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(KSL News/News release) Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is one of 16 mayors meeting today with President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago.
The mayors from across the country, plus the President-elect and his Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs Valerie Jarrett, will discuss the White House Urban Policy Office. The soon-to-be established office will be led by Jarrett and focus on how the federal government can help America's cities.
Becker and the other mayors are all part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Working Group on Urban Policy.
During his campaign, President-Elect Obama said, "We need to stop seeing cities as the problem and start seeing them as part of the solution, because strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, and strong regions are essential for a strong America."
In a news release, Mayor Becker said, "I applaud President-Elect Obama's early commitment to America's cities. I believe our cities play a critical role in building a sustainable future for our country. Today's meeting will be a great opportunity to share my vision for the Salt Lake region with the other mayors and the Obama transition team and to begin collaborating with the White House to reinvigorate our cities."
Others participating are:
• Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle (WA)
• Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz of Burnsville (MN)
• Mayor Jerry E. Abramson of Louisville (KY)
• Mayor Douglas H. Palmer of Trenton (NJ)
• Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic of Akron (OH)
• Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. of Charleston (SC)
• Mayor Martin J. Chavez of Albuquerque (NM)
• Mayor Michael B. Coleman of Columbus (OH)
• Mayor Kathryn L. Taylor of Tulsa (OK)
• Mayor David N. Cicilline of Providence (RI)
• Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia (PA)
• Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver (CO)
• Mayor Sheila Dixon of Baltimore (MD)
• Mayor Bob Foster of Long Beach (CA)
• Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis (MN)
