City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, January 21, 2014) – Mayor Lovely Warren will be in Washington this week to attend the 82nd meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Just one week prior to the President’s State of the Union Address, more than 280 of the nation’s mayors will convene in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton to meet with congressional leaders and administration officials. The mayors will urge Congress to continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to spur job creation and economic growth in America’s cities and metropolitan areas, many of which are still plagued with high unemployment. Mayor Warren will have the opportunity to meet with members of the president’s cabinet and executive staff including Education Secretary Duncan, Commerce Secretary Pritzker and Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius.
Mayor Warren has been invited to return to the White House this Thursday, January 23. The Mayor will present the President and his executive staff with copies of Rochester Area Community Foundation’s (RACF) “Poverty and the Concentration of Poverty in the Greater Rochester Area” (abridged from the original).
“I was given the extraordinary opportunity to make a connection with President Obama’s executive staff during my visit last December – and now is the time to build on those relationships. It is critically important to use this opportunity to begin making the case in a very direct and profound way for why Rochester needs the support of the federal government for grant programs such as the Opportunity Zone and Promise Neighborhood initiatives. The new funding paradigm for governments is very competitive, and it starts with demonstrating our need,” said Mayor Warren.
“The RACF report tells a story that I believe many in Washington will be surprised to learn. The data shows that Rochester is the fifth-poorest city in the country among the top 75 largest metropolitan areas; the second poorest among comparably sized cities in those metro areas; and ranked third for highest concentration of extremely poor neighborhoods among cities in the top 100 metro areas.”
“I am going to Washington to be an advocate for our people, and to pave the way to bring badly needed new sources of revenue to our city. I look forward to working with the President’s staff; as well as Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Slaughter in advancing our message and articulating our needs,” she finished.
While in Washington, mayors will release economic data showing employment and economic growth projections for 2014 in all of the nation’s 363 metropolitan areas. Mayors will also release a clean energy survey highlighting local action in over 250 cities to advance innovative technologies that reduce energy use and consumption. Other issues topping the agenda include transportation and innovation, as well as the continued threat to tax exempt municipal bonds.
-30-
News media: For more information, contact Communications Director Christine Christopher at 428-7405.