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NEWS SECTIONS: World news | Election news | News from Europe | News from North America | News from Latin America | News from Asia and Australia | News from Africa | Urban events | NEWS SPECIALS: Local elections in England & Wales 2008 | London elections 2008 | Latest news story | London and Glasgow terrorist attacks 2007 |

Washington DC suburbs
to promote smart growth
Washington DC, 15 November 2009: Urban planners in the suburbs of Washington DC have backed new policies to promote smart growth and car-free lifestyles. The council of Montgomery County, Maryland, has approved a new zoning masterplan to focus new growth on areas adjacent to metro stations and make the provision of cycle and walkways a condition of any new development approval. To cope with a projected 200,000 extra residents over the next two decades, developers will be permitted to increase density of housing developments in proportion to their proximity to metro stations, including use of high- rise schemes. Until its introduction this week, its zoning policies discouraged any further development in the already highly populated area.

The strategy has not only won acclaim from advocates of smart growth but is seen as necessitated by the lack of new land in the county for actual development, with many strip malls contributing to urban sprawl northwards from the capital. Policymakers are currently lobbying the federal and state governments to green light a much needed cross-county transit system, though budget shortfalls make this quite unlikely to proceed in the immediate future.

The county contains much of the unincorporated population centres of what is termed ‘suburban Maryland’ to the north of the nation’s capital, which though served by a transit network to carry commuters to the city, is particularly reliant on private transport for other purposes. While the council serves one of the most affluent areas of the US, its members are all Democrats. The county’s track record includes its social zoning policies, pioneered during the 1970s to compel and encourage developers to incorporate affordable housing in their developments, which has since been adopted by many US cities.

Environmentalist to be
Seattle’s next mayor
Seattle, 12 November 2009: Mike McGinn, a former leader of America’s oldest environmental organisation the Sierra Club, is the new Mayor of Seattle. The results of the election, which took place on 3 November, remained in the balance for several days. At some stage during the count, less than 500 votes separated the two candidates. At the end, McGinn won the election by some 5,000 votes out of more than 190,000 ballots cast.

McGinn entered the election as the clear underdog. His rival, Joe Mallahan, a telecom executive and fellow Democrat, was endorsed by the city’s main newspaper and also backed by the state governor. Mallahan, who outspent McGinn by 3 to 1, had the support of the business community and the political establishment, while the mayor-elect relied heavily on volunteers.

McGinn and Mallahan were thrown into Seattle’s political limelight after they came first and second in primary elections held in August. Incumbent mayor Greg Nickels finished third. Nickels, who became well-known for his opposition to former US President Bush’s environmental policies, lost the support of Seattle citizens over his support for a $4.2 billion highway tunnel beneath the city’s waterfront. McGinn initially opposed the tunnel but, after it has been approved by the city council and the state, said he would not try to stop it. McGinn is in favour of expanding Seattle’s light rail system.

Baltimore mayor accused
of stealing gift vouchers
Baltimore, 9 November 2009: The trial against Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon starts today. She is accused of using gift cards, donated to provide gifts for needy children, to buy electronic gadgets, clothes and other items for herself, family members and friends. Allegedly, the mayor had asked property developers to provide gift vouchers, worth thousands of dollars, to be given to poor families with young children. If found guilty, the mayor will be forced to resign and may also lose her pension entitlements worth some $80,000 pa.

Later this year Mayor Dixon faces a second trial on perjury charges. She is accused of not having reported gifts from a former boyfriend and property developer who benefited from city tax breaks.

Sheila Dixon became mayor in January 2007 after Martin O'Malley was elected governor. Later that year, she easily won an election to a four-year term, thus becoming Baltimore’s first female African-American mayor.

Ford Foundation commits $100m
to disadvantaged urban schools
New York City, 6 November 2009: The Ford Foundation announced a new $100 million initiative to transform secondary education in urban schools across the US, saying it wants to help build the conditions and resources required to provide a great education to public school students.

The seven-year, seven-city initiative will fund projects that address four basic elements of school infrastructure that have a decisive impact on the quality of education offered to the nation's most vulnerable student populations: sufficient and equitable school financing, quality teaching, additional and more useful learning time, and meaningful accountability.

"Improving American schools, and giving the most vulnerable young people real educational opportunities, benefits all of us," said Ford Foundation President Luis Ubiñas. "With this initiative we want to shake up the conversations surrounding school reform and help spur some truly imaginative thinking and partnerships."

Dr. Jeannie Oakes, director of Educational Opportunity and Scholarship at Ford said the foundation's initiative would focus on New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Denver. “The foundation is working with a wide range of local partners in these cities - parents, teachers, students, community organizations, and local funders - all of whom are working hard to bring about sustainable change in their public schools,” she explained.

