
self-defense; and

WHEREAS, over 3,400 American servicemen and servicewomen
have been killed in Iraq, and over 25,000 have been
wounded, with devastating impacts on our nation’s cities
and families; and

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WHEREAS, 650,000 Iraqi men, women, and children have died,
and over 3.5 million Iraqi civilians have been displaced,
as a result of the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq;
and

10.

WHEREAS, the war in Iraq costs the federal government
upwards of $2 billion per week, and is projected to cost
over $1.6 trillion, with serious financial implications for
US fiscal health and federal funding for vital programs and
initiatives in our nation’s cities; and

11.

WHEREAS, in the assessments of a 2006 National Intelligence
Estimate and scores of foreign policy experts, the invasion
and occupation of Iraq has greatly increased the threat of
terrorism against the United States; and

12.

WHEREAS, President Bush authorized the “extraordinary
rendition” of approximately 150 foreign nationals, who were
kidnapped, transported to other countries, held
incommunicado without charges, and tortured; and

13.

WHEREAS, the Bush administration’s program of extraordinary
rendition violates United States law as codified in the
Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, as
well as numerous international treaties to which the United
States is a party, including the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, and the Convention Against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
and

14.

WHEREAS, President Bush authorized a program of warrantless
wiretapping of communications by American citizens, in
clear violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United
States Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act; and

15.

WHEREAS, representatives in seven state legislatures have
introduced resolutions urging the US House of
Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against
President Bush; and

16.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, comprising mayors
from 1,139 cities throughout the United States, has as one
of its primary duties to ensure that federal policy meets
the needs of cities; and

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17.

WHEREAS, the conduct of President Bush and his
administration has had a profoundly negative impact on our
nation’s cities, and has betrayed fundamental values shared
by all Americans, including the rule of law, protection
against governmental abuses of rights and liberties,
maintaining checks and balances among the three branches of
government, honesty, peaceful resolution of disputes, and
treating others humanely; and

18.

WHEREAS, the conduct of the United States under the
leadership of President Bush has begun to resemble the
conduct of totalitarian nations from which we have always
been proud to distinguish ourselves,

19.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls upon the United States House of
Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against
President Bush for abuses of power, breaches of trust,
violations of domestic and international laws, and
egregious human rights abuses.

Projected Cost: Unknown

166

Resolution No.68
Submitted By:
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Dannel P. Malloy
Mayor of Stamford
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT FUNDING
1.

WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors is
committed to promoting the well-being and positive
development of the nation’s youth; and

WHEREAS, work experience for youth provides educational and
enrichment opportunities leading to academic improvement
for millions of disadvantaged youth; and

WHEREAS, work experience helps youth develop life skills
and values that prepare them for the challenges of
adolescence and the responsibilities of adulthood; and

WHEREAS, by 2010, the largest segment of the nation’s labor
force will be teens and young adults as 41 million new
workers enter the workforce to replace the 76 million
retiring workers; and

WHEREAS, the labor market for the nation’s teens has
deteriorated considerably over the past several years, and

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the overall teen employment rate in the past three years
(2004-2006) was the lowest in the past 60 years; and
6.

WHEREAS, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies
at Northeastern University, the 2007 summer jobs outlook
for the nation’s teens appears to be worse than last year
despite an improving national job market for older adults;
and

WHEREAS, according to the Center, last summer only 7.11
million teens worked on average during the months of JuneAugust; and the number of employed teens would have been
8.63 million, or 1.52 million higher, if the 2000 summer
teen employment rate had prevailed and 9.5 million, or 2.4
million higher if the summer 1989 employment rate had
prevailed; and

WHERAS, in past decades, there was strong bi-partisan
support for a summer jobs program for teens,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges Congress to restore its long term commitment
to a strong summer jobs program, either by providing
funding for year round youth activities at a level
equivalent to or greater than the FY 2001 funding levels
and ensuring that summer jobs are part of any WIA
reauthorization or by enacting a separate summer jobs
program; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The Conference of Mayors calls
on Congress to ensure that any new targeted grant program
for youth is funded only from the excess of the amount
appropriated for the WIA youth formula program when it is
at a level of at least $1 billion and not at the expense of
the year round program.

Projected Cost: Unknown

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Resolution No.69
Submitted By:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Dannel P. Malloy
Mayor of Stamford
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City

INVESTING IN AMERICA’S YOUTH
1.

WHEREAS, the teen and young adult population is growing
fast, particularly among minorities and immigrant youth;
and

WHEREAS, by 2010, teens and young adults will make up the
largest segment of America’s labor force as 41 million new
workers enter the workforce, and a staggering 76 million
workers enter retirement; and

WHEREAS, according to the research findings of the Center
for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University:
• The employment rate for teens and young adults are at
record lows;
• Since 2000, the nation’s teenagers and young adults,
especially those without four year college degrees, have
experienced steep declines in their employment rates;
• Unemployed, out-of-school young workers have found it
difficult to obtain full-time jobs;
• In 2003, almost 5.7 million youth between the ages of 1624 were out-of-school and out-of-work, up from 4.9
million in 2000;

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•

While local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth programs
have put some teens to work in recent summers, these job
placements have offset only a small share of the job
losses experienced by teens; and

WHEREAS, the national graduation rate is 68 percent, with
nearly one-third of all high school students failing to
graduate;

WHEREAS, the growing segment of the young population is
among minorities and immigrants who are most impacted by
the dropout rates; and

WHEREAS, a well-prepared youth labor market is critical to
meet the nation’s future workforce demands in a 21 st Century
global economy; and

WHEREAS, connecting youth to career and skill paths is
crucial to ensuring their future contribution as members of
the mainstream labor force as adults; and

WHEREAS, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA)
provides the nation’s only comprehensive youth system to
improve the education and training prospects for at-risk
in-school and out-of-school youth;

WHEREAS, the Department of Labor's WIA Youth Opportunity
Grants represented a major commitment to addressing these
conditions and increasing the long term employability of
youth living in the poorest communities in our country; and

10.

WHEREAS, disadvantaged youth have been severely underserved
since 2000 with the elimination of a separate funding
stream for summer job programs; and

11.

WHEREAS, the Administration and Congress have eliminated
the Youth Opportunity Grants program in the federal budget;
and

12.

WHEREAS, the Administration has proposed to cut services to
youth and to allow Governors to reduce or eliminate
services to youth altogether by merging the WIA youth
formula program into a combined state block grant with WIA
adult, dislocated worker and employment service funding,

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13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U. S. Conference of
Mayors calls on Congress not to include the WIA youth
formula program in any block grant; and

14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in WIA reauthorization
legislation, The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on
Congress to:
• Retain the WIA Youth formula program and authorization
funding for the formula program at not less than $1
billion, with an additional $250 million to automatically
reestablish the Youth Opportunity Grants program;
• Provide flexibility to local areas to allow for a wide
range of programs and strategies, including summer jobs,
as currently provided in WIA;
• Retain services to both in-school and out-of-school
youth;
• Preserve in-school youth programs and in-school services
for 14 and 15 year olds.
• Maintain the focus on youth development;
• Ensure that any new targeted grant program for youth be
available for both in-school and out-of-school youth,
particularly those in high poverty communities and that
it must be funded only in excess of the $1 billion
dedicated for the youth formula program.
• Further, ensure funding in excess of $1 billion to
include $250 million so that successful Youth Opportunity
and Youth Offender programs continue to be funded as part
of any new national youth program, assuring local support
for such efforts; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
calls on Congress to make a major new investment in our
nation’s youth of at least $1 billion to address the unmet
needs of youth who have been adversely affected since 2000;
and

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this new investment provide
funding for a new initiative to generate summer job and
learning opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth
both in-school and out-of-school; and

17.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that any change in the youth
formula allocation and any formula for new programs like
the Youth Challenge Grants be substantially weighted to
reflect the population to which the funds are targeted,

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such as high school drop outs, youth in the juvenile
justice system, and youth aging out of foster care; and
18.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to incorporate lessons learned from the
Youth Opportunity (YO) Grant program into WIA
reauthorization and incorporate the YO philosophy of long
term, comprehensive support focused on youth development
into all youth workforce policies and programs; and

19.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to restore its long term commitment to a
strong summer jobs program either by providing funding for
year round youth activities at a level equivalent to or
greater than the FY 2001 funding levels and that summer
jobs are part of any WIA reauthorization or by enacting a
separate summer job program; and

20.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls
on Congress to contribute to solving the pervasive problem
of youth poverty by providing significant funding for a
jobs stimulus program for young people ages 16 to 24,
especially high school dropouts and those living in high
poverty neighborhoods.

Projected Cost: Unknown

172

Resolution No.24
Submitted By:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable John Peyton
Mayor of Jacksonville
The Honorable Dannel P. Malloy
Mayor of Stamford
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami

EXPANDING THE NATIONAL INVESTMENT IN AFTER-SCHOOL AND OUT-OFSCHOOL PROGRAMS
1.

WHEREAS, affordable, accessible and high-quality afterschool and out-of-school programming is an essential need
for most American families; and

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WHEREAS, the risk of youth becoming victims of or
participating in a violent crime triples in the hours
following the school day; and

WHEREAS, unsupervised youth are at greater risk of truancy,
pregnancy, abusing alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, receiving
poor grades, and experiencing mental depression; and

WHEREAS, children who attend high-quality after-school and
out-of-school programs experience greater academic success,
develop stronger peer relations, have better emotional
adjustment and conflict resolution skills, and have better
conduct in school compared to peers not in after school
programs,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government, along
with state and local governments, to increase investment in
community-based after-school and out-of-school programs;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference
of Mayors urges the federal government to re-establish a
summer jobs program for the nation’s economically
disadvantaged youth, to initially fund this program at a
level equivalent to or greater than the FY 2001 funding
levels, and to utilize the same needs-based funding formula
to allocate these funds nationally; and.

Projected Cost: Unknown

174

Resolution No.70
Submitted by:
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco

THE REAUTHORIZATION OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
1.

WHEREAS, In 2002 President Bush signed into law the
bipartisan, landmark No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. High
academic standards and accountability for all students
comprise the framework for federal education reform under
the law. Achieving these objectives is important to the
future of our children and our cities; and

WHEREAS, Implementing and adhering to the mandates of NCLB
is proving to be a challenge and NCLB is in danger of
becoming another burdensome under-funded federal mandate.
Schools continue to struggle with funding, mandated annual
testing, student transfers, and the requirement to provide
supplemental services; and

WHEREAS, Schools need flexibility in implementing the
standards of NCLB. A reauthorized NCLB should include a
workable longitudinal or growth model to measure individual
student academic achievement. There should also be greater
flexibility in assessing and measuring the academic
progress of students in subgroups, especially those groups
facing unique learning challenges, most specifically
special education students and English language learners;
and

WHEREAS, Sufficient federal resources are needed to finance
NCLB programs including: full funding for Title I grants
to school districts with a disproportionate number of atrisk students, the main funding source for NCLB; an
increase in Title II for Teacher Quality Grants that
provide funds to train recruit, and retain highly qualified
teachers; the 21 Century Community Learning Centers program
that funds afterschool programs for NCLB and other programs
in NCLB intended to increase the academic achievement of
at-risk students; and

175

WHEREAS, The Supplemental Education Services (SES)
provision is a fundamental element of NCLB that provides
disadvantaged students the extra academic help they need to
meet the rigorous standards of NCLB. School districts are
required to set aside 20% of their federal Title I funds
specifically for SES participation. Presently, only 17% of
eligible students are participating in SES programs.
School districts have been deficient in providing families
the opportunities to participate in SES. A reauthorized
NCLB should include provisions that would allow for all
students who need extra help learning and achieving greater
accessibility to Supplemental Education Services; and

WHEREAS, NCLB should reinforce parental involvement
programs and encourage community members to interact with
neighborhood schools. Programs that encourage parent and
community involvement in the school are vital in
strengthening families and enhancing quality of life in our
cities,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, The United States Conference
of Mayors recognizes that to compete with their
international peers, American students must graduate from
high school with the academic foundation they will need to
succeed in a 21st century economy. If implemented properly
and funded, NCLB reforms will allow our kids to succeed and
prosper; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of
Mayors calls upon the federal education policymakers to
work closely with Mayors during NCLB reauthorization to
examine how NCLB is working in their communities and where
improvements are needed, while maintaining a focus on
accountability and standards. At the same time the federal
government must live up to its commitment and provide the
necessary financial resources to implement the mandates in
NCLB by fully funding Title I programs to low-income school
districts, Teacher Quality Grants, the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers and other important programs
under NCLB.

