<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
<head>
<title>
Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Urban Policy
</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="copyright" content="Copyright (c) 2007 Barack Obama. All rights reserved." />
<meta name="description" content="Official Website of Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign" />
<meta name="keywords" content="president, senator, illinois, chicago, barack, barck, barek, obama, 2008, 08, presidential, president, campaign, election" />
<link rel="icon" href="http://www.barackobama.com/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />
<link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="http://www.barackobama.com/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.barackobama.com/css/globalv3.css" type="text/css" />
<script src="http://www.barackobama.com/js/jQuery.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.barackobama.com/js/firebugx.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.barackobama.com/js/tracking.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/jsapi?key=ABQIAAAAb_nrjFsA0s0BhsqeyM6EMhSqQi6sxeTrriYS6TX9gK7Ku8jU9hS5ZUUzw-xu0Cwe36iW_2b3b8oGhw">
</script>
<!--[if lt IE 7]>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.barackobama.com/css/iepc6v3.css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.barackobama.com/js/jquery.pngFix.pack.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(document).pngFix(); });
</script>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7]>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.barackobama.com/css/iepc7v3.css" />
<![endif]-->
<script src="http://www.barackobama.com/js/scripts.js" type="text/javascript" >
</script>
<!-- End head.php (after close head tag) -->
</head>
<body id="v2_barackobama_com">
<!-- Begin top.php -->
<script>
function findTrackingCookie(name) { var cookiePrefix = "__ofa_t_"; var cookieSuffix = "_count"; return document.cookie.indexOf(cookiePrefix + name + cookieSuffix) >
= 0; }
</script>
<div style="display:none">
<a href="#featurecontent">
Skip To Content
</a>
</div>
<div style="display:none">
<a href="#mainnav">
Skip To Navigation
</a>
</div>
<div id="mybo_housing">
<div id="mybo_1">
<form action="#">
<span id="alreadyspan">
Get Local! Create Your MyBO Account ( 
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com" id="alreadylink">
or Login
</a>
 )
</span>
<input type="text" name="email" class="aninput email" value="Email Address" id="Email_Address" />
<input type="text" name="zip" id="Zip_Code" value="Zip Code" class="aninput" />
<input type="submit" id="sign_up" value="Get Started" />
</form>
</div>
<div id="mybo_1point5" class="mybohiders">
<form action="#">
<span id="already2span">
Nearly There! Provide Your Name
</span>
<input type="text" name="firstname" value="First Name" id="First_Name" class="aninput" />
<input type="text" name="lastname" value="Last Name" id="Last_Name" class="aninput" />
<input type="submit" id="sign2_up" value="Continue" />
</form>
</div>
<div id="mybo_2" class="mybohiders">
<form action="http://my.barackobama.com/page/user/login?successurl=aHR0cDovL215LmJhcmFja29iYW1hLmNvbS9wYWdlL2Rhc2hib2FyZC9wcml2YXRl" method="post">
<span id="needspan">
Welcome! Login to MyBO ( 
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com" id="needlink">
or create your account
</a>
 )
</span>
<input type="text" name="username" class="aninput email" value="Email Address" id="Email_Address2" />
<span>
<input type="text" name="password" id="PasswordText" class="aninput" value="Password" />
</span>
<input type="submit" name="login_submit" value="Login" class="login" />
</form>
</div>
<div id="mybo_3" class="mybohiders">
<form action="http://my.barackobama.com/page/user/login?successurl=aHR0cDovL215LmJhcmFja29iYW1hLmNvbS9wYWdlL2NvbnRlbnQvdG91cg==" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="email" id="hiddenemail" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="firstname" id="hiddenfirstname" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="lastname" id="hiddenlastname" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="zip" id="hiddenzip" value="" />
<span id="welcomespan">
 Almost Done! Create a Password
</span>
<span>
<input type="text" name="password1" id="PasswordText1" class="aninput" value="Create Password" />
</span>
<span>
<input type="text" name="password2" id="PasswordText2" class="aninput" value="Confirm Password" />
</span>
<input type="submit" class="login" value="Login" />
</form>
</div>
<div id="mybo_nav" class="mybohiders">
<ul>
<li class="mainbtnmenu" id="homemenu">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/dashboard/private?source=mybobar" id="homebtn">
My Home
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/dashboard/private?source=mybobar">
My Dashboard
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/dashboard?source=mybobar">
My Blog
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/socialnet/mymessages?source=mybobar">
My Messages
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="mainbtnmenu" id="communitymenu">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/neighborhood?source=mybobar">
Community
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/neighborhood?source=mybobar">
My Neighborhood
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/group?source=mybobar">
My Groups
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/group?source=mybobar">
Find Groups
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/socialnet/mynetwork?source=mybobar">
My Friends
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/directory?source=mybobar">
People Near Me
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="mainbtnmenu" id="eventsmenu">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple?source=mybobar">
Events
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple?source=mybobar" id="localeventslink">
Find Local Events
</a>
</li>
<!--
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/create?source=mybobar">
Host an Event
</a>
</li>
-->
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/myevents?source=mybobar">
Manage My Events
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<!--
<li id="contactvotersmenu">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/votercontact/details?source=mybobar">
Contact Voters
</a>
</li>
-->
<li id="fundraisemenu">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/dashboard/main?source=mybobar">
Fundraise
</a>
</li>
<li id="logoutbtn">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/user/logout?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmy.barackobama.com">
Logout
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="house">
<div id="top">
<div id="header">
<h1>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/index.php">
<span class="distext">
Obama for America
</span>
</a>
</h1>
<script type="text/javascript">
// var b_images = new Array(4); // Add in all the logo+barack header images here // b_images[0] = 'http://www.barackobama.com/images/bo_headers/header_obama_05.jpg'; // var b_index = Math.floor(Math.random() * b_images.length); jQuery('#header').children('h1').children('a').css('background-image', 'url(http://www.barackobama.com/images/bo_headers/header_obama_05.jpg)');
</script>
<div id="espanol">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/espanol">
<img src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/en_espanol.gif" alt="EN ESPAÑOL" />
</a>
</div>
<div id="quoteblock">
<script type="text/javascript">
var images = new Array(2); // Add in all the quote images here images[0] = '
<'+'img sr'+'c="http://www.barackobama.com/images/quote_headers/believe.jpg" width="320" height="131" alt="Believe" '+'/'+'>
'; // images[1] = '
<'+'img'+' src'+'="http://www.barackobama.com/images/quote_headers/energy.jpg" width="320" height="131" alt="End our Dependence on Foreign Oil" '+'/'+'>
'; // var index = Math.floor(Math.random() * images.length); document.write(images[0]);
</script>
</div>
<div id="getinvolved_calltovolunteer">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/myevents?source=topnav" style="background-image: url(http://www.barackobama.com/images/header_usa.events.jpg)">
 
