Legislative Conference

Transcription

1 County News, March 26, Legislative Conference PHOTO REVIEW All photos by Judy G. Rolfe unless otherwise indicated. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer prasies the promise of coal-based alternative fuel at the March 5 Opening General Session. (above) For the first time, members of the Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) and Rural Action Caucus (RAC) held a joint leadership breakfast at the Legislative Conference. Pictured here are: (l-r) LUCC Chair Greg Goslin, NACo President-elect Eric Coleman, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and RAC Chair William Kennedy. (right) NACo President Colleen Landkamer greets Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters who adressed delegates at the March 5 Opening General Session. George Washington invites NACo members to the 2007 Annual Conference in Richmond, Va. Virginia is celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. The conference-wide event for the Annual Conference will be held at Jamestown.

2 10 County News, March 26, 2007 Vincent Farias, freeholder, Burlington County, N.J. reviews NACo budget report during the March 5 Board meeting. NACo second vice presidential candidate, Gloucester County, Va. Supervisor Teresa Altemus (front, second from left) takes a moment to pose with some of her supporters. Pictured are: (front l-r), W.B. Wilson, Altemus, Cynthia Chestnut and Harrison McKnight; (back, l-r) LeRoy Garcia, June Garcia, Stanley Pasley, Andy McKnight and Hank Bartos. Thanks to NACo s stations, even away from the office you can always stay connected, as Beth Ryder, St. Lucie County, Fla. Community Services, can attest. At the workshop, Telecommunications Taxes: Why Should I Care, panelist Anabelle Canning, vice president of state public policy for Verizon, presents her employer s view on telecommunications issues. Ottawa County, Ohio Commissioner Steve Arndt (l) listens attentively during a well-attended session on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

3 County News, March 26, Photo by Jim Lewis Tarrant County, Texas Judge Glen Whitley (l) talks with Benton County Commissioner Leo Bowman, president of the Washington State Association of Counties. Whitley is a candidate for NACo second vice president. No one is sacred for the social and political satire group, The Capitol Steps even the venerable Oprah. The group entertained during the conference luncheon on March 6. Cattie Epps, commissioner for Russell County, Ala., listens during the Farm Bill Workshop. NACo s award for Corporate Excellence went to Eli Lilly and Company; (l-r) NACo Executive Director Larry Naake, and from Eli Lilly, Bill Reid, manager, State Advocacy; Kit Wall, Local Government Relations and Tom Wallace, director, Public Affairs; and NACo First Vice President Don Stapely. Commissioner Pam Newton, Lake County Ill., observes Board action on March 5.

4 12 County News, March 26, 2007 Taking notes at the creative approaches to balancing budget is Beth Goodale, administrator, Georgetown County, S.C. NACo Second Vice President Valerie Brown and President-elect Eric Coleman confer during the Board of Directors meeting. Making sure that bit of information doesn t get lost is Alene Taylor, supervisor, Kings County, Calif., at the farm bill workshop. Photo courtesy of Association of Indiana Counties Attendees at NACo s Legislative Conference, such as this group from counties in Indiana, use their time in Washington to meeting with members of their congressional delegation. Pictured here with Indiana Congressman Brad Ellsworth are: (l-r) David Bottorff, Dick Jones, Sara Arnold, Judy Sharp, Judy Anderson, Rep. Ellsworth, Brenda Hall, Shelly Hiatt Parris, Jeff Dossett, Mary Ann Beard and Dale Brewer. Coy Privetee, commissioner, Cabarrus County, N.C., listens to presentation at the immigration reform workshop.

5 County News, March 26, Julia Gouge, commissioner, Carroll County, Md., takes the Pledge to recruit or retain one NACo member county over the next year. (l-r) Joseph Maehl, supervisor, Winnebago County, Wis.; James Ehrsam, supervisor, La Crosse County, Wis.; and David Albrecht, Winnebago County Board chair discuss the day s activities. Political pundit Charlie Cook assesses the field of presidential candidates for 2008 SPEAKERS from page 8 ballooning federal budget $2.9 trillion for FY08 fueled by spending for entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. More than $1.6 trillion of next year s spending is already obligated to those programs. So we are going to have to reform our entitlement programs, Hagel told conference delegates. He said the CDBG program is very essential in allowing local governments the flexibility to address their challenges. We must trust your judgment, he said the governments most accountable to the people. On combating meth abuse, Hagel said Congress will continue to fund programs such as Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) at higher levels You need that flexibility; you need those resources. Looking toward the 2008 presidential election, Hagel said voters will be more focused on honest, competent, problem-solving government than on political ideology. We are consumed here, captured here, held hostage here to a very raw partisan paralysis, he said of the Washington mindset. That will change, because the American people expect better; they will demand better; and they will get better leadership than what we ve had. Other speakers Charlie Cook Will it be Giuliani or McCain; Clinton or Obama in 08? Political analyst Charlie Cook doesn t have NACo s Immediate Past President Bill Hansell greets Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (l). In remarks, the senator said he ll announce his potential presidential intentions later this year. a crystal ball, but he calls the next quest for the White House a truly fascinating race. In 45 minutes laced with humor, Cook did speculate that he would win the Tour de France next year before Giuliani would become the GOP nominee. That dig aside, Cook is a nonpartisan commentator who bases his assessments of candidates and potential candidates on facts and historic trends. He spoke on March 6. Cook said GOP Sen. John Mc- Cain s age (72 in August) might be a turn-off for some voters. However, McCain has better conservative credentials than Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whom he termed one of the smartest elected officials I ever met. Considering the three men, Cook mused, Where s the old-fashioned conservative? McCain has been a maverick on some issues, aside from the Iraq War; Giuliani supports abortion rights, and Romney has had an ideologic metamorphosis on several conservative litmus-test issues. In addition, some conservative evangelicals have concerns about Romney s Mormon faith, Cook said. Old-fashioned conservatives, like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, are waiting in the wings. Political analyst Charlie Cook assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the currently announced Democratic and Republican candidates for president, as well as those who might enter the race. You have [Sen. Sam] Brownback and [former Arkansas Gov. Mike] Huckabee, but I m not sure they re breaking through, Cook said. Gingrich may enter the race later, Cook added, because to do so now would mean a long campaign for him, and a long campaign doesn t play to his strengths. On the Democratic side, Cook finds Hillary Clinton a formidable candidate for her focus, discipline and organization. He compared her candidacy to Richard Nixon s for its attention to detail and said she has the best strategist in the Democratic party on her side: her husband, the former president. While her campaign might seem to lack spontaneity, Cook said that quality may be overrated. I d rather have an overly scripted campaign that didn t make mistakes. Obama is a phenomenon but untested, Cook said. But he noted that from recent experience, experience may be overrated, an apparent reference to President Bush. On the stump, Obama draws enormous crowds and is attracting a new breed of political supporter; so Cook understands why the senator is striking while he s hot. He said Obama knows that nobody is hot for four years, or eight years or 12 years. While Illinois freshman senator might have the intellect, appeal and charisma, Cook likens Obama to a promising young boxer with lots of potential who s never won a big fight. Regarding former Sen. John Edwards, there is also a lingering question See SPEAKERS on page 14