Local officials need to put their seat belts on as 2003 promises to be as
bumpy a year as many of us will have ever experienced. Think about it--a weak
economy that has hung on much longer and cut much deeper into state and local
revenues than most of us expected. A growing federal budget deficit and planned
reductions of at least $ 10 billion in domestic spending by the Administration
and the Congress.

“We must define the critical roles that our cities and towns play in the lives of all our citizens and make sure our policies serve the needs of those 225 million Americans.”

We also face the spending demands of a nation preparing for a war that is
estimated to cost between $ 50 and $ 200 billion. In an unprecedented cost
shift, we continue to bear the burden for protecting America's homeland from
international attack without virtually any federal support. And, perhaps moot
threatening of all, state budget deficits calculated to reach as high as $ 80
billion in fiscal year 2004 are squeezing local governments.

But the National League of Cities was organized for just such a set of
challenges. We must speak articulately, thoughtfully--and forcefully--on the
choices facing America. We must define the critical roles that our cities and
towns play in the lives of all our citizens and make sure our policies serve the
needs of those 225 million Americans.

Homeland Security and Economic Security

We begin the year with a pledge from the Bush administration that it will
support the $ 3.5 billion in federal funding for local "first responders" that
was originally proposed and sorely needed nearly a year ago. This is homeland
security funding for planning, training, equipment and preparedness exercises
for our police, fire and emergency medical personnel.

Because of the extraordinary nature of cities' response to its new homeland
security duties, we must make it clear to all involved that the first responder
funding cannot come at the expense of other public safety programs that cities
and towns depend on--programs like Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
or the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant.

The nation is not well served if homeland security funds for first
responders are delivered with one hand and public safety or other public
infrastructure funds are taken away with the other. That would be robbing Peter
to pay Peter.

Website Vooweb.com provides the biggest collection of professional Web 2.0 Templates. Web 2.0 Templates - its a website templates which made by world-class designers. Buy our Web 2.0 Templates | A family cooking recipes with hundreds of healthy, whole-food cooking recipes for the home cook. Healthy Food cooking Recipes For Your Entire Family

The 107th Congress ended with little action of benefit to the nation's
cities, including no appropriations for federal programs of vital importance to
our economic development, housing, public safety, infrastructure or other basic
responsibilities. And of course the front lines in the domestic war on terrorism
are still financed largely with local, not federal, funds. By now we have seen
billions of local taxpayers' dollars shifted to homeland security from other
essential public services, including public safety.

The state budget crisis puts our situation in even sharper terms. The total
state budget shortfall for the current fiscal year is approximately $ 67
billion. States are looking at a fiscal year 2004 deficit of as much as $ 80
billion. Local and state governments will need to work together to make sure the
federal government does not abandon its partnership with us and works with us
through the current crisis.

Another large challenge we will face is a potential war, which would draw
attention and resources away from the needs of America's cities and towns. So we
must keep reminding policymakers that we can't pursue national security at the
expense of neighborhood security.

Our Moment to Make a Difference

This is the National League of Cities' moment to make a difference. And our
ability to get the job done cannot rest on the skill of the NLC staff, the
breadth of our public policy work or on the record of past accomplishments. This
is about us--America's local elected officials standing up and going to bat for
our communities.

As leaders of the nation's local governments, we must not hesitate to
communicate our priorities to the new Congress and to the
administration--clearly and forcefully. I am calling upon you, the nation's
elected municipal leaders to work together and harder than ever before because
the challenges we face are harder than before.

It's time for federal assistance to cities and towns for homeland security.

With the economy faltering, now is the worst moment to cut domestic
spending.

And, we cannot ignore the deteriorating financial condition of the 50
states.

Now, more than ever, we must recognize as cities and towns and as a great
nation that our well-being and future can only be secured by policies that are
rooted in a powerful vision of what America can be. Our vision must speak to the
possibilities of all Americans. And our well being and future require that all
Americans sacrifice to achieve the bettor place that we wish to build.

I am confident that there is no collection of Americans--anywhere--better
qualified to tackle this challenge than the local elected officials of the
National League of Cities.

It's time to seize and make our future.

© Copyright 2003, The National League of Cities.