Transcripts For CSPAN3 U.S. Conference Of Mayors Winter Meeting 20180124

So include us too t. Happy birthday, madam mayor. It is my great honor to introduce the conference leadership, Vice President of Steve Benjamin of colombia south carolina. Brian, of row chester hills, and executive director tom coke ran, thank you so much. We have with us in the audience, the past president s, president mccormack, thank you for your leadership. Elizabeth and several former mayors who have served in the audience today and many newly elected mayors who are with us for the first time. New mayors, we are thrilled to have you. Thank you. Wee look forward to it, thank you. And to those mayors joining us in washington, d. C. From canada, germany, ireland, italy and the united kingdom, welcome to our meeting and thank you for being here m im going to introduce our speakers as we move through todayess agenda. Our recessions are live streamed and available at usmayors. Org and the you tube channel. Use our hashtag, uscmwinter 18 which posting about it or gathering. Download and use the app available for iphone and ipad and android. Download it in the app store and google pay. It has the winter meeting agenda, the list of mayors and other features that are helpful. I want to thank all of the sponsors. All of whom are appearing on the screen behind me, thank you all. Can you give them a round of applause, we couldnt do this without them. And i also would like to take a moment to recognize our title sponsor, we work. Give them a round of applause, if you dont mind. And i would like to thank you mastercard and the American Hotel lodging association, responsible for todays luncheon, first im pleased to introduce craig, he is the president of the northern american markets, overseeing the customers facing activities in the United States and canada, sales, business, Development Strategy and relationship management. He sits on the Companys Management Committee and brings global expoerns to the role after a decade of working for mastercard in the asia pacific region, help me welcome, craig. Thank you, for that introduction and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you for a few minutes. Im pleased to have a chance to speak to this group. Leaders who are here representing cities of all sizes across country and in fact various parts of the globe, cities that represent so much of what makes America Great. Cities that represent bae cons of opportunity, centers of diversity, culture, education, arts and for entertainment, science and for commerce, cities are just so important to the fabric of our society and its part of our society that we are pleased to be able to support. Cities obviously, face their share of challenges, as do all different partings of our society and industry. Changes in technology, labor, pools, demographics things that many of you are grappling with in our own communities. Mastercard is happy and proud to be a private sector partner helping in ways in as many ways as we can to address the challenges and help assure our cities are the vibrant centers of society that they are. And im happy to have a chance to speak to you about a few things. I hope you have mastercards in your wallet or purse. Despite the fact that people carry our cards, a lot of people rrnt sure what mastercard is. Were a Technology Company that has global scale and reach. Focussing on payments, Electronic Payments as the the core application of our technology and to give you a measure of the scale of our business, we have 2 billion pieces of plastic in circulation around the globe. Processing 60 billion transactions this year through our Technology Center in saint louis and will represent about 5 trillion in value thats being exchanged within a blink of an eye from anywhere around the globe. Those are big numbers. Were excited about those numbers. But what we are really excited about is the impact that that kind of scale and reach helps to deliver in society in terms of adding value to give you an indication of some of the things. We estimate not just mastercard alone but Electronic Payments in general over the course of 10 years added on 430 billion in gdp growth in the United States and created 6 million permanent jobs . How does that happen . Through benefits it provides enhancing productivity, efficiency enabling new business models. In addition to that were a company that is committed to extending the benefits of that economic power to as many people as possible and we often say Electronic Payments is one of the networks that powers the modern economy. And for all people, all citizens to benefit from that, they need to be connected to that network. As a result of that we made a commitment a number of years ago to bring 500 Million People around tglobe by connected them to Electronic Payments. Since announcing that four years ago we brought more than 300 Million People in various pockets of the dploeb into the Financial System by including them as members of the electronic payment system. That taken on different tastes and flavors, but here in the United States that focused largely on things related to disperse benefits, to many individuals who dont otherwise have a bank account and would otherwise would be relegated to receiving the payments by check and dealing with them. As well as Educational Programs around financial literacy. And those programs have been successful and impactful to date. Its a good start, but we know theres a lot more to do. And in part, thats what i would like to talk with you about this afternoon. Over the course of the last year or so, weve spent a good amount of time in a number of cities around the country meeting with government officials with civic leaders, leaders of religious and community organizations, nonprofit organizations to understand in more detail what are some of the challenges that cities face . And what we learned is theres a lot of challenges that cities face. But there are a few in particular that seemed like areas where we can help as a private sector partner. We heard repeatedly about the challenges of gig economy workers become prevalent in society earning their living through piecemeal work with organizations like up uber, lyft air b and b. I would summarize being variable unpredictable income stream matched against a fixed set of expenses that creates challenges. We heard a lot of people facing challenges trying to start businesses, microentrepreneurs forming Small Businesses that are the backbone of our km i in respects. We heard from governments themselves saying they are challenged with trying to keep up with innovation and ensuring our city remains competitive in an environment where cities compete against each other. And therefore, weve sort of synthesized that into a plan of action that im pleased to announce which is the inclusive future project. And that really centers on three things. One, leverages Digital Solutions to help manage finances. Second, enabling great erin know separation efficiency in Government Services and third, fostering smart cities, again leveraging technology to enable cities to prepare for a digitally inclusive future. So a couple of things related to the digital, were vest in Digital Technology and digital commerce. Theres a lot that we do with organizations like uber and lyft to enable workers to get paid immediately if you are a drive for the organizations, you can get paid mull approximately times a day using our technology and infrastructure rather than waiting weeks for a paycheck. So you can match your income stream. We are proud to introduce a pilot with care. Com to again, enable workers to get paid immediately, digitally into a prepaid account and combining that with Digital Technology to enable workers to do things like budget, plan for expenses, forecast income, manage their schedule compartmentalize expenses for different purposes and savings as well. Were excited to be launching that with care. Com in the days ahead. Theres also work were doing with Small Businesses and in particular, microentrepreneurs. Another pilot were announcing today this time with square, and focussing on pilots in two cities, one which is new or leans and the other is cleveland to provide education to Small Business owners about the benefits of Electronic Payments and how they can connect themselves to avail themselves of those benefits. Getting improved ability to manage cash flow, improved access to capital. Improved ability to identify new customers and increase sales. Work we are doing in Government Services with respect to disperse meants. We have through direct express program at the federal level, saved consumers hundreds of millions of dollars in Check Cashing fees in the federal government, more than 50 million in expenses by eliminating paper checks. Well continue to work with municipalities and state and federal government to expand that and with respect to smart cities we are leveraging technology to help cities address challenges of all different types. Working with other private sector partners using our data and product platforms to address challenges with mass transit, optimizing tourism and revenue, and understanding how to maximize Economic Activity with investments in different neighborhoods for rejoouf nation projects and merchant identification to anchor Economic Activity around. So ill leave it at that because i know we are pressed for time but i want to say were here and thrilled to be here and apart of