The Nation's Mayors to Focus on Poverty in America: Mayors Hold National Forum on...

The Nation's Mayors to Focus on Poverty in America: Mayors Hold National Forum
on Poverty in Los Angeles

McCain and Obama Senior Policy Advisors To Attend Forum

U.S. Conference of Mayors President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, along with Host
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio A. Villaraigosa and USCM CEO and Executive Director
Tom Cochran will hold a Mayors '08 Action Forum on Poverty in Los Angeles on
Wednesday, September 24th at the Maxine Waters Employment Preparatory Center
in Los Angeles.

Mayor Villaraigosa chairs the USCM Task Force on Poverty, Work and
Opportunity, established in January of 2006 which challenges mayors and
elected officials to think differently about poverty and its changing dynamic
in America. Villaraigosa has said, "Mayors must force a conversation with the
nation on poverty."

This forum will be the third in a series of mayoral forums in key cities
around the country intended to challenge the next Presidential Administration
to invest in America's cities and metropolitan areas -- the economic engines
of the nation accounting for 86 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and
where over 85% of people in the country live. The first forum was on Crime in
Philadelphia; the second was on Infrastructure in New York City; the remaining
forums will be held on Environment in Miami and on the Arts in Palm Beach.

Representatives from both the McCain and Obama campaigns are expected to
attend. Recommendations from all five forums will be presented to the next
President of the United States during the critical first 100 days of the new
administration toward the creation of a metro/national/urban agenda.

Mayor Diaz, the newly-elected President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the
nation's premiere bipartisan lobbying organization for the America's cities
and metropolitan areas believes that Washington no longer invests in its
cities and its people. He has said, "Washington has lost its values -- lost
its principles -- lost its sense of purpose -- engaging in endless debate and
partisan bickering while people in this country continue to suffer. ... Plain
and simple, Washington has abandoned us." Diaz also believes, "National
problems demand national investments."

WHO:
Miami, FL Mayor Manny Diaz, USCM President
Los Angeles, CA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, USCM Poverty Task Force Chair &
Host
Tulsa, OK Mayor Kathy Taylor, USCM Workforce Committee Chair
Oakland, CA Mayor Ron Dellums, USCM Poverty Task Force
Atlanta, GA Mayor Shirley Franklin, USCM Poverty Task Force
Gastonia, NC Mayor Jennifer Stultz, USCM Hunger and Homelessness Task Force

Santa Ana, CA Mayor Miguel Pulido, USCM Advisory Board
Doral, FL Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez, USCM Advisory Board
Manhattan Beach, CA Mayor Richard Montgomery
Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director
Henry Cisneros, Former HUD Secretary (Invited)
+ National Experts

WHAT:
Poverty Forum: PRESS CONFERENCE AT 12:30pm

WHEN:
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

WHERE:
Maxine Waters Employment Preparatory Center
10925 S. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90059
Ph 323.564.4451

CONTACT: Elena Temple, +1-202-309-4906, etemple@usmayors.org, Carlos Vogel,
+1-202-257-9797, cvogel@usmayors.org, or Lina Garcia, +1-202-341-6113,
lgarcia@usmayors.org, all of the U.S. Conference of Mayors

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Sept. 18/

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors