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9A Page 25 CALIFORNIA CITY OFFICIALS LODBY CONGRESS ON TELECOM, CODG, OTHER PRIORITIES Califomia city officials participating this week in the National league of Cities' (NlC) Congressional Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., joined with hundreds of city officials from around the country in pressing their members of Congress on issues such as funding for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), telecom reform and homeland security. The League was represented at the conference by a team of League Executive Officers, including President and Los Angeles Council member Alex Padilla, First Vice President and city of Pinole Council member Maria Alegria, and Second Vice President and San Diego Councilmember Jim Madaffer. In addition to holding separate meetings with their own Congressional representatives, California city officials joined in several meetings with Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. House Demo- cratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (0- San Francisco) Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D--EI Monte), Con- gressman Gary Miller (R-Brea) and other members of the California Congressional Delegation to press the League's concems with the league's 2006 federal priorities. Those priorities are CDBG, telecom reform, homeland security/disaster preparedness, protecting local authority and revenue in tax reform, and support for increased funding for law enforcement, transporta- tion, critical disaster relief resources and housing and community development. (Please visit the Federal Issues page of the League's website at www.cacities.org/federal to view details of the League's 2006 federal priorities.) Telecommunications Panel Confinns Mark-up on National Franchise Califomia city officials also participated in a panef discussion of telecommunications reform. organized by Eve O'Toole, the League's federal lobbyist. The discussion was moderated by League First Vice President Maria Alegria and Second Vice President Jim Madaffer. Briefly attending were Congress- woman loe Lofgren (D-5an Jose), Congressman George Radanovich (R-Fresno), Congressman Ken Calvert (R-Riverside) and Congressman Mike Honda (D-Campbell). Panel participants were Donna Gregg, media bureau chief, Federal Communications Commis- sion (FCC), and Johanna Shelton, minority counsel, House Energy and Commence Committee. The members of Congress each made brief remarks about work currently going in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to develop a new draft of telecommunications reform. Congressman Radanovich told the assembled California city officials that the measure that would emerge would call for a national franchise, but that committee members understand that cities were concerned about protecting their revenues and controlling local rights-of-way. League Second Vice President Madaffer also stressed the importance of PEG channels and other concerns, and provided Mr. Radanovich with a packet of information that included the League Telecommunications Prin- ciples. Ms. Gregg discussed the current review pro- cess at the FCC to determine whether there is a need for that agency to playa role in regulating telecommunications franchising, and whether they have the ability to play that role. Ms. Shelton discussed the priorities of her boss, Representative John Dingell (D-Dearbom), for a telecommunications reform bill. Mr. Dingell is the Ranking Minority Member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Shelton said that the current draft legislation work on a bill by staff is the result of her boss coming to agreement with com- mittee chairman Barton on some key principles. Staff was not able to discuss details of what will be included. (Also on telcom: visit the League's Telecom page (www.cacities.org/tefecom) to see the March 14 letter Congresswoman Hilda Solis sent to Utilities and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton and Continued on Page 5 Visit the League's Official Website..www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS. PAGE 3 March 17, 2006 . Issue #11