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Dear Senators Harkin, Murray, Enzi and Isaacson

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Dear Senators Harkin, Murray, Enzi and Isaacson November 28, 2012 The Honorable Tom Harkin The Honorable Mike Enzi Chair Ranking Member Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Committee on Health, Education, Labor Human Services, Education and Pensions and Related Agencies U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations 379A SROB U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 731 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Patty Murray The Honorable Johnny Isakson Chair Ranking Member Subcommittee on Employment and Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety Workplace Safety Committee on Health, Education, Labor Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Pensions U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 173 SROB 120 SROB Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senators, On September 23, over 100 mayors, workforce development professionals and private- sector leaders came together in Dallas for The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Executive Leadership meeting to tackle local job growth challenges and future workforce needs as the U.S. economy continues to recover. As you well know, U.S. cities require a highly skilled, trained workforce that can compete globally; and there is nothing more important to mayors than building successful programs that support the individuals in our communities in developing skills for the jobs of the future. Currently, America is experiencing a shortage of its greatest global economic asset – the aforementioned well-trained and highly skilled citizens. Yet despite this shortage, and the dire need to provide critical assistance to the nation’s more than 12 million jobseekers, Congress has failed to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) -- the primary legislation to help jobseekers and employers emerge from the recession. WIA workforce development programs have proven to be a valuable local tool with long- term and short-term benefits, not just for the companies using them, but for local and state governments that offer these programs as well. The nation’s mayors want to thank you for your bi-partisan support of WIA and numerous proposals for reauthorization. Reauthorization of WIA programming is long overdue, and the nation’s mayors – both Democratic and Republican – are concerned about the extensive delay and failure to pass a bi-partisan WIA reauthorization that would implement important reforms to improve integration and collaboration among existing WIA resources and programs. Reauthorization provides an obvious opportunity to make the needed improvements to this legislation to support WIA-funded programs that work, and promote an agenda of smart, sustainable investments in the nation’s workforce to put us on a solid path to economic recovery. It remains essential, however, that as you debate how to reform our nation’s job training programs, that you maintain the delicate governing balance currently crafted in WIA that provides mayors – those civic leaders closest to business and jobseekers – with the role of appointing business and other community leaders to workforce boards, so that local needs are appropriately identified and met. While systemic improvements must be made to WIA programs to increase investments in quality services, resources and training, mayors believe that these goals can and should be achieved in a workforce system that continues to be governed and led by the locally- based, business-led Workforce Boards originally established by WIA in partnership with state and local government – thereby preserving the local systems with an already proven track record of success. Accordingly, WIA reauthorization presents an opportunity to encourage collaborative partnerships at the local and regional level to leverage the existing infrastructure, expertise and resources of current WIA service providers and stakeholders, rather than siphoning off critical resources to use in the building and implementation of a new workforce system. As a nation we must raise the expectations and capacity of the United States workforce system to act as a mechanism for change and encourage partnerships between local and state workforce boards, businesses, and community colleges. America’s mayors strongly support speedy enactment of WIA reauthorization. It is essential for preservation of WIA system funding – and a most important investment in our nation’s economic future. We thank you for your dedication to these issues, and look forward to working with you to move this vital legislation forward. Sincerely, Michael Nutter Scott Smith Kevin Johnson Philadelphia, PA Mesa, AZ Sacramento, CA USCM President USCM Vice President USCM 2nd Vice President Don Plusquellic Bob Foster Pedro E. Segarra Akron, OH City of Long Beach, CA Hartford, CT William D. Euille Kim McMillan Karl Dean Alexandria, VA Clarksville, TN Nashville, TN Robert Cluck Michael B. Coleman Andy Hafen Arlington, TX Columbus, OH Henderson, NV Arlene Mulder Mike Rawlings Jill Swain Arlington Heights, IL Dallas, TX Huntersville, NC Terry Bellamy John O'Reilly Jr Harvey Johnson, Jr. Asheville, NC Dearborn, MI Jackson, MS Pete Lewis Michael Hancock Sly James Auburn, WA Denver, CO Kansas City, MO Stephanie Rawlings- Dave Bing David Baker Blake Detroit, MI Kenmore, WA Baltimore, MD Don Ness Greg Goodnight Denny Doyle Duluth, MN Kokomo, IN Beaverton, OR William Bell Diane DuBois David Bieter Durham, NC Lakewood, CA Boise, ID Marcia A. Leclerc Raul G. Salinas Thomas Menino East Hartford, CT Laredo, TX Boston, MA Elizabeth Tisdahl Ken Miyagishima Bill Finch Evanston, IL Las Cruces, NM Bridgeport, CT Ray Stephenson Carolyn Goodman Elizabeth B. Kautz Everett, WA Las Vegas, NV Burnsville, MN Acquanetta Warren Richard J Kaplan William J. Healy II Fontana, CA Lauderhill, FL Canton, OH Betsy Price David Berger Anthony Foxx Fort Worth, TX Lima, OH Charlotte, NC Ashley Swearengin Chris Beutler Stephen K. Benjamin Fresno, CA Lincoln, NE Columbiay , SC Joy Cooper Antonio Villaraigosa Hallandale Beach Los Angeles, CA Francis Slay Greg Fischer Angel Taveras St Louis, MO Louisville, KY Providence, RI Ann Johnston Paul Soglin John Dickert Stockton, CA Madison, WI Racine, WI Anthony Spitaleri Stacy L. Striz John Marchione Sunnyvale, CA Melvindale, MI Redmond, WA Michael J. Ryan A.C. Wharton, Jr. Denis Law Sunrise, FL Memphis, TN Renton, WA Stephanie Miner R.T. Rybak Ronald O. Loveridge Syracuse, NY Minneapolis, MN Riverside, CA Marilyn Strickland Lori Moseley Timothy Durand Tacoma, WA Miramar, FL Riverview, MI Patrick H. Dunlavy Mary Ann Lutz Ardell F. Brede Tooele, Utah, UT Monrovia, CA Rochester, MN Vincent C. Gray Paul D. Fraim Dennis Donohue Washington, DC Norfolk, VA Salinas, CA Jeri Muoio Jim Suttle Ralph Becker West Palm Beach, FL Omaha, NE Salt Lake City, UT Christopher Cabaldon Bill Bogaard Edwin Lee West Sacramento, CA Pasadena, CA San Francisco, CA Susan M. Kay Shawn Connors Miguel A. Pulido Weymouth, MA Pecatonica, IL Santa Ana, CA Patricia Odette Frank C. Ortis Mike McGinn Woodhaven, MI Pembroke Pines, FL Seattle, WA Joseph R. Peterson Greg Stanton Brenda L. Lawrence Wyandotte, MI Phoenix, AZ Southfield, MI Sam Adams Portland, OR .
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