Delays in Transit Expected

There is no doubt that Congress has a full agenda. Health care reform has been dominating their time, followed by climate change legislation and issues in the Middle East. The end of its fiscal year is just a few days away and they, like the Michigan Legislature, have yet to pass their funding bills.

For example, the current surface transportation law, the Safe, Affordable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU, P.L. 109-53), was adopted in 2005 and expires on September 30, 2009. To give you some idea of how political this bill was -- When Congress finally passed the last transportation bill in 2005, it took two years and 12 extensions to complete. Although Congress has a bill now drafted, the President wants to put off this measure until after the midterm elections in 2010. A delay in the re-authorization will hinder the planning of transportation projects and perhaps put them in jeopardy of ever getting completed.

At stake is the dwindling Highway Trust Fund, financed by a federal gas tax that pays for repairs to the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. At issue is an effort by Congress and the President to set the nation’s transportation policy for the rest of the decade and perhaps for decades to come. The outcome will be critical to state and local governments that depend on federal assistance to maintain and improve their transportation systems.

The end game will be the creation of a funding mechanism that will ensure the national transportation system will meet the demands of an expanding population while also accommodating the environmental priorities of those who want to see less road congestion, less accidents and more transit options.

For transportation planning organizations it could mean a modern, sustainable and seamless surface transportation network, that fully integrates and connects the nation’s small urban and rural regions with global, metropolitan and neighboring markets. It could also mean increased federal investments in existing and new rural public transportation system, with an emphasis on establishing stronger incentives and program flexibility across the spectrum.

While we will wait for almost a year before Congress will most likely pass a transportation bill, Congress continues to debate issues of transit and transportation. For example, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “American Clean Energy and Security Act” (H.R. 2454) in June, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is currently developing their version. Both bill contain provisions affecting transit. Although Congress will not pass a transportation bill until next year, there are still opportunities for transit agencies and organizations to secure resources for a variety of projects through existing bills, and help shape funding for future projects by taking a proactive role in advising Congress on what is important to your agency and community.

Therefore, if you have certain projects that need to be funded or policy related issues that can benefit your program, it is important that you meet with your planning organizations, MDOT, the Governor and your Congressional Delegation to ensure their priorities are your priorities. Then it is important to work with your chambers and other community organizations to build a solid base of support for your projects. Despite a full agenda, Congress needs to hear from you and what you need to provide valuable resources to your community. With limited funds from the state and dwindling budgets all around, it seems that Congress is our only option.

Daniel Cherrin is the former Communications Director/Press Secretary for the City of Detroit and to Detroit Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr. He is now President of North Coast Strategies, which provides cutting edge practical advice where government action or inaction, litigation vulnerability or complex regulatory requirements will impact your reputation and bottom-line. You can reach Cherrin at dcherrin@NorthCoastStrategies.com or (313) 300-0932.

Restoring stability, gaining trust and rebuilding Detroit’s future.

By Daniel Cherrin

One year ago, then Detroit City Council President Ken Cockrel became Detroit’s 61^st Mayor, after Kwame Kilpatrick resigned. Then Mayor Cockrel, assumed the leadership of a city very much in trouble. At the time, the magnitude of Detroit’s budget problems were unknown, people sat in city hall pushing paper, our auto industry’s infrastructure was crumbling, the Nation was about to elect its first African American President, America’s economic climate worsened, and the world would soon be coming to Detroit for the NCAA Final Four Men’s Tournament.

Ken Cockrel inherited a city in shambles, not as the “elected mayor,” but as a public servant, called to duty and asked to serve. At the time, his 11-year political-career as a Wayne County Commissioner, City Council Member and City Council President prepared him to assume his new role as Mayor. As Mayor, Cockrel, looked forward to creating an open and transparent culture, stabilizing a city, restoring trust in city government and the office of mayor.

In the brief eight months he served as Detroit’s Mayor, Cockrel was often criticized for moving to slow. But moving slow was the most appropriate strategy for coming into the middle of an established administration at a time when he had to campaign for office twice, while still trying to run the city. Slow, calculated and strategic moves, based on facts and sound public policy, rather than politics or pressure, was how Cockrel stabilized the city. It took time to get a handle of the city’s finances and come up with a plan to not just reduce the deficit, but to eliminate it, balance the budget and turn in all of the city’s financial reports in on time, to help restore Detroit’s credit rating lost due to so much uncertainty in the city.

