Today and tomorrow, I am in Chicago. I don't say this too often, but Chicago is my hometown. Well, I was born here anyway. My parents moved to Arizona in 1960 and Phoenix is the only place I have ever really known.

A few weeks ago, I was proud to host Mayor Richard Daley in Phoenix, and he is graciously returning the favor. I had a nice conversation with him today about the challenges and opportunities of governing a big city. Phoenix is, as we all know, the fifth largest city in the nation. Chicago is third, behind only New York and Los Angeles. As it turns out, Mayor Daley's priorities sound intensely familiar: Public Safety, Education, Jobs and Downtown development. Chicago is, of course, filled with so much history and so many historic buildings. And I have to say, their downtown area is immaculate. No graffiti and no gum (where does all the Wrigley's go?). The streets and sidewalks are regularly swept and kept extremely clean. For a big city, they are very good at focusing on the little things.

Chicago has lots of green. There are rooftop gardens, pocket parks and lots of shade. And it's all so well-maintained. I asked Mayor Daley how, in these days of shrinking budgets, they are able to keep things, particularly their landscaping, so well maintained. As it turns out, they have been very creative about that. In Chicago, they essentially have entered into an agreement with the local homeless shelters that receive city funding (the equivalent of our CASS program in Phoenix). As part of the agreement, homeless residents provide their labor and receive important on-the-job training that can help them find and keep a job.

Now that's an idea worth imitating.

By the way, Mayor Daley's City Council has 50 members. That means Chicago has 20 more City Council members than Arizona has State Senators. But WE have Mark Grace, so it all works out.

Yesterday was my final day in Israel and, in many ways, one of the fullest. I was provided a helicopter tour that quickly had me seeing the various and beautiful landscapes of this small nation. It seemed like you could fly from one side of Israel to the other in just minutes. We occasionally saw fighter jets, made in the US, flying 24/7 patrols over this country; always on guard, always the necessary centurions. I got an incredible view of the miraculous forests that have been planted in this desert expanse. There is even a ski resort up near the border with Lebanon.

We traveled within sight of the West Bank. And then we landed within 1/8 mile of Israel's border with Gaza. Just two hours earlier, rockets from Gaza streamed across the border to our location. In this part of Israel, rocket attacks average four a day. They are indiscriminate, sometimes targeting housing, sometimes shopping areas, and sometimes schools and parks where children congregate. I visited a police station where thousands of rockets that never exploded, or rocket parts, were kept in storage or on display. An Israeli town near the border has literally been under siege, but somehow industry, agriculture, and the people who live, work, and go to school there continue living their lives and maintaining an incredible spirit of freedom.

I can't imagine having my family living non-stop under such threatening and extremely dangerous conditions; not knowing when we may need to run to bomb shelters, worry about our kids being safe in their schools, or isolate ourselves in specially-protected secure rooms that some residents have built into their homes.

Our Sister City Delegation, led by chairwoman Vicki Cabot and Sister City President Carol Seidberg, met with Ramat Gan Mayor Zvi Bar who served in the Israeli army as a paratrooper. He has been Ramat Gan's Mayor for 19 years and has never been opposed. Must be nice. His accomplishments are extraordinary, and he has been positively leading his city into the future with tremendous achievements and growth in education, business development, hi-tech industry innovations, and environmental feats. He is a visionary on education, having built Ramat Gan University. And he has made sustainability a cornerstone of his administration with a city rich in open space, greenbelts, lush trees and narrow streets efficiently handling both cars and people. Shade is everywhere; yes, a truly shady and tree-lined environment, forming natural canopies, produced in the middle of the desert. This has been an inspiration to me and I want to quadruple our own efforts to bring shade, shade, shade ot our own desert. Phoenix and Ramat Gan share that "dry heat" desert, although their humidity can certainly surpass ours on occasion.

A few years ago, we began emphasizing that all Sister City relationships must maintain and enhance our economic relationship which must produce tangible advancements in trade and partnerships. It is clear that Ramat Gan is exceeding that goal. While there, I met with the owners of the BSR Group, an international development firm which is planning the development at Central and McDowell.

One leading member of the Delegation is Councilman Michael Johnson. Sadly, a flu and sinus infection hit Michael today while we were visiting an Israeli police/fire station. He was taken to a local hospital by the station's emergency crew, where he spent all day and evening. Happily, he is back on his feet and doing well. The incident showed the versatility of these elite units. Police and fire are housed together in one station similar to Phoenix's Homeland Defense Bureau. But this Israeli station's responsibilities go beyond the normal dangerous and helpful calls which we expect our brave police and fire to respond. They must also think, and be prepared, for deadly suicide bombers and daily rocket attacks like those that occurred near our helicopter landing area. I saw equipment and specialized tools, like people extractors, that are unique to Israel, developed by Israelis. The sad thing is that they need to use it almost every day. It's impressive equipment. I'm bringing back information on all of it for our own police and fire departments.