</a>
</div>
<!--
<div id="thank_you_box">
</div>
-->
</div>
<div id="nav">
<ul>
<li id="nav-home">
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/index.php" title="Home">
Home
</a>
</li>
<li id="nav-learn">
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php" title="Learn">
Learn
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php">
Meet Barack Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_michelle.php">
Meet Michelle Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_joe.php">
Meet Joe Biden
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_jill.php">
Meet Jill Biden
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/speeches/index.php">
Obama Speeches
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/newsroom/index.php">
In
<i>
the
</i>
News
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://factcheck.barackobama.com">
Know
<i>
the
</i>
Facts
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="nav-issues">
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/" title="Issues">
Issues
</a>
<ul>
<li class="col" id="firsticol">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/civilrights/">
Civil Rights
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/">
Defense
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/">
Disabilities
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/">
Economy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/">
Education
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/">
Energy & Environment
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ethics/">
Ethics
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/faith/">
Faith
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/">
Family
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fiscal/">
Fiscal
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/">
Foreign Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/">
Healthcare
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/homeland/">
Homeland Security
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="col" id="secondicol">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/">
Immigration
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/">
Iraq
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/poverty/">
Poverty
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/rural/">
Rural
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/">
Service
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/seniors/">

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
<head>
<title id="PageTitle">
Urban Policy
</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="President, Barack Obama, White House, United States of America, 44th President, White House history, President Obama, Barck, Barek, Barak, Barrack, Barrak, Obma, Barack" />
<meta name="description" content="WhiteHouse.gov is the official web site for the White House and President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. This site is a source for information about the President, White House news and policies, White House history, and the federal government." />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="White House.gov Agenda Articles Feed" href="/feed/agenda/" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="White House.gov Press Office Feed" href="/feed/press/" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="White House.gov Blog Feed" href="/feed/blog/" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="White House.gov Photo Gallery Feed" href="/feed/gallery/" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="White House.gov Video Feed" href="/feed/video/" />
<script src="/includes/functions.js.aspx" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/eop/admin.css" type="text/css" media="all" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/eop/style.css" type="text/css" media="all" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/eop/print.css" type="text/css" media="print" />
<!--[if lt IE 7]>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/eop/ltie7.css" type="text/css" />
<![endif]-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/eop/jquery-1.2.6.min.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/eop/jquery.jcarousel.pack.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/eop/swfobject.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/eop/jquery-plugins.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/eop/jqfunctions.js">
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/includes/eop/jquery.jcarousel.css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/eop/jquery.thickbox.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/externallinks.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/includes/webtrends.js">
</script>
<!--[if lt IE 7]>
<script type="text/javascript">
onLoadFunctions = function() { mainNav(); } window.onload=onLoadFunctions;
</script>
<![endif]-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/custom.css" type="text/css" media="all" />
</head>
<body class="mainbody">
<div class="skip">
<a href="#maincontent">
Skip to main content
</a>
|
<a href="#sitemap">
Skip to footer site map
</a>
</div>
<form name="main" method="post" action="/agenda/urban_policy/" id="main">
<div>
<input type="hidden" name="__VIEWSTATE" id="__VIEWSTATE" value="/wEPDwULLTExNzk4MzI1MzYPZBYCZg9kFgICDg9kFgQCAw9kFgICAQ9kFgICAQ8WAh4EVGV4dAU4PHNwYW4gY2xhc3M9InJlZCI+VEhFIEFHRU5EQTwvc3Bhbj4gJiM4MjI2OyBVUkJBTiBQT0xJQ1lkAg8PZBYCZg9kFgICAQ8WAh8ABXNZb3UgYXJlIEhlcmU6IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cud2hpdGVob3VzZS5nb3YiPkhvbWU8L2E+ICZndDsgPGEgaHJlZj0iL2FnZW5kYS8iPlRoZSBBZ2VuZGE8L2E+ICZndDsgVXJiYW4gUG9saWN5ZBgBBR5fX0NvbnRyb2xzUmVxdWlyZVBvc3RCYWNrS2V5X18WAgUTY3RsMDMkYnRuR2V0VXBkYXRlcwUPY3RsMTIkYnRuU2VhcmNoLWllhoAkww4EcMsiJpxARiHFj40=" />
</div>
<div class="bdywrpr">
<!-- start header 996-->
<div class="hdrwrpr">
<div class="hdrttl">
<a href="/">
<img src="/images/eop/clear.gif" alt="The White House - President Barack Obama" />
</a>
<br />
</div>
<div class="hdremblem">
<a href="/">
<img src="/images/eop/clear.gif" alt="The White House emblem" />
</a>
<br />
</div>
<div class="hdrflag">
<a href="/">
<img src="/images/eop/hdr-usa-flag.gif" alt="Flag of the United States of America" />
</a>
<br />
</div>
<div class="hdrupdtwrpr">
<div id="ctl03_pGetUpdates" onkeypress="javascript:return WebForm_FireDefaultButton(event, 'ctl03_btnGetUpdates')">
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" title="Get Email Updates Form">
<tr>
<td>
<input name="ctl03$txtHeaderEmail" type="text" maxlength="100" id="ctl03_txtHeaderEmail" value="E-mail" onfocus="this.value='',this.style.color= '#333'" class="hdrupdteml" title="Enter e-mail address here" />
<br />
</td>
<td>
<input name="ctl03$txtHeaderZip" type="text" maxlength="5" id="ctl03_txtHeaderZip" value="ZIP" onfocus="this.value='',this.style.color= '#333'" class="hdrupdtzip" title="Enter ZIP code here" />
<br />
</td>
<td>
<input type="image" name="ctl03$btnGetUpdates" id="ctl03_btnGetUpdates" class="hdrupdtbtn" title="Submit" src="/images/eop/btn-get-updates.gif" style="border-width:0px; height:21px;width:102px;background: #fff url('/images/loading.gif') 50% 50% no-repeat;" onclick="PleaseWaitImageButton(this);"/>
<br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<ul id="topnav">
<li class="nav_press">
<a href="/briefing_room/" class="nav_item">
<span>
The Briefing Room
</span>
</a>
<div class="menu">
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/weekly_address/">
Weekly Video Address
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/blog/">
The Blog
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/slideshows/">
Slideshows
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/pool/">
Pool Report
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/briefing_room/proclamations/">
Proclamations
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/briefing_room/executive_orders/">
Executive Orders
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/briefing_room/nominations_and_appointments/">
Nominations & Appointments
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="nav_agenda">
<a href="/agenda/" class="nav_item">
<span>
The Agenda
</span>
</a>
<div class="menu">
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/agenda/civil_rights/">
Civil Rights
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/defense/">
Defense
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/disabilities/">
Disabilities
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/economy/">
Economy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/education/">
Education
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/energy_and_environment/">
Energy & Environment
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/ethics/">
Ethics
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/family/">
Family
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/agenda/fiscal/">
Fiscal
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/foreign_policy/">
Foreign Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/health_care/">
Health Care
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/homeland_security/">
Homeland Security
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/immigration/">
Immigration
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/iraq/">
Iraq
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/poverty/">
Poverty
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/rural/">
Rural
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/agenda/seniors_and_social_security/">
Seniors & Social Security
</a>

</li>

<li>

<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/taxes/">
Taxes
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/">
Technology
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/urbanpolicy/">
Urban Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/">
Veterans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues">
Women
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/additional/">
Additional Issues
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="clear-both">
 
