I cannot begin to describe for you the feelings that are in my heart this morning. This is a great organization - great because of your spirit, your enthusiasm, your professionalism. It is great because you come to the U.S. Conference of Mayors to learn how to do more for your city. Frankly, I don't think there is a more important job, a job that more directly impacts the lives of Americans, than the job of Mayor. I salute you and thank you for your confidence in me.

Thank you for allowing me to show you just a bit about Boise. It is a great place to live and work and kayak. I want you to know how much I love being Mayor. It is the fulfillment of a childhood dream and it is my intention to be Mayor as long as I am able. I know that many of you have never been to Boise, and I extend to you a enthusiastic invitation to come and visit us. There is a great momentum building there. We feel it in the same way that I think each of us feel the momentum that is building in this organization.

I think you will agree when I say that Wellington Webb has done an incredible job leading this organization this past year, building that momentum. He has worked tirelessly. He has passionately and persuasively articulated his vision for this, the Century of Cities. He has rightfully positioned the cities of the world and the mayors of this world to lead the global economy. I think that in years to come, there will be mayors who will say with pride - I helped develop the Agenda for the New Millennium.

I believe his 10-point agenda is a road map that will define the course of this organization for many years to come. I think that each of our cities - from Spokane to Savannah and from Dearborn to Yuma will be stronger and better because of the vision and leadership of Mayor Webb. I thank him for his friendship. I thank him for his willingness to be my teacher and mentor. A couple of days ago, someone said that as Wellington's successor, I would be standing on his shoulders - and would therefore have a much better view. That is indeed true and I thank him for that.

In my mind, the 10-point agenda defines the New American City. You know the New American City because each of you live there. It is a place led by a Mayor Webb or a Mayor Clancey or a Mayor Appezzato. The New American City is a place where an entrepreneurial mayor like Sarah Bost forges partnerships with business and non-profits and other governments to improve the quality of life for everyone living in her city.

The New American City is a place where Mayors like Marylou Smith help young couples buy their first home, a place where a mayor like Pat McCrory finds mentors for young people, a place where a mayor like Patrick Henry Hayes works to foster regional cooperation. It is a city where mayors go to bed at night and wake up first thing in the morning thinking about new ways to solve the problems that face their communities. The New American City is a place where mayors like Mark Morial and Rita Mullins are never complacent about the past, and always work for a better future.

I have really thought about the 10-point agenda - and about what our next steps should be. Certainly, one of those steps is to work to assure our relevance - the relevance of cities in the national debate. We will work to get the 10-point agenda before both presidential campaigns. We will work to get mayors appointed to a key post or two in the new administration. We will work with other organizations on areas of mutual concern and thereby increase our effectiveness.

Groups like NaCO, the NLC, the American Farmland Trust, Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association and other such organizations are anxious to support us and work with us. The Mortgage Bankers, for example, want to work with us to develop proposals to promote and develop housing around transit nodes.

This is a copy of the latest edition of AIA/Architectural Record magazine. You will find a copy of it at your place. On page 76 is an article that focuses on mayors and our efforts to implement Smart Growth strategies. It urges architects to get involved in the process. It is an example of how the U.S. Conference of Mayors can frame a national debate. It was born in the work Mayor Riley has done with the Mayor's Institute.

We intend to be at the table on issues that face us and with your help and support and the fine work of the Conference staff, we will make significant inroads. But, in the true spirit of the entrepreneurial mayor, we are not going to sit around waiting to see what happens with the presidential election. We are going to do what mayors and what this organization are known for - getting things done. We want to make those 10 points a reality and no matter who is president, we will do it. I also know we cannot do it all at once. So, I have tried to identify some pieces of the agenda for us to focus on this next year.

I am excited about this, because I know what Mayors are best at is getting things done. Tom Cochran says this organization isn't a think tank - it's a do tank. And he's right. So, I would like to share with you some of the goals of the 10-point plan that I think we should work on in the next year.

I think we can strengthen and maintain the growth of the New American City by focusing our attention on four areas: (1) The well being of the family; (2) The livability of communities and neighborhoods in which we live and work; (3) Educating the workforce of the new millennium; and (4) Building infrastructure to connect metro economies.

First - We will focus on the well being of the family.

Strong, healthy families are the foundation upon which vibrant, livable cities are built. We play an active role in assuring that families have the necessary resources available to them. In the past year I have heard individuals as diverse as the head of the DEA to the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the head of a major research institution say that the key to solving most of the problems we face is in the family.

To support families in the next year, we must continue to pursue policies, including drugfree workplace policies, which will enhance drug treatment, prevention, and enforcement programs. We will push for demonstration projects in cities to address the methamphetamine crisis and will actively pursue drug treatment programs in prisons and expanded treatment for family members of all ages.

I also believe strongly that we must be vigilant in our efforts to uphold human rights and protect human dignity. Mayor Webb led a delegation to Africa and saw the place where enslaved Africans saw their homeland for the last time. This visit was more than symbolic. As Mayors, we cannot ignore the importance of protecting human dignity and human rights. We must work to foster the values of civility, tolerance, and respect in families, neighborhoods, the workplace, and in city hall.