San Francisco Mayor abandons
race to succeed Schwarzenegger
San Francisco, 2 November 2009: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom surprised his followers and political opponents alike by announcing that he would not seek the governorship of California. Following the earlier withdrawal of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa from the race to succeed Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former two-term governor and mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown, is no the odds-on favourite to win the Democrat nomination.

In a statement, Mayor Newsom said because of his young family and responsibilities at San Francisco City Hall, he was unable to devote the time needed to run an effective campaign. "This is not an easy decision. But it is one made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats," the mayor explained.

Political observers countered that the mayor’s decision had less to do with wanting to spend more time with his family than his failure to raise sufficient funds to run a state-wide campaign. “Newsom just doesn’t enjoy the same popularity across California that he receives in his native city.”

Jerry Brown, who currently serves as California’s Attorney General, is also favoured by trade unions and registered Democrats. An opinion poll taken last month had Newsom trailing Brown by more than 20 percentage points, even though the mayor had the backing of former US President Bill Clinton. The gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 2010.

Birmingham Mayor took bribes
to finance his spending habits
Birmingham, 30 October 2009: Birmingham (Alabama) Mayor Larry Langford has been convicted of accepting bribes and now faces a lengthy prison sentence and heft fine. He has also been removed from office. It took the jury less than two hours to find one of Alabama’s most prominent African-American politicians guilty on all charges.

Langford has been accused of receiving cash as well as jewellery, expensive clothes and other luxury items while he was President of the Jefferson County Commission. The federal prosecutor claimed that in exchange for the gifts, Langford awarded investment banker Bill Blount extensive bond business. Blount had pleaded guilty at an early hearing and testified against Langford.

After the trial, the now ex-mayor blamed the racial mix of the jury for his conviction. "They struck as many blacks off that jury as they could," he said. Three of the 12 jury members were black.

Prosecution witnesses described Langford as a vain and buried in debt. Even his own defence conceited that he couldn’t control his spending. "He's a great politician, but he can't control his spending," the ex-mayor’s defence counsel said. Langford is reported to owe credit card companies some US$240,000 and have an outstanding car loan of $90,000.

Three ‘youngsters’ battle it
out for Pittsburgh City Hall
Pittsburgh, 27 October 2009: Pittsburgh, which promoted itself as a city re-born during last month’s G20 summit, will hold mayoral elections on 3 November. The Democratic incumbent, Luke Ravenstahl, will face two independent challengers in a contest dubbed the battle of the youngsters. All three candidates have yet to celebrate their 35th birthday in a city with one of the oldest populations in the US.

Ravenstahl (29) faces Kevin Acklin (33) and Franco Harris (30) in a race that has so far generated very little interest from the public. In an interview, Harris complained that the local media was more interested in a boy hidden in his parents’ loft – he was referring to the hoax of the Colorado boy trapped in a balloon - than the urgent issues faced by Pittsburgh over the next four years. "The mindset is that this race doesn't matter, your vote doesn't matter, just sit at home, and that's really scary," he said.

Pollsters believe the incumbent mayor will win easily and point out that Democrats outnumber Republicans by 5 to 1. “Pittsburgh hasn’t elected an Republican mayor since the Great Depression in the 1930s.”

The incumbent mayor has also benefited from the perception that the city has weathered the current economic crisis fairly well. “Home repossessions are below the average for cities of similar size.” The city’s economy has also benefited from the G20 summit. Estimates of direct economic impact range from US$20 to 35 million, while City Hall claims the event created some $100 million worth of “free” advertising for Pittsburgh.

On the downside, the city faces a pension debacle. Only 30 per cent of city pensions are funded, one of the worst situations for any large US city.

US housing department to promote
equal rights for gays and lesbians
Washington DC, 25 October 2009: The US Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) is developing a new set of regulations to ensure that gay men and women are not discriminated against when public housing is allocated. City Mayors learnt that the Department is worried that too many people are denied federally subsidised housing because of their sexual orientation.

The HUD is also commissioning a nation-wide study on the possible extent of discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing sales and home rentals.

An HUD spokesman said that the US Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale and rental of homes, doesn't specifically mention gays and lesbians when it comes to protected groups. “The department wants to make sure that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people are treated the same as everyone else when it comes to eligibility for housing programs,” he said. He also referred to a study from Michigan's Fair Housing Centers that found nearly 30 percent of same-sex couples were treated differently when trying to buy or rent a home.

The HUD also said that in future the term ‘family’ also applied to gay and lesbian couples.