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="nav-media">
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/tv/" title="Media">
Media
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/tv/">
Barack TV
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/photos/">
Photos
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/downloads/">
Downloads
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/mobile/">
Mobile
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/music/">
Music
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="nav-action">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/actioncenter" title="Action">
Action
</a>
<ul>
<!--
<li>
<a href="http://www.voteforchange.com/">
Find your voting location
</a>
</li>
-->
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/">
my.BarackObama.com
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/signup/">
Sign up
<i>
for
</i>
email
</a>
</li>
<!--
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/newvolunteer/">
Volunteer
</a>
</li>
-->
<!--
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter">
Action Center
</a>
</li>
-->
<li>
<a href="https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/standardvidbottom?source=action_menu">
Donate
</a>
</li>
<!--
<li>
<a href="http://www.voteforchange.com/" target="_blank">
Voting Information
</a>
</li>
-->
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact/">
Contact us
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="nav-people">
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/people/" title="People">
People
</a>
<ul>
<li class="col" id="firsticol2">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://aapi.barackobama.com/">
Asian Americans &
<br />
Pacific Islanders
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://africanamericans.barackobama.com/">
African Americans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://abroad.barackobama.com/">
Americans Abroad
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://disabilities.barackobama.com/">
Americans with Disabilities
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://arabamericans.barackobama.com/">
Arab Americans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/eahome">
European &
<br />
Mediterranean Americans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://enviros.barackobama.com/">
Environmentalists
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://tribes.barackobama.com/">
First Americans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://go.barackobama.com/">
Generation Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://jewishamericans.barackobama.com/">
Jewish Americans
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="col" id="secondicol2">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://kids.barackobama.com/">
Kids
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://labor.barackobama.com/">
Labor
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://latinos.barackobama.com/">
Latinos
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://pride.barackobama.com/">
LGBT
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://faith.barackobama.com/">
People of Faith
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://gop.barackobama.com">
Republicans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ruralhome/">
Rural Americans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://seniors.barackobama.com">
Seniors
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/sbhome/">
Small Business
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/sportsmenhome/">
Sportsmen
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://students.barackobama.com/">
Students
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://veterans.barackobama.com/">
Veterans & Military Families
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://women.barackobama.com/">
Women
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="clear-both">
 
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="nav-states">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages" title="States">
States
</a>
<ul>
<li class="col">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/alhome">
Alabama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/akhome">
Alaska
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ashome">
American Samoa
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/azhome">
Arizona
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/arhome">
Arkansas
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/cahome">
California
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/cohome">
Colorado
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/cthome">
Connecticut
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dehome">
Delaware
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dchome">
District of Columbia
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/flhome">
Florida
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/gahome">
Georgia
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/guhome">
Guam
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hihome">
Hawaii
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/idhome">
Idaho
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ilhome">
Illinois
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/inhome">
Indiana
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/iowahome">
Iowa
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/kshome">
Kansas
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="col">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/kyhome">
Kentucky
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/lahome">
Louisiana
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mehome">
Maine
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mdhome">
Maryland
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mahome">
Massachusetts
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mihome">
Michigan
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mnhome">
Minnesota
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mshome">
Mississippi
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mohome">
Missouri
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mthome">
Montana
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nehome">
Nebraska
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nvhome">
Nevada
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nhhome">
New Hampshire
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/njhome">
New Jersey
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nmhome">
New Mexico
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nyhome">
New York
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nchome">
North Carolina
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ndhome">
North Dakota
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="col">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ohhome">
Ohio
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/okhome">
Oklahoma
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/orhome">
Oregon
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/pahome">
Pennsylvania
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/prhome">
Puerto Rico
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/rihome">
Rhode Island
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/schome">
South Carolina
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/sdhome">
South Dakota
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/tnhome">
Tennessee
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/txhome">
Texas
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/uthome">
Utah
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vthome">
Vermont
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vihome">
Virgin Islands
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vahome">
Virginia
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wahome">
Washington
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wvhome">
West Virginia
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wihome">
Wisconsin
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wyhome">
Wyoming
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="clear-both">
 
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="nav-blog">
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog" title="Blog">
Blog
</a>
</li>
<li id="nav-store">
<a href="http://store.barackobama.com/" title="Store">
Store
</a>
</li>
<li id="nav-donate">
<a style="background:transparent url(http://www.barackobama.com/images/nav-please_btn.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0 0;" href="https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/dnc08standardnd?source=mainnav">
</a>
<script>
jQuery(document).ready(function() { var nav_donate = jQuery('#nav-donate'); var donate_link = nav_donate.find('a').eq(0); if (findTrackingCookie("dn")) { donate_link.attr('href', 'https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/dnc08standardd1?source=mainnav'); } }); /* if (findTrackingCookie("dn")) { donate_link.attr('href', 'https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/standardvidbottom?source=mainnav_bt_dn_control'); donate_link.attr('style', 'background:transparent url(http://www.barackobama.com/images/nav-contribute_btn.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0 0;'); } else if (findTrackingCookie("su")) { donate_link.attr('href', 'https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/standardvidbottom?source=mainnav_bt_su_control'); donate_link.attr('style', 'background:transparent url(http://www.barackobama.com/images/nav-please_btn.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0 0;'); } else { donate_link.attr('href', 'https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/standardmagnet?source=mainnav_bt_nsu_control'); donate_link.attr('style', 'background:transparent url(http://www.barackobama.com/images/nav-donateGift_btn.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0 0;'); } */
</script>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a name="featurecontent">
</a>
<!-- End top.php -->
<div id="content" class="v2_issues">
<div id="issue_hero">
<h1>
<img src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/issues_v2/urbanpolicy.jpg" alt="Urban Policy Image" />
</h1>
<div id="video_feature">
<img src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/issues_v2/bp_download.jpg" alt="Blueprint for Change -- Download Now" border="0" />
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf">
<img alt="Download the Blueprint for Change" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/issues_v2/blueprint_for_change.jpg" />
</a>
</div>
<h2>
Three Facts about Barack Obama and Urban Policy
</h2>
<ul id="three_points">
<li class="one">
<h3>
Barack Obama will strengthen federal commitment to our cities:
</h3>
<p>
Obama and Biden will create a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs.
</p>
</li>
<li class="two">
<h3>
Stimulate economic prosperity in urban areas:
</h3>
<p>
Obama and Biden will support job creation, enhance workforce training, and increase access to capital for underserved businesses.
</p>
</li>
<li class="three">
<h3>
Make housing more affordable:
</h3>
<p>
Obama and Biden will ensure that middle-class Americans get the financial assistance they need to purchase or keep their own home. And they will increase the supply of affordable housing.
</p>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;">
</div>
</div>
<div id="column1">
<div id="page_content">
<div id="issues" class="urbanpolicy">
<script src="http://www.barackobama.com/js/thickbox.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<div id="issue_nav">
<div id="table_of_contents">
<h2>
In this Section
</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="#strengthen-federal-commitment">
Strengthen Federal Commitment to our Cities
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#stimulate-economic-prosperity">
Stimulate Economic Prosperity in our Metropolitan Regions
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#housing">
Housing
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#poverty">
Poverty
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#strengthen-livability">
Strengthen Livability of Cities
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#urban-education">
Urban Education
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#crime-and-law-enforcement">
Crime and Law Enforcement
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#strengthen-homeland-security">
Strengthen Homeland Security
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="#support-families">
Support Families
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="elsewhere">
<h2>
More on Urban Policy
</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/UrbanFactSheet.pdf">
Read the Plan
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/MortgageFactSheet.pdf">
Read the Mortgage Plan
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Present
<i>
your
</i>
ideas
</h2>
<p>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/mypolicy">
Speak your mind and help set the policies that will guide this campaign and change the country.
</a>
</p>
</div>
<div style="clear:both;">
</div>
</div>
<h1>
Plan
<i>
to
</i>
Stimulate Urban Prosperity
</h1>
<h2>
The Problem
</h2>
<p>
<strong>
Failing Commitment to America's Economic Centers:
</strong>
Today, government programs aimed at strengthening metropolitan areas are spread across the federal government with insufficient coordination or strategy. Worse, many federal programs inadvertently undermine cities and regions by encouraging inefficient and costly patterns of development and local competition.
</p>
<h2>
Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Plan
</h2>

