1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, Welcome to the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. I'm Tom Keene 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: with David Gura. Daily we bring you insight from the 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: best of economics, finance, investment, and international relations. Find Bloomberg 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Surveillance on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Bloomberg dot com, and of course, 5 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: on the Bloomberg in Washington. David Gurra, Tom, thank you 6 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: very much. Joined here by the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee. 7 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: That is Megan Barry. She's here for a smart Cities 8 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: event that our Bloomberg Government office is great to have you. 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: Thank you with us. I'm a moderated panel with six mayors, 10 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: so it's much to talk to you one. We'll see 11 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: how that goes. Good luck. Help us with a definition 12 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: for first of all, we talk about smart cities, what 13 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: are we talking about, Well, you're talking about lots of 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: different things. I mean, for us, it's about transit and 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: how you build in that smart technology and all the 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: transit that you have going on. So we're really becus 17 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: right now on just the basic things like getting our 18 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: signals timed. I mean, that makes the city smart. But 19 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: it's the more comprehensive visionary stuff like a v uh 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: you know, automated vehicles and and those. How we're all 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: going to get around cities in the future. How much 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: of that is elective? In other words, is there a 23 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: need for Nashville to move in this direction or is 24 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: it something you would like to see? No, we need 25 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: to move. I mean we are so far behind in transit. 26 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: I mean you walk around in New York and d C. 27 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: And you see these incredible transit infrastructures. We don't have 28 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: any of that. So we're we're really at the very 29 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: beginning of building that infrastructure out. We've got bus systems, 30 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: but we need light rail, we need uh passenger rail, 31 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: we need a whole bunch of much more comprehensive infrastructure. 32 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: How do you assess the appetite for that. You've got 33 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: citizens who may want this, They're gonna have to pay 34 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: for at least some of it, right, How do you 35 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: know what's a good investment from Chapel Hill. And He's 36 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: gonna talk for a long time about building light rail 37 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: between Chapel Hill, Gerham and Raleigh. It's something that people 38 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: maybe have their eye on, but then when they see 39 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: the cost of it, they they blanched a little bit. 40 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: How do you pick the projects that are worthwhile for 41 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: for the citizens in natural So what we look at 42 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: is where our act of riderships and where can we 43 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: actually put trains it down on the line. And I 44 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: will tell you right now, with the growth of Nashville, 45 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: eighty one people a day are moving to Nashville. So 46 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: you feel that crunch are our roads just can't take 47 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: the capacity anymore. So we've got to be more creative 48 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 1: and that's what being smart's all about. You're here in Washington, 49 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: d C. Yes, we're gonna we're gonna do a panel. 50 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: You're also going to be on Capitol Hill. What role 51 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: do you see the federal government playing? We heard the 52 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: President in the speech to a joint session of Congress 53 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: saying he wants a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending, public 54 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: private partnerships and the like. What role should the federal 55 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: government playing and doing that? Well, I hope that that's 56 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: the case. I'd love to see that trillion dollars make 57 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: its way to Nashville. We'll take just a piece of it. 58 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 1: Not you don't even need just a little to little piece. Um. 59 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: I think the federal government has to be a critical partner. 60 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: But I think that local municipalities can't wait anymore. Um. 61 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: I think that there used to be a time when 62 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: the Feds would say, hey, here's our here's a pot 63 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: of money. I think now locals have to come and say, 64 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: we've we've got this, We've got some money to put 65 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: in ourselves. Let's find a way to make this all 66 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: happen together. How much of a challenge is getting private 67 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: sector investment into infrastructure? Church? Is that something that you're 68 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: looking at, Is it's something that what's the case that 69 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: you make to investors to to put money towards Nashville. 70 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: So as we begin those conversations about how we're going 71 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: to fund our six billion dollar transit plan, P three's 72 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: are critical, and and I think that we are seeing 73 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: other places where you've got private investment that wants to 74 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: flow in. We are. Actually, my my vernacular is a 75 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: little different. We call them private public. Yes, there's going 76 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: to probably be a lot more private money in this 77 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: in public still still three ps, yes, three ps. But 78 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: the order matters. The dialogue here is between you and 79 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: other mayors from around the country. How much of what 80 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: you're doing is pulling stuff that's tried and true in 81 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: other places, bring it to naturally, how much are you 82 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: looking for things that are replicatable. We're looking for anything. 83 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: We don't think that we have to have pride of ownership. 84 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: We're all about trying to find something that's already worked 85 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: and and taking it. And the good thing about local 86 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: municipalities and mayors in particular as we want to share. 87 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: So I was recently in Denver with the mayor of 88 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: Mayor Hancock looking at their transit system and learning from 89 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: what they've done. And the thing is those that have 90 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: come before you can also learn from their mistakes. So 91 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: we really want to share with each other. And I 92 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: think that's really really create. You know, critical you mentioned 93 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: the degree to which Nashville is growing. What's your vision 94 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: for what that city looks like in ten twenty years time. 95 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: It's going to be bigger, It's going to be bigger, 96 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 1: it's going to be different just in terms of getting 97 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: around or what's going to be there. Well, I mean, 98 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: I think when you think about Nashville, one of our 99 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: best pieces is that we are attracting incredible talent. We 100 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: are attracting a diverse talent pool, and we want to 101 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: be able to make sure that they want to stay 102 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: and be able to get around really easily and not 103 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: having that that that traffic that you know every day, 104 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: and it's going to make a huge difference to their 105 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: quality of life. I just ask you about legacy. I 106 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: was talking with tom My co host a little while back, 107 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: the mayor and Bedford's gonna be here. You think you Bedford, 108 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: you think of fishing, I think of Nashurally, you think 109 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: of music. As you look at the future of the city, 110 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: how do you deal with that legacy being associated with 111 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: something but wanting the city to stand for something more, 112 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: have other industry come in for example, Well, you know 113 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: music is a huge part of what Naville. You know, yeah, 114 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: our our economy, but we're also a huge healthcare capital. 