Now, it's time for the worst part of the trip. Flying from Tel Aviv, to London, to Chicago to Phoenix. I'm spending a couple days with Mayor Daley in Chicago, and will return to Phoenix on Thursday. And one final reminder, no taxpayer money is being spent on any part of my trip.

As I write this, tomorrow is Election Day in Phoenix. If you haven't voted early, please vote on Tuesday.

Today, I met with the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League who, like me, was here as a member of President Bush's Official Delegation. Joining us was the Director of the Israel and Middle East Office of the American Jewish Committee. Our visit reemphasized the bonds between our two nations and the need to ensure those bonds stay strong now and forever. Their insights into both the history and politics regarding the dilemma in the Middle East were fascinating to listen to.

I then visited the internationally recognized Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. It has been one of the most moving experiences of my trip, if not my life. There is so much to see, so much to take in. It leaves imprints on your mind and your heart. There are no words in existence that can adequately describe the emotions you feel. One structure was dedicated to the one million children who were murdered in the Holocaust. Imagine if you can, one million children systematically murdered (of 6 million killed overall). They were remembered by the display of one million lights to represent each life that was brutally taken from all of us. At one point, I stopped and paused at the timeline of events that described how the Nazis set up roaming patrols of police officers to target Jews who looked different from the other Germans (to target residents who looked different from other residents. They were seeking any Jews they could find) And how they targeted certain areas where a different language was spoken—in this case, Yiddish.

This is a lesson we can never forget.

After several hours at this Memorial Park, filled with emotional sculptures as well as one of the world's most extensive geneology centers, I drove to Tel Aviv. In fact, I just got here. It's a metropolitan beach city that reminds you a great deal of San Diego (although more like San Diego in the '60s). The presence of security here is nowhere as noticeable as in Jerusalem. But you're reminded of the constant terrorist threat when you see the U.S. Embassy protected like a fortress and knowing that patrols off shore in the Mediterranean Sea are constantly being vigilant for terrorists trying to swim or scuba dive ashore to spread hate through bombings and violence. Years ago, a bustling nightclub near my hotel was bombed by terrorists on a calm peaceful night like tonight.

Tonight, I met the Vice-Mayor of our Sister City of Ramat Gan, which is a suburb of sorts adjacent to Tel Aviv. It's a center for commerce internationally and serves as the world's diamond center. For dinner, our delegation gathered around a table at our hotel for a Sabbath (Shabbat) dinner. It enhanced this day full of emotions, and I couldn't help but think of our hopes for real peace for everyone in this region.

The temperatures are surprisingly cold here, but that didn't stop me from beginning my morning in a very historic and spiritual way walking through the "Old City" in Jerusalem, one of the holiest places on Earth. The City essentially consists of four "Quarters", the Jewish Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Islamic Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. They all are filled with tremendous heritage and importance from throughout the history of civilization. It is a place that has been at the center of both peace and war for centuries, including today. I heard rockets coming in from the North. I prayed at the Western Wall where people from around the world come to place prayer-filled bits of paper into the breaks in the stones. I saw Rabbis and soldiers chanting together. I journeyed thru the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where several Stations of the Cross are present and incense fills the air. I strolled through the narrow walkways filed with merchants and peddlers. The security was incredible; Israeli soldiers and police everywhere watching everything in order to ensure that people of all faiths and cultures will always be able to enjoy and experience this holy ground for generations to come.

Then it was on to economic opportunities for Phoenix. I met with the top executives of an international solar energy company based in Jerusalem which is using the barren desert to the south to harness the sun. They are exploring placing a major operation in Arizona to help lead us to a new century of sustainability. It's a young company which built 80% of its solar plant starting just in the 1980s.

Last night, at the famed Israel Museum, I joined the President and Laura Bush at their hosted reception commemorating the 60th anniversary of Israel. I am very proud and honored to have been chosen by President Bush to be a member of his official delegation for this historic visit. I thanked him for his unwavering support of Israel and its right to exist and live in peace. The delegation consists of international notables such as Henry Kissinger and Elie Wiesel, as well as Condoleezza Rice and a host of U.S. business leaders. As I always do, I promoted Phoenix day and night, including getting interest from the CEO of a international capital venture firm, a national real estate developer, and Mort Zuckerman, the editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report who plans to come to Phoenix to do a story on our city's booming emergence on the international economic scene.

It was an invigorating and gracious evening, filled with appreciation by Israel of the tremendous friendship that it has with the United States. It made one proud for many reasons. As I was leaving, President Bush reminded me that he'll be seeing me again when he comes out to Phoenix at the end of May.