<a href="/agenda/service/">
Service
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/taxes/">
Taxes
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/technology/">
Technology
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/urban_policy/">
Urban Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/veterans/">
Veterans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/women/">
Women
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/agenda/additional/">
Additional Issues
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="nav_eop">
<a href="/administration/" class="nav_item">
<span>
The Administration
</span>
</a>
<div class="menu">
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/administration/president_obama/">
President Barack Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/administration/vice_president_biden/">
Vice President Joe Biden
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/administration/michelle_obama/">
First Lady Michelle Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/administration/jill_biden/">
Dr. Jill Biden
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/administration/cabinet/">
The Cabinet
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/administration/staff/">
White House Staff
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/administration/eop/">
Executive Office of the President
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="nav_about">
<a href="/about/" class="nav_item">
<span>
About the White House
</span>
</a>
<div class="menu">
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/about/history/">
History
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/presidents/">
Presidents
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/first_ladies/">
First Ladies
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/oval_office/">
The Oval Office
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/vp_residence/">
Vice President's Residence & Office
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/eeob/">
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/about/camp_david/">
Camp David
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/air_force_one/">
Air Force One
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/fellows/">
White House Fellows
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/internships/">
White House Internships
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/white_house_101/">
White House 101
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/tours_and_events/">
Tours & Events
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="nav_ourgov">
<a href="/our_government/" class="nav_item">
<span>
Our Government
</span>
</a>
<div class="menu">
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/our_government/executive_branch/">
The Executive Branch
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/our_government/legislative_branch/">
The Legislative Branch
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/our_government/judicial_branch/">
The Judicial Branch
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/our_government/the_constitution/">
The Constitution
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="sub_nav">
<li>
<a href="/our_government/federal_agencies_and_commissions/">
Federal Agencies & Commissions
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/our_government/elections_and_voting/">
Elections & Voting
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/our_government/state_and_local_government/">
State & Local Government
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/our_government/resources/">
Resources
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="nav_contact">
<a href="/contact/" class="nav_item">
<span>
Contact Us
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<!-- end header -->
<!-- sub header 996 -->
<div class="subhdrwrpr">
<!-- mod-searchint332 -->
<div id="ctl12_pnlSearch" class="mod-searchint332" onkeypress="javascript:return WebForm_FireDefaultButton(event, 'ctl12_btnSearch')">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" title="Site Search Form">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<input name="ctl12$txtboxSearch" type="text" maxlength="100" id="ctl12_txtboxSearch" title="Enter search terms here" class="srchbx" />
<br />
</td>
<td>
<input type="image" name="ctl12$btnSearch" id="ctl12_btnSearch" title="Submit" class="srchbtnwh" src="/images/eop/btn-searchwh.gif" style="border-width:0px;" />
<br />
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<!-- end mod-search -->
<!-- start breadcrumb 996-->
<div class="subhdr">
<h4>
<span class="red">
THE AGENDA
</span>
• URBAN POLICY
</h4>
</div>
<!-- end breadcrumb-->
</div>
<!-- end sub header -->
<!-- start grid 996-->
<div class="gridwrpr" style="background:#fff url(/images/eop/bg-int-col.gif) repeat-y top left;">
<a name="maincontent">
</a>
<div class="grdspan8">
<div class="mod-story664top">
<div class="mod-flr-n166">
<div class="">
<div class="mod-floatbx" style="margin-top: 0pt;">
<h3 class="modttlblue">
<a href="/agenda/">
THE AGENDA
</a>
</h3>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/civil_rights/">
Civil Rights
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/defense/">
Defense
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/disabilities/">
Disabilities
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/economy/">
Economy
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/education/">
Education
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/energy_and_environment/">
Energy & Environment
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/ethics/">
Ethics
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/family/">
Family
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/fiscal/">
Fiscal
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/foreign_policy/">
Foreign Policy
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/health_care/">
Health Care
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/homeland_security/">
Homeland Security
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/immigration/">
Immigration
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/iraq/">
Iraq
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/poverty/">
Poverty
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/rural/">
Rural
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/seniors_and_social_security/">
Seniors & Social Security
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/service/">
Service
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/taxes/">
Taxes
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/technology/">
Technology
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/urban_policy/">
Urban Policy
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/veterans/">
Veterans
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/women/">
Women
</a>
</p>
<p>
<a href="/agenda/additional/">
Additional Issues
</a>
</p>
</div>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h2 class="modttlred">
URBAN POLICY
</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>
"Americans work harder than the people of any other wealthy nation. We are willing to tolerate more economic instability and are willing to take more personal risks to get ahead. But we can only compete if our government makes the investments that give us a fighting chance -- and if we know our families have some net beneath which they cannot fall."
</p>
<p>
<cite>
-- Barack Obama, "The Audacity of Hope"
</cite>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>
As a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, President Obama learned firsthand that urban poverty is more than just a function of not having enough in your pocketbook. It's also a matter of where you live -- in some of our inner-city neighborhoods, poverty is difficult to escape because it's isolating and it's everywhere. Our job across America is to create communities of choice, not of destiny, and create conditions for neighborhoods where the odds are not stacked against the people who live there. President Obama is committed to leading a new federal approach to America's high-poverty areas, an approach that facilitates the economic integration of families and communities with efforts to support the current low-income residents of those areas.
</p>
<p>

<a name="strengthen-federal-commitment">

</a>

<h3>
Strengthen Federal Commitment to our Cities
<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Create a White House Office on Urban Policy:
</strong>
Obama and President Obama and Vice President Biden will create a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs. The Director of Urban Policy will report directly to the president and coordinate all federal urban programs.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant:
</strong>
In the long run, regions are only as strong as their people and neighborhoods. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is an important program that provides housing and creating creates jobs primarily for low- and moderate-income people and places. Barack Obama has fought against Bush Administration cuts to the CDBG program and, as president, he President Obama will restore funding for the CDBG program.
</li>
<li>
<strong>
Do No Harm:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe

</li>
<li>
<strong>
Do No Harm:
</strong>
President Obama and Vice President
Biden do not support imposing unfunded mandates on states and localities. They strongly support providing necessary funding for programs such as No Child Left Behind.
</li>

</ul>

<a name="stimulate-economic-prosperity">

</a>

<h3>
Stimulate Economic Prosperity in our Metropolitan Regions
<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Support Regional Innovation Clusters:
</strong>
Thriving innovation clusters across the country like the North Carolina Research Triangle Park and Nashville's thriving entertainment cluster prove that local stakeholders can successfully come together and help reshape their local economies. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will create a federal program to support "innovation clusters" - "innovation clusters" -- regional centers of innovation and next-generation industries. This innovation clusters program will provide $200 million in planning and matching grants for regional business, government government, and university leaders to collaborate on leveraging a region.s existing assets - region's existing assets -- from transportation infrastructure to universities - to enhance long-term regional growth.
</li>
<li>
<strong>
Support Job Creation:
</strong>
The
-- to enhance long-term regional growth.
</li>
<li>
<strong>
Support Job Creation:
</strong>
The
federal government has a role to play to ensure that every American is able to work at his or her highest capacity. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will double federal funding for basic research, expand the deployment of broadband technology and make the research and development tax credit permanent so that businesses can invest in innovation and create high-paying, secure jobs.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Enhance Workforce Training:
</strong>
Obama

</strong>
Obama
and Biden will make long-term investments in education, language training, and workforce development so that Americans can leverage our strengths . our ingenuity and entrepreneurialism . -- our ingenuity and entrepreneurialism -- to create new high-wage jobs and prosper in a global economy. A critical part of this process is ensuring that we reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and ensure that it strengthens federal investments needed for success in the 21st Century.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Increase Access to Capital for Underserved Businesses:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe

</strong>
President Obama and Vice President
Biden will strengthen Small Business Administration programs that provide capital to women and minority-owned businesses, support outreach programs that help business owners apply for loans, and work to encourage the growth and capacity of these firms. They will also strengthen Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are engaged in innovative methods to provide capital to urban businesses.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Create a National Network of Public-Private Business Incubators:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will support entrepreneurship and spur job growth by creating a national network of public-private business incubators, which facilitate the critical work of entrepreneurs in creating start-up companies. They will invest $250 million per year to increase the number and size of incubators in urban communities throughout the country.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders:
</strong>
America

</strong>
America
boasts the highest-skilled manufacturing workforce in the world and advanced manufacturing facilities that have powered economic growth in America for decades. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that America is at a competitive advantage when it comes to building the high-demand technologies of the future, and they will help nurture America's success in clean technology manufacturing by establishing a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Strengthen Core Infrastructure:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will make strengthening our transportation systems, including our roads and bridges, a top priority. As part of this effort, Obama and Biden will create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to expand and enhance, not supplant, existing federal transportation investments. These projects will create up to two million new direct and indirect directly and indirectly create up to two million new jobs per year and stimulate approximately $35 billion per year in new economic activity.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Improve Access to Jobs:
</strong>
America's families and businesses depend upon workers having reasonable access to their places of employment. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will double the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program to ensure that additional federal public transportation dollars flow to the highest-need communities and that urban planning initiatives take this aspect of transportation policy into account. The Obama-Biden urban agenda will also help facilitate the creation of new jobs in underserved economic areas, so more low-income urban residents can find employment within their home communities.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Invest in a Skilled Clean Technologies Workforce:
</strong>
Obama

</strong>
Obama
and Biden will increase funding for federal workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training, such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans find and retain stable jobs. Obama and Biden will also create an energy-focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth.
</li>
</ul>
<a name="housing">
</a>
<h3>
HOUSING
</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>
Lower People's

</li>
</ul>
<p>
<a name="housing">
</a>
</p>
<h4>
Housing
</h4>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>
Lower
Interest Payments by Creating a New Mortgage Interest Tax Credit:
</strong>
Many

</strong>
Many
middle class Americans do not receive the existing mortgage interest tax deduction because they do not itemize their taxes. Obama and Biden will ensure that middle-class Americans get the financial assistance they need to purchase or keep their own home by creating a 10 percent universal mortgage credit that gives tax relief to 10 million Americans who have a home mortgage.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing throughout Metropolitan Regions:
</strong>
Communities prosper when all families have access to affordable housing. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden supported efforts to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to create thousands of new units of affordable housing every year. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will also restore cuts to public housing operating subsidies, and ensure that all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs are restored to their original purpose.
</li>

</ul>

<a name="poverty">
</a>
<h3>
POVERTY
</h3>

<p>
<a name="poverty">
</a>
</p>
<h4>
Poverty
</h4>

<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Establish 'Promise Neighborhoods' for Areas of Concentrated Poverty:
</strong>
Successful strategies to address concentrated, intergenerational poverty are comprehensive in nature and address the full range of obstacles that stand in the way of poor children. One highly-acclaimed model is the Harlem Children's Zone in New York City, which provides a full network of services to an entire neighborhood from birth to college. Obama and Biden will create 20 Promise Neighborhoods in cities that have high levels of poverty and crime and low levels of student academic achievement.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Increase the Minimum Wage:
</strong>
As president,

</strong>
President
Obama will raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011 and index it to inflation so full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing . -- things so many people take for granted.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit:
</strong>
In

</strong>
In
the Illinois State Senate, Obama led the successful effort to create the $100 million Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). As president, President Obama will reward work by increasing the number of working parents eligible for EITC benefits, increasing the benefit available to noncustodial parents who support their children through child support payments, increasing the benefit for families with three or more children, and reducing the EITC marriage penalty which hurts low-income families.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Help Low-Income Workers Enter the Job Market:
</strong>
As president,

</strong>
President
Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathways programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce. This investment will be coupled with other measures to encourage the private sector and state and local governments to increase their support of these effective employment programs.
</li>

</ul>

<a name="strengthen-livability">
</a>
<h3>
STRENGTHEN LIVABILITY OF CITIES
</h3>

<p>
<a name="strengthen-livability">
</a>
</p>
<h4>
Livability of Cities
</h4>

<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities:
</strong>
Our communities will better serve all of their residents if we are able to leave our cars, cars to walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives. As president, Barack President Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Control Superfund Sites and Data:
</strong>
As president, Obama
Data
</strong>
: Obama and Biden
will restore the strength of the Superfund program by requiring polluters to pay for the cleanup of contaminated sites they created.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Use Innovative Measures to Dramatically Improve Efficiency of Buildings:
</strong>
Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of carbon emissions in the United States today and carbon emissions from buildings are expected to grow faster than emissions from other major parts of our economy. It is expected that 15 million new buildings will be constructed between today and 2015. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will work with cities so that we make our new and existing buildings more efficient consumers of electricity.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Foster Healthy Communities:
</strong>
How a community is designed .

