Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Blog

  • Section 3 Program Creating Jobs in Detroit

    Posted by Kellyn Blossom on November 29, 2011 at 1:23 PM EDT

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity, John Trasviña; and Midwest Regional Administrator Antonio Riley share in the Detroit News how HUD is helping Detroit:

    Expanding opportunities for jobs and housing are two of the Obama administration's highest priorities in Michigan and across the nation.

    At HUD, we are bringing new ideas and strongly enforcing the “Section 3” federal program; which is specifically designed to create job opportunities for low-income individuals and public housing residents and contracts for the companies that hire them.

    In 2009, HUD invested $17.2 billion in Section 3-covered funding into local communities. These investments helped to create new neighborhood developments, modernize roads and infrastructure and rehabilitate and revive our communities. Beyond the bricks and mortar, they produced 34,230 jobs in 2009 and put 18,154 low-income individuals and their families on the road to self-sufficiency.

    But we are doing more.

    HUD has designated Detroit to be one of five pilot cities around the country to be the site of a Section 3 Business Registry. Through this registry, businesses that hire low-income individuals or are composed of low-income individuals will be able to have better access to information about contracting opportunities from cities, housing authorities and other government agencies. Local and state agencies receiving HUD funds are required, to the maximum extent feasible, to ensure that jobs and contracts reach public housing residents and low-income workers. The Business Registry will also make it easy for workers to find out about Section 3 companies that are hiring.

    For more information about the Section 3 program, visit www.hud.gov/sec3biz.

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  • Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley: We Can’t Wait Either

    Posted by Jewel James on November 2, 2011 at 2:19 PM EDT

    Today, President Obama spoke at the Georgetown Waterfront Park, in front of the Key Bridge, about the need to pass the infrastructure piece of the American Jobs Act. The President explained that we can’t wait to make these much-need investments in infrastructure projects across the country and put more Americans back to work. Governor Martin O’Malley explains why Maryland can’t wait either:

    This morning, President Obama delivered remarks at the Georgetown Waterfront Park, in front of the Key Bridgeto urge Congress to pass the Rebuild America Jobs Act. The act would help us immediately advance critical infrastructure projects in Maryland while at the same time supporting at least 8,100 jobs.

    Our infrastructure is one of the areas where we have the largest investment deficit in our State – and it’s something that matters both for job creation today, and for what type of State we leave for the next generation. There’s a connection between the investments we make in our infrastructure, and our ability to create jobs, expand opportunity and put this recession in our rear-view mirror.

     

     

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  • White House Hosts 150 City and Municipal Leaders for Day of Discussions, Dialogue

    Posted by David Agnew on October 29, 2011 at 2:14 PM EDT

    Obama reception with NLC

    President Barack Obama attends a reception for members of the National League of Cities in the East Room of the White House, Oct. 27, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

     
    On Thursday, the White House hosted over 150 mayors, city officials, and state municipal league directors for a day of information from the White House, discussions with Cabinet Officials and a reception with President Obama.
     
    After a visit from Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who started her career in Chicago city government, the city and municipal leaders discussed their immigration reform ideas with Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz.
     
    The leaders, representing 41 states, then had a briefing on the American Jobs Act with Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Jason Furman and talked about what local leaders can do to help pass the bill.
     
    Chief of Staff William Daley, no stranger to local government, took questions from the leaders about how the White House is helping city and municipal governments through the Recovery Act and how cities could benefit further through the American Jobs Act.
      
    Aneesh Chopra talks to NLC

    Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra speaks about innovation, October 27, 2011. (White House Photo) October 27, 2011.

     
    Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra gave a passionate presentation on how city leaders can use data and innovation to improve services for their residents and challenged the officials to help find innovative leaders in each community across America and encourage businesses to take advantage of the Startup America Partnership.
     
    EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan talked about Sustainable Communities, a partnership between their agencies to create communities with a variety of housing and transportation choices, with destinations close to home.
     
    NLC Members listen in South Court

    City and municipal leaders listen to a briefing in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, October 27, 2011. (White House Photo) October 27, 2011.

     
    After an afternoon packed with information, the leaders joined President Obama for a reception in the White House where he thanked them for their public service and encouraged them to be advocates for their constituents.
     
    It was a great day at the White House and we look forward to bringing in many more city and municipal leaders to talk about ways the Administration can partner with local government to improve services for all Americans.