Projected Cost: Unknown

176

Resolution No.71
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston

MAYORAL LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION
1.

WHEREAS, mayors are the chief locally elected official in
cities and residents hold them accountable for the quality
of education provided by the public schools and the quality
of the local school system which is not, in most cities,
the mayor’s responsibility, as well as the quality of life,
economic stability and growth, health and welfare, social
services, safety, transportation, environment, housing, and
other services which are a direct responsibility of the
mayor; and

WHEREAS, mayors represent all residents of the city since
they are elected by them, and not by districts or at-large,
and mayors understand that the city’s destiny is in their
hands since they do not work in isolation or separation
from the community; and

WHEREAS, mayors have a fundamental interest in the quality
of education provided in their cities because it is an
essential element in drawing new business, building a
strong and competitive workforce, and either retaining or
attracting new residents; and

WHEREAS, the economic future and strength of our cities
lies in the quality of education and related services
provided to children so they are ready to learn and attain
the core fundamental skills during their years in schools
so they are prepared for postsecondary education and/or the
world of work; and

WHEREAS, mayors understand the need for a nexus between
education, related social services and other mayoral areas

177

of responsibility which are key components to insure
students have the support services, experiences and
environments appropriate to encourage and support learning;
and
6.

WHEREAS, mayors are best positioned to forge a common
vision for educational equity and excellence; establish
collaborative groups and task forces focused on specific
education issues to address problems; create a public and
political will for public schools; expand services to
students when needed; turn educational crises into
opportunities; develop creative partnerships in the best
interests of teaching and learning; facilitate
opportunities for students, teachers and schools which
otherwise would not happen, and make tough or difficult
decisions; and

WHEREAS, mayors can use their bully pulpit to raise issues
and confront uncomfortable problems, establish a dialogue,
build civic capacity and engagement, bring all critical
stakeholders to the table, and create partnerships when no
one else can in the city,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S.
Conference of Mayors calls on mayors to take on a critical
and essential leadership and involvement role in local
public education which can range from working as a partner
with the local school system to address education needs,
problems and issues to one where the mayor has the legal
responsibility for the governance of the city’s public
schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
strongly suggests that mayors who decide to become involved
in education first assess their capacity for their level of
engagement and make sure they include all aspects of the
community in their efforts; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports a wide range of options for mayoral leadership and
involvement in education including:
• taking responsibility for after-school programs,
creating or authorizing charter schools,
• participating in teacher recruitment,
• establishing programs to assist in housing for
teachers and other education professionals,

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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•

•

11.

sponsoring policies and practices in city government
that encourage tutoring, mentoring and other volunteer
work with students,
visibly supporting school bond and tax levies,
enhancing and encouraging parental involvement,
facilitating business partnerships with schools,
creating options for alternative learning
opportunities and settings directed at at-risk in-and
out-of school youth,
developing education opportunities and settings for
recently release juvenile offenders and those ending
their foster care,
helping in the construction and modernization of
school facilities into joint use and community
learning centers,
providing recreation and athletic facility options for
students and library facilities
establishing recognition programs for educators,
engaging in or mediating contracts when appropriate,
lobbying for improved funding, and new policies and
programs at the state and federal level that enhance
improvement and change, facilitating the conversation
and working relationship between local government,
public schools, and higher education, having the
governance responsibility for the city’s public school
system,
participating in the selection of school board members
and/or the superintendent,
offering transparency to the school budget process,
overseeing the school budget process and
implementation,
taking responsibility for backroom services for the
schools to make them more efficient and cost effective
such as IT, personnel, payroll, school security,
and/or other management functions, and
creating summer and during the school-year jobs, and
internship and work experience opportunities linked to
academic and career skill building; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
recognizes and supports the rightful role of mayors in
doing what needs to be done to promote the interests of
public school students and parents, and the schools, align
the efforts of the city and the school system, and improve

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the lives, and education outcomes and opportunities of the
children who attend the pubic schools; and
12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports mayoral leadership and involvement in education
that makes a positive difference in the quality of teaching
and learning in the city’s schools, whether through direct
forms of involvement or informal means; and

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
fully supports a myriad of choices in selecting the level
of mayoral leadership and involvement in education
including utilization of the bully pulpit to build
political support for education improvement that provides
the impetus school districts need to speed reforms;
fostering greater student achievement; providing greater
visibility to important issues which forces decisions to be
made; creating programs when needed; increasing public
participation; working to enhance funding and resources;
and setting new priorities when necessary.

Projected Cost: Unknown

180

Resolution No.72
Submitted by:
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose

SUPPORT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN OUR
NATION’S SCHOOLS
1.

WHEREAS, since the adoption of the No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) Act in 2002, there has been an increased emphasis on
the academic achievement of English Language Learners
(ELLs). The English Learner subgroup under NCLB is
required to meet certain benchmarks each academic year as a
way to measure a school’s Annual Yearly Progress (AYP).
Currently, the law does not recognize the achievement of
individual students; and

WHEREAS, nationally, over 10% of the student population
speaks a language other than English in their homes. In the
2004-2005 school year, 5, 119, 561 K-12 students were
identified as English Language Learners; and

WHEREAS, the academic and language development needs of
ELLs throughout the nation are growing at staggering rates.
The English Language Learner student population nationwide
has increased by 60.76% since the 1994-1995 school year;
and

WHEREAS, student assessments under NCLB have documented the
need for significant academic and learning supports for
ELLs and a deeply troubling achievement gap between ELLs
and students who are fluent in English. Therefore, it is
critically important that closing the achievement gap for
language minority youth and assuring that all students
experience high levels of academic success becomes a share
national goal; and

WHEREAS, NCLB requires that all students reach proficient
or higher levels of academic achievement by the year 2014.
Presently, only a small percentage of ELLs receive full
access to both English language development and the core

181

academic curriculum they need to meet the requirements of
NCLB and to succeed academically; and
6.

WHEREAS, this disturbing fact not only has consequences for
the English learners themselves, but for the schools and
districts that serve them as well. An increasing number of
schools are identified as not meeting AYP and placed in
Program Improvement due to the academic achievement gaps
experienced by ELL students,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference
of Mayors recognizes that English learner students must
have the opportunity to meet the same high level academic
standards set for all students. As NCLB reauthorization
proceeds, the United States Conference of Mayors asks
federal education policymakers to allow for flexibility in
achieving this goal, including the use of a growth model to
measure individual student achievement without labeling
students and schools as failures; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of
Mayors asks the federal government to provide sufficient
funds to education agencies for the development of a
systemic academic curriculum, including the use of
research-based instruction models that identify best
practices, to ensure that English learners achieve and
sustain high levels of academic proficiency, linguistic
skills and multi-cultural competency and are prepared for
21st Century citizenship.

Projected Cost: Unknown

182

PROVIDING FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL
1.

WHEREAS, sweeping changes are posing new challenges to the
upward mobility of workers into the middle class, as well
as to American prosperity more generally; and

WHEREAS, more that 37 million people in the U.S. are
officially poor today despite the fact that one-half of
poor families are now working; and

WHEREAS, to successfully boost economic opportunity and
grow the middle class, the U.S. must broaden investments in
poverty policy from their focus on helping yesterday’s
workers to boosting the prospects of more of tomorrow’s
workers; and

183

WHEREAS, only one-half of lower income children even begin
college, compared with more than 75 percent of higher
income children; and

WHEREAS, one of every four American children drops out of
high school before graduating, and the Council of the Great
City Schools reports that in major cities like New York,
Los Angeles, and Dallas, fewer than one-half of entering
ninth graders graduate high school within four years; and

10.

WHEREAS, as a result millions of young Americans reach
adulthood with dramatically lower chances for economic
success, as the overwhelming majority of those who drop out
spend much of their lives on the margins of the economy;
and

11.

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12.

13.

14.

15.

WHEREAS, a recent study indicates that governmental
investment in high quality, universal preschool could add
more than $2 trillion to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
by 2080; and

16.

17.

WHEREAS, access to preschool and early education will help
make the United States more globally competitive and secure
in its future; and

18.

WHEREAS, the members of the Conference of Mayors have
previously adopted resolutions supporting investment in
early childhood education and preschool,

19.

20.

185

21.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors urges
that in addition to expanding access to quality preschool
programs, the hours of service of these programs be
extended to accommodate the schedules of working families;
and

22.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
encourages the continued support of the Head Start program,
which provides additional services for families in need
above and beyond preschool education; and

23.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the federal government provide
additional funding for Head Start to support a full-day
option and raise the income threshold for Head Start
eligibility.

Projected Cost: Unknown

186

Resolution No.54
Submitted by:
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Cory Booker
Mayor of Newark
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

PROVIDING PRISONERS REENTERING SOCIETY AND EX-OFFENDERS GREATER
OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY
1.

WHEREAS, approximately 650,000 state and federal prisoners
reenter society each year; and

WHEREAS, about half of all former prisoners are returned to
prison for a new crime or parole violation within three
years; and

WHEREAS, the social costs of reentry have profound
consequences for our communities, including public health

187

risks, homelessness, unemployment and public safety
concerns; and
5.

WHEREAS, more than two-thirds of the incarcerated
population has a high rate of infectious disease, substance
abuse and/or mental health disorders; and

WHEREAS, close to 27 percent of prisoners expect to go to
homeless shelters upon release from prison, and 16 percent
of the local jail population is mentally ill; and

188

•
•

Encouraging businesses which contract with the government
to hire people with a criminal record, and providing
businesses tax credits for bonding them; and
Encouraging governments and other employers to consider
establishing a special temporary worker category for
returning prisoners to make it easier for them to get a
first job.

Projected Cost: Unknown

189

Resolution No.73
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
IMPROVING ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
1.

WHEREAS, today, more than 45 percent of public school
students tested in kindergarten and middle school fail to
achieve age-appropriate proficiency in reading and
mathematics, and only 35 percent of urban middle school
students achieve proficiency in math; and

WHEREAS, lower income children consistently perform worse
in achievement tests in both subjects than higher income
children, make up a disproportionately large share of those
who drop out, and drop out at twice the overall rate; and

WHEREAS, only one-half of lower income children even begin
college, compared with more than 75 percent of higher
income children; and

190

WHEREAS,
American
grade on
minority

WHEREAS, in contrast, the overall high school graduation
rate in the U.S. is 68 percent, and for white students it
is 75 percent,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to:
Strengthen its investment in quality neighborhood primary
and secondary public schools;
Increase its investment in all public schools so that all
children have an equal opportunity to learn, and use the
additional funding to improve teachers’ salaries, finance
school construction and modernization, make art and music
education available to all students, encourage diverse and
creative curricula, provide before- and after-school
programming, and encourage a smaller student-to-teacher
ratio in classrooms;
Adopt the policy recommendations of the National Academies
to improve K-12 science and mathematics education and
provide support for recruiting more qualified teachers and
setting higher standards for students;
Reform the No Child Left Behind Act to address
disincentives for high-quality teachers to teach at poorly
performing urban schools;
Fund demonstration projects designed to improve teacher
quality across all grades of public schools;
Consider options for reforming K-12 education bureaucracies
to achieve savings and greater effectiveness;
Encourage the development of and provide support for school
district institution of student-centered contracts and
increasing teacher pay to improve education results;
Fully fund English as a Second Language programs in public
schools; and
Develop more effective approaches to student retention in
drop-out prevention and mitigation programs – approaches
which begin in the primary grades and continue through high

•
•

•

•
•
•
•
•
•

only about half of all Black, Hispanic, and Native
students who enter ninth grade will graduate 12th
time, and graduation rates in some cities for
males as a group are even lower; and

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school – and strategies which extend to students who have
already dropped out, to reconnect them with school and
jobs.
Projected Cost: Unknown

192

Resolution No.74
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
INCREASING ACCESS TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING
1.