</strong>
How a community is designed --
including the layout of its roads, buildings and parks . -- has a huge impact on the health of its residents. For instance, nearly one-third of Americans live in neighborhoods without sidewalks and less than half of our country's children have a playground within walking distance of their homes. Barack President Obama introduced the Healthy Places Act to help local governments assess the health impact of new policies and projects, like highways or shopping centers.
</li>
</ul>
<a name="urban-education">
</a>
<h3>
URBAN EDUCATION
</h3>

</li>
</ul>
<p>
<a name="urban-education">
</a>
</p>
<h4>
Urban Education
</h4>

<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Support Teachers in Urban Schools:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden value teachers and the central role that they play in education. To ensure competent, effective teachers in schools that are organized for success, the Obama-Biden K-12 plan will expand service scholarships to underwrite high-quality preparation for teachers who commit to working in underserved districts and support ongoing improvements in teacher education.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Expand Early Childhood Education:
</strong>
Obama and Biden have a comprehensive "Zero to Five" plan to provide critical supports Biden's comprehensive "Zero to Five" plan will provide support to young children and their parents by investing $10 billion per year to create: create Early Learning Challenge Grants to stimulate and help fund state "zero to five" efforts; quadruple the number of eligible children for Early Head Start and increase Head Start funding and improve quality for "zero to five" efforts; quadruple the number of children eligible for Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve the quality of both; work to ensure all children have access to pre-school; and create a Presidential Early Learning Council to increase collaboration and program coordination across federal, state, and local levels. programs.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Reduce the High School Dropout Rate:
</strong>
The warning signs for high school drop-outs dropouts often occur well before high school. Obama will sign into law his "Success in the Middle Act" Success in the Middle Act to improve the education of middle school students in low-performing schools. Obama and Biden will also establish a competitive grant process for entities pursuing evidence-based models that have been proven to reduce dropouts.
</li>
</ul>
<a name="crime-and-law-enforcement">
</a>
<h3>
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
</h3>

</li>
</ul>
<p>
<a name="crime-and-law-enforcement">
</a>
</p>
<h4>
Crime and Law Enforcement
</h4>

<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Support Local Law Enforcement:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden are committed to fully funding the COPS program to put 50,000 police officers on the street and help address police brutality and accountability issues in local communities. Obama and Biden also supports support efforts to encourage young people to enter the law enforcement profession, so that our local police departments are not understaffed because of a dearth of qualified applicants.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Supports:
</strong>
America is facing an incarceration and post-incarceration crisis in urban communities. Obama and Biden will create a prison-to-work incentive program, modeled on the successful Welfare-to-Work Partnership Partnership, and work to reform correctional systems to break down barriers for ex-offenders to find employment.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
End the Dangerous Cycle of Youth Violence:
</strong>
As president, Barack Obama will support innovative local programs, such as the CeaseFire program in Chicago, that have been proven to work. Such programs implement a comprehensive public health approach that implements a community-based strategy to prevent youth violence. He will also double funding for federal afterschool programs and invest in 20 Promise Neighborhoods across the country to ensure that urban youth have meaningful opportunities to succeed. Obama and Biden support innovative local programs, like the CeaseFire program in Chicago, which implement a community-based strategy to prevent youth violence and have been proven effective.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Address Gun Violence in Cities:
</strong>
As president, Barack Obama

</strong>
Obama and Biden
would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets.
</li>
<li>
<strong>
End Racial Profiling:
</strong>
Barack Obama cosponsored federal legislation to ban racial profiling and require federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to take steps to eliminate the practice. He introduced and passed a law in the Illinois State Senate requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to record the race, age, and gender of all drivers stopped for traffic violations so that bias could be detected and addressed.
</li>
</ul>
permanent.
</li>
</ul>
<p>

<a name="strengthen-homeland-security">

</a>

<h3>
STRENGTHEN HOMELAND SECURITY
</h3>

</p>
<h4>
Homeland Security
</h4>

<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Allocate Funds Based on Risk:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the president and Congress should direct President Obama and Vice President Biden believes our precious homeland security dollars according to risk, not as a form of general revenue sharing. To address this pressing issue, As a U.S. Senator, Obama introduced an amendment, supported by the Families of 9/11 and former 9/11 Commissioners Lee Hamilton and Tim Roemer, to increase risk-based funding in the 9/11 bill.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Prepare Effective Emergency Response Plans:
</strong>
As our nation witnessed in the Hurricane Katrina crisis and its aftermath, too many localities do not have integrated emergency response plans to handle disasters. As president, President Obama will further improve coordination between all levels of government, create better evacuation plan guidelines, ensure prompt federal assistance to emergency zones, and increase medical surge capacity.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Improve Interoperable Communications Systems:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden support efforts to provide greater technical assistance to local and state first responders and dramatically increase funding for reliable, interoperable communications systems.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Safeguard Mass Public Transportation:
</strong>
Every weekday, Americans take 34 million trips on public transportation systems to get to work, school and beyond. Obama and Biden will fight for greater information-sharing between national intelligence agents and local officials and provide local law enforcement agencies with the everyday tools they need to protect their transportation systems.
</li>
</ul>
<a name="support-families">
</a>
<h3>
SUPPORT FAMILIES
</h3>

</li>
</ul>
<p>
<a name="support-families">
</a>
</p>
<h4>
Families
</h4>

<ul>

<li>

<strong>
Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they deserve. They will create a new "Making Work Pay" "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Strengthening Fatherhood and Families:
</strong>
As president,

</strong>
President
Obama will sign his Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act into law to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, ensure that support payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies, fund support services for fathers and their families, and support domestic violence prevention efforts.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Support Parents with Young Children:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will expand the highly successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all low-income, first-time mothers. The Nurse-Family Partnership provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis concluded that these programs produced an average of five dollars in savings for every dollar invested and produced more than $28,000 in net savings for every high-risk family enrolled in the program.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities:
</strong>
Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit:
</strong>
The

</strong>
The
Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provides too little relief to families that struggle to afford child care expenses. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Cap Outlandish Interest Rates on Payday Loans and Improve Disclosure:
</strong>
In

</strong>
In
the wake of reports that some service members were paying 800 percent interest on payday loans, the U.S. Congress took bipartisan action to limit interest rates charged to service members to 36 percent. Barack Obama and Joe President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that we must extend this protection to all Americans, because predatory lending continues to be a major problem for low and middle income families alike.
</li>

<li>

<strong>
Encourage Responsible Lending Institutions to Make Small Consumer Loans:
</strong>
Some mainstream, responsible lending institutions are beginning to enter the short-term lending market to provide many Americans with fair alternatives to predatory lending institutions. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will work with his Secretary of President Obama and Vice President Biden will work with his Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to encourage banks, credit unions and Community Development Financial Institutions to provide affordable short-term and small dollar loans . -- and to drive the sharks out of business.
</li>

