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Time for Mayors to Take the Lead
Jun 20, 2011
Today, I am honored to take the reins as President of the United States Conference of Mayors. Founded in 1932 during the darkest days of the Great Depression, the US Conference of Mayors has long carried the banner for issues that matter most to Americans across the country: strong and vibrant local economies, safe streets, dependable services including mass transit, and great public schools.
As Mayors, we represent -- and reside in -- communities that are far removed from the partisan paralysis of Washington, DC. We know how hard it is for families struggling while living paycheck to paycheck. We've seen cities swamped by the mortgage crisis and entire neighborhoods left to rot. We've dealt first-hand with the aftermath of a huge employer leaving town for $2-a-day labor abroad, or the devastation of a tornado sweeping through town.
Legislators are hired to talk, but mayors are hired to act. And the American people desperately need us to act.
Throughout this conference, we've discussed how mayors across the country can come together in support of what America needs most. We've talked about bold plans to help create jobs, jump-start our struggling local economies, and build out a 21st century transportation network. We've discussed doing away with the absurd and archaic policies that have strangled our public schools with red tape, stifling learning and creativity. And we've asked Congress to responsibly bring our troops home and dedicate the billions currently being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan to creating jobs, developing sustainable energy, and repairing our crumbling infrastructure.
I'm proud to take the helm of this storied organization that has long stood with hardworking Americans from coast to coast. I look forward to working with my fellow mayors on these issues and many more. Mayors, it's our time to take the lead.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa is the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. Prior to his election as mayor, Villaraigosa was a California State Assemblyman, the Speaker of the California State Assembly, and a Los Angeles City Councilman. Before being elected to public office, Villaraigosa was a labor organizer
Today, I am honored to take the reins as President of the United States Conference of Mayors. Founded in 1932 during the darkest days of the Great Depression, the US Conference of Mayors has long carried the banner for issues that matter most to Americans across the country: strong and vibrant local economies, safe streets, dependable services including mass transit, and great public schools.
As Mayors, we represent -- and reside in -- communities that are far removed from the partisan paralysis of Washington, DC. We know how hard it is for families struggling while living paycheck to paycheck. We've seen cities swamped by the mortgage crisis and entire neighborhoods left to rot. We've dealt first-hand with the aftermath of a huge employer leaving town for $2-a-day labor abroad, or the devastation of a tornado sweeping through town.
Legislators are hired to talk, but mayors are hired to act. And the American people desperately need us to act.
Throughout this conference, we've discussed how mayors across the country can come together in support of what America needs most. We've talked about bold plans to help create jobs, jump-start our struggling local economies, and build out a 21st century transportation network. We've discussed doing away with the absurd and archaic policies that have strangled our public schools with red tape, stifling learning and creativity. And we've asked Congress to responsibly bring our troops home and dedicate the billions currently being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan to creating jobs, developing sustainable energy, and repairing our crumbling infrastructure.
I'm proud to take the helm of this storied organization that has long stood with hardworking Americans from coast to coast. I look forward to working with my fellow mayors on these issues and many more. Mayors, it's our time to take the lead.
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa is the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. Prior to his election as mayor, Villaraigosa was a California State Assemblyman, the Speaker of the California State Assembly, and a Los Angeles City Councilman. Before being elected to public office, Villaraigosa was a labor organizer
Today, I am honored to take the reins as President of the United States Conference of Mayors. Founded in 1932 during the darkest days of the Great Depression, the US Conference of Mayors has long carried the banner for issues that matter most to Americans across the country: strong and vibrant local economies, safe streets, dependable services including mass transit, and great public schools.
As Mayors, we represent -- and reside in -- communities that are far removed from the partisan paralysis of Washington, DC. We know how hard it is for families struggling while living paycheck to paycheck. We've seen cities swamped by the mortgage crisis and entire neighborhoods left to rot. We've dealt first-hand with the aftermath of a huge employer leaving town for $2-a-day labor abroad, or the devastation of a tornado sweeping through town.
Legislators are hired to talk, but mayors are hired to act. And the American people desperately need us to act.
Throughout this conference, we've discussed how mayors across the country can come together in support of what America needs most. We've talked about bold plans to help create jobs, jump-start our struggling local economies, and build out a 21st century transportation network. We've discussed doing away with the absurd and archaic policies that have strangled our public schools with red tape, stifling learning and creativity. And we've asked Congress to responsibly bring our troops home and dedicate the billions currently being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan to creating jobs, developing sustainable energy, and repairing our crumbling infrastructure.
I'm proud to take the helm of this storied organization that has long stood with hardworking Americans from coast to coast. I look forward to working with my fellow mayors on these issues and many more. Mayors, it's our time to take the lead.
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