City Halls call out for help from Obama

Bill Dedman Investigative reporter • Profile • E-mail

America's mayors are crying out for help from President-elect Barack Obama, seeking immediate relief from a national economic crisis that has slammed budgets in big cities, suburbs and small towns.

Responding to an informal survey by msnbc.com, many mayors called for a program in the style of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration to put people back to work and rebuild neglected roads, bridges and schools. The economy was by far the most frequently mentioned problem, and fixing the nation's infrastructure the most frequently mentioned solution.

Msnbc.com queried more than 1,000 mayors by e-mail just after Election Day, seeking their top two suggestions for the president-elect's "to do" list. They have a lot to say. We heard from 205 mayors in 48 states and Puerto Rico, ranging from big cities such as Phoenix all the way down to tiny Creedmoor, N.C. (population 2,232). You can see their responses on our online map, or read all the responses in one text file. And you can read suggestions from our readers, or offer your own ideas for the new president.

"Main Street America is in trouble," wrote Mayor Jerry Abramson of Louisville, Ky. "Washington bailed out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion. We need Washington to step up and help America's metro areas create jobs and economic growth by passing an immediate Main Street stimulus, not a bailout but an investment."

In Rutland, Vt., Mayor Christopher C. Louras described a water pipe that was aged when Roosevelt took office and still hasn't been replaced. "Re-establish the WPA with the express purpose of rebuilding the antiquated public works infrastructure plaguing communities nationwide," he said. "Over half of Rutland City’s 90 miles of water mains are in excess of 100 years old. Their deteriorated condition affects public safety (through substandard firefighting capacity), public health (through potential catastrophic failure and contamination), and economic development efforts (because they cannot meet businesses’ needs). One specific main along U.S. Rte. 4 (one of the most developable tracts in Vermont) was cast and installed in 1858 by the men who three years later picked up their muskets to preserve the Union, and it is more a liability than an asset."

Whatever issues they cited, the mayors spoke of their concerns as interrelated. Rising health insurance costs for public employees make it hard for communities to meet their rising responsibilities for public housing and health care in hard economic times, they said. A national energy policy could save on energy costs, add jobs and protect the environment. The foreign wars are a hometown security issue, too, because they draw resources away from putting cops on the street.

"The two most important things that the new president can do for my town is get us out of Iraq and start sending money to towns and cities for local water and sewer projects and street improvements," wrote Mayor Alvin Woodlief, Jr., from Oxford, N.C., population 8,338.

Here's a count of priorities cited by the mayors, with selected replies:

The Economy (97 mentions)
"The mortgage crisis has ravaged my city, and we need help ASAP. $19.5 million has been allocated to R.I., however it seems that nobody knows how the funds will be allocated to each eligible community," wrote Mayor Charles D. Moreau of Central Falls, R.I., population 18,928.

Infrastructure (75)
"If there is to be a new economic stimulus package, IT MUST BE TARGETED TOWARD INFRASTRUCTURE," said an emphatic Mayor Andrew Halverson of Stevens Point, Wis., population 24,551. "We could accomplish two goals simultaneously as a nation: 1. Put people to work in good paying jobs, and 2. Fix what is simply the greatest 'silent crisis' facing this country: our roads, bridges, water systems, as well as our sewer systems. Not to mention the need for new school buildings as well. Let's create a 21st century WPA that not only stimulates the economy but produces long term solutions at the same time. What are we going to do with another check besides pay down personal debt the country already owes. Let's stimulate and build at the same time. That seems to me to be a good use of $300-400 billion."

Taxes, budgets, unfunded mandates (49)
"The biggest problem facing all mayors is EPA's non-funded mandates," wrote Mayor Bob Armstrong of Defiance, Ohio, population 16,465. "Each city's citizens' water and sewer rates will be at a level where some will not be able to pay. People living outside the city limits will be paying two and one-half times the rate as the city rates. Their rates could reach $350-$400 per month for an average family. ... We are all for clean air and clean water, but we must make it affordable. I encourage the federal government to change or regulate EPA laws."

Energy (35)
"There needs to be a program through which assistance (financial, technical, and possibly legal) can be provided to local and regional governments to give us the capacity and opportunity to participate in the nation's energy independence efforts in a meaningful manner," said Mayor Michael A. Tautznik of Easthampton, Mass., population 15,994. "Existing green energy programs rely on the actions of the for-profit marketplace, using income tax credits and private sector trading expertise to make the difference in successful implementation. Government energy use is significant and extremely visible. Making it the focus of such initiatives would go a long way toward instilling that same ethic in our constituents."

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