WEBVTT - The Future of Smart Cities Special: Spotlight on Infrastructure 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:12.760 Yeah, Welcome to the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast. I'm Tom Keene 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:16.239 with David Gura. Daily we bring you insight from the 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:21.640 best of economics, finance, investment, and international relations. Find Bloomberg 0:00:21.720 --> 0:00:27.000 Surveillance on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Bloomberg dot com, and of course, 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:35.600 on the Bloomberg in Washington. David Gurra, Tom, thank you 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:37.880 very much. Joined here by the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee. 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:39.680 That is Megan Barry. She's here for a smart Cities 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:42.040 event that our Bloomberg Government office is great to have you. 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:44.080 Thank you with us. I'm a moderated panel with six mayors, 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:46.200 so it's much to talk to you one. We'll see 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:48.720 how that goes. Good luck. Help us with a definition 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:50.360 for first of all, we talk about smart cities, what 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:52.240 are we talking about, Well, you're talking about lots of 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:54.560 different things. I mean, for us, it's about transit and 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:57.560 how you build in that smart technology and all the 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:00.240 transit that you have going on. So we're really becus 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:02.320 right now on just the basic things like getting our 0:01:02.680 --> 0:01:05.039 signals timed. I mean, that makes the city smart. But 0:01:05.319 --> 0:01:08.920 it's the more comprehensive visionary stuff like a v uh 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:11.920 you know, automated vehicles and and those. How we're all 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:13.720 going to get around cities in the future. How much 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:15.679 of that is elective? In other words, is there a 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:17.600 need for Nashville to move in this direction or is 0:01:17.640 --> 0:01:19.440 it something you would like to see? No, we need 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:21.800 to move. I mean we are so far behind in transit. 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:23.720 I mean you walk around in New York and d C. 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:26.640 And you see these incredible transit infrastructures. We don't have 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.240 any of that. So we're we're really at the very 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:32.440 beginning of building that infrastructure out. We've got bus systems, 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:35.880 but we need light rail, we need uh passenger rail, 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:38.920 we need a whole bunch of much more comprehensive infrastructure. 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:40.959 How do you assess the appetite for that. You've got 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:42.800 citizens who may want this, They're gonna have to pay 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:45.080 for at least some of it, right, How do you 0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:47.160 know what's a good investment from Chapel Hill. And He's 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:48.800 gonna talk for a long time about building light rail 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:51.640 between Chapel Hill, Gerham and Raleigh. It's something that people 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:53.240 maybe have their eye on, but then when they see 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:54.920 the cost of it, they they blanched a little bit. 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:57.040 How do you pick the projects that are worthwhile for 0:01:57.040 --> 0:01:58.800 for the citizens in natural So what we look at 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:01.400 is where our act of riderships and where can we 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:03.640 actually put trains it down on the line. And I 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:06.240 will tell you right now, with the growth of Nashville, 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:08.520 eighty one people a day are moving to Nashville. So 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:10.919 you feel that crunch are our roads just can't take 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:13.799 the capacity anymore. So we've got to be more creative 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:16.079 and that's what being smart's all about. You're here in Washington, 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:17.800 d C. Yes, we're gonna we're gonna do a panel. 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:19.960 You're also going to be on Capitol Hill. What role 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:22.080 do you see the federal government playing? We heard the 0:02:22.080 --> 0:02:24.120 President in the speech to a joint session of Congress 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:27.000 saying he wants a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending, public 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:29.520 private partnerships and the like. What role should the federal 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:31.480 government playing and doing that? Well, I hope that that's 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:34.000 the case. I'd love to see that trillion dollars make 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:36.120 its way to Nashville. We'll take just a piece of it. 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:39.639 Not you don't even need just a little to little piece. Um. 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:41.919 I think the federal government has to be a critical partner. 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:45.359 But I think that local municipalities can't wait anymore. Um. 