Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Blog

  • The Role of Advanced Manufacturing in Increasing Global Competitiveness

    Posted by Michael Block on July 7, 2011 at 4:42 PM EDT

    The President recently launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in the emerging technologies that will create high quality manufacturing jobs and enhance our global competitiveness. 

    California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom reflects on an event in Sacramento that focused on the advanced manufacturing industry:

    Following the jobs-focused leadership of President Obama and his Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, I recently hosted a statewide summit in Sacramento with the California Manufacturers and Technology Association.  Themed “Everything Grows with Manufacturing” and engaging 200 of our state’s best and brightest business and policy leaders, we discussed California’s past, present and future role in advanced manufacturing and the President’s call to increase our global competitiveness.

    California has always been a place of dreamers and doers, where the future is literally invented.  We’ve led the world in innovation, cutting-edge discoveries, research and development and technology – but we have to do better in the area of manufacturing.  California manufacturing has fallen from 28 percent of our GDP to nearly 11 percent.  But it’s not all bad news. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, “since 2003, California manufacturing exports rose 60 percent faster than the state’s overall economy.” Manufacturing is the key to exports and exports are critical to California and the country.

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  • Mayor Mallory Helps Welcome New Citizens in Cincinnati

    Posted by Kellyn Blossom on July 6, 2011 at 12:49 PM EDT

    Naturalization Ceremony in Cincinnati

    Naturalization candidates recite the Pledge of Allegiance during a ceremony in Cincinnati, July 1, 2011. (Photo by Office of Mayor Mark Mallory).

    In the week leading up to the 4th of July, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services held nearly 350 naturalization ceremonies across the country, welcoming over 24,000 new citizens to the United States.

    Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory shares his experience at a naturalization ceremony last week:

    Last week, Cincinnati hosted the 2011 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Convention and Exposition.  As part of that great event, I witnessed 93 individuals become citizens of our nation.  I was honored to be there. 

    It was incredible to watch people, not born in the United States, actively choosing to become Americans.  I was reminded of the greatness of our nation.  Many of us are fortunate to be American citizens by birth.  However, when we became citizens, there was no official ceremony.  There was no color guard, no judge, no U.S. Senator, no pomp and circumstance.  But when someone chooses to go through the hard work of becoming an American citizen, it is worthy of celebration.

    The new citizens came from 43 countries ranging from Brazil and China to Ethiopia, Morocco, and Senegal.  The diversity, the culture, and the perspective that each new citizen brings to our community continually strengthens our cities and our nation

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  • President Obama and Mayor Nutter Make a Stop in Philadelphia

    Posted by David Agnew on July 5, 2011 at 4:01 PM EDT

    Check out a photo of President Obama, Rep. Robert Brady, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Rep. Chaka Fattah, during a stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    President Orders Water Ice in Philadelphia

    President Barack Obama, with Rep. Robert Brady, left, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, center, and Rep. Chaka Fattah, right, place their order during a stop at John’s Water Ice in Philadelphia, Pa., June 30, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

  • Young Elected Officials at the White House

    Posted by Michael Block on June 30, 2011 at 10:43 AM EDT

    Recently, the White House hosted 200 young elected officials from 40 states for a series of briefings and a reception where the President stopped by. Afterwards, many young officials took to Twitter to talk about their day at the White House. Throughout the day, we spoke with a few of the elected officials about what it meant to hear directly from the President and why they would encourage other young people to run for office. Here is what Oregon State Representative Jefferson Smith, Colorado City Councilman Chris Herndon, and Nebraska State Senator Amanda McGill had to say.

    Download Video: mp4 (18MB)

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  • Young Elected Officials Tweet Their White House Experience

    Posted by Mika Rothman on June 30, 2011 at 9:28 AM EDT

    Last Friday, over 200 young mayors, state legislators, city councilmembers, school board members and other elected officials from across the country were welcomed to the White House to attend a policy briefing with senior Administration officials and a reception where President Obama stopped by. 

    Briefing attendees received updates and information on an array of Administration policies and initiatives affecting states and municipalities including job creation, the economy, clean energy, housing, urban development, and innovative strategies for leveraging technology. The young elected officials (YEOs) were enthusiastic about the briefings and provided perspectives from their communities for the Administration officials.

    Here is what some of the YEOs tweeted about the day’s events: 

    Proud that our President and his administration sees the value of keeping young electeds informed and involved. I'm at the WH! #AtTheWH  – Mayor Heather McTeer, Greenville MS

    "The reason why we run for office is not to be somebody, but to do something." -President Obama #AtTheWH – Portland School Committee Member Jenna Vendil

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  • Better Transportation Options Coming to Communities Across America

    Posted by Joanna Turner on June 30, 2011 at 1:48 AM EDT

    During his first year in office, President Obama established a Livable Communities Initiative that set out to ensure that more Americans—whether they’re living in a city, a suburb, or a rural town—have affordable, reliable access to safe transportation to get them where they need to go. Earlier this month, the Department of Transportation announced a new round of livability grants to help more citizens connect with jobs, schools, affordable housing, parks and recreation, and other activities that contribute to the kinds of healthy, vibrant neighborhoods where we choose to live.

    Over the past two years, these livability grants have helped to bring new bus and streetcar service into places like Manchester, New Hampshire; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. These projects created much-needed jobs while spurring economic development along America’s main streets.

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    Learn more about Urban Policy