Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 10/25/2021

DMO Update

• DMO Announces Blue Star Candidates from Washington State

• Tameika Isaac Devine Named DMO Blue Star Rising Candidate

• Need some last minute support before your 2021 election? Email Nils.Robbins@NationalDMO.org to connect with the members of our Political Marketplace.

Quick Links

• Emerging Trends in Real Estate Impacting Cities and States

• Small Business Spending Lags in Office-Centric Neighborhoods Worldwide

• Cities Crack Down on Unvaccinated Municipal Workers

Ideas for Cities

• Donated radio and television spots to help drive turnout among Democratic base and tough swing voters

• 5 Strategies to Better Serve Unbanked Tenants

• The Mayor’s Guide to Spending Federal Aid

News for Democrats 

• What to know about ‘Striketober’: Workers seize new power as pandemic wanes

• Don’t let your constituents miss the November 15th filing deadline to benefit from the Child Tax Credit

• Jan. 6 Protest Organizers Say They Participated in ‘Dozens’ of Planning Meetings With Members of Congress and White House Staff – The Republicans in Congress who enabled January 6 are still in power, and a future insurrection remains in their playbook.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 10/18/2021

DMO Update

• DMO Announces Blue Star Candidates from Washington State

• Wendy Davis Named DMO Blue Star Rising Candidate

• DMO Supports the Creation of the DNC Disability Caucus

Quick Links

• Preemption of Green Cities in Red States

• The Quest to Make Composting as Simple as Trash Collection

• Cities Are Working to End Another Legacy of Slavery — ‘At Will’ Employment

Ideas for Cities

• Expanding Access to Legal Representation: Right to Counsel & Eviction Prevention

• The Power of Electric Bike Libraries

• Philly bans traffic stops for minor infractions

Messaging – DNC on Addressing Supply Chain Bottlenecks to Move Goods from Ship to Shelf Faster

• We knew that there would be massive economic challenges emerging from the pandemic. That’s why we acted quickly with the American Rescue Plan to get checks in bank accounts and shots in arms – and it underscores why it’s important to continue getting more people vaccinated to stabilize the pandemic and economy.

• Private sector supply chains cannot just be turned off and on like a light switch. This is why we are seeing challenges at our ports, railyards and in the trucking industry as the businesses that operate this largely private system try to handle the surge from our economy recovering.

• President Biden is convening leaders from businesses, ports, and unions to address supply chain bottlenecks and move goods from ship to shelf faster.
  • The Administration, in partnership with union leaders and private businesses are taking steps to ensure two critical ports – the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – can maintain 24/7 operations.
  • A 24/7 system – what most of the leading countries operate on in the rest of the world – opens up more hours on nights and weekends so goods can move during less congested times. That means trucks on highways during less crowded night time hours and truckers at the ports able to drop off and pick up loads quicker as well.
  • And this is just a start—these commitments provide a clear market signal to the other businesses along the transportation supply chain—rails, trucks, and warehouses—that there is demand to move additional cargo at off-peak hours.

• With the launch of Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and the appointment of Port Envoy Porcari in August, today’s actions build on the Administration’s work to date addressing these supply chain challenges with the diligence and urgency require. The Administration has been working for months with the folks in Los Angeles and Long Beach, including the ports, local government, labor, and business leaders.

News for Democrats 

• DemDaily: Download On The DNC Fall Meeting

• Democrats face grim political reality in midterms

• Backers of Trump’s false fraud claims seek to control next elections

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 10/12/2021

DMO Update

• DMO Announces Blue Star Candidates from Washington State

• Have a story about how the American Rescue Plan has benefitted your city? Email dncpress@dnc.org with the subject “State, CITY/COUNTY ARP Story”.

• DMO Supports the Creation of the DNC Disability Caucus

Quick Links

• The Reconciliation Bill: What’s at Stake for Cities

• More Americans Are Moving Into Fire-Risky Areas

• How Public Pensions Fared During a Year Marked by the Pandemic

Ideas for Cities

• What Japan’s Disaster-Proofing Strategies Can Teach the World

• Atlanta Tried Housing Police in Disinvested Black Communities to Increase Trust. Is it Working?

• Phoenix Program Aims to Help Small Businesses Survive Big Construction

News for Democrats 

• The Postal Service is slowing the mail to save money. Critics say it’s a death spiral

• Vaccination Requirements Are Helping Vaccinate More People, Protect Americans from COVID-19, and Strengthen the Economy

• DemDaily: Factory Towns: Where We Lost

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 10/5/2021

DMO Update

• DMO Announces Blue Star Candidates from Washington State

• Council Member Tameika Isaac Devine (Columbia, SC) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in her race for Mayor of Columbia.