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:46.840 I think that there used to be a time when 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:48.880 the Feds would say, hey, here's our here's a pot 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:51.000 of money. I think now locals have to come and say, 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:52.960 we've we've got this, We've got some money to put 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:55.520 in ourselves. Let's find a way to make this all 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.000 happen together. How much of a challenge is getting private 0:02:58.040 --> 0:03:00.960 sector investment into infrastructure? Church? Is that something that you're 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:02.960 looking at, Is it's something that what's the case that 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:05.400 you make to investors to to put money towards Nashville. 0:03:05.440 --> 0:03:07.320 So as we begin those conversations about how we're going 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:10.360 to fund our six billion dollar transit plan, P three's 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.080 are critical, and and I think that we are seeing 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.120 other places where you've got private investment that wants to 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.639 flow in. We are. Actually, my my vernacular is a 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:24.680 little different. We call them private public. Yes, there's going 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:26.240 to probably be a lot more private money in this 0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:30.000 in public still still three ps, yes, three ps. But 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:32.880 the order matters. The dialogue here is between you and 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:35.400 other mayors from around the country. How much of what 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:38.520 you're doing is pulling stuff that's tried and true in 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:40.600 other places, bring it to naturally, how much are you 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:43.560 looking for things that are replicatable. We're looking for anything. 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:45.400 We don't think that we have to have pride of ownership. 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:47.640 We're all about trying to find something that's already worked 0:03:47.960 --> 0:03:49.800 and and taking it. And the good thing about local 0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:52.680 municipalities and mayors in particular as we want to share. 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:55.240 So I was recently in Denver with the mayor of 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.400 Mayor Hancock looking at their transit system and learning from 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:00.680 what they've done. And the thing is those that have 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:03.080 come before you can also learn from their mistakes. So 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:05.160 we really want to share with each other. And I 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:08.040 think that's really really create. You know, critical you mentioned 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.800 the degree to which Nashville is growing. What's your vision 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.480 for what that city looks like in ten twenty years time. 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:15.280 It's going to be bigger, It's going to be bigger, 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:16.919 it's going to be different just in terms of getting 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:18.360 around or what's going to be there. Well, I mean, 0:04:18.400 --> 0:04:20.200 I think when you think about Nashville, one of our 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:23.960 best pieces is that we are attracting incredible talent. We 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.800 are attracting a diverse talent pool, and we want to 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:28.159 be able to make sure that they want to stay 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:30.440 and be able to get around really easily and not 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:34.479 having that that that traffic that you know every day, 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:36.160 and it's going to make a huge difference to their 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:38.320 quality of life. I just ask you about legacy. I 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:40.279 was talking with tom My co host a little while back, 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:42.080 the mayor and Bedford's gonna be here. You think you Bedford, 0:04:42.120 --> 0:04:43.520 you think of fishing, I think of Nashurally, you think 0:04:43.520 --> 0:04:45.880 of music. As you look at the future of the city, 0:04:46.240 --> 0:04:48.440 how do you deal with that legacy being associated with 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:50.680 something but wanting the city to stand for something more, 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:52.599 have other industry come in for example, Well, you know 0:04:52.680 --> 0:04:55.159 music is a huge part of what Naville. You know, yeah, 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:57.960 our our economy, but we're also a huge healthcare capital. 0:04:58.080 --> 0:04:59.680 I mean, we have a lot of One of the 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:02.240 things that made us actually very strong through the recession 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:05.440 was that we have a very diverse economic engine. So 0:05:05.720 --> 0:05:07.840 we you know, continuing to grow that, making sure we're 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:09.919 not putting all of our eggs in one basket. But 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:12.480 at the same time, music is what makes us special 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.080 and you sure you never want to lose that. We 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:17.200 have to get lastly here, we've got about thirty seconds left. 