8/10/2011

CEOs for Cities Annual Conference


Secretary Donovan to Keynote Chicago Meeting

Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, will offer keynote remarks during CEOs for Cities’ annual fall meeting in Chicago. Secretary Donovan will speak in the morning of October 11 and joins an impressive line up of presenters that also includes Ed Glaeser and Henry Cisneros.
The fall meeting will be held October 11-12 in Chicago at The Ivy Room. A draft agenda is available online and CEOs for Cities network partners are encouraged to make plans now to attend. Click here to register by September 12. Registration is complimentary for CEOs for Cities partners only. Non-partners may register for a $500 fee after August 26, 2011. For all registration inquiries, please contact Shreya Parekh at sparekh@ceosforcities.org. If you would like to become a CEOs for Cities partner, please contact Julia Klaiber atjklaiber@ceosforcities.org.
A block of rooms is available at the James Hotel, located downtown at 55 East Ontario, at a discounted rate of $209/night + taxes.  Please make your reservations today by calling1.888.526.3778 or emailing reservations@jameshotels.com and mentioning CEOs for Cities. Rooms must be booked before September 19, 2011 to receive this special rate. 

What the Debt Ceiling Deal Means for Federal Transportation Funding

The country has been riveted by debate over how Congress has addressed the debt ceiling. Now that a deal has been reached, what does it mean for some of the key legislative issues impacting cities? Our partners at Transportation for America report its impact on the reauthorization of the federal surface transportation act, the primary piece of legislation guiding federal appropriations to highways, transit and other modes of transportation. Although the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee likely won't be able to move forward on its two-year version of the bill until after the August recess, reports indicate the Senate Finance Committee has found a way to cover the $12 billion gap between the bill's proposed spending and what's in the Highway Trust Fund, which receives the revenue produced by the federal gasoline tax. The debt-ceiling deal calls for cuts of 30 percent or more in domestic discretionary spending. And while Congress has never considered spending from the Highway Trust Fund to be discretionary, cuts are very likely in transportation programs paid for by general funds, including high-speed rail and competitive grant programs supporting transit capital projects, like TIGER and New Starts.


Columbus Opens Landmark Downtown Park

Recognizing the importance of placemaking in building a strong city, Columbus began a downtown revitalization campaign in 2008. Last week, Columbus opened its banner project:Scioto Mile , a public-private partnership to renew the waterfront. The Scioto Mile is 7.32 acres of green space including parks, boulevards, bike and pedestrian paths, foundations, gardens, and other amenities. The project features a new promenade and a largely transformed Bicentennial Park. Columbus’ Scioto Mile joins Columbus Commons, a recently opened park built on land formerly occupied by a retail mall, in the new River South district. Both parks are set to become vital public spaces and green corridors as well as important components in the revitalization of downtown Columbus.


New Report: The College Payoff

Further support of the Talent Dividend from a new report by Anthony Carnevale at Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. The College Payoff finds that post secondary degrees pay handsomely.  In fact, "the difference in earning between those who go to college and those who don't is growing -- meaning that postsecondary education is more important than ever." The report finds that those with bachelor’s degrees, no matter the field, earn vastly more than counterparts with a high school diploma, or some college.

CEOs for Cities
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