Abramoff Equal Justice???

I've been trying to find something positive in the sentencing of Lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Why doesn't one of these guys stand up and say "I am the root of a sickness in America and I will serve my time and try to find some small way to be readmitted to the human race". He had over 300 people send letters to the judge to say what a great guy he was. I can see his twisted sense of values when it came to stealing millions of dollars but I can't believe that he doesn't see what he did to thousands of Native Americans. Not stealing their money, but the disrespect and derogatory language that he used in his dealing with them. The genocide of the Native Americans is a stain that will never wash off of the soils of America. What else did he consider before he decided to rip off the Indian casinos?

Dear Jack,

Why didn't you "write" 300 letters to Native Americans and let justice be served. The children living on reservations in substandard housing will suffer for a lifetime for your crimes, while you will be out in a few years. Hardly equal justice.

Sorry to be so bitter, but I doubt you will every truly "pay your debt to society".

Youth finding answers

I was reflecting on the meeting in Washington, DC between a group of students at Liberty High School in Clarksburg, WV and Selma High School in Selma, Alabama. This came together in a few short weeks and shows what can happen if you keep moving in the right direction. I don't think I have ever been involved in something that made me feel more proud. What a great group of young people. They had fun, but probably did work that will influence them for the rest of their lives. My good friends, Mayor James Perkins, Jr. and Bennie Ruth Crenshaw deserve a lot of credit for making this project work. I wonder when things change for many young people? I can remember being a young student at West Virginia University in the late 60's and thinking that issues of race would not be an issue 30 years later. While we have moved forward, I can't believe that rarely a day goes by without some incident of intolerance, hatred or insenstivity. I have a great deal of confidence in our youth. I think our job is to support our youth and give them the tools to make a difference. 

Immigration Reform Discussion

Immigration Reform is a huge national debate and seems to be moving along faster than was predicted. With the mass rallies throughout America last weekend and the introduction of several pieces of legislation, I was not suprised when Mr. Dan Laidman, a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News called and wanted a comment on the immigration issue. He inquired about the Immigration Task Force that the National League of Cities formed with Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine as Chairman. The task force met in Washington, DC during the Congressional Cities Conference in March. Councilman Zine did a great job in leading this diverse task force towards a consensus of issues that NLC needs to address through our policy process. Dennis is a former Los Angeles Policeman and is of Lebenese decent. I've gotten to know him during several meetings and I find that he has a big heart and a great deal of compassion. He is also a no-nonsense type of guy and I don't think we could have picked a better chairman.

The interview lasted about twenty minutes and the reporter was very informed on the immigration issue. I asked the reporter what he thought was driving the debate in Los Angeles, since over 500,000 people took to the streets in LA last weekend. He said that he thought that Spanish radio and news outlets were driving the efforts. I commented that I was pleased that the efforts seem to be on raising awareness and abstaining from violence.

Earlier today, I had lunch with the high school students who were participating in "Shadow Government Day" in Clarksburg. As usual, this is a great program. The students are so enlightened and have a great respect for local government service. I enjoy giving the students some of the issues that our council faces and it is interesting how close they come to our own deliberations.

Meeting David Gergen

National League of Cities Officers pictured with David Gergen, Editor of US News and World Report
As you can tell by the picture, David Gergen is a pretty big guy. I would never have guessed from seeing him on television. Being 6'4", I don't often look up to a lot of people. Gergen is a very engaging person. He was really interested in connecting with our members and he spent a good bit of time listening to our issues. He spoke without notes and really seemed to pick up on the interests of our members.

On the road with the National League of Cities

Welcome, My name is Jim Hunt and I am an elected councilmember in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Clarksburg is a small town of 16,500 residents. It is a great town and has a great history. We are home to the F.B.I. Fingerprint Division with over 3000 employees. I have been on the Clarksburg City Council for over 20 years. I also work for the West Virginia Housing Development Fund. I have an exciting job and I look forward to seeing each new day.

I think this entry into the world of blogs will be an interesting experience. I have thought about this for several months. Beginning today, I realize that keeping up with a blog is really the important part of this venture. I'll try to regularly check in and make this a productive site. I am so fortunate to be serving as President of the National League of Cities. The travel throughout America is something that I believe will have a pivotal role in the remainder of my life. Living in a small town in West Virginia, I never believed that I would have the opportunity to interact with national leaders and influence the way that our Federal government interacts with cities. Our recent Congressional Cities Conference in Washington, DC gave us an excellent opportunity to meet with United States Senators, Cabinet Secretaries and Media commentators. I am proud to be a member of the National League of Cities, the most inclusive national organization in the history of the United States.