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:19.440 How you assess what works? So you invest in something 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:21.480 you try something different, how much time do you give that, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:23.960 how much do you how do you look at the 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:25.880 data and see what's working what's not. Well, first of all, 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:27.960 you actually said the key word, which is data. I mean, 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:30.080 I think in the past we've just thrown things down 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:32.560 and said let's just cross our fingers. Now we actually 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:36.400 have taken a long time to study and find out 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:39.120 where the ridership is, especially for these mass transit projects, 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:41.080 and we've got the data so it we're at least 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:43.560 starting a little bit ahead now. The success will be 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:45.680 if people write it. Maim Berry, thank you very much 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:47.760 for joining us here at the bloom Reosmart Cities event 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:49.400 that get started just a little way a little while here. 0:05:49.640 --> 0:06:04.560 How the mayor of Nashville joining me, David Garry here 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:07.200 in Washington, as you said, with the Congressman Elizabeth st 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.360 she's a Congressman from the fifth District in Connecticut. We're 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:12.560 just talking with the Mayor of Nashville about her ambitions 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:14.600 from making Nashville a smart city, and she talked a 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:16.320 little bit about the degree to which she's relying on 0:06:16.360 --> 0:06:19.719 the federal government to help her in those efforts. You're 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:22.640 on Capitol Hill. Uh, where there has been talk of 0:06:22.680 --> 0:06:25.240 infrastructure spending, a new infrastructure package. Where do things stand? 0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:27.040 Just give us the state of play at this point. 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:29.120 Ifice to say it's a busy agenda on Capitol Hill. 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:32.440 At this point, it's a busy agenda. And uh, you know, 0:06:32.520 --> 0:06:36.599 this is an area where there's enormous interest in bipartisan support. 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:40.159 There isn't a district congressional district in America. There isn't 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.800 a state that isn't in need of infrastructure, whether it's 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.120 new infrastructure for growing cities. You take some I know 0:06:46.200 --> 0:06:49.640 you'd be talking to the mayor Charlotte soon or the 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:54.159 industrial Northeast where where I live where I represent Waterbury, 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:57.279 Connecticut and areas like that, or the industrial Midwest. We 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:01.760 all need infrastructure and so that should to provide the pressure. 0:07:02.200 --> 0:07:05.279 The challenge that we're facing is how do we finance it? 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:08.520 And that's really what we're looking at right now. Lots 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.160 of different proposals. The presidents put a trillion dollar price 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.400 tag of as truck schumer Um in the House. We've 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.320 got i would say, more actionable plans that we put forward, 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:20.400 and we're going to now try to move them forward. 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:22.480 You know, we talked about tax reform, and the blueprint 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:25.560 from which we're working is this, is this Ryan Brady blueprint? 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.400 Is there something similar for infrastructure spending at this point? 0:07:28.400 --> 0:07:30.760 In other ways you have people making proposals, but is 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.120 there a piece of legislation, no matter how in co 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.840 it from which lawmakers are working at this point. Are 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:38.040 we not there yet? We're not really there yet, although 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.840 there are a couple of different proposals. Most folks think 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:44.960 we're likely to see some form of repatriation of overseas profits, 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:47.920 of which we're looking at trillions of dollars, which could 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:51.280 provide the corpus from which we could then uh, you know, 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:55.120 do a major infrastructure bank for example. Um, that needs 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.280 to be part of the deal. But as you can imagine, 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:00.800 other people have designs on that money too. Um. And 0:08:00.840 --> 0:08:03.840 so I don't think Chairman Brady is uh, nor Speaker 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:07.200 Ryan my workout by Speaker Ryan are quite yet ready 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:10.280 to agree to that. So so that's basically what we've got. 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:14.080 The order we have we have first coming healthcare to 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:17.240 free up money for tax reform, and only then are 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:19.400 we going to get to infrastructure. So that's really the 0:08:19.480 --> 0:08:22.520 hang up right now is is that ordering is making 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:25.000 it hard for us to come to an agreed upon deal. 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:27.360 Here with Congressman st at the Bloomberg Smart Cities event 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:29.720 and uh, it's a casual, freewheeling space. The Mayor of 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.480 Columbus has just shown up and again choices here on 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:34.920 Blomberg surveillance talking about the role that the federal government 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:37.839 might play. Your city was a bona fide smart city, 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:40.880 granted a lot of money by the federal government as 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:44.080 part of a competition. How has that money helped you 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:47.760 move your city forward? What? What what word work did 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:49.439 that competition do to get you to where you want 0:08:49.440 --> 0:08:52.959 to be? Well, we're working on it there. Yeah, just 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.960 awarded a year ago and very pleased with the way 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.559 the community has responded. We started with a forty million 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.160 dollar award from d O T ten million from Vulcan. 