New York Mayor takes
massive lead in the polls
New York City, 24 October 2009: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has increased his lead over rival William Thompson from nine to 16 percentage points. The latest Marist College poll has Bloomberg on 52 per cent, with Thompson on 36 per cent. There is further bad news for Bloomberg’s Democrat challenger. Even among Democrats, Bloomberg now leads by 47 to 30 per cent. The mayor’s advantage among Republicans is a massive 82 to 14 per cent lead.

The only good news for William Thompson is that he enjoys a small lead among non-registered voters. They favour him by 48 to 41 per cent. Thompson also leads among Africa-American voters but is far behind among Whites and Latinos.

Poll director Lee Miringoff pointed out that US President Obama’s lukewarm endorsement of Thompson has done nothing to improve the challenger’s popularity. Miringoff added that Bloomberg’s rise in the polls – from a nine-point to a 16-point lead – was largely due to mayor’s lavishly financed media campaign. “The mayor had spent nearly $65 million, most of it on his TV and other media ads and campaign literature. With Thompson relatively unknown among voters before the campaign, he has largely been defined by the mayor's campaign and hasn't had the resources to push back," Miringoff said.

Birmingham mayor accused of
taking cash and gifts in bribes
Birmingham, 22 October 2009: Birmingham (Alabama) Mayor Larry Langford has been accused of taking some US$235,000 in bribes. Langford, who was elected mayor in 2007, allegedly took cash and gifts from investment banker Bill Blount while serving as president of the Jefferson County Commission. Blount has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Bill Blount’s Montgomery-based firm received more than seven million dollars in fees for arranging municipal bond deals for Jefferson County. Unable to pay some $3.9 billion in debt, the County is now dealing with the fallout of the deals arranged during Langford’s term of office. County officials admit that they may have to file for municipal bankruptcy, which would be the largest in US history.

The mayor’s defence team told the federal court jury that Bill Blount had manipulated the mayor. “Our client realised too late that he was dealing with the devil,” defence attorney Michael Rasmussen said. In an opening statement, the defence said Blount had begun manipulating Langford after his election to the Jefferson County Commission in 2002. Langford became commission president and oversaw the financing of sewer bonds.

However the prosecutor presented a different scenario. “Soon after gaining office Larry Langford asked Blount for money and received the first bribe - a $50,000 bank loan, which Blount paid off,” assistant US attorney George Martin said. The prosecutor alleged that Blount paid off another loan taken out by Langford to pay for luxury clothing. "Around this same time, Bill Blount began asking for business from Jefferson County," the prosecutor told the court.

If convicted, Larry Langford would be removed from office. He would also face a prison sentence.

US mayors push for
clean truck program
New York City, 21 October 2009: Against the backdrop of the East Coast's largest trade complex, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Newark Mayor Cory Booker jointly announced their support for the Port of Los Angeles' Clean Truck Program, the nation's most successful program ever for reducing toxic truck emissions. Their endorsement before dozens of local port drivers, community residents, environmental advocates and labor leaders included a call to the US Congress to ensure an obsolete law cannot be used to roll back LA's clean-air progress or deter other ports from following suit.

"For too long we've been offered a false choice between economic growth and environmental sustainability," said Mayor Bloomberg. "From our Million Trees program to our Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, we have proven in New York City that we can provide economic opportunities while advancing our environmental goals. Today, I am calling on Congress to support legislation that will empower ports to implement the LA Clean Truck Program, an innovative initiative that will create good, green jobs and improve the quality of the air that New Yorkers breathe."

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums also expressed his willingness to educate Congress on the need to amend the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, the arcane 20th century statute that the Beltway-based American Trucking Association has argued in court pre-empts critical components of the green-growth model developed under the leadership of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The LA Clean Truck program transfers the responsibility for reducing air pollution from low-wage workers to companies that legitimately employ their drivers and invest in and maintain clean, green trucks. In exchange, the firms are awarded powerful financial incentives and access to the terminal gates. In 12 months, small and large companies alike have seen the economic advantages of environmental stewardship, and have invested over $500 million in low-emission fleets. Over 5,500 new clean-burning vehicles are on Southern California's roads, moving nearly 70 per cent of all cargo - three years ahead of schedule to meet emission-reduction targets.

Landslide victory for
new Memphis mayor
Memphis, 16 October 2009: Shelby County Mayor, A C Wharton, won a special election to replace Willie Herenton as mayor of Memphis. Herenton stepped down in June after 18 year as city leader to run for US Congress. Myron Lowery, mayor pro tem since June, came second. More than two dozen candidates were vying to serve out Herenton's unexpired term for Tennessee's capital city.