WHEREAS, while three-quarters of new job growth will
require some training and education beyond high school, and
between 2000 and 2020, the number of workers with at least
some college education is projected to increase by just
four percent; and

WHEREAS, a college education is increasingly unaffordable
to a large portion of the public, as evidenced by the fact
that since 1980 the inflation-adjusted cost of tuition at a
four-year public college has increased by 190 percent while
median family income has increased by only about 18
percent; and

WHEREAS, as of 2005, only 19 percent of working-age adults
with incomes below the median income had earned a college
credential, compared to more than 46 percent of higher
income adults who had earned a credential; and

193

WHEREAS, high school graduates trying to pay for college
currently turn to an array of credit subsidies provided by
federal and state governments and private institutions; and

WHEREAS, while aid available for higher education has
increased, borrowing to pay for college is not a viable
long-term solution for many students because the debt
payments will be beyond their ability to pay; and

WHEREAS, students from lower income families are finding
they cannot afford college because costs have increased so
much faster than the caps for federal subsidies, such as
Pell Grants; and

WHEREAS, the Administration has proposed significantly
cutting or eliminating funding for Adult Education, TRIO
programs, and vocational education – all important federal
post-secondary education programs; and

WHEREAS, millions of low-income students don’t benefit from
current federal education tax incentives; and

WHEREAS, many states have state-sponsored college savings
programs, but not all of them match contributions made by
low- and moderate-income families to their accounts,

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on the federal government to:
Increase the value of the Pell Grant for today’s low-income
students who cannot take advantage of lifetime learning
accounts;
Protect existing programs and benefits that help create an
educated and competitive work force: Pell Grants, Adult
Education, TRIO programs, and vocational education;
Consider consolidating existing higher education tax
credits, such as the Hope Scholarship, the Lifetime
Learning Credit, and the higher education deduction, into a
single consolidated College Tax Credit that could be used
at accredited colleges or universities by students and
workers seeking to start or continue their educations, and
in conjunction with lifetime learning savings accounts; and
Link College Tax Credits to Individual Development Accounts
to encourage low-income families to save, build assets, and
work towards paying for post-secondary education; and

•
•
•

•

194

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors urges
state governments to provide matching grants to low- and
moderate-income families as part of their state-sponsored
college savings programs.

Projected Cost: Unknown

195

Resolution No.75
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

PROVIDING FEDERAL AND STATE SUPPORT FOR CAREER ACADEMIES
1.

WHEREAS, sweeping changes are posing new challenges to the
upward mobility of workers into the middle class, as well
as to American prosperity more generally; and

WHEREAS, more that 37 million people in the U.S. are
officially poor today despite the fact that one-half of
poor families are now working; and

WHEREAS, to successfully boost economic opportunity and
grow the middle class, the U.S. must broaden investments in
poverty policy from their focus on helping yesterday’s
workers to boosting the prospects of more of tomorrow’s
workers; and

WHEREAS, this approach gives lower income Americans the
tools to help themselves, positions the government to

196

achieve long-term savings as the need for today’s povertyrelated programs declines, and – most importantly – takes
advantage of some of the key opportunities to reduce
poverty that have been created by the sweeping changes of
our time; and
5.

WHEREAS, only one-half of lower income children even begin
college, compared with more than 75 percent of higher
income children; and

WHEREAS, one of every four American children drops out of
high school before graduating, and the Council of the Great
City Schools reports that in major cities like New York,
Los Angeles, and Dallas, fewer than one-half of entering
ninth graders graduate high school within four years; and

10.

WHEREAS, this adds up to millions of young Americans who
reach adulthood with dramatically lower chances for
economic success, as the overwhelming majority of those who
drop out spend much of their lives on the margins of the
economy; and

11.

WHEREAS, mainstream high school education, with its focus
on college preparation, does not speak to the aspirations
or plans of millions of students; and

12.

WHEREAS, the school-wide career academies model for K-12
education, by contrast, does address some of these goals by
placing greater focus on preparation for jobs and careers,
emphasizing career exploration through vocationally

197

13.

oriented instruction in fields ranging from graphic design
and information technology to healthcare and teaching; and
WHEREAS, career academies typically serve between 150 and
200 high school students, combining traditional curricula
with career-oriented training that is designed to better
prepare students to move into the labor force; and

14.

WHEREAS, high-performing career academies maintain
partnerships with regional employers both to make students
aware of their career options and provide work-based
internships and other learning opportunities; and

15.

WHEREAS, research indicates that students – especially
young men – who matriculate through a career academy fare
better after high school than those of similar
circumstances who do not; and

16.

WHEREAS, one recent study found that earnings for
participants were higher by an average of $212 per month
than for youth who did not participate, an 18 percent
difference in annual compensation; and

17.

WHEREAS, the benefits of the career academy approach go
beyond earnings; and

18.

WHEREAS, program participants have shown higher rates of
both high school completion and postsecondary enrollment
than the national average; and

19.

WHEREAS, employers also realize value by helping to inform
the school curricula in their communities, better preparing
the next generation of workers for jobs in their
businesses; and

20.

WHEREAS, current socio-economic trends are creating
opportunities for career-track work that pays familysupporting wages but does not require a four-year college
degree; and

21.

WHEREAS, private as well as public sector employers are
willing and able to train and then hire youth for career
opportunities in work that offers family-supporting wages;
and

22.

WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has
previously adopted resolutions which call for the creation

198

of, and investment in, career academies and similar
educational models,
23.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges federal, state and local
governments to work together with private sector
stakeholders to invest in expanding access to career
exploration and preparation through career academies and
other strategies; and

24.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors
believes that schools should conform to well-tested
standards of practice, and establish clear guidelines for
evaluation of program effectiveness, including benchmarks
for college and career success and student achievement.

Projected Cost: Unknown

199

Resolution No.107
Submitted by:
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

SUPPORTING LIFETIME LEARNING SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
1.

WHEREAS, sweeping changes are posing new challenges to the
upward mobility of workers into the middle class, as well
as to American prosperity more generally; and

WHEREAS, more that 37 million people in the U.S. are
officially poor today despite the fact that one-half of
poor families are now working; and

WHEREAS, to successfully boost economic opportunity and
grow the middle class, the U.S. must broaden investments in
poverty policy from their focus on helping yesterday’s
workers to boosting the prospects of more of tomorrow’s
workers; and

WHEREAS, globalizing trade and commerce has spurred demand
for highly skilled labor and accountability in our
educational system; and

200

WHEREAS, U.S. employers place a much higher premium on
educational attainment and high-value job skills than in
the past; and

WHEREAS, already, more than 60 percent of human resource
managers express concern about the availability of skilled
workers, reflected in part by the fact that the average
time needed to fill a vacant position has increased from 37
to 51 days; and

WHEREAS, our nation faces the prospect of acute skills
shortages; and

WHEREAS, three-quarters of new job growth will require some
training and education beyond high school; and

10.

WHEREAS, between 2000 and 2020, the number of workers with
at least some college education is projected to increase by
just four percent, while by contrast, between 1980 and
2000, this number rose by nearly 20 percent; and

11.

WHEREAS, statistics like these have labor market experts
very concerned that we are facing the prospect of a “skills
gap” in the U.S. workforce demonstrated by an estimate of
a U.S. shortfall of 14 million workers for skilled jobs by
2020, as job demands continue to rise but the education
level of the workforce remains static; and

12.

WHEREAS, the nation’s current tools to address these
shortages are too ineffective and inefficient to address
this critical need and chief among these shortcomings, a
college education is increasingly unaffordable to a large
portion of the public; and

13.

WHEREAS, since 1980, the inflation-adjusted cost of tuition
at a four-year public college has increased by more than
190 percent; during that same time, median family income
increased by only about 18 percent; and

14.

WHEREAS, the result is a class bias in educational
attainment: as of 2005, only 19 percent of working-age
adults with incomes below the median income had earned a
college credential compared with more than 46 percent of
higher income adults; and

201

15.

WHEREAS, high school graduates trying to pay for college
currently turn to an array of credit and subsidies provided
by the federal and state governments and private
institutions, and while aid from these sources has
increased, borrowing to pay for college is not a viable
long-term solution because the debt payments will
eventually be cost-prohibitive for many graduates; and

16.

WHEREAS, already students from lower income families are
finding they cannot afford college because costs have
increased so much faster than the caps for federal
subsidies such as Pell Grants; and

17.

WHEREAS, only one-half of lower income children even begin
college, compared with more than 75 percent of higher
income children; and

18.

WHEREAS, the more success a child achieves in school, the
less likely he or she is to live in poverty as an adult.
The poverty rate of high-school dropouts, for instance, is
three times that of those who graduate; and

19.

WHEREAS, one of every four American children drops out of
high school before graduating; and

20.

WHEREAS, this adds up to millions of young Americans who
reach adulthood with dramatically lower chances for
economic success; and

21.

WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of those who drop out
spend much of their lives on the margins of the economy;
and

22.

WHEREAS, educational attainment is the best predictor of
economic success as an adult; and

23.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted resolutions supporting increased access to
secondary education and adult skills training,

24.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to open a
savings account for every child born in this country,
depositing up to $500 at the child’s birth and providing an
annual income-indexed match of up to $500 for deposits made
by family and third parties, until the child’s 18th
birthday; and

202

25.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in order to create a powerful
new incentive to complete high school, account holders will
not be able to access these accounts until they graduate,
thereby helping to lower the dropout rate, which is higher
than 50 percent in some cities; and

26.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, funds can be used only for higher
education or career training; and

27.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, funds withdrawn from this account
should not be taxed.

Projected Cost: Unknown

203

Resolution No.76
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
1.

WHEREAS, the Workforce Investment Act, the law creating
nation’s largest program for providing skills training, can
provide training for less than one percent of the nation’s
workforce; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has cut funding for job
training programs by over $1 billion since FY 2002; and

204

WHEREAS, the Administration has proposed an additional $950
million in funding cuts for job training programs in the FY
2008 budget; and

WHEREAS, the current federal restrictions on training do
not allow for a variety of training tools and strategies
necessary for individuals to gain skills to advance beyond
entry level positions; and

WHEREAS, the nation faces the prospect of acute skills
shortages, with one estimate indicating that the United
States faces a shortfall of 14 million workers for skilled
jobs by 2020, as job demands continue to rise but the
education level of the workforce remains static; and

WHEREAS, the building trades continue to provide a steady
supply of good paying jobs, often on projects which
positively impact local economies, yet sufficient training
and apprenticeship programs which prepare workers for jobs
in the building trades are lacking; and

WHEREAS, local governments together with the business
community and the workforce and education systems must
identify strategies needed to address the skills
requirements demanded by the local labor market; and

WHEREAS, comprehensive skills training and education
strategies must be part of local job training systems that
align with the labor market demands of local economies
where businesses – the end users of the system – are
located,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to:
Strengthen the Workforce Investment Act by increasing
funding, improving regional and private-sector
coordination, and expanding outreach to immigrants;
Provide incentives for public-private partnerships in
workforce development;
Provide additional training and apprenticeship programs
which prepare workers for jobs in the building trades;
Enlist regional employers as partners having a vested
interest in the success of workforce development programs;
Provide adequate funding for federal programs which have
demonstrated success in developing a competitive workforce,
such as summer youth employment, Youth Incentive
Entitlement Pilot Projects, adult education/G.E.D,

•
•
•
•
•

205

literacy, Pell grants, TRIO, vocational education, and
incumbent worker programs; and
9.
•
•

•
•
•

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors calls
on business leaders to:
Invest in workforce education and career exploration
counseling for high school students;
Encourage employees (especially within large businesses) to
participate in workforce development programs available in
high schools, particularly those with lower college
placement rates;
Work with educators and local leaders to develop
appropriate curriculum that is responsive to regional
workforce trends;
Collaborate with state education and workforce leaders to
identify key regional job trends;
Support federal and state standards-based education.

Projected Cost: Unknown

206

Resolution No.77
Submitted by:
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

INCREASING FUNDING FOR YOUTHBUILD
1.

WHEREAS, there are 2.4 million young low-income adults in
the United States between the ages of 16 and 24 who have
left high school without a diploma or who are unemployed;
and

WHEREAS, in YouthBuild programs, unemployed and
undereducated young people ages 16-24 work toward their GED
or high school diploma while learning job skills by
building affordable housing for homeless and low-income
people; and

WHEREAS, strong emphasis is placed on leadership
development, community service, and the creation of a
207

positive mini-community of adults and youth committed to
success; and
4.

