"In expanding the highly destructive federal trend toward de-investment in cities, while glibly promoting a regressive tax system and a rapacious war of aggression, the Bush administration can hardly be considered an advocate for the interest of our cities," Anderson said Tuesday night.

The mayor was presenting his recommendations on how to spend $4.2 million expected to be given to the city via the federal Community Development Block Grant program. CDBG funds help improve impoverished neighborhoods and the Utah capital's share is 9.5 percent less than last year.

Nationally, Bush's proposed budget slashes CDBG funding by 25 percent to $3 billion, according to the National League of Cities.

Salt Lake City Councilman Carlton Christensen said he shares the mayor's concerns about the drop in funding, but said Anderson's speech was political, not productive.

"I'm assuming he wasn't advocating for a position in the Bush administration," said the Republican Christensen. "I suppose he's hoping for one somewhere else."

Anderson called Bush's proposed cuts reckless. They have concerned cities nationwide as well. The National League of Cities' top federal legislative priority is securing $4.5 billion for the grants.

The mayor said it is difficult enough to decide where to spend the federal money - there were $10 million worth of requests this year. The decision is exacerbated, he said, by Bush policies. With previous CDBG funding reductions, the mayor said the president seems intent on "bleeding the program to death."

hmay@sltrib.com