</ul>

<h2>
Barack Obama's Record
</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>
Community Development Block Grants:
</strong>
In the U.S. Senate in 2005 and 2006, Obama worked with a bipartisan coalition of Senators to block Administration-proposed cuts to the CDBG program.
</li>
<li>
<strong>
Economic Growth:
</strong>
In 2003, Obama was the chief cosponsor of a successful Illinois State Senate bill establishing the Illinois Investment and Development Authority to support the creation and growth of community development financial institutions. Obama was the chief sponsor of bills that sought to increase the number of Illinois "enterprise zones" and expand the number of years they could be in service. Enterprise zones provide incentives to help stagnant local economies grow.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="column2">
<div class="module">
<div style="height: 126px; overflow: hidden;">
<a id="jmr_promo" href="http://www.johnmccainrecord.com" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/module_jmrecord.jpg" alt="Where does John McCain stand on the issues?" />
</a>
</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('#jmr_promo').css({display:'block'}).hover( function(){ jQuery(this).css({marginTop:'-126px'}); }, function(){ jQuery(this).css({marginTop:'0px'}); } ); });
</script>
<div class="module">
<div id="obama_mobile">
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/mobile/">
TEXT
<span style="text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold;">
HOPE
</span>
TO 62262
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="obama_everywhere module">
<script type="text/javascript">
<!-- hide if (document.images) { module_everywhere_facebook = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_facebook.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_facebook_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_blackplanet = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_blackplanet.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_blackplanet_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_myspace = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_myspace.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_myspace_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_faithbase = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_faithbase.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_faithbase_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_youtube = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_youtube.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_youtube_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_eons = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_eons.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_facebook_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_flickr = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_flickr.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_flickr_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_glee = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_glee.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_glee_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_digg = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_digg.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_digg_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_migente = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_migente.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_migente_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_twitter = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_twitter.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_twitter_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_mybatanga = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_mybatanga.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_mybatanga_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_eventful = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_eventful.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_eventful_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_asianave = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_asianave.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_asianave_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_linkedin = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_linkedin.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_linkedin_f2.jpg"; module_everywhere_dnc = new Image(140 ,30); module_everywhere_dnc.src = "http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_dnc_f2.jpg"; } // stop hiding -->
</script>
<table id="Table_01" width="280" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<h2>
<img id="module_everywhere_01_f2" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_01.jpg" width="280" height="66" alt="Obama Everywhere" />
</h2>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://presby.facebook.com/barackobama?q=barackobama&ref=ts" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_facebook','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_facebook_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_facebook" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_facebook.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Facebook" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.blackplanet.com/barack_Obama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_blackplanet','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_blackplanet_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_blackplanet" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_blackplanet.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Black Planet" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_myspace','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_myspace_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_myspace" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_myspace.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="MySpace" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.faithbase.com/barack_Obama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_faithbase','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_faithbase_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_faithbase" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_faithbase.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Faithbase" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_youtube','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_youtube_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_youtube" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_youtube.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="YouTube" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.eons.com/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_eons','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_eons_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_eons" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_eons.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Eons" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_flickr','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_flickr_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_flickr" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_flickr.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Flickr" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.glee.com/barack_Obama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_glee','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_glee_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_glee" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_glee.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Glee" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.digg.com/users/ObamaforAmerica" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_digg','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_digg_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_digg" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_digg.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Digg" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.migente.com/barack_Obama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_migente','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_migente_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_migente" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_migente.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="MiGente" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_twitter','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_twitter_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_twitter" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_twitter.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Twitter" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.mybatanga.com/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_mybatanga','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_mybatanga_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_mybatanga" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_mybatanga.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="MyBatanga" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.eventful.com/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_eventful','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_eventful_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_eventful" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_eventful.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Eventful" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.asianave.com/barack_Obama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_asianave','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_asianave_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_asianave" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_asianave.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="Asian Ave" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/barackobama" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_linkedin','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_linkedin_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_linkedin" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_linkedin.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="LinkedIn" />
</a>
</td>
<td>
<a href="http://www.democrats.org/page/dashboard/public/gFdZp" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('module_everywhere_dnc','','http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_dnc_f2.jpg',1)" target="_blank">
<img id="module_everywhere_dnc" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_dnc.jpg" width="140" height="30" alt="DNC PartyBuilder" />
</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<img id="module_everywhere_bot_f2" src="http://www.barackobama.com/images/obamaeverywhere2/module_everywhere_bot.jpg" width="280" height="22" alt="" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<div id="column2_bot">
</div>
<div class="clear-both">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear-both" style="height:0px">
 
</div>
<div id="bottom">
<div class="footer">
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php">
Learn
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/">
Issues
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/tv/">
Media
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/newsroom/">
News
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/blog/">
Blog
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/actioncenter">
Action
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages">
States
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://store.barackobama.com/">
Store
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/standardone?source=footernav">
Donate
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/privacypolicy/">
Privacy Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.barackobama.com/terms/">
Terms of Service
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact/">
Contact us
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="visibility:hidden">
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js">
</script>
<!-- Tracking: Pageview Spotlight Tag -->
<!-- Start of DoubleClick Spotlight Tag: Please do not remove-->
<!-- Activity Name for this tag is:Site Footer -->
<!-- Web site URL where tag should be placed: http://barackobama.com -->
<!-- This tag must be placed within the opening
<body>
tag, as close to the beginning of it as possible-->
<!-- Creation Date:11/07/07 -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var axel = Math.random()+""; var a = axel * 10000000000000; document.write('
<iframe src="https://fls.doubleclick.net/activityi;src=1476593;type=retar315;cat=sitef769;ord=1;num='+ a + '?" width="1" height="1" frameborder="0">
<'+'/'+'iframe>
');
</script>
<noscript>
<iframe src="https://fls.doubleclick.net/activityi;src=1476593;type=retar315;cat=sitef769;ord=1;num=1?" width="1" height="1" frameborder="0">
</iframe>
</noscript>
<!-- End of DoubleClick Spotlight Tag: Please do not remove-->
</div>
</body>
</html>

</div>
</div>
<div class="grdspan4 rightrail-blue">
<!-- start right rail -->
<div class="mod-blog" title="Latest News and Updates">
<a href="/blog/">
</a>
</div>
<div class="mod-presidents" title="The American Presidents">
<a href="/slideshows/presidents/">
</a>
</div>
<div class="mod-wh101" title="White House 101 - Facts and fun for all ages">
<a href="/about/white_house_101/">
</a>
</div>
<div class="mod-ope" title="Office of Public Liaison">
<a href="/administration/eop/opl/">
</a>
</div>
<!-- end right rail -->
</div>
<div class="clear">
 
