Obama To Establish Urban Policy Office

Washington Post:

The intense back-stabbing amongst Democrats for top jobs in the Obama administration assumes there are a fixed number of jobs worth having. But it's looking likely that some extremely choice, even consequential, jobs are going to be created by the new administration.

For example, plans are underway to establish a White House Office of Urban Policy in order to better coordinate federal efforts to help America's cities, according to Obama transition co-chair Valerie Jarrett.

"He's going to have a White House chief of urban policy," Jarrett told the Trotter Group, an organization of black columnists.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[berryessence]

AND THIS SEAT WILL GO TO

ATLANTA'S MAYOR SHIRLEY FRANKLIN

WHY?

SHE WAS CO-CHAIR OF THE DNC CONVENTION

SHE HAS EXPERIENCE OF OVER 30 YEARS IN URBAN POLICY!

PERFECTO

[openhand]

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Cities are our homes, not houses.

[ccmd]

thanks.

my president is on it!!!

[yorkie]

THIS GOOD NEWS,,,,,LIKE THE break up of old HEW dept,,,we now have a single dept of education,,,,so along with HUD we need a seperate dept of urban affairs to cover all aspects of our cities and the need for rebuilding of them,,more funds for them,,schools,,,etc,,,,,,,,,, the cities is where we live in the US by big numbers and growing! SOME GREAT MAYORS OUT THERE of cities like SALT LAKE,,,,MINNEAPOLIS,MN,,,,LA,,,SEATTLE,,,,would ad great to mix for policies/ideas in an O admin,,,,

[iceage7]

White House chief of urban policy-Valerie Jarret

[thebluecrayon]

Wonderful news. This is one of the things I was hoping Obama would do. Finally a President who will address urban crime, gangs and urban renewal. It's going to take some getting used to have a President who actually makes decision I agree with.

[UWNBM]

Sounds nice...but when did address urban issues during campaign? Will he help out the murder capital of America, his home city, which he didn't before being elected?

[Liberoservative]

When did you listen to ANY of his speeches?

Do some googling and look it up yourself... he has been addressing urban issues his entire campaign

[mikey76]

This is putting money directly into the economy.

Building infrastructure will bring movement back into the cities. Sandwich shops pop up to feed workers. Sidewalks bring kids to parks, communties take back their homes.

People have money in their pockets and maybe families get to enjoy Christmas, which in turn helps merchants make money. I think it's called the economy.

Keep watching.

[whit4brains]

Wouldn't the m.urder rate of Chicago be more of an issue for the police captain, mayor and then the Governor before the State Senator?

[Countdown09]

I hope this new department means there will be "oversight" for the $$ that go into urban area projects. Seems the government spends the money but you don't see concrete results. Same for the money that goes into funding our public schools, lots of money goes in but all you hear is how schools are failing. Seems simply enough, people need to be held accountable no results no funds.

[Zoolie]

Like Paulson & the Feds and their hiding bailout funds?

[harriettubman]

This is what happens when one is connected to the people!!!

[UWNBM]

Sure...that's how the largest city in his state that he was suppose to serve is the murder capital of America...shows GREAT connections.

[Liberoservative]

Only because the GOP had no interest in any of these issues.....

Don't blame the new POTUS for your party's failures

[whit4brains]

STHU

[GrainOSand]

Nixon was the "Law and Order" president. He broke the law and he was out of order. Reagan committed crimes and then conveniently forgot that he did. Bush 41 gave Saddam the wink to invade Kuwait and then turned that wink into war. Compassionate conservative claimed the barbarous butcher. Harsh of me I know, but what do you call a man who starts war for no reason stated or understandable?

Chi-town is gritty. It always has been. The murderers are the loud minority. The murder capital shifts from year to year, from city to city. George Bush did not address the issues of the inner city, nor did Reagan, or Nixon. Carter did more out of office than when he was in office to address the plight of poverty over generations. Clinton had his moments as well as his contradictions on the question of poverty. The American cities are not the only places where poverty lives and dies and brown America is not the only demographic group it affects. If the intent were to be transformational, nothing would be more transformational than ending the cycle of poverty. That would touch every aspect of the economy and make us stronger. The solution is not a give away -- it is a love in.