115 00:04:58,080 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: I mean, we have a lot of One of the 116 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: things that made us actually very strong through the recession 117 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: was that we have a very diverse economic engine. So 118 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 1: we you know, continuing to grow that, making sure we're 119 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 1: not putting all of our eggs in one basket. But 120 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: at the same time, music is what makes us special 121 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: and you sure you never want to lose that. We 122 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: have to get lastly here, we've got about thirty seconds left. 123 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: How you assess what works? So you invest in something 124 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: you try something different, how much time do you give that, 125 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: how much do you how do you look at the 126 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: data and see what's working what's not. Well, first of all, 127 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: you actually said the key word, which is data. I mean, 128 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: I think in the past we've just thrown things down 129 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: and said let's just cross our fingers. Now we actually 130 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: have taken a long time to study and find out 131 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: where the ridership is, especially for these mass transit projects, 132 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: and we've got the data so it we're at least 133 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: starting a little bit ahead now. The success will be 134 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: if people write it. Maim Berry, thank you very much 135 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: for joining us here at the bloom Reosmart Cities event 136 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: that get started just a little way a little while here. 137 00:05:49,640 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: How the mayor of Nashville joining me, David Garry here 138 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: in Washington, as you said, with the Congressman Elizabeth st 139 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: she's a Congressman from the fifth District in Connecticut. We're 140 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: just talking with the Mayor of Nashville about her ambitions 141 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: from making Nashville a smart city, and she talked a 142 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: little bit about the degree to which she's relying on 143 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: the federal government to help her in those efforts. You're 144 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: on Capitol Hill. Uh, where there has been talk of 145 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: infrastructure spending, a new infrastructure package. Where do things stand? 146 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: Just give us the state of play at this point. 147 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: Ifice to say it's a busy agenda on Capitol Hill. 148 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: At this point, it's a busy agenda. And uh, you know, 149 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: this is an area where there's enormous interest in bipartisan support. 150 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: There isn't a district congressional district in America. There isn't 151 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: a state that isn't in need of infrastructure, whether it's 152 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: new infrastructure for growing cities. You take some I know 153 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: you'd be talking to the mayor Charlotte soon or the 154 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: industrial Northeast where where I live where I represent Waterbury, 155 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: Connecticut and areas like that, or the industrial Midwest. We 156 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: all need infrastructure and so that should to provide the pressure. 157 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: The challenge that we're facing is how do we finance it? 158 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: And that's really what we're looking at right now. Lots 159 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: of different proposals. The presidents put a trillion dollar price 160 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: tag of as truck schumer Um in the House. We've 161 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: got i would say, more actionable plans that we put forward, 162 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: and we're going to now try to move them forward. 163 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: You know, we talked about tax reform, and the blueprint 164 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: from which we're working is this, is this Ryan Brady blueprint? 165 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: Is there something similar for infrastructure spending at this point? 166 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: In other ways you have people making proposals, but is 167 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: there a piece of legislation, no matter how in co 168 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: it from which lawmakers are working at this point. Are 169 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: we not there yet? We're not really there yet, although 170 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: there are a couple of different proposals. Most folks think 171 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: we're likely to see some form of repatriation of overseas profits, 172 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: of which we're looking at trillions of dollars, which could 173 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: provide the corpus from which we could then uh, you know, 174 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: do a major infrastructure bank for example. Um, that needs 175 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: to be part of the deal. But as you can imagine, 176 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: other people have designs on that money too. Um. And 177 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: so I don't think Chairman Brady is uh, nor Speaker 178 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: Ryan my workout by Speaker Ryan are quite yet ready 179 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: to agree to that. So so that's basically what we've got. 180 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: The order we have we have first coming healthcare to 181 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: free up money for tax reform, and only then are 182 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: we going to get to infrastructure. So that's really the 183 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: hang up right now is is that ordering is making 184 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: it hard for us to come to an agreed upon deal. 185 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: Here with Congressman st at the Bloomberg Smart Cities event 186 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: and uh, it's a casual, freewheeling space. The Mayor of 187 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: Columbus has just shown up and again choices here on 188 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: Blomberg surveillance talking about the role that the federal government 189 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: might play. Your city was a bona fide smart city, 190 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: granted a lot of money by the federal government as 191 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: part of a competition. How has that money helped you 192 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: move your city forward? What? What what word work did 193 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 1: that competition do to get you to where you want 194 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,959 Speaker 1: to be? Well, we're working on it there. Yeah, just 195 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: awarded a year ago and very pleased with the way 196 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: the community has responded. We started with a forty million 197 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: dollar award from d O T ten million from Vulcan. 198 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: At the time we were awarded, we had about ninety 199 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: million dollars of local match public private entities locally that 200 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: we're matched up into this acceleration fund. And now we're 201 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: at three d and sixty seven million total and we've 202 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: just said a goal of a billion dollars by So 203 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: what you're really starting to see is some of the 204 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: pilots that we had in place for our proposal really 205 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: hitting the ground in neighborhoods like Lyndon, one of our 206 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: neighborhoods with highest levels of incarceration, infant mortality, unemployment, and poverty. UH, 207 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: to really start to open up more modes of safe, 208 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: reliable transportation to jobs, affordable, high quality childcare, job training, 209 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: workforce development. That's what this is all about. I really 210 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: believe that mobility is the great equalizer of the twenty 211 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: first century, and that's why it's so important. So to 212 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: have allies with vision like Congressman here and and others. UH. 213 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 1: We're spending some time here in Washington talking about what 214 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: we're doing with Smart Columbus and asked for continued commitment 215 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 1: and investment UH into intelligent transportation for the future. Of course, messy. 216 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: How much of a dialogue is there between the federal 217 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: government and the local government. How could you do more 218 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: to understand what's working and what's not here in Washington. Well, 219 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: I do a great deal with my own districts and 220 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: and UH Neil O'Leary, who's mayor of Waterbury, is very 221 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 1: involved in the Smart Cities. They've applied for a smart 222 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: Cities Grant and I couldn't agree more with the mayor 223 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: here about we really do need to have mobility. And 224 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: sometimes this gets hung up about is a job's shovel ready, 225 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: jobs right now, but it's jobs into the future. It's 226 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 1: jobs right now and into the future. So I look 227 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: at challenges we have, for example with access to community colleges, well, 228 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: that is dependent on having a bus service. The folks 229 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,719 Speaker 1: who use community college need night buses and we've had 230 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 1: struggles over that, and that's why I'm so enthusiastic about 231 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,959 Speaker 1: things like the Smart Cities projects. Sit these are places 232 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: and having represented a local community, the rubber hits the road, 233 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: you've got to fix the pothole. You have to deliver services. 