The City of New Orleans was blessed to have the
support of former President Bill Clinton during his eight years in the
White House. In particular, President Clinton's support for America's cities led to a 40
percent increase in federal funding for urban areas, as well as such innovative
legislation as the National Crime Bill that allowed cities to hire scores
of police with federal funds.
Following President Clinton was President
George W. Bush who appreciates and recognizes the special needs of American
cities especially in the crucial area of Homeland Security.
We developed some wonderful partnerships within
the federal government. Our friends at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development were often innovative and insightful. Projects like the restoration
of the American Can plant could not have been accomplished without their
cooperation and assistance.
One of our goals was to restore New Orleans to its 1950s status as a
gateway city to the Americas. We hosted important international meetings, including the
41st Annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB), Encuentro and the Summit of the Americas
meetings of the Western Hemispheric finance, energy and transportation ministers.
In 2001, I was honored by my fellow mayors who
elected me as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the highest
honor that can be bestowed on any mayor. As President, I led the mayors in the crucial
aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and helped push through Congress new
aviation and Homeland Security legislation and policy. 
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