A third way we will focus on the well-being of families will be to develop partnerships which will provide before-and after-school programs, especially where there is a single parent or both parents are working. These partnerships may include cities, school districts, churches, and non-profits to create and operate these programs, which I believe should be based on an assets approach to youth development. Certainly Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton and General Colin Powell are among our models for this.

Second, we will focus on the livability of communities and neighborhoods in which we live and work.

We know - and will spread the word - that cities are the engines that drive our nation's economy. Because this is so, we must pay careful attention to the continued livability and vitality of cities. We must apply 21st Century solutions to the issues facing the New American City. It goes without saying that we will continue our emphasis on public safety. Mayors have played a key role in the dramatic decrease in crime and we will be ever vigilant to assure that cities have the tools to continue to fight crime.

Additionally, I propose three ways to address livability issues. The first of these is our work on Smart Growth. I know this is something that is near and dear to many of you. When we hold a committee meeting on Smart Growth and Regionalism and Brownfields the room is always packed.

In the next year, the Conference will continue to support Smart Growth techniques as a way of assuring the sustainability of metro economies and limiting the impacts of sprawl. We will take the lead in creating transit oriented development and will urge the federal government to provide incentives for this. We will continue our efforts to foster regional coordination - even though this is often difficult and frequently frustrating.

Then, we will work with the private sector to build the technology infrastructure that is vital to the health and livability of the New American City. We must build the latest communications technology and broadband capability into new developments and incorporate it into redeveloped areas. We will find ways to bridge the digital divide and make technology available to all.

The New American City is also one with plenty of parks for families to enjoy. We must increase our investment in parks and open space. The Conference will support legislation to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program. And, when this is done, we will work to ensure that the lion's share of those funds come to cities directly.

Third, we must play an active role in educating the workforce of the New American City.

To not pay attention to technology is a fatal error. To not pay attention to the need for a technologically savvy workforce is also fatal. The continued health of the economy will rest, in part, on our developing a 21st Century workforce. We must assure that all our citizens have access to computers and the Internet and that they know how to use these tools. I believe we must actively work with the Business Council to support technology in schools and technology training for workers.

We will work with local school districts, federal and state governments to assure that all classrooms in all schools are equipped with up-to-date technology including Internet and Intranet connections and that teachers are appropriately trained.

The Conference will support programs to provide training and internships to prepare minorities and low-income workers for information technology jobs. As Mayors, we must take the lead by providing basic technology training to our city employees. We want Buddy Cianci to learn how to turn on his computer!

Finally, I want to focus on building the infrastructure to connect metro economies - both domestically and internationally.

Our metro economies will stagnate if we do not maintain the ability to move goods and services readily between cities and regions. We will continue to support a multi-modal approach to transportation, however, I believe that we have not looked carefully enough at the importance of our rail system. A truly multi-modal system will include rail as one component for moving goods and services between our cities.

I propose that we take the lead in developing a broad national rail policy for both commerce and commuters. Somehow, rail moved off our national radar screen 30 or 40 years ago and I think we should move it back on. In short, we need to put the tracks back!

We should be supporting efforts to restore or develop rail lines to move goods, services, and people between and among the regional economies. We should also support legislation to finance the use of rail for both commercial and commuter use.

We must also assure the continued viability of our airports to connect metro economies at home and abroad. We will support passage any legislation designed to protect and strengthen our airports. This is an area in which Mayors must be involved. We own and operate pretty much all the commercial airports in the nation and understand probably better than anyone how important they are.

Now, you have heard what I believe we can accomplish in the next year. I hope you understand that I am talking about very specific ways that we can make significant progress in implementing Mayor Webb's 10-point agenda.

Obviously, I need your help. I am announcing today, the formation of ten work teams to move these issues forward. Each team will develop ways to move these issues onto the radar screens of the presidential candidates and their transition plans, to assist in planning best practices sessions on these issues which will be held around the country - in your cities - during the next year. Your expertise, your passion, and your willingness are what will move our agenda forward.

I have identified some Mayors already who will serve on these teams, but I invite any of you who have an interest in serving to let me know or let the Conference staff know.

1. Drug Control/Public Safety
2. Human dignity/human rights and diversity
3. After school programs/Youth assets development
4. Smart Growth
5. Smart Cities/Technology Infrastructure/Digital Divide
6. Parks and Open Space
7. Technology in Schools
8. Workforce Technology Training
9. Rail System Restoration
10. Airport Improvements

This is a great organization. You are great leaders. I look in your faces and I see your commitment and concern for your city. It is my great honor to serve alongside you this next year. I am humbled to follow Mayors like Wellington Webb and Paul Helmke and Richard Daley. I look forward to learning from each of you. I look forward to making sure that those serving at the highest levels of the Federal Government clearly understand our message.

I thank you for your confidence in me and commit to give you my all during the next year.

Thank you.