Wharton, who was supported by almost 60 per cent of those voting, described his victory a win not for him but the city of Memphis. “It proved that you can run a campaign and it can be clean and honest." A C Wharton will serve 26 months as Memphis Mayor, which is the remainder of former Mayor Willie Herenton's term. Herenton left office in the middle of his fifth term to enter the race for the 9th Congressional District.

Toronto mayor says
he has achieved all
Toronto, 27 September 2009: Toronto Mayor David Miller has announced that he would not be seeking a third term in office. "My reasoning is simple. I accomplished what I set out to do," the mayor said. He explained that Toronto was safer now than in 2003 when he took charge of City Hall. "Crime is down in almost every category," Miller added. It had always been assumed the David Miller would see a third term next year but, following a badly handled garbage strike, his popularity ratings tumbled. A poll released this month showed that 80 per cent of voters wanted the mayor replaced.

In a speech explaining his decision to step down, David Miller said he consulted with his family and decided he had to make this announcement. “My reasoning is simple. I have accomplished what I set out to do. So if I ran again, it would be about me and my electoral success and not about the Toronto I love."

"In 2006, I ran with an ambitious agenda to transform Toronto for the 21st century. It was called Toronto 2010. Today, every major policy that was at the foundation of my campaign has been accomplished or is well under way,” the mayor told his audience.

Following the mayor’s announcement, it is being suggested that David Miller will become the full-time CEO of Invest Toronto, the city’s economic development authority. He he took over on an interim basis last month after Michael Bryant, the CEO and former Attorney General, was criminally charged after the death of a cyclist.

New York Mayor considers
smoking ban in city’s parks
New York City 19 September 2009: If re-elected on 3 November, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to examine the practicality a partial smoking ban in the city’s parks such as Central Park and on its beaches including Coney Island. NYC health commissioner Thomas Farley said that parents shouldn't have to breathe smoke while standing on the sidelines of their children's soccer games, and children shouldn't even have to look at adults smoking. "Smoking is responsible for killing over 7,000 New Yorkers a year. We don't think it's too far to say that people shouldn't be smoking in parks, and to try to protect our children from getting addicted to tobacco," Farley said.

While other US cities have introduced smoking bans on public places, New York’s plans are the most ambitious. The mayor, who used to smoke and, according to commentators, has become something of a tobacco hater, has led a campaign against smoking since his election in 2002. Smoking in bars and restaurants have been banned and taxes on cigarettes increased. The Bloomberg administration also commissioned a number of gory publicity campaigns to illustrate smoke-related health problems.

The benefits of smoking ban in open spaces have been questioned by opponents of Bloomberg’s war against tobacco. And in a radio show the mayor acknowledged that it may be difficult to enforce such ban. He said he wanted to understand the health hazards. “It may not be logistically possible to enforce a ban across thousands of acres of parks. But there may be areas within parks where restricting smoking can protect health," he added.

NYC city comptroller to challenge
Bloomberg in November elections
New York City, 17 September 2009: William Thompson will be the Democratic Party’s candidate for Mayor of New York City. The NYC comptroller won 70 per cent of votes in a primary election and will now challenge incumbent mayor Michael Bloomberg on 3 November. In his victory speech Thompson criticised the mayor for seeking a third term, “It’s time for a change, New York. Eight years is enough,” he said. Last year the city’s council approved changing the term limits to allow Bloomberg to run for a third term.

Until last October elected officials were limited to two terms in office. Bloomberg, arguing that the city needed his continued leadership at a time of financial and economic turmoil, persuaded the council to overturn the term limit. Earlier voters had rejected such a change in the law in two referendums.

While registered Democrats in New York City outnumber Republicans by six to one, Thompson faces a challenging task. Bloomberg, while officially running as an independent, has the support of New York’s Republican and Independence Parties. In an opinion poll conducted in August by Quinnipiac University, the mayor had a 50 per cent to 35 per cent lead over his challenger.

Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire and founder of Bloomberg News Services, spent $150 millions on his campaigns in 2001 and 2005. William Thompson, a two-term city comptroller, was president of the city’s Board of Education between 1996 and 2001,

London and NYC
agree tourism deal
New York City, 16 September 2009: During a visit to his birthplace New York, the mayor of London Boris Johnson has signed a two-year tourism promotion deal with his counterpart Michael Bloomberg. The deal will see London and New York swap advertising space, share best practice and hold joint promotion events in each city annually. London and New York rank jointly as the number one source of visitors from the US and the UK respectively.

