Nation’s Mayors Layout Agenda for Bush Administration

Addressing the Digital Divide, workforce development, and technology deployment in education are among the highest priorities of the nation’s mayors, according to Priorities for the New American City, the 2001 action agenda of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Released last week at the Mayors’ 69th Annual Winter Meeting by Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles, the plan outlines dozens of recommendations for the Bush Administration across ten issue areas ranging from drug control to the environment to transportation enhancements.  Many of the suggestions requiring federal funding encourage the use of block grants to maximize flexibility in program design and implementation across cities.

Key recommendations for tech-based economic development include:

• Federal investments in university-related public and private partnerships in R&D projects to promote innovations in technology should be increased.
• The federal research and experimentation tax credit should be made permanent.
• The tax code should be examined to make sure that it encourages new technology investment.
• The Administration should promote partnerships between the private sector, universities, other community organizations, and public schools to ensure that modern, up-to-date computers, high quality educational software, and affordable Internet connections are available in every classroom.
• Flexible workforce development block grants funding should be used to partner with the private sector to address the skills gap and meet the demand for high-tech skills.
• Full funding of the E-rate must be supported to connect all public classrooms to the Internet and to ensure that all public schools integrate the use of technology into their curricula.
• Strong business-education partnerships should be developed to ensure that technology is incorporated into training and school-to-career programs.
• Expanded funding is needed for community technology centers in low-income communities to provide computer access and training to low-income children and adults.
• Federal policy should allow for more efficient use of existing federal rights-of-way to expand investment opportunities for technology infrastructure. Cities should work with the federal government to encourage and foster policies that provide flexibility to use the latest technology to improve the way cities conduct business and provide public services.
• Federal policy should encourage innovations in technology and better coordination of information systems at the federal level to improve communication between cities, other levels of governments, the private sector, and the general public.
• Technology must be used to simplify the collection of state and local taxes in internet sales, and allow local governments to maintain control over local option taxes on remote sales.
• Federal investment in educational initiatives must be increased to ensure all Americans benefit from 21st Century technologies and there is universal access for all to the Internet and related technologies. Technology should be utilized in public housing to provide skills training, access to educational opportunities, and job linkages.
• The new Administration should hold a Presidential Summit on the Digital Divide for mayors, the private sector, educators, non-profits, and faith-based organizations within 120 days of inauguration, with follow-up by a White House task force, to ensure that the recommendations made during the summit are implemented.

During 2000, the U.S. Conference of Mayors worked with both the Bush and Gore campaigns to secure their commitments to addressing the most pressing needs of America's cities. Candidate George W. Bush spoke at the Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting last June in Seattle, unveiling his Urban Agenda for the 21st Century. The Conference feels both the agenda and his comments reflected many of the Mayors' priorities, but that much more needs to be done to encourage the growth and development of the nation's cities.

The full Priorities for the New American City can be downloaded from the Conference website at: http://www.usmayors.org/69thwintermeeting/priorities2.htm