the group. Were eager to work with you all and thanks for your time and we have a demo booth so stop by the booth some time if you would. Thank you. Craig, thank you so much. Now i want to welcome the president of American Hotel lodging and association. They have been a strong supporter of the conference of mayors with our many cities, help me welcome catherine. Thank you mayor landrieu, and your leadership at this fine organization. Im delighted to be here and to lend our support to this event. I mentioned to some of you i have a soft spot in my heart for mayors. My fatherinlaw dick luger was the mayor in ind annapolis and ill tell you that in the stories he loves to tell our children. Are not about his 36 years in the United States senate but about his days as mayor and revitalizing the downtown and bringing commerce and business to the area, in launching innovative programs like so many you do around Workforce Development training and education to prepare the workers in ind annapolis, and its in the stories he tells and i was mentioning to mayor bowzer it is compelling 1968 the day Martin Luther king was shot, Bobby Kennedy was there with him and they took to the streets and walked through neighborhood and met with the African American reverend, it was the only major city that didnt burn. Its those stories that is so inspirational. I have a soft spot for the challenges you have and the difference you make in peoples lives everyday so thank you for what you do and your great service. Its one of the reasons we are honored to be here today and get a chance to share with you my great passion for the hotel industry. We are committed to our partnership with you and in driving great things in your communities. From small and independent hotels to the major Global Brands to the hotel owners of hotels, our industry is a Major Economic driver in every Community Across the country. Hotels big and small nearly 500 billion in annual guest spending and we support now 8 million jobs across the country. And you know this story well, every time a new hotel is built in your community, your Community Reaps the benefits. Last year we worked with the u. S. Conference of mayors and surveys many of you, 1 in 5 said the tourism and Hospitality Industry in your city is the largest sec to have of your citys economy. 9 in 10 said you would benefit from more hotels in your city. We want to work with you to make that happen. We are committed to being a good host,great employer and superb neighbor. Everyday about 5 million guests each day walk through doors of our hotels. Whether it is a Business Traveler spending a week in los angeles, a couple enjoying a romantic get away or a family on vacation in washington, d. C. To fall in love with the national attractions, when the vis tors visit your communities, they dont just stay in hotels. They walk across the street, have coffee, eat in your restaurants, shop in your stores and visit attractions. When you add it up, the hotel stay, the eating and restaurants, shopping and the taxes 1. 1 trillion is now pumped into the u. S. Economy. Not only that, our industry is collecting and remitting 170 billion in taxes. That is more money for your roads and infrastructure and schools and emergency responders. None of this is possible without the hard working men and women of hospitality. They are the heart and soul of the industry. We are proud for so many we offer more than just a job but a lifelong career. A path towards upward mobility. That is a hallmark of our industry. In fact, so many of our ceos, general managers and the c suit started at entry level jobs. The nups speak for themselves. More than half, over 50 of the general managers today started in an entry level man as a bellman, dishwasher at the front desk. The Hotel American lodging Association Shares your goal of Economic Development and promoting Career Opportunity in your cities. Two initiatives that we launched and we want to touch on each. The first one is through apprenticeships. They are not new, they have been going on for years in manufacturing and other sectors. Here in the u. S. In hospitality, it is a new concept. Hala doubled down on the industry leaders, im honored to be sitting on the department of labors aparen ten ship task force and we made a significant commitment in the space. Get ago four Year College Degree is not the only way to have a career track up into management and to the top. It is important that the young people know that or folks coming off a tour of duty in the military we are enrolling them and putting them into management track jobs. They are the future talent for our industry and its a program thats been wildly successful. Last year we enrolled more than 2,500 and we exceeded the first phase of the goal by more than 175 . But the second thing i want to touch on goes well beyond apprenticeships. It is something you deal with in your cities day in and out. We have a new pilot we are launching for Opportunity Youth. The kids 1624 who are out of school and work and in many cases they dont see their path forward. We are really thrilled that we are launching a Pilot Project in four cities in the First Quarter of this year to work with Community Based organizations that connect those Opportunity Youth to employers in the Hospitality Industry. We rolled one out in baltimore and one in washington, d. C. , they have been received really well. Our companies are committing to hiring those youth and we are committing to working with Community Development organizations to provide the wrap around services and some really terrific work going on. So from coast to coast, hotels are committed to advancing employees and partnering with you to make cities better stronger and more vibrant. Whether it is working the city officials in chicago to make our neighborhoods safer. Or fostering really Exciting Development in new york city, nashville, houston, san diego, hotels are the corner storms of thriving communities. Hla is willing to bilt strong relationships with each of you and we believe together we can grow stronger communities. Thank you for your support and all that you do for our great country. Thank you so much. For the past three years the United States conference of mayors partnered with Major League Baseball on the play ball program. 2017 more than 250 mayors, 35,000 kids participated in the program thats a new record. This program from the peanut gallery. The Program Highlights how baseball e americas past time can teach kids the value of sports and activity in their everyday lives. Here is a short video on last years play ball, activities. This event in the United States conference of mayors, minor League Baseball and major league, the idea is that we introduce baseball and softball to young people who didnt have the opportunity to play before. Im joined with mayors across the country to make sure we are promoting baseball and softball to get kids out exercising and getting engaged and getting them into something that teaches them about life. It helps them to be healthier and a path of lifelong appreciation for activity and sports and it encouraging them to be apart of a team. Baseball is a team sport and something about playing team sports that brings out the best in people. You learn about team work and you get social skills and negotiation and conflict resolution. All of that happens tnchs is progressive to give them positive role models and opportunity that going to lead them to a healthier lifestyle you are the future i said you are, you are the future im have proud of baseball and the way they are working with our youth, both boys and girls. If you want to have that in the community and African American Community Around baseball, this is where it needs to go. This is something that is just positive for the city and community. People are excited, theyve been waiting for this and i think this can get better. I think its going to grow. Play ball. Thats spectacular. Play ball. We have the commissioner of baseball with us. Hes going to make an announcement about 2018 and the years ahead. Mr. Commissioner, thank you so much. While i was sitting up here getting ready for the lunch to begin, i realized that i actually became the commissioner of baseball three years ago today, im not sure how i lost track of that date. But from day one, one of most important priorities is to increase the engagement of young people with what we regard to be the greatest game in the world. Shortly after i took office. Doug palmer, the former mayor of trenton and former president of this Great Organization approached baseball with the idea that we should partner with a conference of mayors as part of our play Ball Initiative. We quickly decided that that was a very good idea and frankly been one of the best decisions weve made during my brief time as commissioner. That summer, i had an opportunity to speak to your summer meeting in San Francisco and we collected 125 pledges from mayors around the United States and puerto rico to conduct play ball events. To our surprise, we didnt know how reliable mayors are but every single one of the pledges was exclecuted on. Those events introduced literally thousands of children to baseball and most important they built spirit in each of the communities that participated. Our program is grown each year since 2015 and our partnership has become a truly strong one. In 2017 as mayor landrieu said, 250 mayors conducted events that served 35,000 children. An