Miami, FL.– Senator Barack Obama (IL), the presumptive Democratic Presidential Candidate, today addressed hundreds of mayors during The US Conference of Mayors (USCM) meeting in Miami, hosted by City of Miami Mayor and USCM Vice President Manny Diaz. Senator Obama focused his address on strengthening cities and improving cities’ infrastructure. 

“Throughout our history, it’s been our cities that have helped tell the American story,” said Senator Obama. “It was Boston that rose up against an Empire, and Philadelphia where liberty bell first rung out; it was St. Louis that opened a gateway west, and Houston that launched us to the stars; it was the Motor City that built the middle class; Miami that built a bridge to the Americas; and New York that showed the world one clear September morning that America stands together in times of trial.”

Led by Conference President and Trenton, NJ Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, hundreds of mayors have been gathered in Miami for the 76th Annual Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).  On the cusp of the general Presidential Campaign Season and in the battleground State of Florida, the nation’s mayors are weighing in on domestic policy issues that impact urban America and metropolitan areas. 

“We are very pleased and honored that Senator Obama addressed The U.S. Conference of Mayors and endorsed our Ten Point Plan,” said Mayor Diaz. “We sincerely hope that the commitment to our country’s local governments will continue to be a priority on the agendas of both presidential candidates and will be of the utmost importance to the new administration.” 

Senator John McCain, presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate, has also been invited to address mayors at their meeting in Miami. President William Jefferson Clinton will address mayors on Sunday, June 22, 2008. 

During their meeting, mayors have debated and will vote on policy recommendations to forward to Congress and the new Presidential Administration.  The economy, the foreclosure crisis, vacant and abandoned properties, global warming and climate protection, illegal guns and violent crime, the high school dropout rate and public education, ex-offender re-entry, and the 2010 Census are central items on the mayors’ agenda. 

With over 85% of people in the United States living in our nation’s cities and metros, mayors clearly understand how urban issues impact everyday Americans and believe these issues have been mostly overlooked in the presidential campaign. 

To read the entire agenda for The US Conference of Mayors 76th Annual meeting, please go to http://www.usmayors.org/. For more information about the USCM meeting agenda, please contact Elena Temple at etemple@usmayors.org or Carlos Vogel at cvogel@usmayors.org.