Official Publication of the National League of Cities OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES

NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY

Volume 35, Number 3 | JaNuary 23, 2012

IN THIS ISSUE
www.nlc.org
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NLC Webinars to Focus on Broadband Access, Dropout Recovery

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U.S. Communities: Gold Standard for Cooperative Purchasing

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myNLC — Secure Online Community Launched for NLC Members

LaHood Urges Congressional Action on Job-Creating
Transportation Bills

by Leslie Wollack
As Congress returns, fac-
ing transportation legislation
deadlines, U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT)
Secretary Ray LaHood urged
local officials to push for
Congressional action on a trans-
portation funding bill and “put
Americans back to work.”
“The easiest way….to put
people to work…is through
transportation bills” current-
ly before Congress, LaHood
told city leaders at the U.S.
Conference of Mayors Winter
Meeting last week.

“Now is the time for Congress to pass long term bills that
put people back to work rebuilding our roadways, railways,
transit systems and airports.”
—U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

Republicans and the Senate that shut many Federal Aviation Administration programs for two weeks until Secretary LaHood was able to broker an agreement.

Key issues include insistence in the House on ending the NLC-supported Essential Air Services for rural communities that would not have commercial air service without the government funded subsidies and a labor dispute over the ability of airline workers to unionize. The Senate supported a short-term extension with no policy changes to keep the program running until Congress was able to reach consensus.

The FAA bill provides $3.5

billion in funds for municipal airport infrastructure projects, a major economic development program for metropolitan areas.

Immediately following the aviation debate, Congress will need to renew the surface transportation bill, which expires on March 31. Referring to the national program that funds roads, bridges and public transportation programs as a “ transportation jobs bill,” LaHood urged local elected officials to push for Congress to act on a long-term bill. The current short-term extension will be the eighth since the $267 billion six-year program expired in September 2009.

“Now is the time for
Congress to pass long term bills
that put people back to work
rebuilding our roadways, rail-
ways, transit systems and air-
ports,” urged LaHood. “Now is
the time for Congress to unleash
the American workforce to build
the safest, fastest, most efficient
ways to move people and prod-
ucts in the 21st century.”
With the House promis-
ing action on a six-year bill to
extend transportation programs
and Senate committee action on
a two-year bill at higher spend-
ing levels, lawmakers will need
to resolve issues of funding lev-
els and where to find the money
to fund the program, which
depends on decreasing federal
fuel tax revenues.

NLC’s priorities for the year include urging Congress to create jobs, grow the economy and invest in the nation’s infrastructure, including transportation.

NLC supports a long-term, comprehensive bill that provides local officials a strong role in decision making, establishes a national vision for transportation funding as key to local economies and provides regions with options for making transportation choices that fit their local needs and grows the national economy.

Secretary LaHood also noted the Administration’s commitment to transportation funding, particularly funding that supports local transportation investments, such as the three rounds of TIGER discretionary grants that have been distributed to a wide range of multi-modal transportation projects across the nation, funding for high speed rail and reduction of regulations for some local programs including street sign rules that have been relaxed by DOT.

Mesa Volunteer Program Adds Value

by Cyndy Liedtke Hogan

Newspaper Handling

Throughout the City of Mesa, Ariz., volunteers help improve the lives of citizens. In addition to the tangible and intangible benefits of helping neighbors, rehabilitating a home or working with the fire department, volunteer hours in Mesa provided more than $5 million in service to the community in 2011.

Helping Hands Building a Better Mesa, as the volunteer program is called on the city’s website, cuts across several city agencies. The volunteers are recruited and supervised by city employees.