increase from the prior year. Im excited to be here today saying that we will renew our partnership for an additional three years, through 2020. Im really excited that under the play ball umbrella were going to bring the spirit of the National Past time, the unifying spirit of the National Past time through countries throughout the United States. I would like to thank mayor landrieu in his leadership in terms of developing this renewal and getting an agreement on it and again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here with you. It is my pleasure to introduce to you another one of our great partners in the play Ball Initiative. Jim clark, the president of the boys and girls club of america. Thank you, commissioner. Always a pleasure to be here with you and a great opportunity to be with all of the mayors in the room today. Boys and girls club of america honored to be the official charity of Major League Baseball for over two decades and its a privilege to be be each one of the mayors of the cities represented here for your partnership and saying thank you for partnering with boys and girls clubs in your communities. Boys and girls clubs of america is an inaugural and signature partner or the play Ball Initiative. In our Youth Development, professionals recognize the importance of the activities and initiatives that are so important when it comes to play ball and certainly Youth Development how it helps reduce youth obesity and juvenile diabetes rates. So just like the commissioner announced, were happy to continue our partnership and expand this year and we need your help. Last year 1,000 of the 4,300 across participated in the play Ball Initiative. Wed like to commit to expanding that to 3,000 boys and girls club participating by 2019 but we need your help along the way. Here is what wed like to asked. If youre running a play Ball Initiative in your community, please reach out to the boys and girls club and ask to partner in terms of that event. If you dont have one our executives will be in touch with you to help lead that event in your community. Were excited about whats in front of us and what the play Ball Initiative will mean. Last year at this conference we reviewed our proven track record when it comes to Workforce Development and initiatives around job readiness and Skill Development programs. Boys and girls club wants to be your partner when it comes to solving challenges in your community especially the challenges that so many youth have. We look forward to continuing this conversation and following this event well be sending out a note announcing this commitment and asking them to get in touch with your offices as we look forward to the summer of 2018 and the play Ball Initiatives. Thank you. Thank you both. Were asking mayors on opening day, march 29th to wear a baseball hat of your Favorite Team and take a picture and post it on social media. Look out for more information soon. They are going to be in the hallway outside for pictures at the conclusion of the luncheon and mayors can register for the 2018 play ball program. You look good. Come on mr. Commissioner. Come on mayor, lets do it. I dont think there are fans here. We can do this one. Come on steve. Yes, go mets. Can everybody come right in the middle please. Right here. Thank you. [ applause ] so happy. So happy to have the opportunity to meet with the president. Ill let that hang out there for a minute. It gets cureouser and kurser. I want to welcome her to the city. I want to thank you mayor bowzer for hosting a special meeting, one of the greatest of america, mayor bowzer. Thank you. Thank you. Well, good afternoon mayors and welcome to washington, d. C. It is always my pleasure to open up our city to americas mayors to talk about the issues facing our nation and our cities. Let me thank you mayor landrieu and mayor benjamin and mayor barnet for your leadership of our conference. I continue to thank three years in of being mayor of washington, d. C. That this conference provided such great inspiration and support where we can come together to share great ideas and learn from one another. Let us always remember, that in doing or jobs as mayor, that retooling and getting those ideas and that sharing is also very critical to the work that we do. It is also a good thing that us mayors are here in washington, d. C. During the week where the federal government shut down. It is a reminder that we as mayors cant shut down because our people are relying on us to do the work of running our cities. Providing services, answering questions, helping the most vulnerable among us. So while federal washington was shut down, im here to tell you washington, d. C. Was open for business and im very proud of that. So as we go through our meeting this week, let us remember that our residents, hard working americans in every city are counting on us to come up with solutions for Affordable Housing to make sure that we are being creative about ways to end homelessness in our cities. They are counting on us to make sure were coming up with solutions to fix roads, bridges, airports and to make sure that our Public Transportation infrastructure catches up instead of falling behind. They are counting on us to stand arm in arm with each other to fight discrimination and counts on us to regulate marijuana and make Share Health Care systems are supporting our residents. We have the tools and skills and the abilities to Work Together across the lines all up and down all levels of government to get the job done for our city. So again, i want to welcome you to washington, d. C. While i know youre going to be busy filling up our hotels, restaurants, our shopping and National Monuments which are open for to you see. I hope you have a chance to talk to every day washingtons about the progress we are making in our city and our focus to make sure that more washingtonians are participating in prosperity. I hope you will join us because we will have a washington, d. C. Reception for conference attendes with our canadian ambassador and there are several mayors from canada who will join us at the d. C. Welcome reception. Welcome all. Mayor, thank you so much. And welcome to all of you who are here today to my fellow mayors our distinguished partners. And guests i want to thank you for being with us here today and your commitment to the americas future. Thank you for your hard work on behalf of mayors in this room across the country. Thank you for your leadership and for your continued service to conference and to all of you who have joined us today, especially the men and women who are actually waiting on us and taking care of us and all of the employees in the hotel. Can you give them a round of applause . [ applause ] mayors, i am over joyed and honored, pleased to stand with you as we gather for our 86th winter meeting. Despite a chaotic and confusing year in washington, d. C. Even today, americas cities remain the driving force in the American Economy and our countrys future. Lets make no mistake, the Economic Growth of the last decade driven by the hard working men and women of the main street of our cities. Not by tax cuts handed out with no thought in washington, d. C. It is clear to me that america will only be strong if working and middle class families have an opportunity for a better life for a secure future and for freedom. Last january, that i know seeps like a very long time ago we were uncertain what the transition would bring, but we knew that the Incoming Administration would look and feel unlike anything we have not experienced in the past and today we realize that this was surely an under statement. While we knew we were facing an administration that put a target on the cities, we committed to rise above the partisan ship in washington, d. C. , so mayors i want to thank you for your service. You have shown up every time we have called. And you know and i know and the country knows we have had an impact. Our agenda remains the guiding sets of principles for our cities. A model for Bipartisan Policy Solutions for this country and you put our agenda into action. There was not a better organized thoughtful voice fighting to protect the Affordable Care act than our mayors this summer. Our visits had an impact on the voets last july. The low Income Housing and his stor i can tax credits and to fully eliminate the local and state deduction. Protecting Municipal Bonds and private activity bonds and yet, Congress Continues to push Unfunded Mandates and more responsibility with no additional funding down to the ground to city this is is a fools error and it should stop. The mayors are called upon to make this new policy work. We have to balance our budgets, sliv deliver services and put our people back to work. You have carried the voices of our citizens when it mattered most. As bigotry, hatred throughout this country our community of mayors organized our compact against hate. Over 300 signed onto the compact to reject division and to stand for justice. And as every week and every tweet goes by it is clear that we need to remain vigilant in the face of discrimination. We need to be a voice. We have to continue to show that mayors can actually unite our country and mayors you know this because you do it everyday, you can lead the way. While the administration leaves the future of dreamers in the balance, Congress Needs to find a solution to protect those whos only real home their entire lives has been america. And