These times call for cohesion not division. Mr. Obama used lofty rhetoric not to impress but to inform and awaken. Some continue to flounder, as the skies grow darker.

[harriettubman]

I know O'Reilly has said that Obama is going to expand the government but if he's going to create needed offices like urban policy, then go for it. He has to ensure the people in charge of it are doing their jobs though. Too many federal employees didn't perform their jobs but got pay checks under Bush.

[nellie]

I don't mind bigger government if it's doing the things government is meant to do.

[Takae]

It seems what Obama is trying to do is break it down into major compartments to make the government overall effective and "in touch" with the public.

It seems "bigger", but really, it's just re-organizing the structure. But it could also mean employment for ordinary people, which itself is a good thing.

[noseysniper]

Wow, I was actually worried he wouldn't do anything about "urban" communities because then people would say "OMG the black guy is helping black people, HES BIAS". Everyday Obama keeps surprising me for the better.

[UWNBM]

I don't see it as bias...but Obama has been mum on urban issues before, and his home city is not a shining star of urban success, now, is it?

I look to Corey Booker, who has worked his a-- off to turn Newark, NJ froma dying city into a revitalized urban center...it will take time, but the man is the real deal, much more so than Obama ever has been, because Corey gets the job done...he's a man who backs his talk up...Obama has yet to once show that he can do that...

[CalverH]

Corey Booker is the MAYOR of Newark .... Obama was a senator ... different roles here

[evekendall]

Obama was never the mayor of Chicago.

[jdmba]

Thanks to gentrification, white people have overtaken all the big "urban" areas of town.

[stell]

Exactly. Urban has become a euphemism for black. Hey, you've got to have a place to keep all of the black folk.

[Avembe]

BTW , did anyone heard of lynn Forrester, maybe Obama has some agency or new office he would consider her to run!!!

[jukesgrrl]

Wow, someone paying attention to our cities! I guess the Republicans ignored them because too many Democrats live there. I hear they even tried to drown one.

[UWNBM]

I wouldn't say that Obama gets an A for urban concerns...a C- or maybe a D.

[whit4brains]

Shouldn't we wait until he gets in office before we start grading him???

[pupbayer]

I always say that government can't be TOO big. One of my problems with O bama was that he doesn't seem to understand that we need to cut back on spending. Not once did he mention it. Even Mc Cain talked about it. Not Obama...he is already creating new offices to spend more money. I knew this is what he would do but I'm still amazed.

[Icantbelieveher]

Like Bush cut spending! Look at the deficit we have now and the debt and what do we have to show for it?

God forbid we use $$$ to actually help people that live in this country rather than the big corporations!

[GoVeg]

Cut spending by ending the Iraq war and going through the federal budget, line by line. Republicans are for small government, but big corporation.haha

[UWNBM]

There is tremendous waste in the government...getting out of Iraq is one...kicking the contractors out of Iraq is assuredly a big source of federal dollars wasted. The military has some fat in its budget that can be trimmed without endangering our readiness or the troops until they are out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

[allonfla]

You know, there are a lot of programs that are not working and a total waste of money. And then there are programs that need to be put into place. It amazes me that there isn't a department dedicated to urban issues. John McCain was only appealing to the base when he talked about a spending freeze - I could tell his heart was not in that statement. Barack Obama has said time and time again that he will go through the federal budget line by line and cut wasteful spending - Not listening? no surprise. People hear what they want to. This country needs help and it will require spending, but it will be spent wisely. Read a little more and you will find that some very smart and capable experts, ex. Paul Krugman, said that Obama should go into deficit spending in order to stimulate the economy, create jobs and fix our infrastructure. I believe Arianna Huffington even advised Obama to do the same. Also, since other countries are going into deficit spending it will not hurt the American dollar. The only place where gov't should not intervene is in our personal lives.

[thebluecrayon]

Actually Obama often spoke of cutting spending throughout the government and trimming the fat, getting rid of programs that don't work and looking into promoting greater efficiencies. Perhaps you didn't catch those parts of his speeches or debate answers?

[canucklivinginUSA]

You want to cut spending, why don't you write to Chambliss about subsidizing farms, even those who don't grow anything, to the tune of 195 millions dollars?

[Avembe]

Whatever idea you may have Mister President
Whatever, just be efficient, that's all that matters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!