Friday, February 20th, 2009 at 11:07 am
On the front lines
"You're on the front lines," President Obama told a gathering of 85 mayors in the East Room of the White House this morning.
Mayors and governors have to keep balanced budgets, so they are familiar with the pain that comes with making cuts that broad and deep, he said.
And when that happens, people "turn to the mayor's office for help."
That's why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides much needed assistance to states, cities, and towns that are in desperate need of it to keep from making major cuts in essential services, and to save jobs.
But more than that, by investing in health care, education, and infrastructure, the ARRA will "make our metropolitan areas more livable and sustainable."
In return, the President said he expects an unprecedented level of vigilance in making sure the money from the act is spent efficiently and wisely.
"We can't tolerate business as usual -- not in Washington, not in our state capitals, not in our cities and towns."
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I thought that the video i watched of the President was superb. It is very exciting to see an era of visibility and transparency finally getting started. It will be very important for WE, the people, to keep an eye on this money(after all it is OURS) and make sure it goes to the proper places and creates green jobs, etc. Vigilance and participation is critical at this point. We must stay involved and participate in our democracy.
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