when we win that fight we go further tore urge congress to put together a plan for immigration reform. Everyone here would agrees. We can get a deal done if we put five republicans and five mayors in a room. Talk is cheap, the time is now and theres no reason for washington to kick the can on this issue down the road any longer. When it comes to Climate Change and resilience, mayors have organized nationally and internationally to do what we can to protect our homes and planet. We believe in science. Climate change is not a dirty word in city halls. We see everyday the risk to our cities and we can not afford to ignore it. When violent and tragic storms devastated the gulf course, florida and puerto rico, mayors on the ground leading the response and recovery. Some of the mayors here today, houston, gal va stan, port author, puerto rico, impacted by har vi and irma, please know this conference will be with you throughout your entire recovery and our friends in california who grapple with mudslides and wildfires, we stand to assist you through anyway we can. With new partnerships, mayors are now more than every an example to a country of a diverse and Broad Coalition that can realize americas future in the city. Mayors spoke with bipartisan unity and pragmatic clarity. Washington should try that. I said to you in miami, our job is not to resist t. Is to lead and engage and i am proud to report that you have done just that. So let me take a moment to share my thoughts about where we are headed in 2018. As we gather for our annual meeting in broke outs, were going to cover the top challenges of the day. Talking about Public Safety and homeland security, infrastructure, resilience, sustainability, economic equity, workforce, job growth, opioid addiction, Public Health and issues for people that we represent and for our country as a whole. We have to prepare to both steer and row, the challenge remains the same. How are we going to unite our communities and make the lives of the people we represent better . Like in 2018, it has to start with infrastructure, this is our best chance to reframe the debate. To grow the economy and to provide our people with a shot at a better future. You cant rebuild roads, bridges airports, housing without the mayors of america. Thats what we do on time, on task and under budget. Its now been over 14 months since President Trump Election Night when he made a promise to rebuild americas infrastructure and the lives of american citizen asks we have to hold him and congress to that prompt. Here is what president elect trump said in that speech. Were going to fix our inner cities, our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports and hospitals. He said we will put millions of our people to work as we rebuild. As he prompts a trillion dollar in infrastructure projects, the president correctly identified the problem. There is nobody in america who disputes the 4. 6 trillion backlog we have that we need to rebuild our country. Identifying the problem without a proposal proposing a real solution is no solution at all. If reports are correct that the president s plan would devote a small fraction of the funding we need to rebuild america, he is committing our country to further erosion and decay instead of fulfilling promises. The good news, our good news is that the mayors are already doing their part. Look across the country for proof p. Imagine a line that becomes a circle which goes from coast to coast from top to bottom. Boston to bolder, ash ton to houston, low to little rock. Santa fe to syracuse and sacramento, we are the ones setting it up to rebuild america. Passed, a 120 billion proposition for roads and mass transit over half of what the president is proposing for the entire nation. In san diego, working hard to expand his port. Mike hancocks city supporting over 460 Capital Infrastructure projects over 10 years. Nashville upgrading the street grid to reduce congestion. In our nation the mayor is working on the infrastatute academy as the key part to increase African American employment. To our workforce and economy, engineers, welders, electricians, pipe fitters, painter ands architects are built when we invest in our cities and connect them to our brothers and sisters in rural areas. Here are some of the realities and facts we should live by. Metropolitan popgs will grow by 24 over the next 30 years placing strain on the already distressed infrastructure. 65 of americas roads are in less condition. 25 of the bridges require significant repair. Were talking about here is where we are linked to our leaders in washington. We will not rebuild this country infrastructure unless cities lead the way. But we also understand that for the country to reach its potential mayors must have a true partner in washington, d. C. The conference tra represents over 1,400 cities across america, lets launch our effort to the rebuild america. This is our opportunity to prove that we have capacities to do big things in this country. Lets offer our promise and if Congress Works with mayors not against it well make sure every dollar for infrastructure creates a cycle that will put people back to work lifting up those who are left out of the economy. There was a time when investing in the nations infrastructure was a top priority for both Political Parties in the nation. Just think for a minute about the Great Projects done by franklin roes velt through wpa. 39,370 schools built, improved and renovated. 2,550 hospitals, 1,050 airports. 1,000 tunnels dug, 639,000 miles roads works and 1 million miles of sidewalks, curbs and street lighting. If that is noot good enough, 1956, dedicated 26 billion for a new 41,000 mile interstate highway system. These investment systems changed the way that we live. Ladies and gentlemen, we can not be strong abroad if we are not strong at home. Now is the time to invest at home. So mr. President , with the greatest respect that i can muster, and the members of congress, the mayors of america are not interested in you telling us what you cannot do. We are here to tell you what you must do if you want to put americans back to work, to give america her competitive advantage to honor your promises to rebuild our country, and put america in a position to win. In other words, on infrastructure our message is really simple, go big or go home. [ applause ] lastly, i want to discuss how the labels we place on each other drives us apart and makes harder for us to Work Together and get anything done. We talk about people as categories, educator, the elite and establishment, instead of poor, working clas, immigrants. Urban versus rural, old versus young. As leaders it is our duty to put aside the labels and take time to understand those who come from different backgrounds, places and cultures. We need to see and hear each other better in this country. We are so much more than the rhetoric that we spout today, our religion, race, geography and gender. Makes our country stronger. American cities are full of honest, decent working people that share the same dreams and hopes for their families and communities. They are parents, police officers, teachers, Small Business owners, employees, factory workers, healthcare providers,s truck drives, construction workers, laborers and millions of working families who are looking to our elected officials to stay focus on their priorities to secure their future and freedom. I can think of no greater way to get this country through partisan paralysis than for mayors to assume the challenge of laelding the infrastructure debate necessary today in this country. With one voice, a bipartisan and pragmatic voice americas mayors will lead alongside the federal partners or in spite of them. Mayors were looking forward to visiting later today. And talking about the issues that are so important to all of us. And well continue to push forward as americans stand and you happen counted. Later today we will have a recession dealing with the issue of the day, relating to women in the United States of america and the mayors womens conference will lead that effort for us, elizabeth thank you and all of the other mayors. We look forward to enganling as well. Unfortunately the Trump Administration that happened at 12 00 to threaten mayors and immigration the process made a meeting at the white house unattendable for some of us. The mayors thank you. The u. S. Conference of mayors have proud to be a Bipartisan Organization but an attack on mayors who lead welcoming cities is an attack on everyone in our conference and an attack on the United States of america. And when the president when the president is prepared to engage in an honest conversation about the future, we will be honored to join him. Until that time, mayors of both parties will Work Together to keep our cities safe and hold this administration accountable, protect immigrant communities and everyone else with or without washingtons help. I wish to be clear about that and i wish to be clear about this. We will not be intimidated and we will not be divided. These times may be confusing, they may be chaotic and frus traiting, but this is the environment where leaders are called to act. Political stress caused by economic inequity on both margins may rule washington. I think we can win by addition and multiplication, too often is winning the day in america. Im confident that you will continue to define what is great about america and set the example for what