As part of the two-year tourism agreement New York City will swap 71 bus shelters with London that will run in New York City for four weeks each year. For its part, London will exchange 250 posters for four weeks on the London Underground system biannually. The annual value of each city’s media is estimated at $178,500. The agreement will be a two-year deal – $357,000 to London and $357,000 back to NYC from London. In addition, both cities’ tourism promotion companies, NYC & Company and Visit London, will share best practices and assist each other with at least one publicity event in their respective cities.

Mayor Boris Johnson said: “London and New York City share many similarities, including a strong sense of optimism and determination, along with a great appreciation for diversity and innovation. Our common cultural ties, not least absolute dedication to providing world-class services and experiences for both residents and visitors, make the two cities exceptionally well poised to combine knowledge as well as resources to impact the economies and future of the cities.”

Americans made almost two million visits to London last year and America remains London’s number one market for international visitors. Similarly, last year New York City welcomed a record 1,328,000 visitors from the UK, surpassing the record 1,237,000 visitors in 2007, making it the city’s number one source of international visitors. New York City is the number one destination for UK travellers to the US.

Voters deny Seattle
mayor a third term
Seattle, 23 August 2009: Seattle voters have denied Mayor Greg Nickels a third term. In a primary election held this week he was narrowly defeated by environmentalist Mike McGinn and IT executive Joe Mallahan. McGinn was supported by 27.6 per cent of voters, with Mallahan on 27.0 per cent. Nickels came third with 25.4 per cent of the vote. The two frontrunners will now face each other in the mayoral election in November. In a bittersweet concession speech Mayor Nickels, who is the current president of the US Mayors Conference, acknowledged that voters wanted a new generation of leadership.

But he also took a swipe at those who had criticised him that during his two terms in office he cared more about the planet – he instigated the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement – than Seattle, by saying he did not want to be a mayor who left nothing more significant behind than footprints in the sand. “I set out to make decisions for the future of the city, rather than ones that would preserve my personal popularity. Based on Tuesday's election results I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams," he told his audience.

The mayor went on to say that serving of this fine city had been the greatest honour of his public life. “I humbly thank the voters for bestowing that honour in 2001 and again in 2005. Having made wise decisions in both those instances, I am in no position to second guess their decision on Tuesday!"

Joe Mallahan, the current frontrunner said he wanted to publicly thank Mayor Nickels for his years of service to the City of Seattle. “He may have made decisions that we don't agree with, but public service is never easy and he's been a committed public servant. I appreciate everything he's done for the city.”

Anchorage mayor says ‘no
need for gay rights decree’
Anchorage, 19 August 2009: Anchorage’s Republican Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed a decree banning discrimination against gay men and lesbian women, which had been approved by the city assembly on a 7-to-4 vote. The mayor argued there was no need for such a measure in Anchorage. "My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this decree," the mayor said in a press statement. A similar decree was vetoed by the mayor’s father George Sullivan when he was mayor in 1976.

The decree, which met with strong opposition from conservative Christians, would have prohibited discrimination in employment, housing and education. The mayor’s stand was supported by Anchorage Baptist Temple whose spokesman said the decree was going to force small-business owners particularly to accommodate people who choose a certain lifestyle. “Once you give special rights to homosexuals then the next step is you legalize homosexual marriage and so forth,” a Baptist pastor warned.

Supporters of the decree on the city assembly told reporters that during 20 hours of public hearings compelling evidence of discrimination was presented. "I'm disappointed for the thousands Anchorage residents who are disenfranchised by the mayor’s decision," a councillor said. He dismissed the mayor’s argument that there was no evidence of discrimination as illogical. “Under current law gays and lesbians have no formal means to file complaints.”

Supporters of the decree now have to muster the support of eight councillors to override the mayor’s decision. In the meantime, Dan Sullivan is busy preparing for Mayor's Diversity Week next month.

Mayor Monitor rates the performance of mayors from across the world More

Washington DC suburbs to promote smart growth (Photo: High density housing in Washington DC suburbs)

Environmentalist to be Seattle’s next mayor

Baltimore mayor accused of stealing gift vouchers

Ford Foundation commits $100m to disadvantaged urban schools

San Francisco Mayor abandons race to succeed Schwarzenegger

Birmingham Mayor took bribes to finance his spending habits

Three ‘youngsters’ battle for Pittsburgh City Hall

US housing department to promote equal rights for gays and lesbians

New York City Mayor takes massive lead in the polls

Birmingham mayor accused of taking cash and gifts in bribes

US mayors push for clean truck program

Landslide victory for new Memphis mayor

Toronto mayor says he has achieved all

New York Mayor considers smoking ban in city’s parks

NYC city comptroller to challenge Bloomberg in November elections

London and NYC agree tourism deal

Voters deny Seattle mayor a third term

Anchorage mayor says ‘no need for gay rights decree’