By the way, my luggage finally arrived. Now I just have to find an iron.

More tomorrow...

At the Israel Convention Center, heads of state have gathered to commemorate the 60 Anniversary of Israel. It is a historic moment and a moving tribute. The President of Israel just spoke. The President of the United States is speaking now. And I missed it all.

My flight left early Tuesday morning from Phoenix. Then I flew to Chicago for a layover and to change planes. Then on to London for another layover and another plane change. Then to Tel Aviv airport where a hired car should have taken me to Jerusalem and the State events at the Israel Convention Center.

But my plane was late, and my hired car never came. And to top it off, even though I arrived late, my luggage didn't arrive at all. I decided to hail a taxi.

On the ride in, I couldn't help but notice all the security that was in place. Fences, vehicles, armed troops. It was very visible, every step of the way. There has been violence here today, a rocket fired from Gaza struck an Israeli shopping mall injuring at least 14 people, including a pregnant woman. This is a reminder of the way the people of Israel have been living for the past 60 years, and how people in the Middle East have been living for thousands of years.

But while the security was very noticeable, so was something else. The people here are happy and they show it. They love America and Americans, and are so grateful for our historic and continuing support. That is very good to see.

Due to the security and road restrictions for traffic, I walked the last mile to my hotel. One good thing about having no luggage is that you don't have to carry it that last mile. The other good thing is that it gave me a unique opportunity to see the Old City up-close. To take in the history. To talk with people. And best of all, for the first time in a long time, nobody knew me.

When I reached the hotel that is hosting the United States Delegation, the shuttles to tonight's event were no longer running, and the program was well underway. When I finally got where I was supposed to be, I decided that, without my luggage, there was no way I should represent my city and our country wearing travel clothes, featuring my only pair of denim jeans. So I have watched it all on CNN, just as so many of you have.

But tomorrow, as always, is another day. In the morning, I will formally tour the Old City and the Western Wall. I have scheduled meetings with Homeland Security officials, business and government leaders, and so many others. One way or another, I promise to get to President Bush's reception at the Israeli Museum tomorrow night, even if they never find my luggage and I have to buy a new suit that doesn't fit.

By the way, my entire trip is being privately-funded. No taxpayer dollars are being used.

Today, I was farther off the ground than I've ever been without the safety of an airplane around me. The tallest building in the world is being constructed in Dubai (162 stories) and I went to the top. I rode in a construction elevator to the 159th floor --- and had to climb an outside ladder for the final 3 floors. Wow and yikes!

I was then given a tour of a shopping mall that is under construction. When completed, it will have TWELVE HUNDRED shops covering TWELVE MILLION square feet. That is TWELVE times bigger than our new Phoenix Convention Center. And this is more TWELVES than I ever used in a single paragraph.

His Excellency and I visited a Souk, an outdoor marketplace where all kinds of goods are sold or exchanged: spices, foods of all types, jewelry, hand-crafted gold, incense and perfumes, daggers, textiles and silks...everything. Hundreds of small merchants selling and bartering everything under the sun. And yes, we're going to find a way for our First Friday Souk to continue operating on East Roosevelt.

I have always said that, in Phoenix, we can't afford to blink or we will lose an opportunity forever. My bottom-line assessment of Dubai is that this is where visions come to be realized. They think big and then implement their thoughts.

I thought we were thinking big in Phoenix. But this brief visit has improved my own vision. We're still thinking too small. And we shouldn't be. (Note to Richard deUriarte: when I get back, plates will be spinning)

I’m writing this on the run today, but I want to share my immediate thoughts and impressions on Dubai. First, everyone speaks fluent English. It is good to communicate with people in their own language when you can, which is a lesson we are still learning. They enjoy a Western lifestyle here; construction is widespread and of a very high quality. They build everything with concrete interior and exterior walls, no stucco. The architecture is outstanding and creative. I often say that when we study other cultures in history, we don't look at their mayors, we study their art and architecture. It's very important and they understand that in Dubai.

There are City Banners everywhere promoting the pride they have in their health system, their education system and their green programs. They are very focused on the future, very much like Phoenix. Also like Phoenix, their roads are very crowded and they anxiously anticipate the opening of their light rail system. It's a very clean and modern City. Also, it's a young City, like ours.

We are talking about all the opportunities for investing in Phoenix. I am really focusing on Emirates Air and bringing another international flight to Sky Harbor. With all our similarities, an air gateway would be a huge benefit to us both. Also, it is a truly great airline.

Well, following a 6-hour layover at Heathrow, I’m finally in Dubai. On my flight from Phoenix to Heathrow, Dial CEO and president Brad Casper was onboard. We had a very nice discussion on the importance of international flights between Phoenix and Europe and Asia. And that’s one of the big reasons for my trip – but more about that later.

