Mayor O'Conner of Pittsburgh

I got to meet Mayor Bob O'Conner, the new mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week. Bob is a really engaging person and is "all" Pittsburgh. He reminds you of a boxer who just keeps punching. I was impressed when I heard that he is traveling around Pittsburgh and when he sees a junk car or a dilapidated house, he calls the police or the public works and they go after them right then and there. He calls it his "Redd Up" campaign. Redd Up is a Pittsburgh area term, meaning to get ready for company. I also was impressed with an idea that I heard about making the 1000 foot area around neighborhood schools a "clean" zone. Not only drugs, but junk cars, buildings, etc.

The Mayor's Office is a very large room with a very large desk. On one side of the desk is a Tiffiney bowl to commerate the Steeler Super Bowl win. One member of Bob's staff pointed out that the last mayor didn't win the big one.

I was very please that Mayor O'Conner committed to join the National League of Cities and will be actively involved in the Youth and Families Institute.

Mayor O

Mobile, Alabama

Had a great trip to Mobile, Alabama to attend the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Meeting. This is a very large league with over 1600 persons attending the conference. I was on the agenda with Governor Bob Riley of Alabama and enjoyed speaking with him. He is a Republican Governor and is up for reelection this year. Alabama is doing fairly well with an unemployment rate of about 3.2 percent. Mobile is a growing city and is trying to renovate the downtown. It has a lot of vacant buildings but they are working on some exciting projects to bring new jobs into the downtown district.

Got to visit Fairhope, Alabama on Sunday and had lunch with Debbie Quinn, a councilmember from Fairhope and Hal Bloom a lobbyist with the Alabama League. Debbie showed us around Fairhope and the beautiful flowers in the downtown. It is really something to see. Flower boxes, hanging baskets and lighted trees make Fairhope one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. We also drove by the Grand Hotel, a historic building that sustained some hurricane damage.

I have visited Alabama more than any other state as an officer with the National League of Cities and I really enjoy seeing a lot of old friends. Cynthia McCollum, NLC's Second Vice-President was at the meeting and we spent quite a bit of time together talking NLC business. Ted Jennings, Mayor of Brewton, Alabama and his wife Susan joined us for lunch on Sunday. Ted is a true Southern Gentleman and speaks with the deepest southern drawl that I have ever heard.

The weather in Alabama makes me glad to be a mountaineer. It was fairly hot and humid and rained a little during our visit. I don't know how people live in the hot, hot south. Air conditioning really is a necessity.

Hopefully we will have several new cities from Alabama join the Inclusive Communities Program. I spoke to dozens of members and I know that the message resonates well in Alabama. So many times we have preconcieved notions about the south, but I am encouraged by city officials who are really interested in improving our cities through an inclusive program.

So long for now.

P.S. Had great flights on Northwest and USAirways. On time and got seated in the exit row. Thats important when your legs get folded up like an ironing board.

Renew US

Renew US This is a really interesting video.

Tempe, Arizona

I just got back from Tempe, Arizona on Sunday after attending the Leadership Training Institute's Affordable Housing Conference. The meeting was great and had a lot of good information. The attendees really seemed to get a lot out of the sessions and I don't think there could have been a better line-up of nationally known speakers. Henry Cisneros was probably the best known, but all the speakers added a great deal to the meeting. Barb Carter, a councilwoman from Tempe did a nice job of hosting and we really got to see the city and a lot of the sights. The NLC staff did a great job as usual. I don't think we realize how many details are involved putting on a meeting such as this.

I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with several proclamations joining the Inclusive Communities Program. Kirkwood, MO, Tempe, AZ and Walterboro, SC all joined up. I think we will soon reach 100 communities.

Immigration is certainly an issue in Arizona. Lots of news coverage and lots of discussion.

Weather was HOT!!!! I guess that this week is going to hit the 100's. The outdoor lunches were really interesting when the silverware was so hot it was hard to pick up. I don't know how you would ever get used to it, but I guess lots of people do.

Got to see a young lady who used to work for Region VI Planning and Development Council and the City of Fairmont. Her name is Amy Arco and she is the City Planner for Maricopa, Arizona. It is a brand new town and is one of the fastest growing in the United States. Amy is from Harrison County and I have known her family for several years. She seems to be happy in Arizona and I know she is doing a great job for her city.

I had great flights both coming and going. Its not bad to travel when everything works out.