Great Lakes Governor’s ring are you listening? A pledge like sugar on your lips sure would glisten. A beautiful sight, the Great Lakes Mayors unite asking for you to lend the Lakes a hand. First Wisconsin Governor Doyle lead the eight Great Lakes governors in asking the presidential hopefuls to outline their vision for the Great Lakes. Next, four Great Lakes Congressmen sent a letter to the candidates asking them to take a pledge to shepherd restoration into law and fully fund it while in office. Now, the Mayors of the Great Lakes have come forth and issued one more challenge to presidential candidates, congressional candidates and local lawmakers alike to fully support restoration of the Great Lakes.

In Racine, Wisconsin Friday, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative – a group designed to give US and Canadian mayors a voice on issues impacting the Great Lakes – held a press conference challenging candidates to protect the lakes, fund restoration and promise not to divert water to other parts of the U.S. or the world.

“We are spending millions of dollars on protection of the lakes, waste water treatment plants, storm sewers, local municipalities and towns are spending billions, but we need all levels of government to do the same. Today we are challenging the US presidential candidates to take strong positions on the lakes,” said David Ullrich, executive director of the Initiative.

Next, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley weighed in, “This issue is just as important as the Everglades was to the US.”

The Mayors then urged presidential candidates to support and implement the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy.

“The public deserves to know where the candidates stand on these topics and we will be sending a questionnaire asking each of them to state their positions on a number of critical issues currently facing the Great Lakes region,” said Daley.

The Mayors carrot: the great lakes states hold 25 percent of the electoral votes and several swing states. They hope this will pressure candidates to educate themselves on the issues surrounding the Great Lakes. “We need to get clear answers from the candidates regarding where they stand on this issue and this will be for congressional candidates as well as US presidential candidates,” Daley said. Once the primaries have produced two presidential candidates Daley has offered to work with their staff to bring them up to speed.

Of the US Congress, the Mayors want approval of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy and ballast water restrictions as well as restoration funding.“We need long term funding for the Great Lakes – as outlined in Great Lakes Restoration Strategy,” said Daley.

There are still six states that need to take action to approve the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. The challenge urges these states to take action swiftly. By doing so, the states will help protect the lakes from water diversion. We need to “ensure that other areas of the country and world do not rely on the Great Lakes for their water supply,” Daley added. (Click here to read the Mayors Challenge, including expectations from Canada.)

Looks like all levels of Government in the Great Lakes region are challenging the candidates in unison. This kind of pressure will make it very difficult to ignore the Great Lakes as the 2008 presidential campaign moves forward. The Governors, Congressmen and Mayors won’t let candidates forget the region controls 141 electoral votes and possesses a few swing states that could determine the final count on Election Day. When it comes right down to it, all we want for Christmas is a promise to restore the Great Lakes once and for all.

Related posts:

• Governors to Presidential Candidates: Support Great Lakes Restoration
• Great Lakes State Legislators Call on Presidential Candidates to Ban Water Diversions and Restore the Great Lakes
• An Open Letter to the 2008 Presidential Candidates
• Local Party Officials Urge Candidates on Great Lakes
• As Great Lakes Governors Throw Down the Gauntlet, Which Presidential Candidate Will Respond?