Mayor Shirley Franklin was in Washington, DC today meeting with the House leadership, policy and economic experts to discuss the state of America’s economy, particularly efforts to shorten the economic slump, address the housing crisis, and grow the local and national economy.
Those in attendance at the meeting were, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House of Representatives Financial Service Committee Chairman, Barney Frank (D-MA), Democratic Caucus Chair, Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Charles Rangel (D-NY)
In addition to the Democratic Members of Congress above, the following policy and economic experts attended the forum:
- Alan Blinder - Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies, Department of Economics, Princeton University
- Iris Lav – Deputy Director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Lewis Sachs - Partner, Chairman of the Investment Committee, and Member of the Management Committee, Mariner Investment Group, Inc
- Allen Sinai - Founder, Chief Global Economist and President, Decision Economics Inc.
- Larry Summers - Professor and Past President, Harvard University; former Treasury Secretary
- Mark Zandi - Chief Economist and co-founder, Moody’s Economy.com
Mayor Franklin’s Statement on Today’s Forum
“We need the federal government to act---we are already experiencing economic downturn, we can’t wait for the election…..people are losing their jobs, the city is losing revenue when services are going up…
I think the federal government should examine how to prevent foreclosures and to help families stay in their homes as well as help communities rebuild after foreclosures have impacted neighborhoods…..Atlanta like many cities of all sizes is experiencing the impact of the foreclosure crisis. In six Atlanta neighborhoods, the foreclosure rate is nearly triple the national average.”
Nancy Pelosi’s Statement on Today’s Forum
“Today, the House Democratic Leadership once again brought together some of America’s leading economists and policymakers to discuss the state of our economy. We had a very informative meeting.
Recent economic data indicate that we have not met the technical definition of a recession. But our economy is not creating jobs or increasing wages for America’s workers.
Many Americans fear losing their jobs; many fear losing their homes; most everyone is worried about losing their standard of living.
The price of groceries, gasoline, housing, education, and health care have all gone up—and the purchasing power of a middle-income salary has gone down.
How we measure and address the condition of our economy, and what decisions we make in the short and long term, are very important and will have an immediate impact on to the lives of the American people and our economy.
That is why we have hosted a series of meetings beginning in December when we began developing the economic stimulus package the President signed in February. Hard-working Americans began receiving Recovery Rebates this past last week.
It is clear from the deepening of the economic crisis that the time for another economic stimulus package is now.
As with our earlier economic forums, our meeting today was productive and will inform the House’s actions in the weeks and months ahead.
I thank our guests again for joining us, and for the service they have performed to our country.”
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For more information about this and services of the City of Atlanta visit our website at www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26