WHEREAS, in YouthBuild programs the most disadvantaged
youth are brought into the productive workforce; and

WHEREAS, in 2006 there were more than 220 YouthBuild
programs in 42 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and
the Virgin Islands, engaging approximately 8,000 young
adults; and

WHEREAS, from 2001 to 2005, 89 percent of YouthBuild
students entered the program without their GED or diploma,
33 percent had been adjudicated, and 27 percent received
public assistance prior to joining YouthBuild and, in spite
of these overwhelming odds, 58 percent completed the
program and 78 percent of graduates went on to college or
jobs averaging $8.41/hour; and

WHEREAS, YouthBuild is a public-private partnership in which
each YouthBuild program secures its own funding, generally a
mix of government (federal, state, and local) and private
support; and

WHEREAS, federal support for YouthBuild was first authorized
under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
in 1992 and reauthorized within the Workforce Investment
Act under the U.S. Department of Labor by the YouthBuild
Transfer Act (Public Law 109-281) in September 2006, when
it passed by unanimous consent in both Houses of Congress
and was signed into law by President George W. Bush; and

WHEREAS, since 1993 more than 68,000 YouthBuild students
have produced over 16,000 units of low-income housing; and

10.

WHEREAS, the nation’s ability to reconnect unemployed and
undereducated young adults is critical to workforce
development, crime prevention, and economic development,

11.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal, state, and local
governments to increase their investment in YouthBuild; and

12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors calls
on Congress to increase the level of the annual funding for
the YouthBuild program to at least $140 million; and

208

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors calls
on Congress to ensure that the YouthBuild program is funded
only from the excess of the amount appropriated for the WIA
youth formula program when it is at a level of at least $1
billion and not at the expense of the year-round program.

Projected Cost: Unknown

209

MAKING TANF WORK REQUIREMENTS MORE FLEXIBLE
6.

WHEREAS, forcing individuals into the workforce without the
proper career development skills will not break the cycle
of poverty; and

WHEREAS, although TANF allows three educational activities
– vocational education training, secondary school
attendance, and education directly related to employment –
210

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that TANF work requirements
be waived to allow individuals to attend a community
college or university to develop a career, not just a job;
and

10.

Projected Cost: Unknown

211

Resolution No.78
Submitted by:
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton

PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYMENT
1.

WHEREAS, unemployment and a lack of both skills and quality
jobs are major causes of poverty; and

WHEREAS, in areas of high unemployment and stagnant job
growth it is especially hard for low-skilled workers to
obtain jobs; and

WHEREAS, public service employment would stabilize the
workforce supply and increase wage stability for all
workers; and

WHEREAS, over the years, the U.S. Department of Labor has
funded public service employment programs targeted to
economically disadvantaged or long-term unemployed
individuals on a temporary, short-term basis as a means of
providing income maintenance or human capital development
for workers and valuable services for the community that
would not otherwise have been available; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Labor is currently funding
public service employment efforts through the Youthbuild
program and a waiver provided to the State of Texas which
permits public service employment under a National
Emergency Grant for residents affected by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita,

212

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to
provide funding for a public service employment program
which hires economically disadvantaged and long-term
unemployed individual to work in projects which address
identified community needs.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

213

Resolution No.79
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Francis Slay
Mayor of St. Louis

INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE
1.

WHEREAS, real median income increased by 0.6 percent
between 2004 and 2005, but all of that increase occurred
among the top 20 percent of income earners, and the
percentage change in real median income for each of the
bottom four quintiles declined; and

WHEREAS, since September 1997, the purchasing power of the
minimum wage has deteriorated by 20 percent and, after
adjusting for inflation, the value of the minimum wage is
at its lowest level since 1955; and

WHEREAS, wage inequality has been increasing, in part
because of the declining real value of the minimum wage,
which currently is 31 percent of the average hourly wage of
214

American workers, the lowest level since the end of World
War II,
4.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to increase the
minimum wage from the current level of $5.15 per hour to
$7.25 per hour.

Projected Cost: Unknown

215

Resolution No.80
Submitted by:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Ron Dellums
Mayor of Oakland
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Robert Duffy
Mayor of Rochester (NY)
The Honorable Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles

USING THE TAX CODE TO HELP LOWER INCOME FAMILIES DEVELOP ASSETS
1.

WHEREAS, the Earned Income Tax Credit is the nation’s
largest wage support for low-income workers, currently
benefiting more than 21 million of America’s workers, or
approximately 15 percent of the nation’s labor force; and

WHEREAS, while the EITC is an effective
low-income workers, it does not provide
to most low-wage childless workers, and
are much less likely to qualify for the
worker families; and

WHEREAS, renewing the Saver’s Credit would provide matching
contributions to retirement plans of up to 50 percent for
families earning $50,000 or less per year, up to a maximum
of $1,000; and

216

support for many
needed assistance
two-worker families
EITC than one-

WHEREAS, California’s “ReadyReturn” program has reduced the
tax-filing burden for many eligible Californians through
the State’s use of information it already has on hand, such
as that contained in W-2 forms, to provide taxpayers with a
completed return which they can approve and submit to the
State; and

WHEREAS, while most of the major new federal policy
expansions that benefit lower and middle income households
have happened through the tax code, most of the subsidies
available have disparate eligibility standards, are
difficult to understand, and vary between nonrefundable and
refundable tax credits; and

WHEREAS, consolidating all of the existing tax credits into
a Comprehensive Family Tax Credit could expand access to
the various tax credits now available and ease
administrative burdens and costs; and

WHEREAS, savings incentives, such as preferential tax
treatment of IRAs and 401(k)s, do not help low- and
moderate-income families, and nearly two-thirds of the
benefits go to the top 20 percent of income earners; and

WHEREAS, many low-income families and individuals are
forced to go to expensive tax preparation services and thus
spend a significant portion of the tax credits they are due
just to be able to file a return,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States
Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to reform the
federal tax code so that the benefits available to lower
income families will be increased, simplified, and easier
to access; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that specific reforms to the
federal tax code include:
Substantially expanding the EITC so that it better rewards
hard working, lower income families and expands eligibility
for single adults by increasing the maximum benefit for
childless, single adults from $399 to $1,600, allowing twoincome households to deduct the lower of the two incomes
from their eligibility, indexing the EITC to the minimum
wage, and simplifying regulations to fit the current
demographics and ensure that it is helping the people who
need it most;

•

217

•
•
•

•
•
•
12.

Increasing and making refundable the federal Saver’s
Credit, which provides matching contributions to families,
providing further incentives for families to save;
Adopting California’s “ReadyReturn” program, which would
greatly simplify tax compliance for the great majority of
Americans who do not itemize their taxes;
Considering the establishment of a Comprehensive Family Tax
Credit which would pool together the many different
policies that currently support lower income, working
families;
Creating a single, consolidated Jobs Tax Credit to create
jobs in high poverty areas;
Providing tax credits to employers and financial
institutions that match savings of low-income employees and
consumers;
Increasing 410(k) participation by encouraging companies to
auto-enroll employees; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that free tax preparation services
be available to lower income working families and
individuals, and that an extensive outreach campaign be
undertaken to encourage eligible families to take advantage
of them.

Projected Cost: Unknown

218

Resolution No.81
Submitted by:
The Honorable Graham Richard
Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Honorable Virg Bernero
Mayor of Lansing, Michigan
The Honorable Martin Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Honorable Adrian M. Fenty
Mayor of the District of Columbia
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin, Texas
The Honorable Theresa Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa

ADOPTING EPA’S ENERGY STAR CHALLENGE TO REDUCE ENERGY USE IN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUILDINGS
1.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted strong policy resolutions for cities and the
federal government to take action to reduce fossil fuel
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and

WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), the international community’s most respected
assemblage of scientists, has determined that climate
disruption is a reality and that human activities are
largely responsible for increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gas emissions, the major cause of global
warming; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. commercial building sector is a major
consumer of energy, and is responsible for 18 percent of
national emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas;
and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted policy to address energy efficiency and carbon
neutrality in new buildings; and

219

WHEREAS, many municipalities across the U.S. have adopted
high performance green building principles for municipal
and other buildings; and

WHEREAS, existing buildings within a municipality
represent one of the most significant and immediate
opportunities for cities to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions substantially; and

WHEREAS, cities can lead by example by demonstrating how
green, energy-efficient municipal buildings have reduced
their own energy consumption as well as encouraging
others in their community to do the same; and

WHEREAS, most commercial building operators can reduce
their buildings’ energy use through low and no cost
efforts, or though cost effective improvements; and

WHEREAS, saving energy in a community not only results in
environmental benefits, but also results in economic
savings for the city, businesses, and others which will
have a positive economic impact on the community; and

10.

WHEREAS, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program has issued a
Challenge to America’s buildings to reduce energy use by
10 percent or more, and the EPA estimates that if all
buildings met this goal, by 2015 Americans would reduce
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15
million vehicles, while saving about $10 billion on
energy bills; and

11.

WHEREAS, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program believes that
local governments are key in helping meet this Challenge
– by achieving energy efficiency goals within their own
facilities, providing a model for other building owners
to emulate, and by leveraging their relationships with
building owners within their jurisdiction through
outreach, promotions, and incentives or recognition that
can improve the energy efficiency of America’s buildings;
and

12.

WHEREAS, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program offers a wide
variety of free tools and resources that can be used by
mayors and building operators to improve the energy
efficiency of buildings;

13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference
of Mayors strongly endorses the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Challenge as a key
220

strategy in meeting the goals of the Conference of
Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement ; and
14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
encourages its members to support the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Challenge; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
will encourage its members to join the ENERGY STAR
Challenge and receive access to a variety of free U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s tools and resources as
participants; and

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors, working in conjunction with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program,
will make available tools and resources to its members to
assist them in their efforts to develop plans to meet the
goals of the ENERGY STAR Challenge in all city owned and
operated buildings; and

17.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors, working in conjunction with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program,
will make available tools and resources to its members to
assist them in their efforts to engage building owners
and operators within its members’ jurisdictions to
encourage them to join the ENERGY STAR Challenge and meet
the goals of the Challenge in all buildings in the city;
and

18.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
will work in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and other appropriate organizations to
develop plans to fully implement actions as mentioned
above.

Project Cost: Unknown

221

Resolution No.82
Submitted By:
The Honorable Martin J. Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
GRIDWISETM AND SMART GRID POLICIES
1.

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted strong policy resolutions calling for cities,
communities and the federal government to take actions to
reduce global warming pollution; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has declared that
climate change could have severe economic and
environmental impacts on U.S. cities in the coming
decades; and

WHEREAS, power plants produce 39 percent of the
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, electricity demand is predicted to increase by
40 percent in the next 20 years with a significant
percentage of that occurring in the next nine years; and

WHEREAS, on April 2-3, 2003, 65 senior executives
representing the electric utility industry, equipment
manufacturers, information technology providers, Federal
and state government agencies, interest groups,
universities, and National Laboratories met and reported
their findings in the Department of Energy Report “GRID
2030” A NATIONAL VISION FOR ELECTRICITY’S SECOND 100
YEARS stating that America’s electric system is aging,
inefficient, and congested, and incapable of meeting the
future energy needs of the Information Economy without
operational changes and substantial capital investment
over the next several decades; and

WHEREAS, accessible, abundant, and affordable electric
power is one of the cornerstones of the U.S. economy; and

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WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors believes that an
efficient, affordable electricity transmission and
distribution system is a cornerstone of our national
prosperity and American way of life; and

WHEREAS, with a business-as-usual solution, the U.S. must
invest a minimum of $450 billion in conventional
electric infrastructure — generation, transmission, and
distribution — over the next 20 years just to meet demand
for a growing population and economy; and

WHEREAS, GridWise TM and Smart Grid concepts are
initiatives to stimulate the development and adoption of
an intelligent energy system that enables more effective
use of the existing U.S. electric system and is an
important first step in reducing the harmful effects of
greenhouse gas emissions, combating global warming and
saving billions of dollars in antiquated infrastructure
investment; and

10.

WHEREAS, these concepts promote digital automation of the
entire power supply system—from generator to consumer—to
improve reliability and efficiency; and

11.

WHEREAS, the U.S. electrical infrastructure will evolve
as a highly automated and interconnected network
stewarding the environment in a responsible manner and
enabling growth of the national economy; and

12.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference
of Mayors endorses the implementation of GridWise TM Smart
Grid Policies. The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges
mayors from around the nation to join this effort and to
add intelligent energy systems to their climate change
and energy efficiency efforts. Connecting smart buildings
with a smart gird will have a greater impact on energy
efficiency, further the reduction of GHG emissions, and
increase the reliability, security and economic viability
of the US Electric grid.

Project Cost: Unknown

223

Resolution No.12
Submitted by:
The Honorable Heather Fargo
Mayor of Sacramento

ENDORSING FEDERAL POLICIES TO INCREASE RESIDENTIAL ENERGY
EFFICIENCY USING STRATEGICALLY-PLANTED TREES
1.