• U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn backs Tameika Isaac Devine for Columbia mayor

Quick Links

• Red State Lawmakers Preempt Campaign Finance Laws in Blue Cities

• City leaders urge Congress to pass bipartisan infrastructure bill

• To Pay or Not to Pay? What Citizens Think Governments Should Do When Responding to Ransomware Attacks

Ideas for Cities

• Improving trust in state and local government

• Baltimore Offers the Nation a Model for Diversifying Economic Opportunity

• Seniors in Philly are Aging in Place With the Help of Community “Villages”

News for Democrats 

• DemDaily: What Happens When a Government Shuts Down?

• Biden swipes at Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema for holding up progress on his social spending plans

• Republican group held ‘war games’ for state attorneys general before Trump loss

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/27/2021

DMO Update

• There is still time to register for the DMO Virtual Board Retreat, September 29th-30th. Register now to save your spot.

• DMO Announces Blue Star Candidates from Washington State

• Council Member Tameika Isaac Devine (Columbia, SC) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in her race for Mayor of Columbia.

Quick Links

• The Great Lakes Region Is Not a ‘Climate Haven’

• Southeast Mayors Call On Congress To Set National Clean Energy Goal

• These five climate scenarios show us what the future of the planet could look like.

Ideas for Cities

• School Suspensions Do More Harm than Good

• Allocating ARPA Funds to Small Communities

• The Potential Flaw in How Many Big City Police Officers are Assigned to Neighborhoods

News for Democrats 

• Kyrsten Sinema Faces No Confidence Threat From Arizona Dems Over Filibuster

• Abortion Policy in the Absence of Roe

• Democrats create bilingual tool to combat disinformation aimed at Latinos

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/20/2021

DMO Update

• The DMO Virtual Board Retreat is next week, September 29th-30th. Register now to save your spot.

• Joe Buscaino (Los Angeles, CA) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in his race for Mayor of Los Angeles.

• Council Member Tameika Isaac Devine (Columbia, SC) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in her race for Mayor of Columbia.

Quick Links

• The Pandemic Continues to Strain Nursing Homes. What Happens if A lot of Them Close?

• America’s ongoing school nurses shortage turns dire: ‘I don’t know what the school year is going to bring’

• Holden Beach, Corps begin $3M storm risk planning study

Ideas for Cities

• There’s a Better Way to Plan for Extreme Heat

• Non-Traditional Approaches Used by Local Governments to Address Homelessness

• 5 Questions for Future Large-Scale Events

News for Democrats 

• 9 questions about the Civilian Climate Corps, answered

• The Cost of Living in America: Helping Families Move Ahead with the Build Back Better Agenda

• Democrats warn of ‘canary in the coal mine’ for Latino voters in California recall

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/13/2021

DMO Update

• Democratic Municipal Officials can now register now for the DMO Retreat.

• Joe Buscaino (Los Angeles, CA) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in his race for Mayor of Los Angeles.

• Council Member Tameika Isaac Devine (Columbia, SC) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in her race for Mayor of Columbia.

Quick Links

• Everytown Releases New Report Detailing Unintentional Shootings by Children and Increase of Children Living With Unsecured Firearms – Does your city have a Secure Firearm Storage law?

• Flash Flooding Highlights Immediate Dangers of Climate Change – Again

• Remembering 9/11 as a Local Leader

Ideas for Cities

• Climate Change: What Can Local Governments Do?

• What Research Says About the Best Way to Spend Money Now to Solve Homelessness Long-Term

• Advancing Local Emergency Response 20 Years After 9/11

In Depth – IPCC Report on Climate Change

• Without aggressive new climate policy, we are on target for a worst-case scenario for climate change.

• Current fossil fuel stock is already twice the amount needed to exceed the 1.5C global temperature increase targeted by the Paris Agreement.

• Peak greenhouse gas emissions must occur between now and 2025, with each year after lowering the amount to sustainable levels by 2030. This will prevent a worst case scenario for climate change.

• “Mitigation and development goals cannot be met through incremental change”.

• The science is clear – we need an 80% reduction in global carbon emissions to stop runaway climate change.

News for Democrats 

• Biden announces new vaccine mandates that could cover 100 million Americans – President Biden’s COVID Plan.

• Senate Democrats Offer A New Voting Bill, But A GOP Filibuster Likely Blocks The Way

• Billions From Biden Aid Plan Left Untapped by Cash-Flush States

Pic of the Week

DMO Board Member, California Chair, and Los Angeles Councilman Bob Blumenfield stands with Governor Newsome against today’s recall election.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 9/6/2021

DMO Update

• The DMO annual Board Retreat is once again going virtual! Any DMO can join our virtual events on September 29th and 30th. Register now for the DMO Retreat.

