Highway Department Highway Transportation Lists? ARE YOU ON THE LIST?

HELLO MAYORS! State Highway Department Highway Transportation Lists? ARE YOU ON THE LIST? Demand Now To Know If The State Highway Department Has Your Projects On Their List. LET ME KNOW.


On Friday 20, President Obama and Vice President Biden met with 80 mayors from 39 states in The White House. Before the President and The Veep showed up, we had about 2 hours of give and take with 5 Cabinet officers: Donovan of HUD, LaHood of Transportation, Duncan of Education, Chu of Energy and Holder of Justice.

It was a historic meeting. There was give and take.

Secretary LaHood took a number of question about the challenges mayors face with the transportation funds coming to our metro areas.

On Wednesday before the Mayors met with President Obama and his Cabinet, Secretary LaHood met with the 50 State Highway Directors in The White House. That meeting was not indeed, a good sign.

The imbalance of metro transportation versus regular highway funds does not go away. Today, so different than 20 years ago, it is the cities inside of huge metro economies that are driving the national economy.

It is our hope that "hope and change" will mean more than just hope--- as we embark with the new Administration. Hope never got us a dime. Change will. We have had hope about a modern transportation system for decades. Change started last September after The House passed a stimulus package that did not include transportation funding specifically targeted for metro areas. Mayors did not like what they saw and they bacame active on the next stimulus package, traveling to Washington and meeting with Obama transition teams supporting Senator Obama's vision throughout the Fall and even into December and January as the Obama Transition team put together the Obama package.

When the legislative package was unfolded, we were pleased that some Surface Transportation Program ( STP) funds that will hopefully come to our metro areas were included. Still, its all up to The State Highway Departments and there is universal apprehension over how these allocations are made inside the States once the money is sent to Statehouses.

Billions of highway dollas are now in the field being sent to State Highway Departments. In order for cities to get projects for their metro areas, they have to get on "The State List"

In the meeting with the Cabinet Ofiicers, New Orleans asked the mayors present to raised their hands if they had city projects listed on state lists. Only 4 mayors raised their hands.

Los Angeles Mayor Atonio Villaraigosa has been the strongest advocate for the metro transportation funds. He won't let up. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has been there with him. And in Des Moines, Frank Cownie has been on top of this issue. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson has also been there too as he governs a city-county consolidated government where a modern transportation system in needed for economic

We are documenting the absence of city projects on state list. Conference President Mayor Diaz has asked me to, to ask you to tell me if you have projects on the state lists. We need that information now. I am sending out a memo to you now to get the information. Knowlwdge is power in Washington.

Tell me what's going on. I will tell the truth and maybe the truth will helps us free up more funds from the State Highway Departments direct to you for the benefit of our metro economies and our cities. We must be fierce on this issue.

Billions of dollars are at stake. And if we are going to reach President Obama's goal of 3 million jobs in the 23 months left before his sate of December 31, 2010----we must get this money to our metro areas. Millions of our unemployed citizens are in the metro areas. The potential jobs are there in our density populated areas with small, medium, and large busines operations. The men and women running out cities--The Public CEOs ---- can get President Obama to the promised land of 3 million jobs. Let's continue to be vigilant and keep the pressure on. We can make a difference make it happen--now.