234 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: You can't be an idea logue. Nobody cares what letters 235 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: after your name. If you're a mayor, are you getting 236 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 1: the job done? And I know that for my time 237 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: doing that. That's why I want to see these laboratories 238 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: not just to the States, but the laboratories of the cities, 239 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: which where more people are living more and more in 240 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: our cities. Let them use these projects, show what works, 241 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: and then we do more of what works, unless of 242 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: what doesn't coach, I see, thank you very much. Thanks 243 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: to you American there as well. I'm gonna be on 244 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: stage just a little while. Let you guys get breakfast 245 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: first before I tackles some panels on stage. I'm here 246 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: at the Bloomberg Government Smart Cities event in Washington, a 247 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: DC too short of visit with with these two, I 248 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: just want to get the statehood question out of the way, 249 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 1: and Charlie, being from New York, had no idea, So 250 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: I'm going to let you explain that. Sure. So we 251 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,959 Speaker 1: have been on a quest to make d C equal 252 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: to every other state in America, and actually Washingtonians, who 253 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: are taxpayers, equal to every other American. And that's what 254 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: we've been focused on in the district. We are a city, county, 255 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: and state all at once. EXCEP. We have no vote 256 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: in the Congress of the United States, the only capital 257 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: in the world where it's citizens UH don't have representatives 258 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: in UH in the Congress. UH. So we have presented 259 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: a bill to the Congress to change that. Last year, 260 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 1: over eight percent of Washingtonians voted to become the fifty 261 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: first state UH. And the Congress can make this change 262 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: by a simple vote. A large percentage of DC residents 263 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: also voted for Hillary Clinton to be president and Donald 264 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: Trump is our president. Historically, d C does not fare 265 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: as well for local control under Republican administration. So given 266 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: this is DC statehood right now with pipe dream, Well, 267 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: actually that's not the case. UH. In the district, our 268 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 1: congresswoman and leaders of the District of Columbia have worked 269 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: with Republicans and Democrats alike UH to advanced issues that 270 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: help Washingtonians. We have had Republicans, including the Vice President 271 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: of the United States, UM, Mike pens vote U to 272 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: have Washingtonians to have a vote in the Congress, to 273 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: have a delegate have a vote. UM. So for us, 274 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: this has not a Republican or Democratic issue. UH is 275 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: an issue of that's very central to our American democracy. 276 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,319 Speaker 1: If you pay taxes, UH, you get a vote in 277 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 1: representation in the in the Congress. Now, you were here 278 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: because of smart cities and to talk about infrastructure. UM. 279 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: I wanted to get an idea about that, particularly when 280 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: you think about Metro and all of the problems that 281 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: it's have had of late. What are some of the 282 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: best practices that you're able to take away from this 283 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: and to present to this conference. Um, well, it's I 284 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: always like to be with other mayors to see, um, 285 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,479 Speaker 1: what what they're working on. We had a great conversation 286 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: about how U as d O T can be involved. 287 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: There's a discussion about on the need for the reauthorization 288 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: of a federal Transportation Act, which we're very focused on 289 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: as well. Uh in the district, of course, we function 290 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: as city, county, and state, so we have all of 291 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: those roles, and we worked with the region with Maryland 292 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: and Virginia because we're Metro funders, so we like to 293 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: see a big move. The President promised for a big 294 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: infrastructure bill and hopefully the money to go with it 295 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: to make the necessary investments because we have them too. 296 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: We have them been transit, we have them the roads, 297 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: and we have them in bridges. You and Amy both 298 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: make the point that this is a cross state issue 299 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: in terms of being a smart city. As d C, 300 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: what are the some of the challenges and working with 301 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: your neighbors to make sure that you're all pursuing these 302 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: goals mutually. Well, I think that the biggest issue that 303 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: we have is is Metro because it is by a 304 00:14:55,760 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: compact operated by Maryland d C and Virginia at SET 305 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: when it was created more than forty years ago. Now, 306 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: there was not a regional funding mechanism put in place, 307 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: and there's no other transit system like ours in the 308 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: United States UM that doesn't all of those systems have 309 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: a dedicated funding source, and that's what we're We're very 310 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: focused on. Other parts of infrastructure, could include anything from 311 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: cyber to UH handling UH the homeless. What are some 312 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: of the big initiatives that's facing DC right now? Well, housing, 313 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: We include housing certainly in UH all of our infrastructure 314 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: ask UM. The federal government has a role. They have 315 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: some public housing in Washington, UM, but we are also 316 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: making a hundred million dollar investment in our Housing Production 317 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: Trust Fund each and every year UH, and that puts 318 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: US in tops across the country. In the amount that 319 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: we're investing in affordable housing. We are particularly concerned about 320 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: some housing to have affordability covenants now UM that will 321 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: expire over the next several years, So part of our 322 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: efforts are around preservation of those eight thousand units. One 323 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: of the issues that a lot of mayors are struggling 324 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: with where you have had medical or recreational marijuana initiatives 325 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: is federal state city jurisdiction. How is DC's marijuana recreational 326 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: marijuana use allowance faring under the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Well, 327 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: we uh, per se don't have a legalization of recreational marajuana. 328 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: Um and it's just confusing, So let me explain. Uh. 329 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: First of all, we do have a medical marijuana regime 330 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: that's been in place for a number of years, which 331 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: I understand people are also questioning the use of medical marijuana. 332 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: A couple of years ago, our voters approved a measure 333 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: to allow for the use of marijuana by adults UM 334 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: in the possession of marijuana in their private homes for 335 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: recreational use for non medical use. Part of your function 336 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: is different, though, and the reason why I point this 337 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: out is in Stay, it's where marijuana is legalized. Uh, 338 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: they have a regime that allows for the growing and 339 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: procurement and sell of marijuana. That's not the case in it. 340 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: So how does that How does that mesh with the 341 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: federal government's position illegal? According to it is part of 342 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 1: the m forget the word that they use, but the 343 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: medical use of marijuana is not approved on the federal schedule. 344 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,399 Speaker 1: So any uh, any marijuana regime where whether it's medical 345 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 1: or recreational, if there's a change in federal policy to 346 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: enforce those crimes, that will have an effect on any 347 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,959 Speaker 1: state that has a medical or recreational program. As we 348 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: are talking about the smart cities and the infrastructure, how 349 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,919 Speaker 1: fast is DC growing and where do you see the 350 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,440 Speaker 1: district in the next ten to twenty years. Well, we 351 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,880 Speaker 1: grow about a nine hundred people per month. Um. We've 352 00:17:54,880 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: been on that pace for I think the last five years. Sustainable. Uh, yes, 353 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 1: it is, um, but we have to make a lot 354 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,360 Speaker 1: of investments in transportation and housing. UM. Where the biggest 355 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: pinch that we have is on housing. Uh. And we're 356 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: starting to see it in other and other things that 357 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: people need associated with housing, like childcare. And who are 358 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: those people. How are the demograt effects of the city changing? Um, 359 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,479 Speaker 1: well they've changed. I think that the part ofly the 360 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: biggest changes that they're very young. Uh. You heard one 361 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: of the mayors say a little bit earlier than her 362 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: city is half of the people that her city UM 363 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: grows by our millennials. I will say it's much significantly 364 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 1: higher for for d C. That most of the people 365 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: moving here are under the age of thirty five. UM. 366 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 1: We are also see people who are downsizing that are 367 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: moving from the suburbs to the district. Mayor. I know 368 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: that your time is short. I know we have to 369 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: let you go. UM. I just want to talk to 370 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: you about priorities. How do you prioritize and how do 371 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: you figure out how to pay for it as you 372 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: get into the infrastructure of the nation's capital. Well, we've 373 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: actually I'm just gonna talk to you about one new 374 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: effort we have and that around uh. Of course, we're 375 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: making the necessary investments in metro, and we're seeking to 376 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: get a dedicated funding source, and we're encouraging our neighbors 377 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: in Maryland and Virginia to join us. UM. But we're 378 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: also doing some back to the basics things in our city. 379 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: When it comes to infrastructure, I am. I have a 380 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: state of good repair plan in my current budget for 381 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: all residential streets in d C. We do pretty well 382 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 1: on our main arterials, only seven percent of them are 383 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: in poor condition, but that number goes up to thirty 384 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: where you're talking about residential streets. So I have a 385 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: five year plan to get rid of poorly rated roads 386 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: UH in in the district and and that's very important. 