it meanings to be a Public Servant and what Public Service means. As i stand before you today i look forward to 2018. This is our year to lead. It is our time to get it right. And let me end with this, to those individuals who cannot find a way to make it work, what you burn down we will rebuild. What you seek to divide we will seek to unite. What you break, we will fix. Because at the end of the day and the beginning of everyday that is what mayors do. So mayors of america all of the partners, american citizens, we are going to get back to work healing our hurting nation. Thank you so very much. [ applause ] are we adjourned . Are we going all right. I just adjourned that meeting and we started another one. We are running a bit behind. Im proud to begin our conference this year with an important discussion on equity and civil rights and im honored that the panel guest coming with us today have honored us with their presence. Early last year as i began to think about what accomplished as the president of this conference my friend and could rememberer conference president and mayor of new orleans pushed me me to consider a role that mayors have played in civil rights throughout history. As we have seen in too many of our communities, hate and bigotry that seeks to divide our people exists. So it remains our responsibility to be vocal and lead on these issues. And in october we convened a group of organizations a conversation on equity and civil rights, mayor de blasio hosted us, that conversation continued here in a session we had this morning our civil rights leaders and business organizations. Working together with mark in the national you league we have an opportunity to engage the common con stitch we knows around equity, stalled mobility and barriers that hold too many people back in too many communities. So id like to introduce the moderator for our discussion, michelle. She is an attorney that works at the intersection of policy, and media. Receiving as Vice President for the center of american progress. She has a background in Public Service and appears in print and television and media outlets, thank you for leading us in this important conversation. Michelle and conference members, come on up. Mark, mr. Mayor, Michelle Ebanks from essence magazine and hancock from the city of denver colorado. Please welcome them. So in the spirit of bipartisan ship i wanted to give you a little bit of red and blue today so thats how well start off the conversation. It is always an honor and a privilege to be with you. I come from a family of Civil Servants and elected officials spending time both locally and here in washington, d. C. And so i always appreciate the great sacrifice that you make as Public Servants. Many kudos to your staffers that help you to get you here on time because we know that is as equally as important. Im excited to kick off this conversation because as were thinking about these terms, equity, inclusion, an economic mobility for all. What does that really mean in a conversation kicking off today . In quite divided moments here in washington and across the country, how are our leaders really engaging . So im going to start off with you mark, as a former mayor. In the 1960s when the Civil Rights Era was under way, many people moved out of cities into the suburbs and in present day america were seeing a reversible of that. Many people moving back into the city us. But as we begun this conversation, there is something happening when were talking about racial and economic inequality. And i wonder as we think about the power in this room, what does the collective force of the mayors in the room and the sponsors participating, what does it mean to look at those issues of racial and economic inequality. Ill start with you mark and mayor hancock. Thank you michelle and aults greetings to the conference of mayors and great pride on behalf of the urban league and a former president of the Conference Im glad to be here. Here are a few points. Yes, people moved from cities, many move from the cities to suburb s in the 60s and 1970s. Civil rights and school integration, exploited by politicians to move people to the suburbs. Public policies like the creation of the interstate system. Accentuated that move. But now, if you will, 50 years later, 40 to 50 years later what we have is and this is an important point testing. We have, thank you. Start over. We have the urbanization of the suburbs. The suburbs are no longer the old suburbs. The suburbs have urban challenges. Witness Prince Georges County which is the suburbs of washington. The suburbs of chicago, jefferson, new orleans. The ring around atlanta. And what do i mean urban issues . They have school overcrowding, more diverse population, aging infrastructure and they have the problems that they quote, unquote believed that they were running away from. And within that provides an opportunity. That opportunity is for a Stronger Political coalition around infrastructure and around equity issues, because what it demonstrates is that you cant avoid, run away from the challenges, and you have to confront them indeed head on in a direct wayle. People are moving back to americas urban communities, and i i think that everyone can celebrate that, but within that, we have new challenges that are raised. The challenges of removal and gentrification, and the challenges of spikes in housing values which has a good side to it, because it inkrecreases thex receipts and sometimes, but there is a tough side to it in that it prices many people out of neighborhoods that they have a historic relationship with. It is not an easy issue for mayor s mayors to deal with. It is not an easy issue for the communities to deal with, but i think that we need to have a vision of the city as a place for everyone, and city should have an approach to equitable growth and Equitable Development and mayors have to Pay Attention to how they spend their operating budget and how they r Capital Budgets and where they place the economic incentives and if they are broadly available to all neighborhoods and communities in the city, the mayor can drive that. And we also heard mayor landrieu in a compelling way. The mayor can also articulate the vision of us and we versus i and them and division and subtraction and replace it with multiplication and addition. So that is just a few initial thoughts that i have. Mayor hancock. I thank you, michelle. I also want to once again applaud mayor landrieu for the powerful words this afternoon, because i believe that he is reflecting the conversations that we had in october and again today with marc morial and mayor landrieu, and discussing inequality and inclusion. Two things they want to say about this, mayor, and freudian slip, and former National Leader marc morial hit it out of the park, the issues around inclusion and ini quality ought not be a program, but a value. Values that every mayor no matter the city they live in must consider when making policy decisions. First and foremost. So i think that sometimes we forget that, and i have to admit that as i was bringing the city out of the recession and return it to economic stability, toez are values that we should never forget but yet, we did. For example, what impact do certain Development Decisions that mark pointed out have on min minority communities or communities that are struggling along the economic margins, and communities perennially overlooked or neglected. If we go to improve the infrastructure and the rec centers and the parks, and those have not only great, and great amenities, but implications that we must measure the implications in terms of now we are working to improve the neighborhoods, and what does it mean in terms of the desirability of the people wanting to move into the neighborhoods, and ultimately prices rising and people priced out. We have seen it in denver, colorado, and across the country, and it is called degentrification, and involuntary displacement and whatever it s it is a sticks and stones that hurts the vulnerable populati populations, and so as mayors, we have to be ready to counteract those impacts. The second thing that i will share with this is lets not get lulled into the either or. I had to audacity to believe that we could improve and overlook perennially neglected neighborhoods and securing peoples place in the neighborhoods. We have to fight like hell as city councilmembers and and mayors to protect the budgets to do that. We are doing nit in denver and under the values of quality inclusion, we have to make shur that people are not subtracted and divided out, because we are trying to prove that neighborhoods, and it does not have to be either or. Michelle, i want to turn to you, and first off, wish you congratulations and in the audience may be aware that Essence Communications which you are the president of has now returned to being 100 black owned. When you are thinking of the collective buying power of the Africanamerican Community somewhere over 1. 