LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Xochitl Mora,

Resolution passes thanks to Salinas amendment

 (Baltimore, MD)  City of Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas helped close out the annual summer conference for the U.S. Conference of Mayors organization by demonstrating leadership, diplomacy and an ability to bring all sides to a table to get things done.

 As the conference was wrapping up, the organization was passing various resolutions on items that stem from local issues, but have national implications.  Among those were two resolutions authored and introduced by Mayor Salinas:  Immigration and Telecommunications (Name or numbers of Resolutions); attached.  The first, co-authored with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, called on the nation to recognize the value immigrants bring to this nation and the need for comprehensive immigration reform.  The second called on the federal government and the Federal Communications Commission to respect local governments’ right to control public property, including the right to charge a reasonable rental fee for those assets when used by private enterprise. 

 However, the most impressive piece of resolution language presented by Laredo’s mayor was an amendment to a resolution that had divided the organization completely.  The U.S. Conference of Mayors was split on the issue of ending the war in Afghanistan and would not move forward on the resolution for fear that it would send mixed or negative message to the U.S. troops fighting abroad.

 Mayor Salinas offered an amendment that turned the tide – his language made it clear that the Mayors of America and the people they represent “wholeheartedly support the troops and their families and that mayors can best serve those soldiers by supporting a strategic draw down of the war and returning of funds being spent on the war efforts in foreign lands to investing in cities in America.”

 The amendment was unanimously adopted and numerous mayors stood in the meeting to thank Salinas, including Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and from the podium Mayor Villaraigosa.

 In fact, City of Johns Creek (Georgia) Mayor Michael Bodker stood up and said that until the Salinas amendment was adopted, he was prepared to vote against the resolution.  With the Salinas amendment, he was prepared to fully support.

 Mayor Salinas explained his role this way:  “I understood what the mayors wanted to say, because it is the way that I feel.  We can never take the chance that our warriors or their families are hurt by our call for a return of funds from foreign wars to our nation.  My amendment simply made sure that no such misunderstanding could be made.  I was humbled by the reaction of my colleagues.”

 Footage of the discussion of this amendment can be seen here:  http://usmayors.org/79thAnnualMeeting/.  Mayor Salinas’ resolutions can also be downloaded from the same location.     

 The U.S. Conference of Mayors wraps up their annual summer meeting today; Salinas will return to Laredo tomorrow.