By Larry Jones
August 10, 2009

White House officials turned out in force on July 26 at the National Association of Counties Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) meetings, held in conjunction with county officials annual conference in Nashville July 24 – 28. Michael Blake, Special Assistant to the President, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; Adolfo Carrion, Director, White House Office of Urban Affairs; and Derek Douglas, Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs all spoke to LUCC members about the President’s vision for urban counties.

On critical national issues, Blake told LUCC members that nothing is more important to the President than reforming the nation’s health care system. Emphasis will be on reducing costs, protecting choice (if you like your current doctor and insurance, you will be able to keep them), and ensuring quality affordable health care for all. He posed the question, “Why do we need to do something now?” Because, he explained, every day that nothing is done, many more people will lose health insurance. By the year 2020 he said about 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) will be spent on health care and by 2049 this will increase to one third of the GDP.

The legislation working its way through Congress will include a public option to ensure that all people are covered and that people with preexisting conditions are not denied coverage. Strong emphasis will be on wellness and prevention, and Blake said the Administration is determined to get this done this year. “We’re not going to wait or play partisan games,” he stated.

He mentioned energy as another priority of the Administration and reminded LUCC members that in addition to the energy block grants available under the economic stimulus package, $1.5 billion is available to local governments through the Energy Department for weatherization assistance, and $500 million is available through the Labor Department for the green jobs training program.

Blake also pointed out that assistance is available through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to support community and economic development and public housing in low-income communities. Education was also mentioned as another key priority and members of LUCC were told that the Department of Education would award $4.35 billion in competitive grants to induce state and local governments to improve their k-12 schools.

In his closing comments, Blake called on LUCC members to urge their local governments to adopt resolutions urging support for health care reform and helps the Administration spread the message about the importance of getting it done now.

Carrion reminded LUCC members that 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas and that the economic health of urban communities is critically linked to the economic prosperity and quality of life of Americans. He said he would be working closely with executive departments and agencies to coordinate the development of urban policy. Instead of a top-down approach, he pledged to work with local communities on a bottom-up approach to ensure urban areas have an effective voice in the policy development process.

Carrion pointed out that LUCC Chairman, Dekalb County (GA) CEO Burrell Ellis and other state and local leaders joined President Barack Obama July 13 at the White House to begin a national conversation on the future of cities and urban areas. Carrion said his office would be hosting a number of town hall meetings in different cities to hear from local leaders on what can be done to help make our cities more economically competitive and more environmentally sustainable. The first meeting was scheduled for Philadelphia on July 30 and additional meetings would follow immediately in Kansas City and Denver. More meetings are expected to be scheduled later possibly in Los Angeles, Seattle and other cities, including smaller cities.

Carrion said he wanted to restore and bolster the partnership with urban communities, to find out what’s working and what’s not, and to identify and promote best practices. He told LUCC members that the Administration is committed to finding solutions to problems in urban areas. Funds approved to assist states and local communities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act demonstrate that commitment. In closing, he explained that some of the funds have been allocated, a lot more is on the way, and everyone must work together to ensure that funds are spent “right.”

Douglas informed members of LUCC that 50 percent of rural areas are located in metropolitan areas. He said if we have productive metropolitan areas, it would benefit residents in both rural and urban communities.

Douglas also said the Administration will work closely with local communities to develop energy policy that reduces carbon emissions in urban areas; and develop transportation and housing policy that improves coordination between where people live and access to public transportation. He mentioned that approximately 80 percent of the current transportation funds are spent on highways, and there needs to be a closer look at balancing the expenditure of highway funds with mass transit.