5 trillion and black women central to that, and we are thinking about as later on womens leadership. This is a special time for black womens leadership many this u country with mayors, and new mayors in atlanta and new orleans, in baltimore and washington, d. C. I wonder how you are writing and reading and how your consumers of essence are really looking at this moment and what are opportunities for the mayors in the room . Michelle, thank you very much. I am so honored. Honored to be here at this conference and so, especially here with, you know, these two mayors, and when i think about essence and, yes, it was an exciting moment when essence returned from, you know, our 12 years of being public company. And now sh, back to being independently owned and it was trending, taand thep top trendi topic on the announcement day in social media, and there were over within the first five days 7 billion impressions. So the community of women, black women and women of color were over the moon. And ta for ust at essence it showed the excitement of action that we are going to take the ownership position and change in our communities, and not waitt for something to happen or wait for someone to do something for us. And the equity discussion here and inclusion is critical. I am proud of the work with the Essence Festival in new orleans with then found iing mayor marc morial took this what was an idea to celebrate the 25th anniversary of essence and make it an annual event that became the largest event in the country attracting 500,000 people. And then, when we faced our, you know, the real point of decision with the tragedy of hurricane a katri katrina, mayor landrieu rebuilt the festival in new orleans and now it drives 250 million annually. That is economic empowerment. It is a great time, but it is an opportunity to ohave a discussion with women and families about how they can be included in the growth within the community and be economically empowered. So that is a it san opportunity for us to now to show how women can win and how families can win, and we are doing it in new orleans, but we want to do it all over this country. Women of color, the fastest color of entrepreneurs have the highest rate of labor parti participation, and vote at the highest levels and want to do more and earn more and are ready to lead. So i will be here after the conference, because i want to talk to every mayor in here, because we have at l t lolot th need to accomplish. Javier, i want you to jump in here as the president of the u. S. Hispanic chamber, and how are we making sure that the focus and the needs of the Hispanic Community remain paramount in these conversations . Well sh, first of all, thanku for having me, michelle. I want to thank mayor landrieu, of course, for having me and my adviser and counselor to so many of us mayor more yial and i wou like to add a couple of statists to michelle. One, they are proportionately underrepresented atop boards even toe they are the top pickup to pampers and remain less than 20 of corporate boards and we have to change that. And essence will lead the way. Secondly are, women of color earn on average 55 cents to every dollar that their white counterparts earn hings in the workplace and so i did not want to miss the opportunity to say that and that essence will lead the way. And today, the Fastest Growing form of entrepreneurship is hispanic, and we are starting up the businesses of three to one when compared to the general market, and when we looked at being part of the movement and this conversation, i looked at who was leading the charge. I was thrilled to be a part of it. I am one voice of many. My partners from the u. S. Black chamber an ron busby and the national gay and Lesbian Chamber commerce and the u. S. Pan Asian Chamber of commerce are here and interested and engaged as i am. We are excited about being a part of this because of the way it is looked at. Mayors in our opinion are municipal ceos, and the mayor just like a ceo has a huge budget, has a huge staff, and is the chief marketing guide or woman that is the chief hr person, and the chief strategist. But unlike corporate ceos, they dont have the private jet and they dont have the golden umbrellas, and the Stock Options and they dont have the amazing salaries. He heres another thing that makes them different from corporate ceos, that the municipal ceo said another way that the mayor has to worry about things from weather to strikes to trash pickup and even the potholes. Everything lands on the mayors desk and little rally the future depends on the breadth of all of those accountabilities. So we have Great Respect for municipal ceos and mayors, because we know that anything that comes out of this town in terms of legislation or regulatory issues lives or dies, and it is successful or not when it lands on the desk of the mayor. It is the mayor who ultimately executes on the policy whether sit is a good one or the bad on. And the mayor landrieus point, it is not really about complaining, because as the may mayor, you dont have the luxury. The only option is to lead. And the people in this room, the mayor mayors in this room, we are thrilled to be a part of this. We are excited about the way they are looking at the work and it encompasses everything from bigotry, access to education, k access to capital all of the way to appreciation for the critical importance of the american Small Business. These mayors recognize that when you are looking at their populations, and their urban centers and looking at american Small Business, more often than not that business is creating 2 3 of all new jobs in that community, and more often than not that person is owned by a person who identifies as hispanic, africanamerican, gay the above. So it is going to be a critical ti of those that makes my cohorts and partners in Small Business proud and happy to be here. Thank you again for having us. Thank you. Mayor landrieu, we are having a conversation about inclusion. But i think that a lot of people dont actually know what that means or what that means for them in their position. Right . Id love to do a quick speed round and starting with you what does inclusion for mayors or what does inclusion for you look like on today . Well, you know, it is interesting, because javier talked about the mayors being ceos and marc remembers this when he was may r your, but i have a billion dollar budget in operations and every day signing contracts and signing contracts for housing infrastructure and if you dont ask the question to department heads, well, is everybody included . Did you cast the net far and wide . Do people know that they have have an opportunity to compete, and you know, after that happ happens, when it is all going to come out in the wash, did everybody get a fair shot of equity, then you are not driving the business or the government towards inclusion essentially. On the issue that michelle talked about to get way in the weed weeds in this. I was lieutenant government when we met and i was in charge of tour i tourism for the state of louisiana. There was a budget that the department a had to insent certain entities to jgenerate tourism, and jobs et cetera, and when the issue of essence came up a and the mayor knows this because he was there, and baton rouge treats new orleans Like Washington treats the mayor of washingt america. So the question was, why are we taking our Development Economic money to put it on the africanamerican festival in new orleans and what is that going to yield. I said, you dont understand, and despite that they dee sserv the same opportunity that everybody else serves, and the power kit turn into. And those wanting to generate economic value out of culture, and essence went from one Music Festival on one stage and to an event of 300,000 to 500,000 and a massive economic engine that is producing jobs an income and creates the space and that is why they call it a party with the purpose to have lots of discussions during the day before you go that night to hear the best entertainment that the world has to offer and put a lot of people to work on the issues of the day. If someone was not asking the question way up here who is doling out the money, right, is everybody included, and once you have finished making sure that everybody is included and have a chance, do people have a chance to participate in the equity which is not the same as equality, then you wont get to the thing, because it is not intentional or purposeful. So you to through the nuts and the bolts of the resources that you have make sure that people have a chance, because mike, as you have noted, time and time again when that occurs and the people are give nb a chance to compete, you know who shows up . Everybody. Everybody. You know who wins . Everybody. So if there is a system that is somewhat quote, unquote rigged and you notice that the rising tide and think the tax cut, and does not lift all boat, think the reality, then you have to understand that you to redirect and refocus and you cant do it unless you ask the question, does this include everybody, and does everybody have a fair shot. Let me just add to that, because i agree fully, and i they mayor Mitch Landrieu gave an excellent explanation of chair to chair of what you think about it. I would encourage these types of thoughts. One of the first thing, and this is many years ago that i did when i was elected mayor is that i mapped out the ecg spending and mapping. I wanted to know where the neighborhoods the money was spent in and categorized the organizations to whom the money went and found that it was a lopsided approach. I analyze and i put together a complete physical cap grid of all of the Capital Expenditures and color coded by neighbors so i could visual ly see where we were spending the capital dollars, and what i found is that baked into the system, run by the bureaucrats in the City Government is that there were