• Celebrating Labor Day with DMO’s Labor Council.

• Wendy Davis (Rome, GA) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in her Congressional race in Georgia’s 14th District.

Quick Links

• Local Abortion Ban One-Pager – Did you know that municipalities are now passing local abortion bans? Stay on the alert for so called “Sanctuary City Ordinances” that attack reproductive healthcare rights.

• We’re Hitting the Limits of Hurricane Preparedness

• Goldman Sachs says 750,000 households could be evicted this year unless Congress acts – An eviction record will cause most landlords to deny your application, leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans with no hope of securing future housing.

Ideas for Cities

• How Philadelphia Housing Repairs Drove Down Crime

• ‘Green Infrastructure’ for Clean Water Shows Its Worth in Washington, D.C.

• Check out Louisville’s one-stop website for helping renters avoid eviction

Advisory Board Updates

• Planned Parenthood Action Fund – Toplines on SCOTUS’ refusal to reverse Texas abortion ban.

• SMART Union: It’s Time to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure – Reach out to your member of Congress and let them know about your need for school construction funding.

• Lyft, Uber Will Pay Drivers’ Legal Fees If They’re Sued Under Texas Abortion Law

News for Democrats 

• What the Supreme Court’s order means for the future of Roe v. Wade

• Pandemic Hardship is About to Get a Lot Worse for Millions of Out-of-Work Americans

• As Washington Stews, State Legislatures Increasingly Shape American Politics

Pic of the Week

Walgreens’ COVID vaccine team Robert Gosner, Jenika Sreng, and Thanh Phan pictured with DMO President and At-Large Councilman Derek Green at Philadelphia’s annual Autism Play Date.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/30/2021

DMO Update

• The DMO annual Board Retreat is once again going virtual! Any DMO can join our virtual events on September 29th and 30th. Register now for the DMO Retreat.

• Welcome to Mayor John Engen (Missoula, MT) and Councilor D’Andre Jones (Fayetteville, AR) on their appointments as DMO State Chapter Liaisons. To get engaged with your state chapter, email Jesse.Maldonado@NationalDMO.org.

• Joe Buscaino (Los Angeles, CA) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in his race for Mayor of Los Angeles.

Quick Links

• Another Climate Risk for Cities: Higher Borrowing Costs

• Tampa City Council Adopts 100% Renewable Energy Resolution

• Census Data Shows Differing Trends for Cities and Suburbs, Concerns Over Data Quality Remain

Ideas for Cities

• Leveraging ARPA Funds for Strategic Investment in Housing Affordability & Stability

• Creating More Accessible, Inclusive Buildings

• Want More Affordable Housing? Try Building Narrower Streets

News for Democrats 

• Law changes how prisoners are counted in redistricting

• U.S. Supreme Court ends CDC’s pandemic residential eviction moratorium

• Letter from Treasury Secretary Yellen, Attorney General Garland and HUD Secretary Fudge to Governors, Mayors, and County Leaders Urging Use of Emergency Rental Assistance Over Eviction

Pic of the Week

With parts of the state still underwater and nearly a million without power, the impacts of climate change are very real to people of Louisiana. Learn more about how you can help.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/23/2021

DMO Update

• The DMO annual Board Retreat is once again going virtual! Any DMO can join our virtual events on September 29th and 30th. Register now for the DMO Retreat.

• DMO Statement on the Election of Liz Shuler as AFL-CIO President

• Council Member Tameika Isaac Devine (Columbia, SC) has been named a Blue Star Rising candidate in her race for Mayor of Columbia.

Quick Links

• Pandemic Backlash Leaves Cities With Less Decision-Making Power

• The National Haitian Elected Officials Network is calling for donations to help those impacted by the recent devastating earthquake.

• Pandemic Relief Aid Highlights Gaps Reaching Underserved Americans

Ideas for Cities

• 4 Questions Government Officials Should Ask Technology Vendors

• There Is Enough Food, Just Not Enough Food Access

• The American Alley: A Hidden Resource – Out of sight, out of mind, alleys hold miles of underutilized potential in American cities.

Advisory Board Updates

• AFL-CIO – Liz Shuler Becomes The 1st Woman To Lead The AFL-CIO

• OpenGov – How Tampa Is Transforming for Tomorrow

• Instacart – CEO Fidji Simo applauds President Biden for expanding SNAP benefits.

News for Democrats 

• States banning mask mandates could face civil rights probes

• President Biden to Announce New Actions to Protect Americans from COVID-⁠19 and Help State and Local Leaders Fight the Virus

• DNC Chair Jaime Harrison Announces First Red State Fund Grant During Bus Tour Stop in Columbia, SC