FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather B. Habelka, Office of the Mayor, 203.385.4001

Stratford Mayor James R. Miron Participates in U.S. Conference of Mayors 75th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA (June 26, 2007) - Mayor James R. Miron joined hundreds of mayors in Los Angeles for the historic 75th Annual Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM).

From June 22nd to June 27th, the nation's mayors debated and voted on policy priorities to collectively push through Congress. Issues ranging from affordable housing to crime and homeland security, to climate protection and energy independence were at the center of this year's opening session.

While in L.A., the mayors also promoted their 10 Point Plan, which describes their collective legislative agenda - Strong Cities, Strong Families for a Strong America. The first item on the agenda is an Energy and Environment Block Grant that will help fund local initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Other items in the 10 Point Plan include a call for doubling the funding for Community Development Block Grants, strengthening the federal-local partnership on crime prevention, as well as increased funding for emergency first-responders and quality after-school programs for youth.

During the meeting, the mayors also released a climate protection survey that highlights what over 130 cities large and small are currently doing to reduce global warming, especially in the absence of federal support.

Featured speakers for the Conference were presidential candidates Senator Hillary Clinton (NY), New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and U.S. House of Representatives Member, Dennis J. Kucinich (OH).

"In every city in America, the mayor's office is where the rubber meets the road. This means that mayors cannot wait for the federal government to act," said Tom Cochran, USCM Executive Director. "Mayors are committed to lead on issues that touch real people everyday. As The Conference of Mayors celebrates 75 years of supporting mayors' initiatives, we are proud of the positive difference we've been able to make in the lives of our citizens."

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The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.