</div>
</div>
<!-- end grid -->
<!-- start footer 996-->
<div class="ftrwrpr">
<!-- start breadcrumb 996-->
<div class="bcrumbwrpr">
You are Here:
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov">
Home
</a>
>
<a href="/agenda/">
The Agenda
</a>
> Urban Policy
</div>
<!-- end breadcrumb-->
<a name="sitemap">
</a>
<div class="ftrnav">
<ul class="firstlst">
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_hlNav" href="/briefing_room/">
THE BRIEFING ROOM
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_rptNavigationItems_ctl01_hlSubNav" href="/weekly_address/">
Weekly Video Address
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_rptNavigationItems_ctl02_hlSubNav" href="/blog/">
The Blog
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_rptNavigationItems_ctl03_hlSubNav" href="/slideshows/">
Slideshows
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_rptNavigationItems_ctl04_hlSubNav" href="/briefing_room/proclamations/">
Proclamations
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_rptNavigationItems_ctl05_hlSubNav" href="/briefing_room/executive_orders/">
Executive Orders & Presidential Memoranda
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl00_rptNavigationItems_ctl06_hlSubNav" href="/briefing_room/nominations_and_appointments/">
Nominations & Appointments
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_hlNav" href="/agenda/">
THE AGENDA
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl01_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/civil_rights/">
Civil Rights
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl02_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/defense/">
Defense
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl03_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/disabilities/">
Disabilities
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl04_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/economy/">
Economy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl05_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/education/">
Education
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl06_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/energy_and_environment/">
Energy & Environment
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl07_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/ethics/">
Ethics
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl08_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/family/">
Family
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl09_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/fiscal/">
Fiscal
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl10_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/foreign_policy/">
Foreign Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl11_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/health_care/">
Health Care
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl12_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/homeland_security/">
Homeland Security
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl13_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/immigration/">
Immigration
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl14_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/iraq/">
Iraq
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl15_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/poverty/">
Poverty
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl16_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/rural/">
Rural
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl17_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/seniors_and_social_security/">
Seniors & Social Security
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl18_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/service/">
Service
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl19_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/taxes/">
Taxes
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl20_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/technology/">
Technology
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl21_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/urban_policy/">
Urban Policy
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl22_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/veterans/">
Veterans
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl23_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/women/">
Women
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl01_rptNavigationItems_ctl24_hlSubNav" href="/agenda/additional/">
Additional Issues
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_hlNav" href="/administration/">
THE ADMINISTRATION
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl01_hlSubNav" href="/administration/president_obama/">
President Barack Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl02_hlSubNav" href="/administration/vice_president_biden/">
Vice President Joe Biden
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl03_hlSubNav" href="/administration/michelle_obama/">
First Lady Michelle Obama
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl04_hlSubNav" href="/administration/jill_biden/">
Dr. Jill Biden
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl05_hlSubNav" href="/administration/cabinet/">
The Cabinet
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl06_hlSubNav" href="/administration/staff/">
White House Staff
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl02_rptNavigationItems_ctl07_hlSubNav" href="/administration/eop/">
Executive Office of the President
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_hlNav" href="/about/">
ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl01_hlSubNav" href="/about/history/">
History
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl02_hlSubNav" href="/about/presidents/">
Presidents
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl03_hlSubNav" href="/about/first_ladies/">
First Ladies
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl04_hlSubNav" href="/about/vp_residence/">
Vice President's Residence & Office
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl05_hlSubNav" href="/about/eeob/">
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl06_hlSubNav" href="/about/oval_office/">
The Oval Office
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl07_hlSubNav" href="/about/camp_david/">
Camp David
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl08_hlSubNav" href="/about/air_force_one/">
Air Force One
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl09_hlSubNav" href="/about/fellows/">
White House Fellows
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl10_hlSubNav" href="/about/internships/">
White House Internships
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl11_hlSubNav" href="/about/white_house_101/">
White House 101
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl03_rptNavigationItems_ctl12_hlSubNav" href="/about/tours_and_events/">
Tours & Events
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_hlNav" href="/our_government/">
OUR GOVERNMENT
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl01_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/executive_branch/">
The Executive Branch
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl02_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/legislative_branch/">
The Legislative Branch
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl03_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/judicial_branch/">
The Judicial Branch
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl04_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/the_constitution/">
The Constitution
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl05_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/federal_agencies_and_commissions/">
Federal Agencies & Commissions
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl06_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/elections_and_voting/">
Elections & Voting
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl07_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/state_and_local_government/">
State & Local Government
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a id="ctl11_rptNavigation_ctl04_rptNavigationItems_ctl08_hlSubNav" href="/our_government/resources/">
Resources
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/contact/">
CONTACT
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<br />
<strong>
The White House
</strong>
<br />
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
<br />
Washington, DC 20500
<br />
<br />
<strong>
Questions?
</strong>
<br />
<a href="mailto:comments@whitehouse.gov">
Comments@whitehouse.gov
</a>
<br />
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="clear">
</div>
</div>
<!-- start footer 996-->
<div class="subftrwrpr">
<div class="subftrwrpr">
<div class="subwhgov">
<a href="/">
<img alt="www.whitehouse.gov" src="/images/eop/sftr-whgov.gif" />
</a>
</div>
<div class="subftlnks">
<a href="/spanish/">
En Español
</a>
|
<a href="/accessibility/">
Accessibility
</a>
|
<a href="/copyright/">
Copyright Information
</a>
|
<a href="/privacy/">
Privacy Policy
</a>
|
<a href="/contact/">
Contact
</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.usa.gov">
USA.gov
</a>
|
<a href="/administration/jobs/">
Jobs
</a>
|
<a href="/rss/">
Subscribe to RSS
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<input type="hidden" name="__EVENTTARGET" id="__EVENTTARGET" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="__EVENTARGUMENT" id="__EVENTARGUMENT" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="__EVENTVALIDATION" id="__EVENTVALIDATION" value="/wEWBgKatZ/lDALj9a/8AgKvkMLVAgKy1I+tDgLPs9fxDALHxoOHDsoTECV0BmKRANzf1zQcx+3veXjL" />
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//
<![CDATA[ var theForm = document.forms['main']; if (!theForm) { theForm = document.main; } function __doPostBack(eventTarget, eventArgument) { if (!theForm.onsubmit || (theForm.onsubmit() != false)) { theForm.__EVENTTARGET.value = eventTarget; theForm.__EVENTARGUMENT.value = eventArgument; theForm.submit(); } } //]]>
</script>
<script src="/WebResource.axd?d=HfebFk10y3jmVfvvklXrhw2&t=633676526670346865" type="text/javascript">
</script>
</form>
<div style="display:none" id="tb_external">
<h2>
You are exiting the White House Web Server
</h2>
<p>
Thank you for visiting our site.
</p>
<div class="graybox">
<div>
You will now access
</div>
<div id="tb_external_thelink">
</div>
</div>
<p>
<strong>
We hope your visit was informative and enjoyable.
</strong>
</p>
<p>
To comment on the site, send feedback to the Web
<br />
Development Team by
<a href="/contact/">
clicking here
</a>
.
</p>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//
<![CDATA[ var _tag=new WebTrends(); //]]>
>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
//
<![CDATA[ // Add custom parameters here. //_tag.DCSext.param_name=param_value; _tag.dcsCollect(); //]]>
>
</script>
<noscript>
<div>
<img alt="DCSIMG" id="DCSIMG" width="1" height="1" src="http://statse.webtrendslive.com/dcs0l9nq800000ctek411lue6_2c8b/njs.gif?dcsuri=/nojavascript&WT.js=No&DCS.dcscfg=1&WT.tv=8.6.0"/>
</div>
</noscript>
</body>
</html>