  • Flint Mayor: American Jobs Act Will Help Long-Term Economic Growth

    Posted by Megan Slack on October 24, 2011 at 2:34 PM EDT

    Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said that the American Jobs Act is crucial to our country’s long-term economic growth. “We have to have education, we have to have safe communities, we have to have small businesses that are growing, exporting, creating jobs,” he said.

    The American Jobs Act addresses all these issues. It will help retain and hire hundreds of thousands of teachers, keep first responders on the job, and invest in small businesses across the country.

    See what other mayors are saying about the American Jobs Act.

    Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California
    Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, Maryland
    Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver, Colorado
    Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky
    Mayor Sly James of Kansas City
    Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, Ohio
    Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix, Arizona

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  • State Representative Pricey Harrison: Up To 13,400 Teacher Jobs for North Carolina

    Posted by Michael Block on October 21, 2011 at 12:13 PM EDT

    The President has been traveling across the country to show how the American Jobs Act will help modernize our schools, rebuild our infrastructure, and put Americans back to work. Earlier this week, the President visited Jamestown, NC as a part of his three-day American Jobs Act bus tour.

    North Carolina State Representative Pricey Harrison reflects on the President’s remarks in Jamestown, and explains how the American Jobs Act will create jobs in North Carolina and throughout the nation:

    I spent  part of Tuesday with President Obama as he met with and spoke to teachers, students, staff, and other citizens of Guilford County while in Jamestown on the campus of Guilford Technical Community College. The President was there to promote the American Jobs Act, which is projected to create  more than 2 million jobs nationwide and help rebuild our middle class and an economy that works for all of us.

    The Piedmont Triad has been hit particularly hard by the loss of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs over the past decade and this year's state budget did further damage to the state's economy by making cuts that will result in  a net loss of more than 30,000 jobs statewide over the next two years. These job losses have been felt hardest in the education sector, where  2,418 jobs were cut this school year (and more than 9,200 since 2008), primarily teachers and teachers assistants.

    The President's plan would do much to help our state and our country recover from the extended recession.  The plan proposes to invest $35 billion to prevent layoffs of up to 280,000 teachers nationwide, while supporting the hiring of tens of thousands more and keeping police officers and firefighters on the job. These  funds will provide over $900 million  to North Carolina to support up to 13,400 educator jobs. .

    The plan also provides  a $25 billion investment in school infrastructure, over $675 million of which would be available to North Carolina to support as many as 8,800 jobs.

     The President also spoke about  how his plan is fully paid for.  He emphasized how the wealthiest among us should pay their fair share .

     It is time to pass the American Jobs Act.

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  • Mayors Support John Bryson for Commerce Secretary

    Posted by Kellyn Blossom on October 20, 2011 at 2:20 PM EDT

    At a time when the nation is focused on jobs, we need a Commerce Secretary who knows American business - a leader who has led a company through crisis, created jobs and has a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing US companies.  And that's exactly the experience that President Obama's nominee John Bryson has. 

    Mayor Bob Foster of Long Beach, California says of his friend John Bryson:

    "John Bryson is an excellent choice for Secretary of Commerce.  I have known John for more than 30 years as a person of impeccable integrity with a strong sense of public service.  

    John and I worked together at Edison International.  He was a unique CEO at Edison in that he always made sure business success did not mean a disregard for the environment or social progress.  Under his leadership, Edison developed the largest portfolio of renewable energy in the country and made energy efficiency as one of its top priorities.  It’s an unusual business practice for a company to spend millions on reducing the use of its product, but John understood that it was in the best interest for customers, California, and the company to reduce electrical use.  His strong sense of social purpose helped Edison become an environmental leader with a worldwide reputation.

    John is the kind of person you need in business today.  He understands the need for profit but he also knows that success should include environmental sustainability and good corporate citizenship."

    In addition, the U.S. Conference of Mayors spoke out about John Bryson, urging his confirmation in a letter to Senate leaders:

    "Mr. Bryson brings a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors that will help create jobs and make America more competitive in the global economy. Most importantly, he knows that the private sector is the engine for job creation. As local leaders, we know that John Bryson can encourage economic growth, help provide jobs for our residents, and forge a direct connection with Mayors and the needs of our cities. He knows how to get the job done with fewer resources. He knows how to manage and lead under pressure. He is the ideal candidate to become Commerce Secretary."

    You can read more from voices ranging from the COO of Facebook to the former Treasury Secretary John Snow on why John Bryson should be our next Commerce Secretary.

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