WHEREAS, America’s mayors are committed to improving energy
efficiency across the country; and,

WHEREAS, reducing domestic demand for energy is one of the
central components of a comprehensive strategy to fight
global warming; and

WHEREAS, energy devoted to heating and cooling homes
accounts for more than half of all residential electricity
usage in the United States; and

WHEREAS, strategically-planted trees serve the dual purpose
of creating shade in the summer and protection from cold
winds during the winter; and

WHEREAS, shade trees planted in targeted locations near
homes can reduce residential electrical demand by up to 25
percent in the summer and up to 30 percent in the winter;
and

WHEREAS, urban trees absorb carbon dioxide, ozone,
nitrogen, and cancer-causing particulate matter pollution;
and

WHEREAS, certain West Coast cities have generated a $2.80
return investment on every dollar spent to expand urban
tree cover; and

WHEREAS, the City of Sacramento, California in partnership
with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the
Sacramento Tree Foundation have already helped conserve 16
megawatts of electricity by distributing over 400,000 free
shade trees to rate-paying customers;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors affirms the effectiveness of strategically-planted
shade trees in improving energy efficiency; and
224

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
encourages the development of federal policies to expand
proven residential tree-planting programs in cities and
communities across the country; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
pledges to work with federal policymakers to broaden the
use of strategically-planted trees with the aim of
increasing residential energy efficiency, improving public
health, and fighting global warming.

Project Cost: Unknown

225

Resolution No.51
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mark Begich
Mayor of Anchorage

A RESOLUTION TO DEVELOP NEW MODELS STRENGTHENING LOW-INCOME HOME
OWNERSHIP INTEGRATING WEATHERIZATION, HOME REHABILITATION AND
RELATED PROGRAM RESOURCES
1.

WHEREAS, home ownership is one of the primary vehicles for
low- and moderate-income families to build assets and
strengthen neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, rising energy prices and sub-prime lending is
threatening the ability of millions of low-income families
to own and retain their homes; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has established many
programs to sustain low-income housing and dedicates a
considerable sum of resources to this area; and

WHEREAS, because these programs were not designed with
coordination
amongst them in mind, their varied
requirements unnecessarily increase the administrative
burden on local governments and the agencies that deliver
these services and prevent attaining the full potential
they could realize if used to promote low-income home
ownership in a coordinated, synergistic way; and

WHEREAS, some of the barriers to achieving a synergistic
effect of federal
programs amongst each other and with
others have been the varied requirements each federal
program has in defining and documenting household income,
proof of homeownership, qualification of a housing unit for
repeat assistance (even after the useful life of prior
assistance has ended or ownership has changed), and the
impact of minor repairs on historic properties; and
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United States
Conference of Mayors supports the federal government
granting Mayors the ability to request waivers from the
HUD, HHS and DOE that simplify and encourage integration of
program resources including the stream-lining of program
requirements to support models of low income homeownership
that build on lessons learned by Mayors participating in
the WRAP Partnership to provide low- and moderate-income
homeowners alternatives to predatory lending when they seek
energy efficiency, accessibility, and health and safety
home-improvements.

Project Cost: Unknown

227

Resolution No.83
Submitted by:
The Honorable Mark Begich
Mayor of Anchorage
The Honorable David Berger
Mayor of Lima
The Honorable Patrick Hays
Mayor of North Little Rock
The Honorable Brian Wahler
Mayor of Piscataway
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin

PROMOTING DOMESTIC SOURCES OF ENERGY FOR AMERICA
1.

WHEREAS, the United States imports up to 64 percent of the
petroleum and 19 percent of the natural gas our nation
uses, forcing Americans to suffer from huge spikes in the
price of international oil and gas; and

WHEREAS, the nation's dependence on imported oil results in
the purchase of much of that oil from nations whose foreign
policy aims and human rights standards do not coincide with
those of the United States; and

WHEREAS, dependence on foreign energy sources has
threatened national security and put our military forces in
harm's way in order to ensure that energy supplies are not
disrupted; and.

WHEREAS, there is high potential for oil and gas
development in North America and especially Alaska, where
30 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves of natural gas
are currently on the North Slope, and vast unproven
reserves exist throughout Alaska; and

WHEREAS, construction of a 2,000-mile, 52-inch-diameter
Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline would create thousands of goodpaying jobs for American workers and could fire American
steel mills with the 6 million tons of steel necessary to
build this pipeline; and
228

WHEREAS, an Alaska gas pipeline would deliver nearly 4.5
billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to American homes
and factories, almost 8 percent of domestic gas consumption
at current rates, and

WHEREAS, natural gas is a cleaner-burning, environmentally
friendly fuel which will help the nation reduce impacts on
global climate change;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors recognizes the importance of fueling America’s
economic engine through a steady supply of inexpensive
energy such as that which could be provided by Alaska; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
endorse, pending completion of appropriate environmental
review, a project to bring Alaska gas to market and that
any such project must ensure full pipeline safety to
protect the public and environment.

Project Cost: Unknown

229

Resolution No.84
Submitted By:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
The Honorable Frank Cownie
Mayor of Des Moines

PROMOTION OF CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
1.

WHEREAS, all people have a right to clean, reliable sources
of energy; and,

WHEREAS, the health of the planet, including its oceans,
wildlands, rivers, air, and climate, face increasing
threats from our continued dependence on fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, the United States comprises only 5% of the world’s
population, but consumes 26% of the world’s energy; and,

WHEREAS, the United States’ overwhelming dependence on
fossil fuels makes its economy increasingly vulnerable to
destabilizing fuel price fluctuations and shortages; and,

WHEREAS, the United States’ electric utility sector ranks
first among U.S. industries emitting toxic pollution, as
listed in the federal Toxic Release Inventory, releasing 1
billion pounds of toxic substances in 2004, more than the
chemical, paper, plastics and refining industries combined;
and
230

WHEREAS, increased domestic production of oil is an
unsustainable and environmentally damaging alternative to
foreign sources of oil; and

WHEREAS, the full societal costs of reliance upon fossil
fuels are not reflected in retail prices for energy, due to
a wide array of subsidies and long-term environmental
degradation; and

WHEREAS, the artificially deflated costs of energy in the
United States lead to an enormous waste of energy through
inefficient vehicle fuel economy, appliances, and
industries; and

WHEREAS, numerous technologies for producing abundant
energy from clean renewable sources currently exist, such
as wind, solar, and geothermal electricity, and alternative
fuels for vehicles; and

10.

WHEREAS, widespread adoption and encouragement of these
technologies by United States energy policy would
substantially reduce the need to produce energy from fossil
fuels; and

11.

WHEREAS, numerous United States cities have already
initiated their own policies to support development of
renewable energy technologies and use of alternative fuels,
and, in so doing, have reduced their dependence on fossil
fuels, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced energy
consumption, and saved taxpayer dollars.

12.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors urges the United States government to
develop, adopt, and implement a comprehensive energy policy
focused on (1) reducing the United States’ dependence on
fossil fuels, (2) dramatically increasing the production of
energy and fuel from clean, sustainable, and renewable
sources, and (3) appropriate pricing of fossil fuels to
reflect actual societal and environmental costs and to
encourage conservation.

Projected Cost: Unknown

231

Resolution No.85
Submitted by:
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose
The Honorable Frank Cownie
Mayor of Des Moines

PROVIDING COMPARABLE INCENTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE
ENERGY BY PUBLIC ENTITIES
1.

WHEREAS, there continues to be strong and growing support
for increased production from renewable and clean energy
resources at the local, state and federal level; and

WHEREAS, Congress has consistently provided privately-owned
energy companies with tax code-based incentives for such
investments (such as the Section 45 production tax credit,
PTC); and

WHEREAS, not-for-profit public power systems and rural
electric cooperatives, which together serve twenty-five
percent of America’s electric consumers, have long sought a
comparable incentive for this type of development; and

WHEREAS, Congress created the Renewable Energy Production
Incentive (REPI) in 1992, to provide a comparable incentive
to produce renewable energy for these not-for-profit
utilities; and

232

WHEREAS, REPI depends on annual appropriations and has
never received sufficient funds to meet the significant
demand for this program; and

WHEREAS, Congress sought to address this situation by
including the Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program in
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 05), whereby public
power systems and rural electric cooperatives were to
receive financial incentives comparable to the production
tax credit provided to for-profit companies; and

WHEREAS, authorization for the CREB program has been
limited by a cap on the available bond authority, which
weakens the comparability to the PTC, as the use of the PTC
is unlimited except in terms of entities that can use it;
and

WHEREAS, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which
implements the CREB program, has development an allocation
methodology for CREBs that gives preference to small
projects over large projects.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Congress continue to
provide appropriations for the Renewable Energy Production
Incentive

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors urges Congress to extend the CREB program for
multiple years beyond 2008 in conjunction with and for the
same term as it extends the production tax credit and
investment tax credit for the for-profit utility sector;
and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors urges Congress to eliminate the volume cap on the
CREB program and modify the allocation methodology to
create more parity among large and small renewable
projects.

Project Cost:

Unknown

233

Resolution No.86
Submitted by:
The Honorable Elaine N. Walker
Mayor of Bowling Green
The Honorable Brian C. Wahler
Mayor of Piscataway
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin

FORMATION OF A FEDERAL TAX POLICY FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, CLEAN
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE PROTECTION
1.

WHEREAS, the Congress has traditionally used federal tax
policy to encourage individuals and businesses to invest in
ways that help the nation meet national objectives and
priorities; and

WHEREAS, the United States currently accounts for five
percent of the world’s population, but produces 30% of the
world’s greenhouse gases; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations and other prominent research
organizations have now concluded that global warming is
significantly caused by human behavior and the emission of
greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere; and

WHEREAS, any comprehensive national policy to reduce the
emission of greenhouse gases must include investment in the
development of alternative energy technologies and
distribution systems; the replacement of older heating and
cooling equipment with more energy efficient systems; and
the development and construction of more energy efficient
transportation systems; and

WHEREAS, current Federal tax policy includes tax
preferences to technologies and industries that are major
contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors calls on Congress to pass comprehensive tax
legislation that provides new and/or increased tax
preferences for the development and application of
technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
234

including but not limited to alternative energy
technologies such as wind, solar and biomass; energy
retrofits for industrial and commercial buildings and
homes; alternative transportation fuel technologies such as
hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars, trucks, and buses; and
development incentives for public transportation and mass
transit systems, and
7.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress conduct a study to
identify current tax preferences that encourage the use of
technologies that contribute significantly to greenhouse
gas emissions and consider their elimination.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

235

Resolution No.87
Submitted by;
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Tom Potter
Mayor of Portland, OR
The Honorable RT Rybak
Mayor of Minneapolis
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Tom Menino
Mayor of Boston
The Honorable Martin Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa, WI
The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Rosemarie Ives
Mayor of Redmond, WA
The Honorable George Heartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids, MI
The Honorable David Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
236

The Honorable Marty Blum
Mayor of Santa Barbara
The Honorable Kenneth Flatto
Mayor of Fairfield, CT
The Honorable Bill Bogaard
Mayor of Pasadena, CA
The Honorable Jerry Abramson
Mayor of Louisville
The Honorable John Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Mark Begich
Mayor of Anchorage
The Honorable Jerry Sanders
Mayor of San Diego
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose
The Honorable David Smith
Mayor of Newark, CA
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Oscar Goodman
Mayor of Las Vegas
The Honorable Frank Cownie
Mayor of Des Moines

ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS FEDERAL CLIMATE POLICY FRAMEWORK
1.