inequities that were systemic, and if i did not interrupt the way in which we approached the Community Development block grant money, the same people would get the same money on the ongoing basis. If i did not interrupt the way that the Capital Budget was undertaken, then in fact, the same people would get the money. And in the same neighborhoods would continue to get the investments and other neighborhoods would get left out. We had a very aggressive program, a thnd this is a small and maybe a small thing to plant flowers and trees. I wanted to look at it mapped out, and people said, you are just being nitpicky, and i want to see are where we can spend the money so i can ensure that neighborhoods who are locked out and left out and people who are bureaucrats can see what i thought. And that is see what you see, and see what i see and look at the map in which you are spen g spending the money is not equitable, and you are simply doing things the way that they have been done. So sitting in the chair a mayor can impact things in a significant way. And when you are looking at where you are giving out the tax abatements and the projects and the program, and you have Loan Guarantee program, and where are the projects and the programs, and one of the things that i found out about minority Business Owners, javier and ron, is that minority Business Owners were not even aware of many of the opportunities that existed with the city. Right. Because it was a closed little club of people meeting for lunch, and sharing information and keeping it close and it was never ever understood until we put transparency and light on it. So these are the practical thing, but i really believe that at this point in time the most, one of the most important thing ths that mayors can do about the equity is that you to preach it. You have to teach it. You have to lead it. You have to lead it by example and talk to people why a city that is inclusive strong as a buyer. And keep the line going to michelle with inclusion. Well, inclusion, i can say that without any doubt in my mind that essence today and you know, global, you know, glowing multi platform would not exist if these two mayors did not prak are tis practice inclusion, it would not exist, because that festival has allowed us to thrive through the secular changes in media. That is inclusion. And when i think about the impact of working with mayors and ceos who understand inclusion, theres a piece of Carnegie Research that just struck me. Because it is Carnegie Research that talks about what are the steps to improve any situation, right . And there were six steps. And the first step was whats the issue from that users perspective, right. Not from everyone one problem, but for everyone to be included, those segments the if it is not working, what is the issue from their perspective and then it is not what works, one solution, it is what works for whom and then how is that solution going to be developed and how is that scaled . That to me is inclusion, taking the time to understand what works for whom and how do you scale it . Because there is not one solution and not everything is going to work for everyone. Women of color, and women, when you are thinking of women of color, yes, 67 single head of household. Twice that of nonhispanic caucasian women. And so what works por this commu works for this community of women is different, and it takes that focus and inclusion can have extraordinary benefits, but it takes that change to know what works for whom. When i think of inclusion at least at the moment, i would say to everybody in the room, quit looking at the iphone for a moment, and look to right, and the other right, and then the left, and that is in essence is inclusion. If you are thinking of the conference of mayors, im looking at you right now, and i see women, and i see asian, and i see africanamerican, and young and old and larger populations, urban populations and look at the panel. There is a brother running denver. I mean. I think it is also illustrative of the changing face of america. I speak to a lot of audiences and mostly business and like 90 of the business audiences, if this is an audience of corporate ceos, not municipal ceos, but this crowd would be vastly different, and predominantly white and predominantly male. But that is not what i am seeing right here right now, so i would say that the conference of mayors is a living illustration of inclusion. Id say, keep it up. You guys are doing a good job. Great. I agree with everything that has been said here. We use a term Disruptive Technologies and disruptive industries. And so inequality is disruptive, because it causes to us slow down and ask the panelists have said, who is missing and not inclued in the conversation, but we must also dig deeper to the heart of what marc pointed out, what are the barriers to their inclusion. Do they not have the information . That is one very important piece that we have to remember, and we have to acknowledge those barriers, because there is a history of exclusiveness if you will for the resources, an even ourresources, and so if we are black, white, latino or native american, we must ask the question. The first time marc brought the question of the cmc, and i said, what is this reason . Because we have always done it this way. Well, nott after this year. Because we will do it a different way, and we are going to lift up vulnerable communities and take the resources to where the people need them. And first point is to acknowledge the barriers to why people are not included and sometimes they not even aware of the opportunities. Secondly, i want to share with you, really, if this is truly a v value of us of ours as a city, and as mayor, i am driving this, then the people that we are doing business w i expect to have the values as well. Let me tell you how disruptive we have been in denver. On the new mbwe policy, i wanted to insert and we got it successfully inserted into the policy asking the private sector, before you do business with the city, i want to the know what your diversity an inclusion plan is. Many of the generals are willing to partner with the minority and womenowned subs when it is coming from the public money, but not private projects, so now, before you bid on the city project, you have to annually file a diverse inclusion policy with us, and so we see who has the same values as us. That is ground breaking, because we want you to share the values of the city. And also, it makes business sen sense. If i have strong women and minority businesses in the city, Small Businesses in particular, then we have a deeper bench, and we are able to withstand the volatility of the economy. Big business gets that, and they have to understand that the Small Business sector is important of strengthening the local community, so i sell and not to do much selling, but this is how we do business, we have 5 billion of cascade of opportunities rolling through the city today, and before we issue one rfp we said that business as usual is over. People will participate and we will make sure that through this, we will lift up the small and minority and womenowned businesses through the opportunities, and you have to lead that as a mayor and i dont care the color of you, if you believe in the strength of the economy and there for all people, you will make that statement. So for the last question, we know that there may be some concerns about who our federal government partner is in, but we know that he reads social media and particularly twitter. So if you have the opportunity to either send a tweet or a Facebook Post to our federal government partners about this session in particular, what would you say . Mayor landrieu said it earlier, but yeah, yeah. And united dont divide. An opportunity to engage. Marc, you said it to start it off. Why dont you make America Great for everyone. And not just great, but great for everyone. I think that you need the microphone. And maybe it going to be maybe not captured in twitter. Facebook then. And facebook, well, if we had facebook, we would have a little bit more space. I think that the long arc of history demonstrates that bringing people together, president s that have appealed to the business interests of people. President s who have a vision for america that is inclusive are president s that succeed, are president s well recognized in history. I often wonder, because we are all mayors or leaders, and those the of us in the civil rights base, we have to play a leadership role. There is a lot of friction, and it is hardball, it is difficult, but i often wonder what motivates people to not understand the great forces that u nite people, and the great progress of bringing people together. Bringing people together does not mean unanimity and it does not mean unanimous consent on Public Policy or on position, but what it really does mean, it means that you are working and trying to the best of your ability, and you do it not only in words, but you do it in deeds. I would convey that, because sometimes my heart is torn and heavy by what i see and feel, because i ask, is this our nation. Is this the nation that we know and that we love . I could not convey anything other than lets make America Great for everyone. That is different than the vision he has conveyed. [ laughter ] i said my peace. I would just say that we will vote in november. You know, i would say that first of all, if you are reading this on twitter, put that