387 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: We're also very focused on UH as you've heard on 388 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: making our city more resilient when it comes to to 389 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: flooding in the likes, I would say transportation and housing 390 00:19:49,520 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: are a top two infrastructure issues. So Mayor Roberts were 391 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: at this Smart Cities meeting. UM, you hear about smartness 392 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 1: and smart that all the time. How do you use 393 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: data and transparency, which are themes of this conference to 394 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:19,679 Speaker 1: create a smart city. Well, you can have data usage 395 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: in many different areas of what cities worry about and 396 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: what they focus on every day. UM, what we've really 397 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: looked at in Charlotte is how do we use data 398 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: to make sure that we're serving everyone, that we're being 399 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: equitable in our infrastructure, and that we're connecting people UM 400 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: two jobs, to healthcare, to even healthy food as part 401 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: of UM the inequalities we see in our communities. And 402 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,680 Speaker 1: so when you have data where you know where people 403 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: are working, UM, where they're living, which bus routes connect 404 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 1: them to, those bus routes work, those transit connections work, 405 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 1: how do the roadways work. When you have that accurate data, 406 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: you can make sure that not just is the government 407 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: operating efficiently, but also individual folks who are just living 408 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: their lives in your community are operating efficiently as well, 409 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 1: and that helps with the quality of life and also 410 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: helps UM to eliminate some of the disparities in income 411 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: and access other challenges that rapidly growing cities face all 412 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: across America. And when you're talking about transit infrastructure in particular, 413 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: I know you were specifically speaking about bus routes. UM. 414 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 1: Are there other issues transit infrastructure issues or possibilities that 415 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: Charlotte's looking toward, And what are your priorities and how 416 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: will you pay for them? That's all packed in one 417 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: package right there, and I only get three minutes tonto 418 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: that as long as you want. Well, UM, the funding 419 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: is a challenge, and I think what we we look at. 420 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: We have a very successful light rail UM that we're 421 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 1: extending to our university, which is great because it will 422 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: connect to UNC Charlotte to our downtown. UM. We have 423 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: that's gonna be ten miles added to the ten miles 424 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: already there. And we have a streetcar system and we 425 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: have three more lines that are under study that we 426 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:02,120 Speaker 1: know where those quarters are going to be. But that 427 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 1: additional total is going to be about six billion dollars 428 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: and right now we don't have funding and place we're 429 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: waiting to hear from the federal government to whether they're 430 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: going to continue the Tiger program and other things that 431 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: we have used successfully UH to start that that light 432 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: rail system that we have going. And what we find 433 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: is it's not just about transportation. It's also about land use, 434 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 1: and it's about how you grow your city and how 435 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: you plan your city so that when you can put 436 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: density along those quarters, you're much more efficient getting people 437 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: to work, getting people to the doctor, etcetera. And also 438 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,360 Speaker 1: leaving room for some open space for those big parks 439 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 1: and those green ways and things that you need to 440 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: help that balance in that quality of life and to 441 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: help your environment. And so so funding is a key 442 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: part of that. But we're also looking at the range 443 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 1: of options because we know that half the folks moving 444 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: to Charlotte every day or under age thirty five. We 445 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: know they don't like cars. So I've heard them many 446 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 1: forums and many community meetings. They want to bike, they 447 00:22:57,720 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: want to go transit, they want to uber. So we 448 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: want to make sure that we're expanding our bike pass. 449 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,440 Speaker 1: We want to make sure that we're doing mixed mixed 450 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: use development so they can actually walk a lot of places. 451 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: We see a lot of folks walking to breweries we have. 452 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 1: That's another, you know, big booming industry in Charlotte. The 453 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: micro breweries really absolutely we have like twenty one of 454 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: them within a mile of uptown. It's incredible, and people 455 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: want to walk to those. They don't They don't want 456 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: to have to worry about driving after that, so they 457 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: also want to have the social life that goes with that, 458 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: and um, people being out. We had this whole group 459 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: of cyclists who meet on every Tuesday night, like a 460 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: hundred of them, and they just take the streets over 461 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: and they have these routes that are neighborhoods and they 462 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: have their lights on and they have a great, big 463 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: social thing out of it. And so it's about looking 464 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 1: at a full range of cycling, walking safely, um, making 465 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 1: sure that traffic is rounded the right way, to make 466 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: safe crossings, etcetera. And having a bus and transit system 467 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:56,199 Speaker 1: that overlays that that helps connect people and again reduces 468 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: those transportation costs as well as helping the environment. One 469 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: issue involving your city that of course just had a 470 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: lot of national attention is HB two, which is known 471 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: as the bathroom Bill in shorthand. UM, you're in a 472 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 1: tough re election fight right now, and that's become part 473 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: of the campaign. UM, there is a constituency in Charlotte, 474 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: in North Carolina that had concerns about what the Human 475 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: Rights Commission had recommended originally for your policy. Is there 476 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: a way that that your original provision, which the Bathroom 477 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: Bill was meant to combat, could have been rolled out 478 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: to get greater broader support and not prompted the state 479 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: legislature to intervene. First of all, I have to correct 480 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,959 Speaker 1: anyone who calls it what you just called it. It 481 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: was a bill about discrimination or non discrimination. It is 482 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: what it is commonly known as exactly. But what it 483 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: was but the challenges that people really think that was 484 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 1: all it was about. And what it was about was 485 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: Charlotte standing up to say we don't believe discrimination against 486 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: the LGBT community is right, and that we believe in 487 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: public accommodations you should have some ability to take a 488 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: complaint to a local committee if you finally discriminated against. UM, 489 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: we wanted our restaurants, our hotels, in our taxis to 490 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: be inclusive and by and large they are, but there 491 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: are still isolated incidents of discrimination. So it was really 492 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 1: all about non discrimination for the LGBT community community. UM, 493 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 1: the word bathroom was never in our original ordinance. It 494 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: was in HB two, So I always want to correct 495 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: folks on that. Uh. And in terms of could we 496 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,639 Speaker 1: work better with the state, UM, we had a whole 497 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: year of campaigns based around because this is a vote 498 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,360 Speaker 1: that happened three times in the city of Charlotte, so 499 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 1: it was our two votes a year before I got 500 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 1: elected mayor. And again open public legislature knew about it. 501 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: We had a whole year of campaigning. Legislature knew about it, 502 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: and we did not hear anything. And looking at the 503 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: two hundred other cities across America that had noniscrimination ordinances, 504 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: including Columbia, South Carolina are neighbor to the south, um 505 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: merle Beach, Atlanta, et cetera, many cities we compete with. 506 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,640 Speaker 1: We didn't hear anything from legislation during that whole year 507 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: about any retribution, any backlash that would happen, and so 508 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: it was unexpected and I think, UM, we did what 509 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: we could in terms of projecting what we were gonna do, 510 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: talking about being equal, you know, inclusive city. We will 511 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: continue to um express those values in Charlotte. We were 512 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: very successful and still getting UM conventions and businesses, etcetera 513 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: coming to Charlotte because they knew that Charlotte was a 514 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,399 Speaker 1: city that stood up UH and said we do not 515 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 1: believe in discrimination. And so we had over eleven thousand 516 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 1: new jobs created in Charlotte, over a thousand companies expanded 517 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: or came to Charlotte in in spite of what the 518 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: state did. And so we continue to express those values. 