WHEREAS, as evidenced by recent reports by the
International Panel on Climate Change, the scientific
consensus is increasingly clear that climate disruption is
happening, that it is human-induced, and that we need
strong, immediate and sustained action to avert the most
severe environmental, health and economic impacts on our
communities and nation; and

237

WHEREAS, cities must -- and do -- play a critical role in
the fight against global warming, both as laboratories for
climate solutions and as first responders to climate
impacts;

WHEREAS, more than 500 mayors representing more than 65
million people across the country already have signed onto
the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging to
take local action to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in their communities, and to support stronger
federal policy and action, as well; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has established a
Mayors’ Climate Protection Task Force and a Climate
Protection Center to increase and support participation in
the Agreement; and

WHEREAS, many other public and private institutions are
taking similar action, through efforts such as the American
College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and the
Cool Counties Initiative; and

WHEREAS, many states are taking strong, collaborative
action to reduce climate pollution through programs such as
the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (in which 11
Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states are participating) and
the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative (in which
six western states are participating);

WHEREAS, the US Climate Action Partnership, whose members
include Alcoa, BP America, Duke Energy, General Electric
and Lehman Brothers, along with the Natural Resources
Defense Council, environmental Defense and the Pew Center
on Global Climate Change, has called on Congress to specify
a target aimed at reducing emissions by 60 percent to 80
percent from current levels by 2050; and

WHEREAS, a growing number of economic studies, such as the
2007 Stern Report by British economist Sir Nicholas Stern,
suggest that the costs of climate disruption to the global
economy are likely to far exceed the costs of taking action
to reduce the emissions that cause the problem;

WHEREAS, a Military Advisory Board of 11 retired admirals
and generals released a study called “National Security and
the Threat of Climate Change,” which found climate change
to be a "threat multiplier for instability in some of the
most volatile regions of the world," creating breeding
238

grounds for extremism and terrorism and found that climate
change raised tensions even in stable regions and presented
a serious national security threat that could affect
Americans at home and impact US military operations; and
10.

WHEREAS, while these and similar efforts make a difference
and must continue, stronger federal policy and action is
urgently necessary to avoid more severe environmental and
economic impacts in our communities and nation, and to
prepare for and respond to climate impacts; and

11.

WHEREAS, to help guide federal policy and action, more than
a dozen mayors around the nation developed a US Mayors’
Federal Climate Policy Framework, which reads:

The U.S. Mayors’ Federal Climate Policy Framework
Global climate disruption poses significant and urgent
challenges to America’s cities, ranging from increased strain on
our water supply and storm water management systems to more
frequent and dangerous weather events, and heat waves. At the
same time, the transition to more climate-friendly technologies
and development practices presents exciting economic
opportunities for our communities -- and for the nation as-awhole -- ranging from cost-savings for our families and
businesses to new prospects for our companies and entrepreneurs.
Meeting these challenges, and seizing these opportunities, is a
shared responsibility -- a partnership. Success will require an
unprecedented collaboration among all levels of government, as
well as the private and nonprofit sectors -- in the U.S. and
around the world.
We mayors are striving to do our part. We have signed the US
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging not only to
support strong state and federal climate protection policies,
but to take direct action to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in our own communities. And we are taking action. We
are implementing climate-friendly land-use policies and
investing in public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure. We are aggressively promoting energy and water
conservation and recycling. We are committing to climatefriendly building, fleet management and purchasing practices, in
our governments and in our communities. We are educating and
engaging our residents and our businesses. And much more.
We need support from the federal government, in the form of a
strong federal regulatory and policy framework, substantial
239

research and development on climate-friendly technologies, and
funding for cities striving both to reduce emissions and to
manage the impacts of climate disruption on our infrastructure
and communities. We call upon the 110th Congress and the
Executive Branch of the federal government to partner with us to
meet the global warming challenge, and to fully capitalize on
the enormous opportunities inherent in the transition to a
clean-energy, low-carbon economy. We ask you to make the issue
one of your top priorities. Specifically, we call for action in
these five areas:
a. National reduction target and program
We need a national target for greenhouse gas emissions
reductions that will protect our communities from dangerous
climate disruption: 80% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. In addition, we need a
market-based system that will help drive innovation and economic
development in our communities. We support a national program
that:
achieves the target of 80% reductions by 2050;
covers multiple sectors of the economy;
includes flexibility mechanisms to foster creative approaches,
allow for the least-cost means of achieving the cap, and guard
against spikes in the price of carbon;
recognizes that different regions of the country will be
affected differently from the design of a cap and trade system;
and
rewards energy efficiency, renewable energy, innovative energy
technologies (including research and development), and earlyactors.
b. Climate-Friendly Transportation and Land Use Policies
We need federal transportation and land-use policies that will
reduce air pollution and climate disruption in and around our
cities; improve the health of those who live, work and play in
our communities; and provide affordable mobility for our
residents and businesses. We support climate-friendly
transportation and land-use policies that:
Promote compact, transit-, bicycle-, and pedestrian-friendly
urban communities;
Significantly increase average fuel efficiency of the entire
U.S. fleet in the near-term;
Aggressively support the development and use of renewable biobased vehicle fuels and electric vehicles such as plug-in
hybrids;

240

Substantially reduce the number of miles that the U.S. fleet
drives while making mobility more affordable, easier and more
accessible;
Increase public transit, bicycling and walking opportunities;
Significantly increase the overall efficiency of the entire U.S.
transportation system—including airplanes, boats, railroad,
buses, and trucks—for both people and goods.
c.

Climate-Friendly Energy Policies

We need federal energy policies that will reduce air pollution
and climate disruption in and around our cities, save our
residents and businesses money by lowering energy costs, bolster
local economic development by creating jobs and new business
opportunities in our communities, and increase the reliability
and safety of our energy infrastructure. We support climatefriendly energy policies and investments that:
Fund and implement widespread efficiency and conservation
efforts in all sectors and make resources available to
municipalities to carry out local conservation programs;
Aggressively promote energy-efficient technologies and
significantly increase the energy efficiency of the built
environment; and
Substantially increase the production of renewable energy.
d.

Climate-Friendly Federal Government Facilities & Operations

We mayors have found leadership-by-example on climate protection
to be a very powerful tool, not only for reducing climate
pollution in our cities, but also for saving money, accelerating
local markets for climate-friendly products and services, and
inspiring others to reduce emissions. The federal government
must lead by example as well. We support policies and programs
such as the following:
Conduct a greenhouse gas emissions inventory of the Federal
government’s operations and facilities, set a reduction target,
and track and report periodically on progress;
Develop a federal procurement policy to ensure that all products
purchased are as climate-friendly as possible;
Transition federal vehicle fleets to highly fuel efficient
and/or alternative fuel vehicles;
Require that all new or remodeled federal buildings, including
all building projects that receive federal funding, meet the
American Institute of Architects’ “2030 Challenge.”
e. Managing climate impacts on local communities

241

While we must remain vigilant in our efforts to reduce global
warming pollution, we also must prepare for the impacts of
climate disruption that may occur -- and in some cases already
are occurring -- in our cities. We need federal policies and
funding that will enable local communities to identify their
vulnerabilities in the face of the climate disruption, and that
will support local efforts to minimize, prepare for and adapt to
these impacts. Examples include:
Fund research that will identify in greater detail the most
likely local effects of climate change;
Require that all long-range federal planning and projects—
including planning for emergency response systems,
transportation infrastructure, national security and so on—take
climate change into full consideration; and
Provide funding for efforts of local communities to adapt major
infrastructure (such as water, sewer, transportation, and
electricity) for climate change.
12.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors endorses 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions from 1990 levels by 2050 as the necessary and
appropriate goal for our nation -- and the long-term target
toward which our individual communities also should strive.

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference endorses
the US Mayors’ Federal Climate Policy Framework, and urges
the U.S. Congress and the federal government to incorporate
this Framework into the development of all federal policies
and programs on climate protection.

Project Cost: Unknown

242

Resolution No.88
Submitted By:
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable James Brainard
Mayor of Carmel
The Honorable Martin J. Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Elaine Walker
Mayor of Bowling Green
The Honorable Theresa Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa
SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF AN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BLOCK GRANT
1.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted strong policy resolutions for cities,
communities, and the federal government to take actions
to reduce fossil fuel consumption and global warming
pollution; and

WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), the international community’s most respected
assemblage of scientists, has found that climate
disruption is real and that human activities are largely
responsible for increasing concentrations of global
warming pollution; and

WHEREAS, over 500 mayors have signed The U.S. Conference
of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging their
commitment to reducing their communities greenhouse gas
emissions by 7 percent from their 1990 levels;

243

WHEREAS, the nation has faced unprecedented energy
challenges, including rapidly escalating energy costs and
critical choices about energy resources that will affect
the nation’s future economic well-being and security; and

WHEREAS, many cities have been implementing innovative
strategies at the local level including increasing energy
efficiency for public and private buildings, encouraging
energy independence through the use of alternative energy
sources, switching their fleets to alternative fuels and
more fuel efficient vehicles; and building alternative
infrastructure to encourage their citizens to utilize
other forms of greener transportation; and

WHEREAS, local governments have also implemented programs
that reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
reutilization of resources, reduction of energy
consumption, and improving the environment through waste
reduction and recycling programs, encouraging waste-toenergy technology, and capturing methane in landfills;
and

WHEREAS, many local governments have worked cooperatively
with the private sector to implement innovative energysaving and environmental strategies that have resulted in
energy and cost savings while improving the environment;
and

WHEREAS, Mayors throughout the nation have been educating
their constituents on these issues and through leading by
example have positively influenced change in their
citizens behavior and practices;

WHEREAS, the Conference of Mayors has held two national
Energy and Environment Summits that have highlighted
these types of innovative programs that Mayors and their
local governments have been implementing that have
resulted in the reduction of energy use, lower energy
costs, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and
overall improving the environment; and

WHEREAS, many of these programs could be expanded or
replicated throughout the country, thereby resulting in
nationwide reductions in energy use which will increase
our nation’s energy independence and competitiveness
while improving our national and global environment; and

244

10.

WHEREAS, many cities have not been able to expand or
implement the full range of these types of programs due
to budgetary constraints; and

11.

WHEREAS, the federal government, by supporting these
types of local activities, would demonstrate its
commitment to help solve some of the most important
issues facing the nation – energy independence, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, and improving the environment;
and

12.

WHEREAS, the Conference of Mayors has previously called
for the creation of an Energy and Environmental Block
Grant program that would provide money directly to city,
county and state governments to implement innovative
energy saving and environmental strategies;

13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference
of Mayors calls on Congress and the Administration to
create an Energy and Environmental Block Grant at the
Department of Energy, modeled after the very successful
Community Development Block Grant program; and

14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Energy and Environment
Block Grant program would provide direct funding to city,
county and state governments for purposes of funding
innovative energy saving strategies that reduce energy
consumption, promote alternative energy sources, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment; and

15.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors encourages Congress to authorize and appropriate
the Energy and Environment Block Grant starting at $4
billion annually.

Project cost:

$4 billion

245

Resolution No.89
Submitted By:
The Honorable Raul Salinas
City of Laredo
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
City of Wauwatosa

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FUNDING
1.

WHEREAS, Environmental Education Funding greatly assists
cities expand the scope of services to the community by
addressing environmental issues; and

WHEREAS, many cities, such as the City of Laredo, using
these funds, have initiated an extensive environmental
education campaign, aimed at the youth in our community,
with an emphasis on water quality protection; and

WHEREAS, the goals of the program are to bring awareness of
non-point source pollution and its effects on water quality
to provide pre-school educators with free environmental
education materials and available web-sites with easily
downloadable material, and to form a bridge of
communication and cooperation between environmental
professionals and pre-school educators.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors finds that there is a critical need for educating
the next generation in environmental awareness and that
full and dedicated funding sources for such environmental
education outreach be created.

Projected Cost: Unknown

246

Resolution No.21
Submitted By:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Richard Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of New York
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
City of Wauwatosa
REFORMING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL POLICY
1.

WHEREAS, a strong agriculture conservation program in which
city water utilities are full partners is critical to
247

reducing the environmental impact of farming and to
protecting watersheds and urban drinking water supplies;
and
5.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports the promotion of healthy diets for all
residents, including strengthening incentives and
infrastructure to encourage more fruit/vegetable
production, organic farming, better access to fresh foods
and investment in programs promoting healthy food,
expansion of programs that help communities invest in
retail markets, food-based businesses and increasing access
to farmers markets, farm-to-cafeteria programs that bring
the freshest, locally grown food into school lunch
programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED The U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports increasing the minimum food stamp benefits,
revising asset limits, removing the residency cap for legal
non-citizens, simplifying the application and renewal
process of the food stamp program, and developing
incentives to encourage food stamp recipients to increase
their consumption of fruits and vegetables; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED RESOVLED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports strengthening The Emergency Food Assistance
Program (TEFAP), and fully funding the Commodity
Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges Congress to strengthen and expand agriculture
conservation programs as a strategic investment in our
country's agricultural infrastructure, including improving
air and water quality and the protection of urban water
sheds, to sufficiently fund agriculture conservation
programs and make water utility watershed management
programs eligible for funding under the Partnerships and
Cooperation Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
supports investments in infrastructure, entrepreneurship
programs and facilities that process, distribute and
develop value-added products using locally-grown
commodities purchased from small and mid-sized local
farmers to meet the demand for local, healthy food.

