Speaking before mayors gathered in New Orleans for the 67th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors republican presidential aspirant Arizona Senator John McCain after commending mayors for their leadership and courage for in bringing about a rebirth in America’s cities, worried "that America, for all our prosperity, has lost the best sense of herself, that sense that we are part of something noble; a great experiment to prove to the world that democracy is not only the most effective form of government, but also the only moral government."

He went on to hold the Congress and the White House responsible for "the cynicism that afflicts so many Americans, saying we seldom seem to be occupied with great causes." He continued "why should we wonder that our constituents are increasingly alienated from us and the work we do when so much of that work seems narrowly partisan, mindlessly political and intended to serve our ambitions at the cost of the national interest."

Great Causes Remain - Hunger, Illiteracy, Suffering Neighborhoods

"Politics," McCain said he tells young people, "needs the participation of good men and women to become a profession as honorable as the cause it is supposed to service. Don’t be so inward looking don’t isolate yourselves from community and country. There are great causes left that can restore your faith in an America that is greater than the sum of is special interests. Wherever there is a hungry child, a great cause exits. Wherever there is an illiterate adult, a great cause exists. Wherever there is suffering, a great cause exists. And where our cities and towns are bravely trying to restore to their neighborhoods their former vitality, a great American cause exists.

Direct Funding to Cities for Youth Mentoring

During the course of his remarks addressing crime, McCain stressed the importance of reaching at risk youth at an early age. He pointed out that "currently there are a dozen or so federal mentoring programs with a combined budget approaching $100 million. We should consolidate these programs into one community mentoring block grant that will be made available directly to our nation’s cities."

Progress Yes, But Much Work Remains

Referencing the "exciting progress our cities are making," McCain said, "much work remains. He continued, "too many Americans living in our cities have yet to gain from our thriving economy still despair that they will never share in the American Dream." While recognizing the need for "some form of basic safety net programs and job training," he said, that approach alone has failed to generate the sustainable economic growth that can offer opportunity to the most forgotten people in our inner cities." He argued that we must "shift the focus away from a needs based approach premised on the notion that if we pump enough money in to treating the symptoms of inner-city problems that economic development will follow."

He continued saying "to achieve the large-scale economic development necessary for sustainable growth we need comprehensive market-based strategies. To unleash the power of the free market system we must promote and capitalize on the strengths of our inner cities." Among the strengths, according to McCain are: (1) location (proximity to high rent areas, business centers, transportation and communications centers); and (2) local market demand (an untapped market despite lower than average household incomes). "We need to break the stereotype of the poor inner city market," pointing to the federal government as the "guardian of the stereotype." "In census data and income-based poverty assessments, a completely negative picture emerges of our inner cities, that doesn’t simply understate the strengths of urban markets, but distorts the truth beyond recognition," he stated.

McCain on the Issues

Supports the COPS Program

In response to a question from Gary Mayor Scott King regarding the use of the COPS program to enhance school security, Senator McCain said he supports the COPS Program, which has been zeroed-out in the Senate’s current appropriations battle. Mcain said the current indiscriminate budget cutting related to the issue of "budgetary caps" which he believes cannot be met. Blaming both the Congress and The White House, McCain suggested the possibility of a budgetary "train wreck" which reminded many mayors of the government shut down in 1996.

Congress Needs Mayoral Help on Air Service

Cedar Rapids Mayor Lee Clancy asked McCain for an update on his Senate Commerce Committee’s work on the thorny issues of airfares and service. After an intended humorous reference to the distance of the new Denver Airport from the city, McCain said that as time goes by many cities would wish they had followed the Denver example. He quickly moved to the problems of high fares and poor service in many medium and smaller sized cities. While against moving back to a regulated environment, he strongly implied that the major airlines are engaging in anti-competitive practices and called for increased competition. He also addressed the need for increased funding of "essential air service" and urged mayors to band together to push the Congress to action.

Military Experience Uplifting

With a reference to Kosovo and saying that he, too, was a Viet Nam veteran Hempstead Mayor James Garner asked McCain to comment on his military service which included some 7 years as a prisoner of war. . Saying "while it was difficult and tough the greatest privilege of my life was to serve in the company of heroes and witness a thousand acts of courage, compassion and love... it was the most uplifting period of my life."

Supports Summer Youth Program

Using a question regarding annual difficulty of garnering Congressional support for the "summer youth program" from Richmond (CA) Mayor Rosemary Cobin, McCain, went on to address the issues that have arisen after the deadly events at Littleton (Columbine High School). In this regard he also said that Littleton is not the first instance of kids killing kids, "it’s been happening in our inner cities for some time, but we have not been paying attention." He expressed his support for the Summer Youth Program and also stated his support for the Senate passed gun control measure. Moreover, he said, "that even if we took award all the guns, the internet provides details on how to construct a pipe bomb as well as racist filth and pornography. Without resorting to censorship and recognizing the tremendous educational value of the internet, especially for disadvantaged kids, McCain called for increased parental involvement and also supported giving parents the tools to screen out or filter objectionable material. He also called for an understandable and uniform rating system for television, movies and video games.

Internet Tax - Treat Like Catalog Sales

Referring to fact that schools are often funded by the sales tax and the five-year moratorium on internet taxation as well as the ever more frequent reports of internet sales records being set, Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, a member of the asked McCain for his views. While supporting moratorium for the Internet during its embryonic stage, McCain said he looked to the report of the Commission adding "I don’t think the Internet should be tax free forever." The said the work of the Commission should carry great impact because member of Congress do not yet understand the impact of the Internet on commerce. He drew a parallel to catalog sales saying it’s a question of "who should tax" and "where." He recognized the almost "mind-boggling" economic impact of internet sales... some "$17 billion this last holiday season."

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