damn thing down, because that is what got us here in the first place. I have had the opportunity to meet with the president , and weve collaborated where we could and needed to as a Business Association with this administration. I have to say that there are some good people around him. But my message to him would be something close to what i had the pleasure and the honor of being asked to speak at Ebenezer Baptist church to commemorate Martin Luther kings 50th, and celebrating the life and legacy of dr. King. And it struck me at that moment, you know, that our nation is we are at a transit point, and fighting for the very soul of our nation. And he was called upon to lead, and to mayor morials point to lead all of us, we are all americans, and this language of the divisiveness that seeks to really deconstruct has been so bad for our nation at a time when frankly we need leadership. I would continue to urge him as i have been doing to step up to this moment. To live up to the legacy that was handed to him by those that know how to lead. And that our entire nation, and even those of us who were dead set against him would line up if he would do that and lead this nation in the fashion that is commensurate to p being the leader of the greatest country in the world. That is what i would say. Beingr of the greatest country in the world. That is what i would say. I will preface this by saying that my College Thesis is on the executive office of the presidency, so i have a tremendous affinity for the office and the influence of the office and how americans viewed prior to this president the office of the president. Whether it was a president that you did support or not. I will never forget when Ronald Reagan in the last term and last year in office came to my college. We were just as enthusiastic to see Ronald Reagan as we would because he was the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world. And so, i just preface it with tremendous respect for the office, and i would simply say that donald trump has irreparably changed the image of the president of this country. All over the world. And for that and as americans we ought to be absolutely embarrassed by that. And so if i a hhad a chance to tweet him, i would say what i said at the Martin Luther king luncheon, mr. President , either you honor all people who want to live in the nation, native or foreign or you need to leave the white house. We want to thank the pammists, michael, javier, michelle, mitch and marc, thank you so much. All right. Thank you. Before you leave, we have one more speaker e before you go. And you are going to want to hear him, because last but not least, mayor emanuel who is leading one of the great cities of america is here with us. In the two terms he has implemented growth and jobs to the neighborhoods of chicago. Like all of us he wants more opportunities and a passionate advocate for children and he wants to address us on the issue of oquality schools, not only as an education issue, but economic issue as well. He is leading us, and will will continue to do so. Please, help me welcome the great rahm emanuel from the sciy of chicago. I am going to be quick, because i know that it has been a great panel and other people have calls and all of us. And look, we are living in a period of time when you earn what you learn. I dont know everybody in the room, but i guarantee you that we have two things in common, the love of our parents and good education. We cant do something about one, but we can do something about t two. We have decided in chicago going from the kindergarten to high school to prek to college mo l model. The Graduation Rate has grown from 56 to 78 last year, and on track for 85 , and by 2019 to getting the walking papers, and we will help you, every child has to have a letter from the colleges or the junior colleges or the armed forces, and you will have are a Post High School plan. You cannot succeed, and we have to help you the plan for that. And we have established in chicago, the chicago star program, and if you have a b average, you can get free college. The dream er s cs can get it. You want to make sure they can see the world and be part of the world they see around and the last piece, we went to the universal full day kindergarten and on the way to universal prek, because the education and the success in the 21st century requires starting earlier in life and going longer in life when it comes to education. Now sh now, i would say that i dont, whether a child is from rose lynn on the south side or ravenswood on the south side, and wildwood on the north or lawnwood on the south side, when they see the reflection of the buildings of the Central Business district, they can see the image of ochicago back to itself. If they think that city has their future, nothing will hold us back. P they think that it is a separate city, we will never get to where we have to go. And if we are making sure that every child knows through education that they have the seeds and the foundation for success, then i would say to london, onew york, berlin and beijing, watch out, chicago is coming for you. And the key to inclusive Economic Growth is the one thing that is a passport for all of us that sit in the room, the education that we had. And we have to make sure that every child not when they get out offal school, and not when they graduate high school, but all of the sudden at 20 figures it out, but they have a plan. They have a plan and more likely to execute it. Today by 2019, more kids will graduate with College Plans under their belt. While i am for housing and transportation and it has to be comprehensive and having a uniis ver sal plan to where every child knows they have a Post High School, because that is the bare minimum of what the economy requires ensures that every one of the kids in the city of chicago cannot be excited when a new Company Moves in, but they can be excited because they can get a job there. Thank you. [ applause ] rahm, thank you so much. Guy, thank you for sticking with us. We have a break now, and we will be back in the room for the Plenary Session scheduled. Thank you so much. On thursday, former secretaries of state henry kising jer and George Schultz and former deputy secretary of state richard arm tej will be testifying on National Security strategy. You can watch it live at 10 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan. And friday, President Trump addressing the World Economic forum in davos, switzerland, and he is going to be the first sitting president to address the forum since president clinton. It begins 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan 2. American history tv on cspan3. This week in primetime. Tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern, historians attending the American Historical Association conference looking at how American Veterans are being remembered, honor and memorialized since world war ii. Thursday night at 7 00 p. M. Eastern, we are live from the museum in washington, d. C. , with the discussion on the 1968 vietnam war tet offensive and the battle of wae. And then lincoln scholars will have a panel on abraham lincolns friends and enemies. Watch American History tv this week in prime time on cspan3. The cspan bus is traveling across the country on the 50 capitals tour. We recently stopped in raw willwill raleigh, North Carolina, asking ofolks what is the most important issue in the state. I think that the the most important issue in the state here of North Carolina is that we are implementing what we say in the constitution about education. We say in article 9 of the constitution we will provide equal opportunities for all of our students here in North Carolina. So i would like to see that we continue to value ek with i ti and provide for the Educational Opportunities for all students here and fund that as well. Not just say it and give the lip service to it, but to actually fund it. One of the most important issues facing our state right now are the issues of court system, and the control of the court system, and legislators are working on ways to revamp the court system and some want to take judges out of the hands of the voters. And i think it is important for the people to elect the judges and that the court system is one for the people run by the people. Probably the most significant issue for meduced this past yea which i believe affect and denigrate the independence of the North Carolina judiciary as an independent branch of government. Bills have been introduced to make judicial elections part san, but i dont see anything that part sanship has in common with what we think of judges. Fair, impartial, independent. I would say that right now sh, it would be the gerrymandering case. Currently, you have republicans controlling the generals assemby in the North Carolina legislation, and they are drawing out maps that are gerrymandering and current ly a the Supreme Court, they are having a case, and they are trying to see if these maps drawn by the republicans are actu actually gerrymandered or drawn to actually fit the population of people, and currently, they are going to go to the Supreme Court case to see if the maps were jerry magerrymandered or d legally r or illegally and so that is like a big case right now. Voices from the states on cspan. The u. S. Election Assistance Commission hosted a summit with state and local officials focusing on a range of election system issues. This pti