He began to create a process to repair and rebuild a fractured and aging city government and change the corporate culture, to restore stability in our city and restore our tainted image.

As we have all seen, as city council president, as mayor, and again as city council president, Cockrel is a person with tremendous integrity. As Mayor, he put substance before showmanship and worked to secure meaningful reform for Detroit.

Cockrel served as our Mayor at the perfect time. As mayor, he shifted our region’s focus from the scandals of the past to rebuilding for our future. At the time he became mayor, he did not seek the position, and yet he rose to the challenge.

As Cockrel’s Communications Director and Press Secretary, I was given the opportunity to participate in a number of discussions and decisions affecting our city. I was always impressed, when Cockrel made decisions not because of politics, but because it was good public policy … Not because it would get him elected, but because it made sense … Not because it was what someone wanted, but because it was what the city needed.

This past May, the voters (or lack thereof) did not give Cockrel the opportunity to act on his plans to restore financial stability to the city, to restore the trust back in the Office of Mayor and to find new hope and opportunity to secure Detroit’s future for the next generation.

Although Cockrel’s work continues as President of the Detroit City Council, there is no doubt in my mind of Ken Cockrel’s place in Detroit’s history. He became Mayor not out of desire, but out of need. He served as Mayor with honor, integrity and class. His agenda is Detroit’s agenda. Cockrel remains at the base of Detroit’s foundation and best represents the City’s future. Ken Cockrel was the right person at the right time to lead this city and created the process by which fiscal stability could be restored, trust, and set the tone for Detroit’s new beginning.

Daniel Cherrin is the former Communications Director/Press Secretary for the City of Detroit and to Detroit Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr. He is now President of North Coast Strategies, which provides cutting edge practical advice where government action or inaction, litigation vulnerability or complex regulatory requirements will impact your reputation and bottom-line. You can reach Cherrin at dcherrin@NorthCoastStrategies.com or (313) 300-0932.

Detroit will benefit when Chicago lands the 2016 Olympics

On October 2, the City of Chicago will appear before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plead its case to host the 2016 Olympic games. They are competing against Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo.

In the past, Detroit also appeared before the IOC, and bid for the 1944, 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1968 Olympics. While we lost each bid, we moved on to enhance a number of buildings throughout the city, including many of those at Wayne State University.

While Detroit competes to restore its public image, we should work with Chicago to support their bid to win the right to host the 2016 Olympics. If they win, we win. While hotels along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and along their Lakeshore Drive will sell out, there is a good chance that Detroit and the State of Michigan will reap some benefit. For example, while Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway Airports may be crowded, some travelers, including those on Delta/Northwest, may just choose to fly-in to Detroit Metro, rent-a-car and perhaps check out our region’s cultural, culinary and athletic treasures. We could also host a number of Olympic delegations, as they need a place to train and get acclimated to the time changes and American culture. Facilities at any of our state’s universities not to mention our diverse topography make Michigan a great place to train and prepare for the Olympics in 2016.

Chicago has a lot to gain economically from hosting the Olympics. Studies show the Games could generate $13.7 billion in economic activity from 2011-2021. But Detroit and the State of Michigan also have a lot to gain. It is our chance to be a co-host, along America’s North Coast, and welcome the world to the region and to the Great Lakes. So let’s support our neighbor to the west. We often compare ourselves to the Windy City as a place we would like to be. So for now, let’s offer our support and resources to win the games, not just for Chicago and the Great Lakes but also for the United States of America.

Daniel Cherrin is the former Communications Director/Press Secretary for the City of Detroit and to Detroit Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr. He is now President of North Coast Strategies, which provides cutting edge practical advice where government action or inaction, litigation vulnerability or complex regulatory requirements will impact your reputation and bottom-line. You can reach Cherrin at dcherrin@NorthCoastStrategies.com or (313) 300-0932.