519 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: We continue to talk about all the great things Charlotte 520 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: has and all the ways that we do include and 521 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: welcome folks. UM. We are incredibly diverse city and we 522 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: will continue to um be that. We're working very closely 523 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: with the pride IT sector to do what we can 524 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: within the constraints of what our state legislation has UM 525 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: prohibited us from doing, but they did not UM monitor 526 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: the private sector in that so we are working very 527 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: closely with them. We've always been a collaborative city and 528 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: we're going to continue to thrive and prosper based on 529 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: being equal, inclusive, fostering innovation, celebrating creativity. Let's take that 530 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: a step further and expanded out to Capitol Hill into 531 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 1: the federal government in the relationship between the municipalities, Charlotte specifically, 532 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: and the federal government. UM, that's why you're here, You're 533 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: in the Capitol c You're in the nation's capital. You're 534 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: gonna be on Capitol Hill soon. What is that relationship 535 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: like and what role can the federal government play when 536 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: it comes to Charlotte being a smart city, improving infrastructure 537 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: and some of the other is shooes that you've brought up. 538 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: We actually have worked pretty well with our congressional delegation 539 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:53,640 Speaker 1: around a number of things. And one of the things 540 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 1: that we're trying to get as a Doppler weather radar, 541 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: which we don't have in Charlotte. UM. I think we're 542 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 1: the largest. I know, we're the largest municipality doesn't have 543 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:03,640 Speaker 1: one that we we used South Carolina. UH and Robert Pittinger, 544 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,439 Speaker 1: who's a Republican congressman UM from our area, has helped 545 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: to champion that. So UM we look at energy infrastructure 546 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: and the things we've done UM around alternative energy, around 547 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 1: um UH energy conservation, etcetera. We've worked close to a 548 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: Senator bor on that. UH. There are many things that UM, 549 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: we have actually had success with our federal government. What 550 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: we're interested in physically around infrastructure is to continue some 551 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:32,679 Speaker 1: of the programs that have been so successful, like the 552 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: Tiger grants UM so much that has supported transportation infrastructure. 553 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: You know, we are a sort of non traditional transit city, UM. 554 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: You know, unlike the older cities that have had transit 555 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: for years. Charlotte was one of the first ones that 556 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 1: wasn't a coastal city and wasn't one of the you know, 557 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: top ten that had a very successful light round developed 558 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 1: development and that was really based on the portion of 559 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: the federal government was was able to fund UH and 560 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: that has spurred incredible private sexual development has really been 561 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 1: UM the leverage that we've used to get that collaboration 562 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 1: to really grow our city in a smart way, in 563 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,360 Speaker 1: a way that's more effective and efficient and provides opportunity 564 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: to more people. And so that's really where we're looking 565 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: to the federal government is to continue some of those 566 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: successful programs that we have proven our successful that we 567 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: can point to the dollars that we saved and the 568 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: dollars we've generated based on that investment. I wanted to 569 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: ask a little bit about, Um, what reaction you would 570 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: have to the Supreme Court's decision not to listen to 571 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: the appeal to the lower court Voter I D ruling. 572 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: Last of all, that the plan that had been approved 573 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: was called by the lower court and almost surgical precision 574 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: attempt to disenfranchise African American voters. Looks like, Um, that 575 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: law is not going to come back for the time being. 576 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: How is that affecting voters in Charlotte. That has a 577 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: tremendous impact. And I have to say I was glad 578 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: to see the Supreme Court's decision. And I actually looked 579 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: very closely at that Voter I D built when it 580 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: was first passed at our state, and I looked at, 581 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: um where they made it harder for African Americans to vote, 582 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: and where there were districts that were packed. And that also, UM, 583 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: we're you know, our districts are unconstitutional, and so they 584 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: are required to redraw our state legislative districts. UM before 585 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: next year's elections. They had to redraw the congressional districts 586 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,480 Speaker 1: as well. But if you look at the forms of 587 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: I D and they they found the conversation that went on, Uh, 588 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: they targeted forms of id that African Americans don't have 589 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: in the same proportions as UM white folks have, and 590 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: that UM is distressing to people who want to have 591 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: a voice in their government and who have also unfortunately 592 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: seen decades of discrimination and earlier attempts to disenfranchise whole 593 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: segments of our population. We are all about making sure 594 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: everyone in Charlotte has a voice, that everyone feels empowered. 595 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: We welcome citizen input all the time. We have a 596 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 1: budgeting process where we put our budget online. We asked 597 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: citizens to go in and show us what you would 598 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: add us subtract you know, how do you think it's 599 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: impact your neighborhood. Tell us what you feel. We have 600 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: town hall meetings all over our city with all of 601 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 1: our eleven um THIS representatives on the city Council and 602 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: and I'm going to have one in June. We want 603 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: people to feel like they're part of their future. And 604 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 1: when we have a bill that is disenfranchising the whole segments, 605 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 1: that is not helpful. So UM we're glad to see 606 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court cares about that aspect of democracy. Wanted 607 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: to ask also about UM housing part of the infrastructure issue. 608 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: We talked a little bit with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser 609 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: about the issue of homelessness in the city and she 610 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 1: says that's a big part of her infrastructure plan. Is 611 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: that a problem in Charlotte And does that dovetail at 612 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: all with the concept of a sanctuary city. I'm not 613 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: sure if Charlotte is a sanctuary city at all. Okay, 614 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: to separate issue, So how can cheeze those apart completely? 