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:06.920 At the time we were awarded, we had about ninety 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:11.440 million dollars of local match public private entities locally that 0:09:11.640 --> 0:09:16.120 we're matched up into this acceleration fund. And now we're 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:18.600 at three d and sixty seven million total and we've 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.320 just said a goal of a billion dollars by So 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:24.480 what you're really starting to see is some of the 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:28.720 pilots that we had in place for our proposal really 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:31.560 hitting the ground in neighborhoods like Lyndon, one of our 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:37.280 neighborhoods with highest levels of incarceration, infant mortality, unemployment, and poverty. UH, 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:41.680 to really start to open up more modes of safe, 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:46.640 reliable transportation to jobs, affordable, high quality childcare, job training, 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:50.320 workforce development. That's what this is all about. I really 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:53.960 believe that mobility is the great equalizer of the twenty 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:57.040 first century, and that's why it's so important. So to 0:09:57.120 --> 0:10:01.200 have allies with vision like Congressman here and and others. UH. 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:03.319 We're spending some time here in Washington talking about what 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:06.920 we're doing with Smart Columbus and asked for continued commitment 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:11.839 and investment UH into intelligent transportation for the future. Of course, messy. 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.400 How much of a dialogue is there between the federal 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:16.080 government and the local government. How could you do more 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:19.280 to understand what's working and what's not here in Washington. Well, 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:21.760 I do a great deal with my own districts and 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:25.520 and UH Neil O'Leary, who's mayor of Waterbury, is very 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:27.559 involved in the Smart Cities. They've applied for a smart 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:30.920 Cities Grant and I couldn't agree more with the mayor 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.800 here about we really do need to have mobility. And 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:37.800 sometimes this gets hung up about is a job's shovel ready, 0:10:37.880 --> 0:10:40.480 jobs right now, but it's jobs into the future. It's 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:43.080 jobs right now and into the future. So I look 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:47.800 at challenges we have, for example with access to community colleges, well, 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:50.440 that is dependent on having a bus service. The folks 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:53.719 who use community college need night buses and we've had 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:57.079 struggles over that, and that's why I'm so enthusiastic about 0:10:57.120 --> 0:11:00.959 things like the Smart Cities projects. Sit these are places 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:04.080 and having represented a local community, the rubber hits the road, 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:06.920 you've got to fix the pothole. You have to deliver services. 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:09.720 You can't be an idea logue. Nobody cares what letters 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:11.840 after your name. If you're a mayor, are you getting 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.080 the job done? And I know that for my time 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:17.679 doing that. That's why I want to see these laboratories 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:20.760 not just to the States, but the laboratories of the cities, 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:22.840 which where more people are living more and more in 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:26.920 our cities. Let them use these projects, show what works, 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.000 and then we do more of what works, unless of 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:31.080 what doesn't coach, I see, thank you very much. Thanks 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:32.880 to you American there as well. I'm gonna be on 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:34.480 stage just a little while. Let you guys get breakfast 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:37.480 first before I tackles some panels on stage. I'm here 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:39.920 at the Bloomberg Government Smart Cities event in Washington, a 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:54.480 DC too short of visit with with these two, I 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:56.680 just want to get the statehood question out of the way, 0:11:57.080 --> 0:11:59.680 and Charlie, being from New York, had no idea, So 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:02.640 I'm going to let you explain that. Sure. So we 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:07.959 have been on a quest to make d C equal 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:12.240 to every other state in America, and actually Washingtonians, who 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:16.760 are taxpayers, equal to every other American. And that's what 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:21.480 we've been focused on in the district. We are a city, county, 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:24.760 and state all at once. EXCEP. We have no vote 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:28.080 in the Congress of the United