Projected Cost: Unknown

248

Resolution No.90
Submitted By:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Ross 'Rocky' Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
The Honorable R.T. Rybak
Mayor of Minneapolis

IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL WATER
1.

WHEREAS, the United States’ municipal water systems are
among the finest in the world; and

WHEREAS, high quality, safe drinking water is already
available at most public locations; and

WHEREAS, mayors are responsible for delivering safe and
affordable water to our citizens; and

WHEREAS, local governments invest approximately $43 billion
a year for pure drinking water and treating wastewater; and

WHEREAS, US consumers spend more than $11 billion a year on
bottled water; and

WHEREAS, bottled water costs more than an equivalent volume
of gasoline, equivalent to 1,000 to 10,000 times more than
tap water; and

WHEREAS, more than a quarter of bottled water is sourced
from municipal tap water; and

WHEREAS, bottled water must travel many miles from the
source, resulting in the burning of massive amounts of
fossil fuels, releasing CO2 and other pollution into the
atmosphere; and

WHEREAS, plastic water bottles are one of the fastest
growing sources of municipal waste; and

10.

WHEREAS, in the U.S. the plastic bottles produced for water
require 1.5 million barrels of oil per year, enough to
249

generate electricity for 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars
for a year; and
11.

WHEREAS, we applaud The US Conference of Mayors for its
National City Water Taste Test, which recognizes all of the
great work municipal water systems do for its residents on
a daily basis, year after year; and

12.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The US Conference of
Mayors conduct a detailed study of the importance of
municipal water and the impact of bottled water on
municipal waste.

Projected Cost: Unknown

250

Resolution No.11
Submitted By:
The Honorable George K. Heartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Kwame M. Kilpatrick
Mayor of Detroit
The Honorable Virg Bernero
Mayor of Lansing
The Honorable Brenda L. Lawrence
Mayor of Southfield
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa

COMBATING THE EMERALD ASH BORER IN OUR NATION’S CITIES
1.

WHEREAS, the ash tree, which makes up six percent of the
nation’s forests and parks, provides an urban canopy for
America’s cities; and

WHEREAS, the emerald ash borer has devastated ash trees
throughout the country, costing cities millions of dollars
to remove and replace infested ash trees; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the states mentioned above,
Maryland and Virginia have also reported outbreaks of the
emerald ash borer; and

251

WHEREAS, although cities are working to develop action
plans to help combat the spread of the emerald ash borer,
more resources are needed;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the United States Congress
should provide cities and localities all the necessary
resources to help remove and replace trees infested by the
emerald ash borer; and

Projected Cost:

Unknown

252

Resolution No.91
Submitted By:
The Honorable Richard M. Daley
Mayor of Chicago
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable John F. Street
Mayor of Philadelphia
The Honorable Chuck Reed
Mayor of San Jose
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
City of Wauwatosa

INCREASING FEDERAL ROLE IN THE ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND
FINANCING OF CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
1.

WHEREAS, every U.S. city plays a vital role in our nation’s
economy, serving as centers of transportation, technology,
and education for all citizens; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. will not experience a first-class economy
without a first-class infrastructure and the critical role
that cities play in the national economy suggests that
local infrastructure needs should be a national issue of
priority; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2005 Urban Mobility Report,
gridlock, decaying roads and bridges, and deteriorating
transportation systems are costing the U.S. economy
billions in lost productivity; and

WHEREAS, federal investment in infrastructure, as a
percentage of federal spending, continues to decline
creating a substantial funding void for major
infrastructure projects; and

WHEREAS, federal agencies continue to hand down mandates
related to the development, operation, and maintenance of
major infrastructure projects to state and local
governments but fail to provide the funding necessary to
achieve these mandates; and
253

WHEREAS, the nation’s infrastructure was graded by the
American Society of Civil Engineers, and the average grade
was “D,” or poor, for all infrastructure including
aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous
waste, navigable waterways, public parks and recreation,
rail, roads, schools, security, solid waste, transit, and
wastewater; and

WHEREAS, estimates to simply maintain the current condition
of our public infrastructure exceeds existing revenue
streams at all levels of government; and

WHEREAS, while progress has been made in the last decade at
the federal, state and local level to better manage our
public infrastructure, this progress has generally been in
the form of sporadic, stop-gap efforts and is not
reflective of the broader, large-scale investment needed
for operations, maintenance, and improvement of our public
infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. economy and the quality of life for many
Americans rests on this nation’s network of critical
infrastructure, and to allow our major public
infrastructure to deteriorate is to allow our economy to
fail and to invite a national crisis;

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors urges Congress to immediately address
the country’s infrastructure financing gap through shortterm measures such as expanding the use of flexible tolling
provisions and extending to all infrastructure projects
those federal policy options that enable public-private
partnerships and stimulate greater investment by the
private sector, such as Private Activity Bonds, as well as
longer-term strategies for the future such as the
development of a more progressive alternative
transportation funding system like Mileage/Weight Based
Revenue systems; and

11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors strongly urges Congress to make our nation’s
critical infrastructure a top funding priority so as to
ensure that all infrastructure of regional and national
significance (including aviation, bridges, dams, drinking
water, energy, hazardous waste, navigable waterways, public
parks and recreation, rail, roads, schools, libraries,
security, solid waste, transit, and wastewater) receives
254

adequate federal funding, as a supplement to state and
local funds, for ongoing maintenance and continued
improvement; and
12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors strongly urges Congress recognize the critical role
cities play in the national economy by enacting legislation
that will both reverse the decline in the federal share of
infrastructure financing and require full federal funding
of federally-imposed mandates on state and local
infrastructure projects; and

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors strongly encourages Congress to enact legislation
that will require federal agencies to systematically report
and update critical infrastructure needs so that decisionmakers at all levels of government can prepare to respond
to immediate, short-term and long-term infrastructure
demands and strategically plan for the requisite funding of
those projects and future financing needs.

Projected Cost:

Unknown

255

Resolution No.92
Submitted By:
The Honorable David N. Cicilline
Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
The Honorable Christopher Cabaldon
Mayor of West Sacramento, California
The Honorable Robert J. Duffy
Mayor of Rochester, New York
The Honorable Bill Haslam
Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee
The Honorable Mark Mallory
Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
The Honorable Dannel Malloy
Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut
The Honorable Larry Nelson
Mayor of Yuma, Arizona
The Honorable Raul G. Salinas
Mayor of Laredo, Texas
The Honorable John F. Street
Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Honorable Edwin G. Winborn
Mayor of Davenport, Iowa
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
City of Wauwatosa

SUPPORTING WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION
1.

WHEREAS, cities nationwide are seeking to restore and
reconnect with their waterfronts, which have often been
neglected, degraded, and underutilized; and

WHEREAS, local waterfront revitalization projects have the
potential to create significant public benefits, including
environmental cleanup, job creation, increased tourism, and
recreation; and
256

WHEREAS, cities recognize that there is environmental,
economic and other value in revitalizing waterfronts, and
cities need the federal government as a partner in their
revitalization efforts;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States
Conference of Mayors supports the American Waterfront
Revitalization Coalition’s goals of increasing federal
brownfields funding, restoring funding to the Land and
Water Conservation Fund’s stateside program, improving
federal investment in infrastructure development, enhancing
the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in waterfront
revitalization, and encouraging enactment of Water
Resources Development Act legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of
Mayors calls upon the federal government to collaborate
with cities to pursue these important waterfront
revitalization initiatives.

Projected Cost: Unknown

257

Resolution No.87
Submitted By:
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Mayor of San Francisco
The Honorable Tom Potter
Mayor of Portland, OR
The Honorable RT Rybak
Mayor of Minneapolis
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Mayor of Denver
The Honorable Tom Menino
Mayor of Boston
The Honorable Martin Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Theresa M. Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa, WI
The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
The Honorable Rosemarie Ives
Mayor of Redmond, WA
The Honorable George Heartwell
Mayor of Grand Rapids, MI
The Honorable David Cicilline
Mayor of Providence
258

ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS FEDERAL CLIMATE POLICY FRAMEWORK
1.

259

WHEREAS, cities must -- and do -- play a critical role in
the fight against global warming, both as laboratories for
climate solutions and as first responders to climate
impacts;

WHEREAS, more than 500 mayors representing more than 65
million people across the country already have signed onto
the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging to take
local action to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in their communities, and to support stronger
federal policy and action, as well; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has established a
Mayors’ Climate Protection Task Force and a Climate
Protection Center to increase and support participation in
the Agreement; and

11.

WHEREAS, to help guide federal policy and action, more than
a dozen mayors around the nation developed a US Mayors’
Federal Climate Policy Framework, which reads:

National reduction target and program

We need a national target for greenhouse gas emissions
reductions that will protect our communities from dangerous
climate disruption: 80% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. In addition, we need a
market-based system that will help drive innovation and economic
development in our communities. We support a national program
that:
achieves the target of 80% reductions by 2050;
covers multiple sectors of the economy;
includes flexibility mechanisms to foster creative approaches,
allow for the least-cost means of achieving the cap, and guard
against spikes in the price of carbon;
recognizes that different regions of the country will be
affected differently from the design of a cap and trade system;
and
rewards energy efficiency, renewable energy, innovative energy
technologies (including research and development), and earlyactors.
B.

Climate-Friendly Transportation and Land Use Policies

We need federal transportation and land-use policies that will
reduce air pollution and climate disruption in and around our
cities; improve the health of those who live, work and play in
our communities; and provide affordable mobility for our
residents and businesses. We support climate-friendly
transportation and land-use policies that:
Promote compact, transit-, bicycle-, and pedestrian-friendly
urban communities;
Significantly increase average fuel efficiency of the entire
U.S. fleet in the near-term;
Aggressively support the development and use of renewable biobased vehicle fuels and electric vehicles such as plug-in
hybrids;

262

Climate-Friendly Energy Policies

Climate-Friendly Federal Government Facilities & Operations

Managing climate impacts on local communities

263

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors endorses 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions from 1990 levels by 2050 as the necessary and
appropriate goal for our nation -- and the long-term target
toward which our individual communities also should strive;
and

13.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference endorses
the US Mayors’ Federal Climate Policy Framework, and urges
the U.S. Congress and the federal government to incorporate
this Framework into the development of all federal policies
and programs on climate protection.

Project Cost: Unknown

264

Resolution No.81
Submitted By:
The Honorable Graham Richard
Mayor of Fort Wayne
The Honorable Virg Bernero
Mayor of Lansing
The Honorable Martin Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Adrian M. Fenty
Mayor of the District of Columbia
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable Theresa Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa, WI

ADOPTING EPA’S ENERGY STAR CHALLENGE TO REDUCE ENERGY USE IN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUILDINGS
1.

WHEREAS, the U.S. commercial building sector is a major
consumer of energy, and is responsible for 18 percent of
national emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted policy to address energy efficiency and carbon
neutrality in new buildings; and

265

WHEREAS, many municipalities across the U.S. have adopted
high performance green building principles for municipal
and other buildings; and

WHEREAS, existing buildings within a municipality represent
one of the most significant and immediate opportunities for
cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions
substantially; and

WHEREAS, most commercial building operators can reduce
their buildings’ energy use through low and no cost
efforts, or though cost effective improvements; and

10.

WHEREAS, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program has issued a
Challenge to America’s buildings to reduce energy use by 10
percent or more, and the EPA estimates that if all
buildings met this goal, by 2015 Americans would reduce
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15
million vehicles, while saving about $10 billion on energy
bills; and

11.

WHEREAS, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program believes that
local governments are key in helping meet this Challenge –
by achieving energy efficiency goals within their own
facilities, providing a model for other building owners to
emulate, and by leveraging their relationships with
building owners within their jurisdiction through outreach,
promotions, and incentives or recognition that can improve
the energy efficiency of America’s buildings; and

12.

WHEREAS, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program offers a wide
variety of free tools and resources that can be used by
mayors and building operators to improve the energy
efficiency of buildings;

13.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors strongly endorses the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s ENERGY STAR Challenge as a key strategy in meeting

266

the goals of the Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection
Agreement; and
14.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
encourages its members to support the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Challenge; and

15.

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors,
working in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, will make
available tools and resources to its members to assist them
in their efforts to develop plans to meet the goals of the
ENERGY STAR Challenge in all city owned and operated
buildings; and

17.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors,
working in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, will make
available tools and resources to its members to assist them
in their efforts to engage building owners and operators
within its members’ jurisdictions to encourage them to join
the ENERGY STAR Challenge and meet the goals of the
Challenge in all buildings in the city; and

18.