I left Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Dubai in THURSDAY at 3:30 in the morning. They say it’s a small world, but it still seems pretty big to me.

Sometimes we’re so close to things we don’t see them the way the rest of the world does. I am continually discovering the high esteem in which Phoenix is held. We add 5,000 new people a year, we create 45,000 new jobs a year (leading the nation) and there are important investment opportunities in the heart of the city. That’s amazing and rare. And the world is noticing. We really are being viewed by the world as a key player in international economic development.

During Super Bowl week, I had the honor of meeting with His Excellency, Mohamed Alabbar. The City of Phoenix is currently exploring economic partnership and investment opportunities with the country of Dubai, United Arab Emirates which will hopefully result in the promotion of mutual trade delegate visits for the expansion of bilateral trade and foreign direct investment. The major objective of entering into an economic partnership agreement involves:

1. Securing an Emirates-Phoenix international flight for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
2. Exploring research and joint venture partnerships with local educational institutions and to support emerging local technology and innovation with a focus on healthcare, information and communications technologies.
3. Exploring foreign direct investment opportunities with solar energy and other sustainable technologies.

I was delighted to receive a call from him inviting me to Dubai. His enthusiasm for Phoenix is “off the charts�. I’m looking forward to our first meeting later today. I’ll let you know how it goes. By the way, no taxpayer funds are being used for my travel –my personal credit card, though, IS being used. I don’t earn frequent flyer miles, I earn “Starbucks Points�. LOTS of Starbucks Points.

Today is my final day in Washington, D.C. and, with temperatures soaring into the teens, I am counting the hours until I arrive back in Phoenix. I have been reminding people here that Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport does not even OWN a de-icing machine.

Today, we had a full schedule of meetings with the US Conference of Mayors. I Co-Chair the Homeland Security Task Force and we received briefings from the administration. I re-iterated the point that as cities and states are taking on more responsibilities that were always intended to be federal functions this is NOT the time, at the SAME time, to be cutting homeland security funds that cities should be receiving.

Several of my fellow mayors and I held a press conference to tell Congress and the President, again, that they cannot wait to tackle the issues of securing our border and implementing a practical and effective immigration policy (you can see the full text of those remarks at mayorgordon.com). Now, some members of Congress are telling me that it might be TWO YEARS before they get serious about it. No matter WHERE you stand on immigration issues, waiting two years to secure our borders is not acceptable to ANYONE. It is outrageous. The mayors absolutely understand the urgency and more mayors, more often, will be taking this debate directly to the people.

Let me say again how many people have been commenting on Phoenix. They are talking about our Super Bowl (sorry Mayor Scruggs) and what they STILL refer to as The Phoenix Open. Business executives, Board of Director members, CEOs all want to come to Phoenix for one reason or several. Also, they know our weather is, well, OUR weather.

For all my complaining about traveling, if you have not been to Washington, D.C. lately, it really is worth the trip (and the cold). I am spending my last evening walking the Capitol Mall at night. With the Washington Monument at one end, the Lincoln Memorial at the other and the White House in between it is an emotional reminder of our history and why we are always willing to pay the high price of freedom. To walk where Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Reagan walked, and to see what they saw, is almost indescribable.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has read and commented on my blogs this week. This is my first real venture into the blogosphere and I have read every comment. I will be looking for more opportunities to keep in touch this way and thank AZCentral for making it so easy. In the meantime, you can always email comments to me directly at mayor.gordon@phoenix.gov.

Last evening, I took a train to Philadelphia to have dinner with my long-time friend, Ed Rendell who is now the Governor of Pennsylvania. As it turns out, I barely made it in time for dessert because, frankly, I missed my stop. I was up in plenty of time, but wasn’t aggressive enough with my elbows and the doors closed before I could get through the rush-hour crowds of commuters. This is an art I must master before our own light rail line opens in December. The real reason for my dinner / dessert was to meet with Pennsylvania businessmen and women who want to do business in Phoenix. We really are on everyone’s map and radar screen. It was a good meeting and some of the business investors I met with will be coming to Phoenix as early as next week. Of course, coming to Phoenix during our Super Bowl may not be coincidental. I could make a thousand new friends here if I had any tickets to sell.

Today, I’m going back to The Hill. I will be meeting with three Senators and several Representatives – Democrats and Republicans -- with the same message I delivered yesterday – they absolutely can’t wait for another Congress or another President to secure our borders and enact a practical and effective immigration policy. They may not see how their inaction is tearing apart communities 3,000 miles away, but they will sure hear about it.

I was invited back to the White House for lunch today. I’ve had more lunch in the past two days than I had all last year -- but I hear the service is excellent at the White House (and there’s no tipping).

By the way, it just keeps getting colder and colder here. You need approximately an infinite number of jackets to keep warm. A better plan is to live in Phoenix.