[no audio] good afternoon and welcome to the 86th winter meeting of the mayors. I am the mayor of the great city of new orleans. [applause] start, we can start on a moment of levity. The mayor of vancouver is here. She wants us to note that today st birthday of vancouver. Birthday madam mayor. [applause] honor to introduce Steve Benjamin of south carolina. Second Vice President of rochester hill. Director tom cochrane. We also have with us in the audience, our past president. Elizabeth of burnsville. Several formal mayors who have served in the leadership in the audience today. There are many newly elected mayors who are with us for the first time. New mayors, can you stand up . [applause] thank you. We look forward to it. For those mayors who are joining us in washington dc, welcome to our meeting and thank you all for being here. I am going to introduce our speakers as we move through the agenda. This is all available at u. S. Mayors. Org. For those of you on facebook, twitter, or instagram, use the uscmwinter18. We also invite you to download iphone,available for ipad, and android devices. Our updated at has the winter meeting agenda, a list of mayors, less other features. Atures. Other fe thank you all. Can you give them a round of applause . [applause] i also would like to take a moment to recognize our sponsor. Give them a round of applause if you do not mind. [applause] mastercarde to thank and invite their representatives to come and speak to us for a moment. He oversees the companys customer facing activities in the United States and canada including sales, business obama strategy, and relationship management. He sits on the Companys Management Committee after a decade of working for mastercard in the asiapacific region. [applause] thank you for that introduction. Thank you all for that opportunity to speak with you for a few minutes this afternoon. I am especially pleased to speak to this group. Leaders here are representing cities from various parts of the globe on both sides. Cities that represent begins of opportunity, centers of diversity, centers of education, culture, arts, entertainment, science, commerce. These are very important to the fabric of our society. We are pleased to be able to lenges. Those chal changes in technology, changes emographics,lls, d things that many of you are grappling with in your own communities. Mastercard is happy and proud to be a private sector partner that in as manyways ways as we can to help ensure that our cities continue to be the vibrant centers that they are. Mastercard, i hope many of you have mastercards in your wallet or in your purse. Despite the fact that many people carry our cards, a lot of people are not entirely sure what mastercard is. We are a Technology Company that has global scale and reach that , electronicayments payments, as the core application of our technology. To give a measure of the scale of our business, we have about 2 billion of those across the globe. We will process about 60 billion transaction this year through our center in st. Louis. Those transactions will represent about 5 trillion in value that is being exchanged. Of an iin the blink from anywhere around the globe. Those are big numbers. What we are really excited about is the impact that that kind of scale and reach helps deliver to society in terms of having value. To give you an indication of having some of those things, we estimate that Electronic Payments in general, over the the 10 years, have added on order of 40 billion in gdb growth in the United States and created more than 6 billion permanent jobs. How does that happen . Through the benefits that Electronic Payments provide. In addition to that, we are also a company that is committed to extending the benefits of that economic power to as many people as possible. We often say, Electronic Payments is one of the networks that powers the modern economy. 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 the globe, into the modern financial economy by connecting them to Electronic Payments. Since announcing that about four years ago, we have artie already brought over 3 Million People into the Financial System by including them into the electronic payment system. That has taken on different shades of flavors and different developing markets, like here in , it hased states contributed to social benefits. Individuals who would otherwise be regulated to receiving those payments by check and dealing with Check Cashing agencies. Those programs have been very successful and impactful. It is a good start and we know that others a lot more to do. In part, that is what i would like to talk to you about this afternoon. Over the course of the last year or so, we spent a good amount of time in a number of cities across the country meeting with government officials and civic leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, nonprofit organizations, to understand in more detail, what the challenges are that these cities face. There were few in particular that seemed like areas that we can help. We heard repeatedly about the challenges of gig economy workers becoming increasingly prevalent in society. Earning their living through piecemeal work like uber, left, airbnb. These people face unique challenges in managing their finances. I would summarize it as an unreliable income stream. We heard a lot about people facing challenges try to start businesses. N particular, entrepreneurs we heard from governments that are challenged to keep up with innovation. Therefore, we have synthesized that into a plan of action that i am pleased to announce today that we call the inclusive future project. That really centers on three things. One, is leveraging digital solutions. Second, enabling third, fostering smart cities. Again, leveraging technology to leverage cities. We are obviously very invested in digital commerce. We do a lot with organizations like hoover and uber and lyf t. If you are a driver for one of those organizations, you can get paid multiple times a day so you can match your income stream. As you are buying gas and paying tolls. 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 with square,ime and focusing 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. There is work we are doing in Government Services with respect to disperse meants. Respect to disbursements. 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 finally 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 rejuvenation 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. [applause] 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. [applause] 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 of indianapolis in the late 1960s and 1970s. 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 indianapolis for those jobs and that commerce. 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 the 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 surveyed many of you. 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, a great employer, and a 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 getaway or a family on vacation in washington, d. C. To fall in love with the national attractions, when the visitors 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 that 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 e started at entry level jobs. The nups speak for themselves. The numbers speak for themselves. 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 a new concept. They have been going on for years in manufacturing and other sectors. Here in the u. S. In hospitality, it is a new concept. It is one that hla doubled down on the industry leaders, im honored to be sitting on the department of labors and Apprenticeship Task force and we made a significant commitment in the space. Getting a 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 coming up we are rolling one out 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 ofhotels are the cornerstone 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. [applause] 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. In 2017 more than 250 mayors, 35,000 kids participated in the program thats a new record. The Program Highlights how baseball, americas pastime, 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 path oft them on a 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. 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 AmericanCommunity 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. [applause] 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