40 U.S. Mayors Urge Congress to End American Aid to Contras

About 40 mayors from around the country, led by several from California, called on Congress on Thursday to end U.S. aid to the Nicaraguan Contras--a hotly contested issue that will be addressed at the congressional session that begins next week.

The mayors demanded the aid cutoff at a press conference in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The gesture was organized by Berkeley Mayor Loni Hancock and several others who last month began contacting more than 300 of their colleagues to solicit support for a protest statement.

Hancock, arguing that funds for the Contras could be better spent at home, said, “Our national security depends on strong cities.”

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, who did not arrive in Washington until after the press conference, issued a statement saying that the United States should put its full weight behind a peace plan of the Central American governments.

The Senate and House are scheduled to vote in the first week of February on whether to continue Contra aid.

Other California mayors who supported the appeal were Lionel Wilson of Oakland, Robert Cheasty of Albany, Gus Morrison of Fremont, Larry Agran of Irvine, Peggy Mensinger of Modesto, George Livingston of Richmond, Everett Souza of Santa Clara, James Conn of Santa Monica, Barbara Fass of Stockton, Art Agnos of San Francisco and Ann Rudin of Sacramento.

The demand was endorsed by such big city mayors as Andrew Young of Atlanta, Raymond Flynn of Boston, Eugene Sawyer of Chicago and Coleman Young of Detroit.

The statement prompted an opposing press conference by Mayor Raul Martinez of Hialeah, Fla., a Democrat, who said that city leaders should not involve themselves in international affairs.