(12/08/08) - (Washington, D.C.)
– The nation’s mayors led by U.S. Conference of Mayors President Miami Mayor
Manny Diaz, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Los Angeles
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and including Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic (past president) today
renewed their call for a MainStreet Recovery plan during the first 100 days of the new
Administration. In a press conference on Capitol Hill with House of
Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel, House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee Chair James Oberstar, Congressional Urban Caucus Chair Chaka
Fattah and several other mayors, The Conference released its second report that
inventories local ‘ready-to-go’ infrastructure projects – projects that
could be started and completed in cities in just two calendar years -- if emergency
federal funding were made available. Information on these projects has been
submitted to the U.S. Conference of Mayors from hundreds of cities in all regions of the
country and includes projects in ten different sectors including Community Development
Block Grants, transit, highway infrastructure, green jobs, school modernization, public
safety and public housing (see details at www.usmayors.org).
Mayor Plusquellic said this morning, "As mayors, we know that by investing in
‘Main Street’ metropolitan economies, which comprise 90% of our gross domestic
product and drive the national economy, we have the most direct path to creating the jobs
and stimulating the business that can begin to reverse the current economic downturn. This
program would help Akron greatly."
Attached: City
of Akron Main Street Stimulus Survey on Infrastructure Job Potential in 2009 (177k pdf
)
*
In this second installment, 427 cities reported a total of
11,391 infrastructure projects costing a total of $73 billion that would create 847,641
jobs.
"We stand ready to help President Elect Obama and the Congress create sustainable
jobs that fix our crumbling infrastructure and promote energy independence," said
U.S. Conference of Mayors President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
"But to work, we must make sure that the funding is spent quickly, and not stuck
in federal or state bureaucracies," he continued.
"Washington has bailed out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion and hopes
its investment will eventually be returned to the taxpayer. But our survey shows
that cities are ‘ready-to-go’ with infrastructure projects that will immediately
employ people, support small businesses, and stimulate ‘Main Street’ economies.
These are real jobs that will bring a guaranteed return on a federal
investment in local economies," Diaz concluded.
This report of city infrastructure projects validates the Conference’s
recommendations to Congress for direct emergency recovery funds that cities can invest
immediately in job creation, small business activity and lasting infrastructure
improvements for Main Street America.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, "A year ago, when the nation's mayors
started talking about infrastructure, it was not being discussed around kitchen tables in
New York City or anywhere else in our country. Today, it's seen as a real way to
grow the economy because this kind of stimulus is not a one-shot deal. In fact,
monies invested through programs like infrastructure generate $1.50 or more per dollar
spent. That's a welcome figure for anyone concerned about balancing a budget, making
a payroll, funding needed services or any combination of the three. And Charlie
Rangel understands that and is working to help Mayors and the cities they lead get started
now. Every city here has projects that are ready to move-- projects that have been vetted
locally, funded locally and will employ locally. Stimulating the economy in this way
will not only leave a valuable asset behind, but will spur real growth."
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (NY), who joined the mayors and
supports their effort has said, "When Congress develops a stimulus plan, it is very
important we do not forget the very hard times our cities are having meeting the needs of
their residents. That is why I am meeting the mayors of several of our major cities
to make sure urban needs are addressed."
"As the unemployment numbers show, the job situation is dire and getting
significantly worse. As each month passes, we are reminded of the rapid
deterioration of the long-term job outlook for Americans. Our metropolitan economies
desperately need help at the Main Street level, and the mayors’ MainStreet Recovery
plan is the answer," said Tom Cochran, Conference CEO and executive director.
The first mayors’ report on local ‘ready-to-go’ projects, released on
Nov. 14, showed that 154 identified a total of 4,645 infrastructure projects costing a
total of $25 billion that would create 261,652 jobs in metro areas. The Conference
plans to continue to gather information from cities around the country on their
‘ready-to-go’ jobs projects.
To view the entire report and individual city results, please go to www.usmayors.org
