For Immediate Release: January 27, 2018

Contact: Donald Gatlin, dgatlin@rabengroup.com, 202-587-2871
Evan Martinez, emartinez@rabengroup.com, 202-223-2610

AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS VOW TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS

WASHINGTON, DC – Mayor Toni Harp, President of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) released the following statement on behalf of more than 500 black mayors across the country.

“This nation has always been a melting pot of people from different countries, different ethnicities and different races. Rather than celebrating this diversity, the current Administration continues to attack immigrants and people of color, many of whom have spent their entire lives in the U.S. and do not know another home. Nearly 44 million immigrants currently reside in the U.S. Over 20 million of them are naturalized citizens. Thirty six percent of U.S.-born children of immigrants are college graduates – five percent higher than the national average – and sixty four percent are homeowners, which is on-par with the national average. Immigrants are our neighbors, colleagues and friends and are productive members of our society.

“Mayors have an obligation to defend the cities they are elected to serve, and protect society’s most vulnerable citizens. The rhetoric coming out of the White House is disheartening and offensive to the hardworking immigrants living and working legally across the country. The cities we represent are not ridden with gangs, cartels and criminals as this Administration claims. In fact, a 2017 Cato Institute study found that the 2014 incarceration rate for 18 to 54 year-old immigrants—both authorized and unauthorized—was considerably lower than that of the U.S.-born population.

“It’s time this Administration holds itself to a higher standard. This is not a country of racists and bigots. We are a country that proudly houses a diverse population, each with a unique background and story. It is un-American to attack immigrants and the people seeking to protect them. We stand with the hundreds of mayors who want their cities to remain safe places for immigrants to call home. Our communities will continue to safeguard American values, and remain welcoming places for all, for the sake of our security and our national character.”

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2017African American Mayors Association Calls on Congress to Fix Current Tax Plan Black Mayors speak out against tax plan that will hurt cities

CONTACT: Donald Gatlin, dgatlin@rabengroup.com, 202-587-2871

      Evan Martinez, emartinez@rabengroup.com, 202-223-2610

WASHINGTON – On behalf of the 500 African American mayors across the country, Mayor Toni Harp of New Haven, CT, and President of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA), released the following statement as the U.S. Senate considers a new tax plan:

“AAMA strongly supports the concerns that Mayor Bowser, the National League of Cities and our other national partners have expressed about the current tax bill under consideration in Congress. Cities are at the forefront of delivering services to American citizens and the current bill undermines the local control conservatives herald with proposals of dubious merit. This bill helps the super wealthy and harms low-income Americans who will see their taxes increase under this plan. The congressional Joint Tax Committee predicts this plan will lead to a tax increase on people making less than $30,000 in 2021 and on all American making under $75,000 in 2027.  Also, in an effort to gut the Affordable Care Act, the bill  repeals the mandate for most Americans to buy health insurance.”

“The economic vitality, and future growth, of American cities is inextricably linked to measures such as state and local tax (SALT) deductions, and critical tax credits such as the New Markets Tax Credit, neither of which are in this proposal. These measures help to secure affordable housing for low-income citizens, provide critical funds for infrastructure projects, and ensure that citizens from a range of socio-economic backgrounds have access to the best possible educational opportunities. The elimination of these deductions and tax credits directly interferes with already stretched state and local infrastructure and school related funding and investments.”

“We would prefer a tax plan that rewards hard working Americans, invests in underserved communities and limits deficit spending. Instead, we have the reverse so we will work with Mayor Bowser, and mayors throughout the country, to advocate for changes that benefit millions of Americans who would suffer under this unfair tax plan that heavily favors the wealthy.”

###

     ###

For Immediate Release: July 27, 2017

Contact: Donald Gatlin, dgatlin@rabengroup.com, 202-587-2871

           Mia Jacobs, mjacobs@rabengroup.com, 201-919-0333

African American Mayors Association Statement on Introduction of Senate Bail Reform Bill

(Washington, DC) On behalf of the 500 African American mayors across the country, Toni Harp, Mayor of New Haven, CT and President of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA), released the following statement in response to Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Rand Paul’s introduction of a bill to reform money bail practices:

“The African American Mayors Association applauds Senator Harris and Senator Paul for their leadership in introducing the Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act. Money bail systems across the country violate the spirit of due process, cruelly and disproportionately punishing poor people and people of color. As Senator Harris cited upon the bill’s introduction, more than 450,000 Americans are currently held in jail before a trial. A criminal justice system that imprisons people who cannot afford an exorbitant and arbitrary sum of money is no justice system at all. Bail reform must be included in larger criminal justice reform, and we call on the Senate to pass today’s bill as part of that effort.”

###

For Immediate Release: June 27, 2017

Contact: Donald Gatlin, dgatlin@rabengroup.com, 202-587-2871
Mia Jacobs, mjacobs@rabengroup.com, 202-930-6818

The change encourages trustees to hire “emerging managers” including minority, veteran, and women-owned firms

(New Haven, CT) Today, the City Employee Retirement Fund of New Haven (CERF) approved a measure that will dramatically increase the use of diverse asset managers. This measure allows investors to consider “emerging managers,” including minority-owned, veteran-owned and women-owned firms, bringing an essential diversity of perspective and experience to the asset management of the City of New Haven.

Emerging managers are considered investment managers with less than $3 billion of assets under management or with shorter track records, and can be considered by CERF for all asset classes. The measure instructs trustees to limit an investment allocation to no more than 20 percent of the firm’s assets under management.

“The inclusion of this emerging managers provision in our city investment policy is a tremendous step forward for New Haven,” said New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, who also serves as President of the African American Mayors Association, which represents more than 500 African American mayors throughout the country. “When our asset managers come with a successful track record from diverse backgrounds, and bring new perspectives to the work, that helps keep our investments viable and safe. This provision means we can support diverse and inclusive workforces in every sector and among every entity with which the City of New Haven does business. Research has proven that diverse asset managers perform as well, if not better, as majority firms. Our financial economy should be open for everyone and I encourage my colleagues around the country to do the same, and am committed to seeing my fellow African American mayors take up this cause in their towns.”

The Policemen & Firemen’s Retirement Fund is expected to vote on the same language in July or August.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 1, 2017

CONTACT:

EOM Communications (EOM) – (202) 727-5011; press@dc.gov

Statement on the Paris Agreement

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser issued the following statement regarding the Paris Agreement:

“Washington, DC will continue to work with cities and countries around the globe to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The effects of climate change are already here, and without proper planning and collaboration, they will continue to get worse. It is in the best interest of our country’s safety, economy, and future to take climate change seriously, and as the Mayor of a major city, I have a special obligation to protect our environment for generations to come and to create policies and programs that reflect the values of the residents I serve. Over the past two years, Washington, DC has launched Climate Ready DC, entered into one of the largest municipal onsite solar projects in the U.S., and completed the largest wind power purchase agreement deal of its kind ever entered into by an American city. Going forward, our commitment to wind and solar will not yield, and we will move forward with building a more sustainable DC.   

At a time when our country should be leading the fight against climate change, it is disappointing to see us retreating into isolation. Fortunately, I am confident that leaders around the country will continue to think globally, act locally, and ensure that the U.S. remains a strong partner in the fight against climate change.”

###