Stop the Games and Start Working WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ted Ellis, President of the National League of Cities (NLC) and the mayor of Bluffton, Indiana, released the following statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union: In an election year, there is a tendency to put off hard decisions until the political climate is settled. But the American people and American cities cannot wait until next year for action. The economy has yet to recover, the middle class continues to shrink and Washington continues to play political gamesmanship. Congress and the Administration need to take a page from the nation's local leaders who are making very difficult economic choices everyday. We are glad the President agrees with us that it is time for Washington to work towards finding solutions and making the strategic investments in the infrastructure and human capital the nation needs to remain competitive for decades to come. To everyone in Washington we say: Campaign on your record and not with people's lives. It's time to get to work. The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities.