Official Publication of the National League of Cities OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY
Volume 34, Number 8 | February 28, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE
www.nlc.org
PAGE 3

PAGE 3
States Acting to Reform and Improve
State and Local Pension Systems
PAGE 4
NBC-LEO President, NPA Meet with
President Obama at White House
PAGE 5
KaBOOM! Playful City USA Program
To Offer $2.1 Million in Grants to Cities

Final Call for
Applications
for Leadership
Academy
Scarborough To Speak at Congressional
City Conference Closing Session

by Christiana McFarland
NLC’s Center for
Research and Innovation
invites city leaders to apply
for participation in a new
Leadership Academy
on Local Economic
Competitiveness in a Global
Era. Applications are due
this Friday, March 4.

see page 7, column 1
by Cyndy Liedtke Hogan
Former Congressman Joe
Scarborough (R-Fla.), host of
“Morning Joe,” a program fea-
turing political commentary
on MSNBC, will be the clos-
ing general session speaker for
the 2011 Congressional City
Conference.

Joe Scarborough
ingly entertaining.”
In addition to his career
in television Scarborough is
also the author of The New
York Times Best Seller “The
Last Best Hope: Restoring
Conservatism and America’s
Promise,” a book that inspires
conservatives to reclaim their
heritage by drawing upon the
strength of the movement’s
rich history.
He is also the author of
“Rome Wasn’t Burnt in a
Day: The Real Deal on How
Politicians, Bureaucrats, and
Other Washington Barbarians
Are Bankrupting America.”
He is also the host of
“The Joe Scarborough
Show” on ABC radio sta-
tions across the country.
Previously, Scarborough host-
ed “Scarborough Country,” in
primetime on MSNBC. Prior
to the launch of Scarborough
Country in April 2003, he was
the publisher and editor of
the award-winning newspaper,
The Florida Sun.

The Congressional City
Conference will take place
March 12-16, beginning with
Leadership Training Institute
seminars and NLC leader-
ship and policy meetings.
Workshops and general ses-
sions will take place March 14
and 15.
March 16 is set aside for
lobbying Congressional delega-
tions on Capitol Hill.
Conference sessions and
workshops are designed to
mobilize conference attendees
as advocates around NLC’s
Agenda for Economic Growth,
both on Capitol Hill and at
home, with sessions focused on
federal policy issues involving
transportation, immigration,
the federal budget, munici-
pal pensions and proven fed-
eral investments in commu-
nities like the Community
Development Block Grant
program.
Visit www.nlc.org to regis-
ter for the Congressional City
Conference.
CDBG WORKS
CDBG Funds Leverage Health Care Partnerships

by Kalisha Davis and Stephanie Spirer

Newspaper Handling

Irving, Texas, with a population of
more than 200,000, is located in the
northern region of the state between
Dallas and Forth Worth. With a diverse
workforce population, the city serves as
the global headquarters of five Fortune
500 companies and hosts a range of
nationally-based corporations.
Relying on a solid local economy and
a long-term plan for economic develop-
ment, city officials have managed to
contain costs, improve efficiency and
enhance services provided to residents,
despite the national recession.

see page 6, column 1
Community Development Block Grant funds helped Irving, Texas leverage funds for the Irving
Health Center, which provides low-income residents with access to health care.