Conference President Denvor Mayor Wellington E. Webb:

Given the fact that you are a governor, what steps would you take in including Mayors as part of drafting your platform, being part of your transition, being part of your administration? If elected, would you consider or philosophically feel that like child health insurance, where the money stops at the state level and sometimes ends up being used as a surplus, would be returned to the local level?

I appreciate that Mr. Mayor. I appreciate that underneath the surface of your question, there is a little bit of optimism which I am grateful for, particularly whether I will put mayors in my cabinet. I have a lot of friends who are mayors around the country, Democratic mayors in my state I call friends. I call them and I will listen to them because I truly believe, Mr. Mayor, the best politics is that closet to the people. I think one of the reasons why I call myself conservative, I believe that power shared at the local level will mean government is much more responsive.

You mentioned the children’s health insurance program in my state of Texas. We’re just beginning to implement it. I have an open mind to make sure we do a better job in signing up more of the uninsured children in Texas and that requires the cooperative effort with the city or power sharing with the city. I would be open minded to work with a Mayor Lee Brown of Houston or Mayor Ron Kirk of Dallas for example. I do trust local folks. In terms of Washington D.C., I believe as we go into the 21st century that the idea of empowering individuals and making government as close to the people as possible partially as a result of the ability to move information around on the Internet, will be much more feasible.

One of the places where I think mayors are going to set the pace is, Mayor Webb, when it comes to having to use the Internet for direct responses to the consumers we serve. One of the things I notice is that mayors are beginning to use the Internet to communicate directly with the consumer. I think the Federal government needs to take lessons from local jurisdictions who are using the Internet better. My point is the whole attitude is going to be to localize government.

It’s same with education, you heard me talk about education. I don’t mean to be moving off the question, but the same attitude, that is how we trust the consumer how to focus on every child. See, the system today is so process driven whether it means dealing with customers through the federal government or showing the school, we ask the wrong questions when we ask the question in education How old are you? Oh ! You’re 10 we’ll put you here, you’re 12 you’re here , and Mr. Mayor let me tell you get shuffled through the system with that kind of attitude. You know it and I know it. There are kids who live in the inner-city, children whose parents may not have English as their first language. We start asking the question how do we view you as an individual how do we judge you. What do you know, if you don’t know what you are supposed to know we’ll make sure you do before it is too late. It’s a new attitude, Mr. Mayor, and that’s what I intend to bring to Washington.

Mayor Rita Mullins Palatine, IL:

Governor Bush, I know that you are aware of how important the sales tax is to state budgets, but are you aware of how important it is to the cities of America that use that sales tax to provide services such as fire, police, water sewer and roads, and to reduce property taxes. What are your thoughts on leveling the playing fields between the brick and mortar businesses and the E-Commerce businesses regarding the collection of sales taxes on the Internet sales.

Mayor thank you very much. I am very aware of how important sales tax is to the state of Texas. As I mentioned, Mayor Kirk of Dallas is quite outspoken on the subject. He made a lot of issues in Texas of how important sales tax is to local jurisdictions and I knew that all along, my attitude is Madam Mayor, I think it is important for us to put a moratorium on any policy whatsoever out of Congress on E-commerce from three to five years to make sure before any decision is made we fully understand to where the world is developing. I think it makes sense to take our time so we fully understand the nature of E-commerce and how it is effecting the states and local jurisdictions, so I support a moratorium now in place.

Mayor Beverly O’Neil: Long Beach, CA

Governor Bush, if you are elected president, what are your plans to invest in the people and the families of America to reduce the quality of the growing skills gap to link workers to jobs and to help move people from welfare to work.

Well, Mayor, thank you very much for that. I want to hearken back to what I said earlier, now you know this and everybody in the world knows this, that job training starts with making sure that every child gets an education. I worry about the gap of hope in America. I worry about people saying the American dream is not available for me and I think the best way to close the gap of hope is education.

We have to make sure the public schools meet the challenge of the 21st century. I believe strongly in accountability, mayors should respect accountability of all the elected officials. You’re held more accountable probably than any other elected official since you are so close to the people. The cornerstone for public education reform is to measure, is to insist upon accountability that’s why when I’m the president, I’m going to say to a school in Long Beach CA if you receive help on any program particular the Title I program you need measures,s you need to show us whether or not children are learning. You see, I serve the premise that every child can learn and, if not, there needs to be other options. One of the things I’m so hopeful about is the charter school movement. I believe it provides outlets for educational entrepreneurs and I know that your state of California, Madam Mayor, you’re beginning to get charter schools flourishing throughout California and this is constructive good news. I’ve seen what happen when we set high expectations and have strong accountability systems. Children will learn. The so call at-risk child will become a child that is employable, ready for college and ready to learn.

Step one is a good public education system. Step two, it is important to understand, when it comes to spending money for job training that the market place moves lot quicker than labor training. In other words, the market moves quickly, and we have to recognize that when it comes to job training programs, that job training programs can not be universal in application. In other words, we can not have a "one size fits all." You’re going out of your way, Madam Mayor, to take advantage of the assets in your cities which means you will be attracting different jobs that somebody out in Midland Texas will be, in which case the job training money that comes to the state need be maximum flexible, which really relates to Mayor Webb’s essential question. Will the President be willing to work with Mayors to provide flexibility on programs tailored to meet your specific needs? In my state of Texas we have what is called job work programs, job training programs that will be decentralized to meet the specific needs of the cities all around Texas and we need to do the same thing in America so that you can combine job recruitment, job expansion with job training, so there are two good ideas.

Mayor Brent Coles: Boise, IA

Governor, if you are successful in this endeavor would we have access to the Oval Office, would we be in the Oval Office not only as a part of the administration, but as The Conference of Mayors?. Would there be meetings with you as the issues come up as we guide this nation forward?

Brent, of course, I’m a good listener. I understand that a lot of folks may not be supportive of my candidacy at the mayors conference. That’s OK, that’s what politics is all about, America is all about. I think if you ask the Mayors from Texas and you’ll find that I’m an open minded person. I’m interested in ideas more than anything else. I’m willing to share credit, I believe that there are some great ideas drawn from the local level that’s what I want to do. I’m running for the right reasons, Brent, I want to improve America. I’ve got a pretty good job the way it is as far I’m concerned, but I’m on a mission, and the mission is to make sure that the 21st century is as hopeful as it can possibly be for every person, and I mean every person. As for you, Brent personally, of course you are welcome to come to the White House to visit as long as you don’t lift any of the silverware. Thank you for having me and God bless you. When you get a chance come and visit.