615 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: Very good? So, housing and affordable housing is a huge 616 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: challenge because our rents are rising faster than wages. As 617 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: our city grows, obviously property that's close in it has 618 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: a lower lesser commute becomes much more valuable. And so 619 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: what we are struggling with is about thirty four thousand 620 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: units that we are short of affordable housing. And this 621 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,240 Speaker 1: is for hourly workers, It's for our hotel workers, for 622 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: our teachers, for our police officers. Uh, folks who are 623 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: you know, middle class but um but in the lower 624 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: level of that that income bracket and really trying to 625 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 1: find a place that they can afford to live that's 626 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: not thirty miles outside of the city. And so we 627 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 1: are working very hard to increase the amount of money 628 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:45,520 Speaker 1: that we put into subsidized housing. UM. Actually, we advocated 629 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: to keep the Community Development Block grants that are federal 630 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: grants that we've used for housing projects, and so whether 631 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: it is new housing, whether it's renovating existing home so 632 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 1: seniors can stay in their homes and not get gentrified 633 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: out of their neighborhood US, they can do those essential repairs, etcetera. 634 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: We advocate to keep those and they're in the current budget. 635 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: We hope they're in uh physically or eighteen as well. UM. 636 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: So that's something where the federal government has been been 637 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: very helpful in our housing situation. One of the challenges 638 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: we have is that we are not allowed to require 639 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: a new construction a certain percentage to be affordable. So 640 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: even though we're doing more mixed income housing, it's voluntary. 641 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 1: We encourage it, we try to work with developers to 642 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: do it. UM. We try to UM show how it 643 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: benefits everyone. But again we have to help subsidize with 644 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: public money to really get to happen the speed that 645 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 1: we need. So that's a challenge. Housing continues to be 646 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: a challenge, but we've we've got some great projects underway 647 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: on the sanctuary city issue that is an immigration issue, 648 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: and that is really UM cities that are trying to 649 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: um not defy federal law, but to limit uh federal 650 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 1: reach in terms of their communities in deportations. We are 651 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: not a sanctuary city. We are a welcoming city. We 652 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: have many immigrants. But we also have a TUITI, V 653 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: and G program, which is a federal program that allows 654 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: local sharff's deputies to actually UM start deportation proceedings for folks. Now, 655 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: they only encounter that program if they are arrested for 656 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: some kind of offense, and so it is really targeting 657 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: violent criminals. Sometimes we're concerned that it's not necessarily targeting 658 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: violent criminals. UM. We don't want to use for traffic 659 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: incidents that sort of thing. UM, but we do want 660 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: to be a city that supports immigrants. We have an 661 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:33,320 Speaker 1: Immigrant Integration Task Force. It's looking at how do we 662 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,879 Speaker 1: support immigrants, small business, how do we help more legal 663 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 1: residents become citizens UH. That's something that we're actively working 664 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: with some nonprofits to to encourage because then you have 665 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 1: the full rights and privilege of the citizenship. UH. And 666 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 1: sometimes the housing and the immigrant issue do overlap when 667 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 1: immigrants are part of that UM that lower income Ralley 668 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: workforce that has a hard time finding housing. But they're 669 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,440 Speaker 1: really two separate issues. My final question, and for you, 670 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: Mayor Roberts, deals with some of the divisions that we 671 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: see in politics today. If you are looking at North 672 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 1: Carolina from a national stage, you see cities like Charlotte 673 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 1: that are heavily democratic college towns. Of course you're Raley Durham's, 674 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: those tend to be blue. And then there's the seas 675 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:17,439 Speaker 1: of deep red all over the state now in North 676 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: Carolina that combines to make the whole thing pretty purple, 677 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: pretty competitive, and I'm sure you'll have no shortage of 678 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 1: presidential attention in But in the meantime, as the mayor 679 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:28,839 Speaker 1: of a major city, is there's something you can do 680 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:31,919 Speaker 1: um within your own state, your own region to sort 681 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 1: of bridge some of these political divides that we see 682 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: between demographic groups, urban rural, the divisions we see in 683 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:43,240 Speaker 1: politics today. Well, the first thing to remember is that, um, 684 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 1: we have gerrymandering that again has been declared unconstitutional in 685 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: our state. And so the first thing I'm doing is 686 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:54,399 Speaker 1: advocating very strongly for an independent rediscertain Commission. And they're 687 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 1: actually bills in the House and Senate that would support that, 688 00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: but they haven't gotten out of committee. UM. We're hoping 689 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,280 Speaker 1: that that is going to change before the next census. 690 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: But that is a challenge because what we find is 691 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: that even though a very purple um, the state as 692 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: a whole is about in terms of registrations, we have 693 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:19,359 Speaker 1: ten Republican and three Democratic congressional representatives, so and that 694 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: is also married in our state House and Senate. It's 695 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 1: a veto proof majority. So what we find is that 696 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 1: redistriarching with the Independent Commission would help restore balance. So 697 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 1: that's one of the first things I'm doing. But the 698 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: second thing I want to do is help bridge the 699 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,400 Speaker 1: rural urban divide. And what we find is a lot 700 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: of legislatures now and conservative areas are from rural districts. 701 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:41,480 Speaker 1: We want them to prosper to we want to make 702 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:44,319 Speaker 1: sure that our cities connecting to those rural areas around us, 703 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: and we have a whole farm to fork movements so 704 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: that we have fancy restaurants in Charlotte that that pick 705 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,440 Speaker 1: local farms and highlight them and talk about them on 706 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 1: their menu and really help them survive and help them 707 00:36:55,680 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: be UM publicized. As part of supporting that rural area 708 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: that is just outside our borders. We have UM farmers 709 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:06,719 Speaker 1: markets that do the same thing. We have UM some 710 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:09,720 Speaker 1: tourist attractions in surrounding areas that are in rural areas 711 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: where a lot of people from Charlotte go and spend 712 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,760 Speaker 1: money and spend time. We want to continue to build 713 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: and looking at ourselves as a region and look at 714 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: economic development as a region. And so even if there's 715 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 1: a large company that wants to create a new factory 716 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:29,000 Speaker 1: or a new manufacturing facility, we want them to look regionally. 717 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 1: And there's a whole regional partnership that markets us that 718 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:33,759 Speaker 1: way because some as they don't fit in a very 719 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: densely developed Charlotte, but they might fit across the border. 720 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 1: And we know, again they're gonna live, they're gonna shop, 721 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 1: they're gonna entertain in Charlotte. Everybody's gonna benefit. So we 722 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 1: want to continue to do that. One thing I did 723 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 1: recently is we have a regional coalition of mayors um 724 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:49,800 Speaker 1: some very small towns along with Charlotte and some bigger towns. 725 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,799 Speaker 1: I gave them all a tour of our airport. It's 726 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 1: a regional facility. They got the behind the scenes tour 727 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: of all the construction and the growth that we have 728 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 1: in our airport, and they saw how things worked and 729 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,480 Speaker 1: that helped them feel this is part of their growth. 