Projected Cost: Unknown

267

Resolution No.88
Submitted By:
The Honorable Douglas H. Palmer
Mayor of Trenton
The Honorable Manuel Diaz
Mayor of Miami
The Honorable Will Wynn
Mayor of Austin
The Honorable Greg Nickels
Mayor of Seattle
The Honorable James Brainard
Mayor of Carmel
The Honorable Martin J. Chavez
Mayor of Albuquerque
The Honorable Elaine Walker
Mayor of Bowling Green, KY
The Honorable Theresa Estness
Mayor of Wauwatosa, WI

SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF AN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT BLOCK GRANT
1.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously
adopted strong policy resolutions for cities, communities,
and the federal government to take actions to reduce fossil
fuel consumption and global warming pollution; and

WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), the international community’s most respected
assemblage of scientists, has found that climate disruption
is real and that human activities are largely responsible
for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution;
and

WHEREAS, over 500 mayors have signed The U.S. Conference of
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, pledging their
commitment to reducing their communities greenhouse gas
emissions by 7 percent from their 1990 levels;

268

WHEREAS, local governments have also implemented programs
that reduce greenhouse gas emissions through reutilization
of resources, reduction of energy consumption, and
improving the environment through waste reduction and
recycling programs, encouraging waste-to-energy technology,
and capturing methane in landfills; and

WHEREAS, Mayors throughout the nation have been educating
their constituents on these issues and through leading by
example have positively influenced change in their citizens
behavior and practices;

WHEREAS, the Conference of Mayors has held two national
Energy and Environment Summits that have highlighted these
types of innovative programs that Mayors and their local
governments have been implementing that have resulted in
the reduction of energy use, lower energy costs, a
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and overall
improving the environment; and

10.

WHEREAS, many of these programs could be expanded or
replicated throughout the country, thereby resulting in
nationwide reductions in energy use which will increase
our nation’s energy independence and competitiveness while
improving our national and global environment; and

269

11.

WHEREAS, many cities have not been able to expand or
implement the full range of these types of programs due to
budgetary constraints; and

12.

WHEREAS, the federal government, by supporting these types
of local activities, would demonstrate its commitment to
help solve some of the most important issues facing the
nation – energy independence, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, and improving the environment; and

13.

WHEREAS, the Conference of Mayors has previously called for
the creation of an Energy and Environmental Block Grant
program that would provide money directly to city, county
and state governments to implement innovative energy saving
and environmental strategies;

14.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors calls on Congress and the Administration to create
an Energy and Environmental Block Grant at the Department
of Energy, modeled after the very successful Community
Development Block Grant program; and

15.

16.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors
encourages Congress to authorize and appropriate the Energy
and Environment Block Grant starting at $4 billion
annually.

Projected cost:

$4 billion

270

Resolution No.93
Submitted by:
The Honorable Rocky Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City

RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY AND IMMEDIATELY TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS
TRAGEDY IN SUDAN
1.

WHEREAS, a conflict between rebel forces in the Darfur
region of Sudan and forces of the Sudanese government
(along with allied Janjaweed militias) has resulted in
attacks by air and ground forces on tens of thousands of
innocent people and undefended villages throughout the
Darfur region; and

WHEREAS, more than 400,000 deaths in the region can be
attributed to violence, disease, and malnutrition because
of the conflict. Over two million five hundred thousand
people have been forced from their homes by the Sudanese
government troops and Janjaweed militias, approximately
300,000 of them having sought refugee protection in
neighboring Chad; and

WHEREAS, Janjaweed militias have recently launched
successful attacks on refugees and Chadian civilians
within Chad, and have likewise launched attacks on
civilians in Darfur with direct military support from the
Sudanese government;

WHEREAS, the United States Department of State estimates
that at least 500 Sudanese villages have been
systematically attacked and destroyed, and another 700
Sudanese villages have been damaged; and

WHEREAS, rape has been, and is being utilized as an
instrument of war for the sake of humiliation,
punishment, and breaking the will of the people who have
remained on their lands; and

WHEREAS, a more precise assessment of the scope of the
killing, ethnic cleansing, and other human rights
atrocities (including rapes and torture) has been made
impossible because of obstructions to access imposed by
the Sudanese government; and

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WHEREAS, the Sudanese government has been unwilling to
effectively address the human rights crisis in Darfur and
has been supplying arms to the allied Janjaweed militias
perpetrating violence against African Muslims in Darfur;
and

WHEREAS, Human Rights Watch noted in April 2006 that
“fighting between the Sudanese government and Darfur
rebel movements has escalated in the past six months,
displacing tens of thousands of people, many of whom had
already fled attacks in 2003-2006,” and that “civilians
continue to be targeted for killings, rape, displacement
and looting, mainly by government-backed Janjaweed
militias in Darfur”; and

WHEREAS, significant incidents of violence continue to be
perpetrated against people in the Darfur region of Sudan
via aerial attacks conducted by Sudanese government
warplanes falsely and deceptively bearing the markings of
the United Nations; and

10.

WHEREAS, Human Rights Watch estimates that almost four
million people are affected by the conflict in the Darfur
region. Humanitarian aid agencies and the United Nations
estimate that tens of thousands of civilians are unable
to receive aid, including up to 40% of West Darfur, due
to impediments to the delivery of aid imposed by the
Sudanese government; and

11.

WHEREAS, because of the impediments to access by and acts
of violence, mayhem and intimidation directed toward
representatives of international humanitarian
organizations, hundreds of thousands of displaced
Sudanese are in jeopardy of starvation and illness;

12.

WHEREAS, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, in March 2005 – over two years ago – said of the
situation, “The international community has to act on
Darfur. It has to act with great speed. It is a
humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis, and it is a
crisis that is extraordinary in its scope and in its
potential for even greater damage to those populations,”
and then said on September 27, 2006 that “the government
of Sudan must immediately and unconditionally accept a
U.N. peacekeeping force into Darfur,” and that “the time
for stalling has passed;” and

272

13.

WHEREAS, the United States and much of the international
community turned a blind eye to the murders, rapes and
torture of millions of people, as well as the ethnic
cleansing and other massive human rights abuses during
the Holocaust, and in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia,
Srebrenica and Southern Sudan; and

14.

WHEREAS, there has been general agreement that “Never
Again” will we allow such genocides and atrocities to
humanity to occur; and

15.

WHEREAS, effective measures can be taken by the United
States, by the United Nations, and the international
community to end many of the tragic human rights abuses
occurring in Sudan;

16.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference
of Mayors, for the fourth consecutive year, strongly
urges the U.S. Congress and the Bush Administration, in
collaboration with the United Nations, the African Union,
the European Union and NATO to:
A. initiate steps towards the creation of a NATO enforced
no-fly zone over the Darfur region, putting an end to
aerial attacks;
B. ensure that the U.S. and its allies pay their fair and
equitable share of the expenses associated with the
deployment and maintenance of the current African
Union peacekeeping force and the expected United
Nations/African Union hybrid mission following the
eventual transition from the former to the latter,
until such time as lasting peace and order is restored
in the Darfur region;
C. pass federal legislation ensuring the legality of
state and city legislation which divests state and
city pension funds and other similarly administrated
fiduciaries of holdings of companies determined to be
doing harmful business with the government of Sudan or
with entities with which the government of Sudan has a
pecuniary interest until such time as lasting peace
and order is restored to the Darfur region;
D. cooperate fully with pursue the prosecution by the
International Criminal Court of members of the
Sudanese regime or other individuals who have
contributed to, fostered or furthered the genocide in
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Darfur or have engaged in other crimes against
humanity;
E. take immediate measures to compel the Sudanese
government to allow and guarantee the free movement of
human rights investigators and humanitarian workers in
the Darfur region;
F. take immediate measures to compel the Sudanese
government to cease supplying the allied Janjaweed
militias with arms;
G. take immediate measures to compel the Sudanese
government to fully and unconditionally agree to the
deployment of the United Nations mission authorized in
UN Security Council resolution 1706 and of at least
22,500 international peacekeepers to protect civilians
and help create the stability necessary for the
successful continuation of the peace process;
Projected Cost:

Unknown

274

Resolution No.94
Submitted by:
The Honorable Thomas O’Grady
Mayor of North Olmsted
The Honorable Oscar Goodman
Mayor of Las Vegas
The Honorable Jennifer Hosterman
Mayor of Pleasanton
The Honorable Frank Ortis
Mayor of Pembroke Pines

CALLING ON ALL NATIONS AND ALL WORLD POWERS TO PROHIBIT THE
USE OF ANY WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION AGAINST CITIES AND OTHER
CIVILIAN TARGETS AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO EMBRACE THE CONCEPT
OF PEACE
1.

WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors unanimously
adopted Resolution Number 62 at their national conference
on June 5, 2006, calling upon select nations to discontinue
the practice of targeting cities in the United States for
nuclear attack; and

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the United States Conference
of Mayors to seek the protection of cities and citizens in
the United States and throughout the world from the dangers
arising from the presence of weapons of mass destruction;
and

WHEREAS, an alarming number of countries throughout the
world have nuclear capabilities, and a growing number of
countries are actively working to obtain such capability;
and

WHEREAS, there is a corresponding increase in the number of
countries throughout the world that currently possess, or
are working to develop, other types of weapons of mass
destruction; and

WHEREAS, the International Court of Justice at The Hague,
Netherlands determined in 1996 that the threat or use of
nuclear weapons is unlawful under International
Humanitarian Law; and
275

WHEREAS, the International Court of Justice gave an
advisory opinion on nuclear weapons ten years ago in which
it concluded that all nations are under an obligation “to
pursue negotiations in good faith and bring to a conclusion
measures leading to nuclear disarmament in all its
aspects”; and

WHEREAS, the United States Conference of Mayors stated on
June 28, 2004, “weapons of mass destruction have no place
in a civilized world,” and further called for the
commencement of “negotiations on the prohibition and
elimination of nuclear weapons and nuclear-weapon-related
materials”; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the United States
Conference of Mayors fully supports the elimination of
nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare throughout the
world, and supports the efforts of all nations working to
embrace the concept of peace; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States Conference of
Mayors stand united in opposition to the initiation of
nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare under any
circumstances and regardless of the target; and

10.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the United States Conference of
Mayors shall remain engaged in this matter until our cities
and citizens, and the cities and citizens located
throughout the world, are no longer under the threat of
nuclear, biological, and chemical devastation.

Projected Cost: Unknown

276

Resolution No.1
Submitted By:
The Honorable Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu

INCREASING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES THROUGH
VISA REFORMS, ENTRY IMPROVEMENTS AND PROMOTION
1.

WHEREAS, travel is one of America’s leading exports,
generating $107.8 billion in 2006, and

WHEREAS, travel and tourism creates one of the nation’s
only balance of trade surpluses ($7.2 billion in 2006), and

WHEREAS, international travelers are 74 percent more likely
to have a favorable opinion of America and Americans after
having visited, and

WHEREAS, international travelers are 61 percent more likely
to have a favorable opinion of our nation’s policies after
having visited, and

WHEREAS, travel to the U.S. from overseas destinations has
yet to rebound to pre-9/11 levels, and

WHEREAS, the world travel market is expanding, the U.S.
share has declined 35 percent over the past 15 years,

WHEREAS, international travelers are increasingly deterred
from traveling to the U.S. because of U.S. visa policy and
entry procedures, and

WHEREAS, the United States spends virtually no money to
communicate its improvements in travel-related policies and
procedures or to promote the U.S. as a destination of
choice abroad, and

WHEREAS, U.S. mayors, in conjunction with local destination
marketing organizations, spend significant funds on
promoting their cities domestically and overseas, and in
turn see substantial returns on their investments, and

10.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of
Mayors urges the Administration and the Congress to
implement common-sense visa policy reforms, including the
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reduction of interview wait times, the use of advanced
technology for visa interviews and the strengthening and
expansion of the Visa Waiver Program, and
11.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges the Administration and the Congress to improve
America’s welcome at U.S. ports-of-entry, including
expansion of the model airports program, enhanced customer
service training of Customs officials and implementation of
an international registered traveler program, and

12.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors
urges the Administration and the Congress to initiate a
coordinated communications and promotion campaign to help
increase international travel to the United States.

Projected Cost:

278