|
CCC 2000 will feature legislative and
<br />policy sessions, workshops, and meet-
<br />ings on Capitol Hill with Congressional
<br />and Administration leaders to focus on
<br />the federal issues that will be most criti-
<br />cal to cities and towns in the 2000 and
<br />beyond.
<br />Key issues that will be on the federal -municipal agenda
<br />for the second session of the 106th Congress and that
<br />ATLC will address at CCC 2000 include:
<br />TAX CUTS OR INVESTMENTS?
<br />In 1999, Congress passed and the President vetoed a
<br />$792 billion tax cut. In 2000, Congress, President
<br />Clinton, and the Presidential candidates will continue
<br />to debate how to use projected "budget surpluses."
<br />Some of the questions'that will be raised include:
<br />Should there be tax cuts before the Social Security and
<br />Medicare programs have been fixed? Should tax cuts
<br />be.considered before an equitable share -of the Federal '
<br />budget is dedicated to local priorities and a significant
<br />share of any budget surplus is reinvested in the future
<br />of our communities? Should the future of our econo-
<br />my, which will depend on investments in our human
<br />resources and physical infrastructure, be given priority
<br />over tax cuts?
<br />TAXIING INTERNET SALES
<br />The Advisory Commission. on Electronic Commerce
<br />will hold its final meeting in Dallas, Texas, beginning
<br />on March 20. The commission's final report with rec-
<br />ommendations on whether and how to
<br />collect sales and use taxes on Internet
<br />transactions is due to. Congress on
<br />April 21, 2000. Some Congressional
<br />leaders, not willing to wait for recom-
<br />mendations from the commission, are
<br />already introducing bills to extend the
<br />'moratorium on new taxes on Internet
<br />transactions or broaden the ban on col-
<br />lecting any legally due sales taxes on e-
<br />cominerce. The outcome of the com-
<br />mission's work and the prospects for
<br />Congressional action will be hot topics in
<br />Washington in 2000 and on the campaign trail.
<br />COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC
<br />DEVELOPMENT
<br />As the debate escalates over whether budget surplus-
<br />es exist, whether to retain the 1997 budget caps, and
<br />what to do about the Social Security Trust Fund,
<br />what will the future funding picture be for city prior-
<br />ity programs? Will adequate funding continue for
<br />the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG),
<br />HOME, and the Local Law Enforcement BIock
<br />Grant programs? Essential investments in infrastruc-
<br />ture, human resources, job creation, and public safety
<br />could be shortchanged in a rush to provide relief to
<br />taxpayers during this period of exceptional. prosperity.
<br />Will this affect our ability to compete in the global
<br />economy?
<br />UNPLANNED GROWTH
<br />Poorly planned growth and development can bring
<br />with it unanticipated social and financial costs. What,
<br />if anything, should the federal government's role be in
<br />identifying and developing solutions to address prob-
<br />lems related to unplanned development and growth?
<br />Some federal financial tools and technical resources
<br />could assist local leaders in making unformed choices
<br />about how to coordinate growth and sustainable devel-
<br />opment.
<br />EDUCATION
<br />Classrooms in trailers. Inexperienced teachers.
<br />Insufficient reauthorization of elementary and sec-
<br />ondary education funds. For cities, these ire three clear
<br />and present dangers. As school districts across the
<br />country struggle to fill positions, a national teacher
<br />shortage is exacerbating another problem. In the com-
<br />petition for the best and
<br />brightest teachers, the most „
<br />troubled schools are losing.
<br />What are the options for
<br />Congress and the White 1 t
<br />House to consider? What
<br />would those options mean to
<br />your city? For your city's -
<br />budget? For the kinds of services and programs
<br />your city will need in order to provide these chil-
<br />dren with a quality education? What is the appro-
<br />priate federal role in education ?
<br />TELECOMMUNICATIONS
<br />With implementation of the heralded Telecom Act
<br />of 1996, potential legislative and regulatory changes
<br />are creating new challenges for municipal govern-
<br />ments. Broadband access, e-commerce, zoning issues,
<br />corporate telcom mergers, and the digital divide are
<br />some of the issues Congress and the Federal
<br />Communications Commission will examine in the
<br />coining year. Local elected officials must be prepared
<br />to preserve their autonomy as industry forces and
<br />Congress have both demonstrated their willingness to
<br />preempt local oversight and control.
<br />PREEMPTION
<br />In 1999, Congress tried to preempt local authority over
<br />traditional and essential local responsibilities such as
<br />zoning and land use, taxation, and civil assets forfei-
<br />ture. The Supreme Court, however, supported federal-
<br />ism and local authority with its trio of sovereign immu-
<br />nity decisions issued on the last day of
<br />the spring term. President Clinton
<br />signed a new Executive Order on feder-
<br />alism that makes the executive branch
<br />of the federal government more
<br />accountable to cities with respect to reg-
<br />ulations that seek to preempt local pow-
<br />ers. Will the new millennium bring
<br />passage of federalism legislation to pro-
<br />tect cities from further erosion of tradi-
<br />tional. local authority?
<br />INFRASTRUCTURE
<br />Next year, Congress will continue to debate the ques-
<br />tion of how to meet our nations growing infrastructure
<br />needs. Whether it is highways, bridges transit systems,
<br />airports, or seaports, cities and town continue to strug-
<br />gle for resources to maintain and improve their aging
<br />infrastructure. Will Congress continue to fund the
<br />highway and transit programs at the TEA 21 guaran-
<br />--teed levels? What's ahead for airport funding? How
<br />will our country remain a leader in international trade if
<br />we cannot adequately fund seaport infrastructure
<br />improvements? Is Congress committed to bringing
<br />high speed rail technology to the
<br />United States? What does the
<br />`rw future look like for Amtrak?
<br />ENVIRONMENT
<br />Water issues – wastewater,,
<br />drinking water, and water infra-
<br />structure — will remain in the
<br />forefront of important environ-
<br />mental issues for the nation's
<br />^-t cities for the foreseeable future.
<br />.. Key topics that are on the minds
<br />of local officials include financ-
<br />ing water infrastructure, new
<br />regulations on municipal
<br />stormwater discharges, proposed
<br />regulations on total maximum daily loads, and the sta-
<br />tus of a regulatory framework for sanitary sewer over-
<br />flows and stage II microbial/disinfection by-products
<br />in municipal drinking water supplies.
<br />ELECTRIC
<br />DEREGULATION
<br />Congress and the administration
<br />will consider legislation to deregu-
<br />late the nations electric utility
<br />industry in 2000 having failed to
<br />do so again in 1999. While cities
<br />continue to cope with the impact
<br />of deregulation of the telecom-
<br />munications industry and Contin-
<br />ued threats to municipal franchise
<br />and siting authority, federal electric deregulation could
<br />threaten municipal revenues, franchise, and land use
<br />authority. As with cable rates, Congressional action
<br />could lead to much higher costs.
<br />
|