730 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 1: It's an asset they use all the time. We want 731 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: them to feel included. We are at the Bloomberg Smart 732 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: Cities meeting with many mayors, including Mayor John Mitchell of 733 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: New Bedford, Massachusetts, the state's sixth largest city, part of 734 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 1: the Providence Metropolitan Statistical Area, but definitely a place with 735 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:34,200 Speaker 1: its own spirit and soul. You come from a long 736 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 1: time fishing family. I do. I do as a matter 737 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 1: of fact. Yes, my parents were public school teachers, but 738 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 1: my family, especially on my father's side, was in the 739 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:45,280 Speaker 1: commercial fishing industry, which is a big thing in New Bedford, 740 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:48,839 Speaker 1: where the largest commercial fishing port in America and uh 741 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,080 Speaker 1: In are growing in terms of market share. Most of 742 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:54,760 Speaker 1: a lot of the fishing industry on the East Coast 743 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:58,719 Speaker 1: is actually gravitating toward New Bedford, UM and so it's 744 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 1: a big, big part of not only are regional economy, 745 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 1: but also a big part of our culture. You also 746 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 1: have a large manufacturing presence, and you're here learning about 747 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 1: smart cities and infrastructure issues as you are trying to 748 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 1: harness big data and information toward improving your city. How 749 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,319 Speaker 1: does that interface with some of the workforce challenges you 750 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:22,040 Speaker 1: have in an inevitably transitioning economy. Yeah, so things are 751 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: complex right now, and and you know, we're in a 752 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:27,440 Speaker 1: sort of a unique situation, at least for us, in 753 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: the sense that um our unemployment rate has dropped precipitously, 754 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 1: labor participation has gone up, but we still have sort 755 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: of a pesky cohort of folks who are remain outside 756 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,799 Speaker 1: the labor market. And the lament of most employers these 757 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 1: days is I've you know, I am hiring up, I've 758 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,360 Speaker 1: got help wanted science, which is a rare sight in 759 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,719 Speaker 1: New Bedford historically, but I can't find the people who 760 00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 1: have the basic basic math and English skills and more 761 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,799 Speaker 1: importantly soft skills to do the jobs. So so you know, 762 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,520 Speaker 1: what we're trying to do is, uh, to to deal 763 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 1: with that is, among other things, to enhance our transportation infrastructure. 764 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:16,319 Speaker 1: We want we we believe that are like as other 765 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:20,840 Speaker 1: mayors do that Uh that uh facilitating the ability of 766 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: people to go from home to their place of employment. Uh, 767 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,479 Speaker 1: it makes us more competitive and sort of the state 768 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: the obvious. But you know, what we've tried to do 769 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:34,120 Speaker 1: is to integrate smart cities, technology sensors and other data 770 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:39,160 Speaker 1: gathering measures into our transportation system to allow us to 771 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:41,759 Speaker 1: figure out where people are living where uh, you know, 772 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:46,040 Speaker 1: where migration patterns are are heading and and we're in 773 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 1: the employment growth is so that we can adjust on 774 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:51,839 Speaker 1: the fly. Data with context is knowledge. When you are 775 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 1: able to apply that knowledge, then you can move on 776 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 1: to the next step. What would the next step be? 777 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 1: And does the federal government or maybe the private sector 778 00:40:58,239 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 1: have a role in that. Well, the private sector, I 779 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:04,200 Speaker 1: think does have a role in helping identify their needs 780 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,279 Speaker 1: and and uh and so I think these days just 781 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 1: given um, the the back of apparent backing off of 782 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: the federal government from uh from the life of the 783 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 1: cities in this country at least, that's I think what 784 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: we should assume until until it's proven otherwise. And the 785 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: continuing resource constraints at the local level, you know, more 786 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:27,719 Speaker 1: has to be expected of the private sector, so not 787 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 1: only in the way of identifying needs, but also pooning 788 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: up funding to to to actually activate projects that might 789 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: be in the public good, whether they are in our 790 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:43,520 Speaker 1: case port facilities or whether they are um surface transportation projects, 791 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 1: whatever it is. But you know what we try to 792 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,120 Speaker 1: do is work in and glove with business so that 793 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:50,439 Speaker 1: you know, we have a sense of where their needs 794 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:53,520 Speaker 1: are heart not just presently but a year from now, 795 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,919 Speaker 1: five years from now, and so forth. Your city has 796 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,759 Speaker 1: the highest bond rating ever in its history, which is 797 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 1: saying something when it starts in the seventeenth century, How 798 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: does smart city innovation play into that? Yeah, I don't think. Uh, 799 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 1: I don't think S and P was around back then, 800 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,160 Speaker 1: so it might not be a valid marker. But but 801 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:15,400 Speaker 1: in any event, uh, you know what we we are, 802 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,200 Speaker 1: even though we're two thousand seventeen and not two thousand 803 00:42:18,239 --> 00:42:21,719 Speaker 1: and eight anymore. We still manage the city government with 804 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: a u a an air of austerity as though it 805 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:27,160 Speaker 1: were two thousand and in the sense that we're not 806 00:42:27,239 --> 00:42:30,520 Speaker 1: parsimonious about every last penny we do. We do look 807 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:32,920 Speaker 1: for opportunities to invest, but we've got to get more 808 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,520 Speaker 1: efficient all the time because we still our resource constraint um. 809 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:40,759 Speaker 1: So we we've we have championed a number of efficiency 810 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:45,720 Speaker 1: initiatives that have freed up capital public capital to invest 811 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:49,440 Speaker 1: in critical infrastructure whether it's broadband, whether it's port facilities 812 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:53,080 Speaker 1: and so forth. And we do that by, um, you know, 813 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: by by being more data driven. When I got into office, UH, 814 00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 1: there was nothing in the way of a performance management 815 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 1: mechanism and city government. We we have one. Now. We 816 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 1: measured all the things that I think, at least for now, 817 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:12,200 Speaker 1: that are relevant to our continuing to deliver important services 818 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 1: but also to save taxpayer dollars. UH. And we've also 819 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: seized opportunities for UH in certain discrete areas. Energy is 820 00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:23,320 Speaker 1: a good example where we've been very aggressive in building 821 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:26,120 Speaker 1: out our solar capacity. According to the Wall Street Journal, 822 00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:30,279 Speaker 1: we have uh more installed municipal solar capacity than any 823 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 1: any city in the United States. Actually in the continental 824 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: United States. Honolulu has we're told more installed a capacity 825 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:43,239 Speaker 1: per capita. But obviously honolul has a slight advantage when 826 00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:46,440 Speaker 1: it comes to sun so so. But but anyway, it's 827 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 1: just one example of the kinds of the kinds of energy, 828 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,359 Speaker 1: the kinds of initiatives that we were we've been aggressively 829 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:56,560 Speaker 1: pursuing because you know, when you step back and think 830 00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 1: about our position, your befords a city of a hundred thousand, 831 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:03,399 Speaker 1: it's an older industrial city. And even though we've we've 832 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 1: seen a lot of growth of late, we're one of 833 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 1: these places that historically has lag behind the business cycle, 834 00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:12,560 Speaker 1: right where one of the we're usually late to emerge 835 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:14,600 Speaker 1: from a recession and quick to go back into the 836 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,200 Speaker 1: next one. And what I'm trying to do is to 837 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:19,480 Speaker 1: make the right kinds of adjustments along the way and 838 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,480 Speaker 1: right kinds of investments that allow us to flatten that 839 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:26,200 Speaker 1: out and remain on a on a steadier growth trajectory. 840 00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 1: Being in an event like this one with the Smart 841 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:32,880 Speaker 1: Cities event and the other mayors in the nation's capital 842 00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 1: and the other things that you guys are gonna be 843 00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:36,960 Speaker 1: doing today, do you find that you are providing some 844 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: best practices to other mayors or you're able to take 845 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:42,640 Speaker 1: away best practices from them? And I asked that because 846 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,600 Speaker 1: everybody else has been talking about housing and infrastructure, as 847 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:49,480 Speaker 1: far as transportation, You're the first one I've talked to 848 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:53,279 Speaker 1: is talked about solar energy and renewable energy. Yeah. So 849 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 1: we so we try to um through organizations like he 850 00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:59,880 Speaker 1: as Conference of Mayors and others try to share idea 851 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:03,000 Speaker 1: and I think there is you know, there's this, there's 852 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:05,320 Speaker 1: this mindset that I think has taken hold among the 853 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:09,200 Speaker 1: nation's mayors that is all about self sufficiency and not 854 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:14,439 Speaker 1: you know, waiting for the federal government to initiate something new, 855 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 1: whether it's an investment, whether it's new social programs, because 856 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:22,440 Speaker 1: I think there is it's some among most mayors, some 857 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:25,200 Speaker 1: level of skepticism that the federal government is actually going 858 00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:28,600 Speaker 1: to deliver. And I think that skepticism is probably pretty 859 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:32,520 Speaker 1: well founded. Um. And and so what we've done, and 860 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:34,600 Speaker 1: certainly I do