For twenty years, the Democratic Leadership Council has been working with progressive state and local officials to "reinvent" government and provide essential services to the public with greater efficiency and lower cost. This week in Philadelphia we opened an exciting new phase of this partnership, with the launch of a unique series of "Mini-Summits" bringing together elected leaders and nationally recognized experts on government efficiency and reform.

This year's economic crisis raises the public's need for services, but sharply reduces the revenue our friends and partners in state capitals and city halls have to meet it. In a very difficult environment, the summits are a chance for policymakers and academic experts to share ideas and experience on ways to preserve services while cutting costs, and ensure that progressive government emerges from this period of crisis strengthened.

The Philadelphia summit, held on June 6th and 7th, supported by Comcast and attended by state and local officials from the Mid-Atlantic region and other states, opened with observations from Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Delaware Governor Jack Markell. It also featured presentations from David Osborne, formerly Vice President Gore's senior advisor on reinventing government and now a nationally known author and consultant on government reinvention; David L. Cohen, formerly Governor Rendell's chief of staff and now senior Government Relations officer for Comcast; and David Riemer, former budget chief and architect of health reform in Wisconsin.

Speakers and participants offered both specific practical ideas for this crisis, and large-scale concepts to help state and local governments emerge from it stronger for the long term. Mayor Nutter explained how Philadelphia has reduced the cost of providing basic services like road repair and corrections services through efficiencies, cut payroll costs without layoffs, and preserve amenities like the city's summer swimming pools through partnerships with leading area businesses. Governor Rendell focused on efficiency in the health system -- for example, saving hundreds of millions of dollars in health costs annually by preventing hospital-acquired illnesses. Governor Markell provided an overview of budgeting during crisis, finding ways to save money by (among other things) reducing the state vehicle fleet, seeking to combine redundant state and county services, and refitting buildings to save on energy costs. Osborne offered options for reshaping state spending through performance-based budgeting, with examples from Washington State, Iowa, Los Angeles and other states and cities. Cohen reviewed the lessons Philadelphia's earlier recovery from financial crisis offers for this year's events. And Riemer outlined the opportunities this year's national health reform offers to reduce costs in state health systems.

The Philadelphia Mini-Summit will be followed by a similar summit in Chicago this September, and a third tentatively scheduled for Washington, DC. We would welcome your comments, thoughts, and ideas on this new generation of progressive reform and innovation in government.

Sincerely,

Ed Gresser
President