The annual winter meeting of the National Conference of Mayors started today, and will last through the week. The meeting’s stated goals include developing national urban policy proposals with a “united voice.”
Attendees vote on proposals for policy resolutions developed at the meeting. The positions that pass are distributed to the President and Congress, and are stated to “collectively represent the views of the nation’s mayors.”
Underlying this year’s meeting is the “Mayors’ 2020 Vision for America: A Call to Action.” It outlines 12 “Strategic Priorities.” Below is a simple list of the priorities. They are organized in three categories – “Infrastructure,” “Innovation,” and “Inclusion.”
Arguably, 11 if not all 12 of these priorities cost a lot of money. There is one priority called “Rewrite the Tax Code to Help Hardworking Americans and Reduce Economic Inequality.” Otherwise, none of the priorities suggest a move toward making government smaller, or cutting expenses, or addressing sometimes-massive shortfalls in funding for state and local government employee retirement benefits.
Maybe that makes sense, however, if your audience is the President and the Congress, and your city needs federal resources.
It will be interesting to watch media coverage of this conference tomorrow.
The 12 “Strategic Priorities”
Infrastructure
- Re-Imagine and Modernize the Nation’s Transportation Infrastructure
- Address Climate Change by Accelerating Clean Energy Use
- Invest in America’s Water and Wastewater Systems
- Promote American Exports, Fair Trade, and International Tourism
Innovation
- Strengthen Education, Improve Schools, and Build the Workforce of the Future
- Embrace Efficient, Effective Modern Technology While Protecting Consumers and Cities
- Rewrite the Tax Code to Help Hardworking Taxpayers and Reduce Economic Inequality
Inclusion
- Make Housing More Affordable and End Homelessness
- Guarantee Access to Affordable Quality Healthcare and Critical Human Services
- Join With Mayors and Police Chiefs to Support Public Safety for All
- Fix our Broken Immigration System
- Protect and Advance Human & Civil Rights