this in my city is try to 861 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:38,960 Speaker 1: preach uh an ethic of self sufficiency. We're going to 862 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:41,239 Speaker 1: determine our own fate. And yeah, we might need to 863 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:44,360 Speaker 1: have a good partnership with the state and federal government, 864 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:47,120 Speaker 1: but but at the end of the day, Uh, it's 865 00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:50,200 Speaker 1: a it's a partnership, but we're driving the action you 866 00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:52,319 Speaker 1: were talking about. Two thousand and eight. Would like to 867 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:55,000 Speaker 1: take a moment to talk about two thousand seven March 868 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:58,480 Speaker 1: was the tenure anniversary of the immigration raid that netted 869 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: three sixty one textile workers and the people who hired them. Um, 870 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:04,640 Speaker 1: how did that change the city and what did it 871 00:46:04,719 --> 00:46:08,040 Speaker 1: learned from the experience. Yeah, so that was the so 872 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 1: called Michael Bianco Raid, which Michael Bianco was a factory 873 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:15,120 Speaker 1: in the south end of our city that made um 874 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:19,840 Speaker 1: rut sacks for for the Department of Defense and it 875 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 1: employed a large number of undocumented workers. The ICE went 876 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:26,920 Speaker 1: in and as part in connection with a criminal investigation 877 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:31,520 Speaker 1: of the employers of the of the bosses as it were, 878 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:36,120 Speaker 1: um UH rounded up a very large number of of 879 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 1: the workers who didn't have immigration status. And it was 880 00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: it was a shock, I think, not only to the city, 881 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:44,960 Speaker 1: um for I think obvious reasons and sort of the 882 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:47,840 Speaker 1: disruption and focuses the lives not only the workers but 883 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: their families, including the school children, was was something that 884 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:54,720 Speaker 1: people don't forget. But I think it also at least 885 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:57,680 Speaker 1: through the end of the Bush administration and the Obama 886 00:46:57,719 --> 00:47:02,840 Speaker 1: administration changed the way that inmigration UM law is enforced 887 00:47:02,840 --> 00:47:06,759 Speaker 1: in this country. Um that was perhaps the last of 888 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:10,880 Speaker 1: the large immigration raids in the country until whatever happens 889 00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:14,560 Speaker 1: next now and I think so we we do continue 890 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:19,279 Speaker 1: to have a large undocumented worker population, especially in our 891 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,319 Speaker 1: fish houses, not only where they are were the largest 892 00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:23,360 Speaker 1: commercial fishing port where also the large we also have 893 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:26,600 Speaker 1: the largest fish processing base in the country and in 894 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 1: our fish processors UM do employ a number of undocumented workers. 895 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:34,920 Speaker 1: So there are a lot of folks who are on 896 00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:37,360 Speaker 1: on edge about what might happen next, Will there be 897 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:41,799 Speaker 1: a return to Michael Bianco style enforcement, and so you 898 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:44,000 Speaker 1: know what we've tried to do. UM. You know, we 899 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:48,920 Speaker 1: are not a sanctuary city because I think we've taken 900 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: I've taken the position that because that term is undefined 901 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:56,040 Speaker 1: in federal law, because there's no sort of settled definition 902 00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,640 Speaker 1: that by by taking a hard position, we're only in 903 00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:03,439 Speaker 1: flame aiming the division UH that we're seeing in lots 904 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:05,759 Speaker 1: of cities around the country. And you know, Frankly, as 905 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 1: a as a leader of my city, I don't want 906 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:10,239 Speaker 1: that to be a distraction to all the hard work 907 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:14,200 Speaker 1: we're doing. All that said, we we take pains to 908 00:48:14,239 --> 00:48:17,359 Speaker 1: help folks in our community know what their legal rights are. 909 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:22,000 Speaker 1: We take pains to remind folks or what a welcoming 910 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:24,399 Speaker 1: city New Bedford is. And we're a place that has 911 00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:29,399 Speaker 1: been traditionally hospitable to UH to new immigrants wherever they're from, 912 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:32,880 Speaker 1: and we'll that will continue to approach it that way. 913 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:37,399 Speaker 1: Then we've looked at twenty o eight, We've looked at seven, 914 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:40,320 Speaker 1: let's look at what's your city going to look like 915 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:42,880 Speaker 1: in the next ten years. Yeah, great question. So what 916 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:45,479 Speaker 1: I hope from my city is that, you know, we 917 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 1: continue to cement our status as the UH not only 918 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:54,359 Speaker 1: the center of the southern part of Massachusetts, but one 919 00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:56,279 Speaker 1: of the leading cities in the Northeast that has a 920 00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 1: more diversified economy, that is a place that people are 921 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:02,680 Speaker 1: moving into because the school system is has has gotten 922 00:49:02,719 --> 00:49:05,719 Speaker 1: a lot better in doing right by by children. And 923 00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 1: as a place that is competitive and continues to be 924 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:12,360 Speaker 1: competitive in maritime industries because that's our bread and butter 925 00:49:12,400 --> 00:49:15,040 Speaker 1: with it's our port. Is the reason why New Bedford 926 00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:17,000 Speaker 1: exists and why it will continue to exist in the 927 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:19,520 Speaker 1: years ahead. That will be a leader not only fishing, 928 00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:22,240 Speaker 1: but an offshore wind which is the next big industry 929 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:24,759 Speaker 1: for us. It's all coming to the United States and 930 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: the years ahead. UH. And that we have a more 931 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:30,719 Speaker 1: knowledge based economy that you know, we're one of these 932 00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:32,920 Speaker 1: places in the Northeast that doesn't have much of a 933 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:36,319 Speaker 1: tech sector, but we're starting to develop the seeds of 934 00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:39,360 Speaker 1: one now. And where we hope is that, UM, we 935 00:49:39,560 --> 00:49:43,439 Speaker 1: we're banking on the idea that technology companies can can 936 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:46,439 Speaker 1: take root anywhere. It doesn't have to be in East 937 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:49,120 Speaker 1: Cambridge or in Palalto, and can be in places like 938 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,240 Speaker 1: New Bedford that that offer that are a place where 939 00:49:52,360 --> 00:49:54,880 Speaker 1: ideas can be freely exchanged and where people can have 940 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:57,440 Speaker 1: a high quality of life and and grow their business. 941 00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:00,799 Speaker 1: So that's that's the idea for us. UM and UM, 942 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,720 Speaker 1: I think we're making progress in that direction. And because 943 00:50:03,760 --> 00:50:05,600 Speaker 1: we don't know how this is all going to be edited, 944 00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:11,400 Speaker 1: I will ask and about UM. You are a Democratic 945 00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:13,840 Speaker 1: mayor of a working class city. You have a Harvard degree, 946 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:16,280 Speaker 1: but you worked your way through school and the factories 947 00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:21,080 Speaker 1: in the warehouses. How does a Democrat connect with working 948 00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:23,719 Speaker 1: class voters. It's a big question being asked in Washington 949 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:26,760 Speaker 1: these days. Yeah, I think we So, I think mayor's 950 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:31,359 Speaker 1: Democratic mayors have a pretty good handle on that because uh, 951 00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:34,400 Speaker 1: and I include myself in this mix, because you know, 952 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:40,480 Speaker 1: we don't have the luxury of being ideological, um, at 953 00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:44,719 Speaker 1: least overtly ideological, and we don't have the the luxury 954 00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:48,240 Speaker 1: of being partisan. We have to get stuff done. And 955 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:51,000 Speaker 1: so the way I look at it is if people 956 00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:55,760 Speaker 1: want the same things regardless of their political stripe, they 957 00:50:56,040 --> 00:50:59,040 Speaker 1: they really, as mundane as it might sound, they want 958 00:50:59,080 --> 00:51:02,120 Speaker 1: their streets plow, they want they they want their kids 959 00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:04,560 Speaker 1: to go to a good school. They want their blocked 960 00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:09,000 Speaker 1: to be safe and Democrat or Republican. If you're delivering 961 00:51:09,000 --> 00:51:11,759 Speaker 1: on that, people will you will gain the respect and 962 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:15,680 Speaker 1: the good will of of of folks. Um That's the 963 00:51:15,719 --> 00:51:19,400 Speaker 1: way I approach it, which is decidedly nonpartisan. It's more executive, 964 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:22,360 Speaker 1: and I think that's what's attractive to me about about 965 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:24,120 Speaker 1: my job, and I suspect it's true of a lot 966 00:51:24,160 --> 00:51:27,440 Speaker 1: of other mayors around the country. People are demanding results, 967 00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:31,000 Speaker 1: and as mayor, you're you're in a position to do that. 968 00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:35,280 Speaker 1: If that's if that's truly your focus. All right, John Mitchell, 969 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:37,480 Speaker 1: A Mare of New Bedford, Massachusetts, thank you so much 970 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:49,080 Speaker 1: for joining us, Thanks for having me, Thank you, Thanks 971 00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:53,320 Speaker 1: for listening to the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast. Subscribe and listen 972 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:59,000 Speaker 1: to interviews on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whichever podcast platform 973 00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:02,360 Speaker 1: you prefer. I'm on Twitter at Tom Keene, David Gura 974 00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:06,600 Speaker 1: is at David Gura. Before the podcast, you could always 975 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:09,360 Speaker 1: catch us worldwide. I'm Bloomberg Radio