States, the only capital 0:12:28.160 --> 0:12:32.360 in the world where it's citizens UH don't have representatives 0:12:32.480 --> 0:12:36.560 in UH in the Congress. UH. So we have presented 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:40.079 a bill to the Congress to change that. Last year, 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:44.079 over eight percent of Washingtonians voted to become the fifty 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:47.120 first state UH. And the Congress can make this change 0:12:47.200 --> 0:12:50.960 by a simple vote. A large percentage of DC residents 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:53.520 also voted for Hillary Clinton to be president and Donald 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:57.080 Trump is our president. Historically, d C does not fare 0:12:57.120 --> 0:13:00.320 as well for local control under Republican administration. So given 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:03.160 this is DC statehood right now with pipe dream, Well, 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:06.120 actually that's not the case. UH. In the district, our 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:09.319 congresswoman and leaders of the District of Columbia have worked 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:13.439 with Republicans and Democrats alike UH to advanced issues that 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:18.200 help Washingtonians. We have had Republicans, including the Vice President 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:21.480 of the United States, UM, Mike pens vote U to 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.120 have Washingtonians to have a vote in the Congress, to 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:27.000 have a delegate have a vote. UM. So for us, 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:30.240 this has not a Republican or Democratic issue. UH is 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:34.480 an issue of that's very central to our American democracy. 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.319 If you pay taxes, UH, you get a vote in 0:13:37.440 --> 0:13:40.719 representation in the in the Congress. Now, you were here 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:43.920 because of smart cities and to talk about infrastructure. UM. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:46.640 I wanted to get an idea about that, particularly when 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:48.960 you think about Metro and all of the problems that 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:51.040 it's have had of late. What are some of the 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:53.240 best practices that you're able to take away from this 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.960 and to present to this conference. Um, well, it's I 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:58.480 always like to be with other mayors to see, um, 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:01.479 what what they're working on. We had a great conversation 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:03.840 about how U as d O T can be involved. 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:07.920 There's a discussion about on the need for the reauthorization 0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:12.360 of a federal Transportation Act, which we're very focused on 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:14.960 as well. Uh in the district, of course, we function 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:17.200 as city, county, and state, so we have all of 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.800 those roles, and we worked with the region with Maryland 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:24.160 and Virginia because we're Metro funders, so we like to 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:28.520 see a big move. The President promised for a big 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:31.520 infrastructure bill and hopefully the money to go with it 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:34.160 to make the necessary investments because we have them too. 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:36.000 We have them been transit, we have them the roads, 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:38.720 and we have them in bridges. You and Amy both 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:41.760 make the point that this is a cross state issue 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:44.560 in terms of being a smart city. As d C, 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:47.240 what are the some of the challenges and working with 0:14:47.280 --> 0:14:49.160 your neighbors to make sure that you're all pursuing these 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.120 goals mutually. Well, I think that the biggest issue that 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:55.640 we have is is Metro because it is by a 0:14:55.760 --> 0:15:00.240 compact operated by Maryland d C and Virginia at SET 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:03.000 when it was created more than forty years ago. Now, 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:06.760 there was not a regional funding mechanism put in place, 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:09.760 and there's no other transit system like ours in the 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:14.720 United States UM that doesn't all of those systems have 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:18.080 a dedicated funding source, and that's what we're We're very 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.600 focused on. Other parts of infrastructure, could include anything from 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:25.960 cyber to UH handling UH the homeless. What are some 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:29.640 of the big initiatives that's facing DC right now? Well, housing, 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.760 We include housing certainly in UH all of our infrastructure 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:36.200 ask UM. The federal government has a role. They have 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:39.360 some public housing in Washington, UM, but we are also 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:42.640 making a hundred million dollar investment in our Housing Production 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:45.520 Trust Fund each and every year UH, and that puts 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:47.960 US in tops across the country. In the amount that 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:51.920 we're investing in affordable housing. We are particularly concerned about 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:56.760 some housing to have affordability covenants now UM that will 0:15:56.840 --> 0:15:59.760 expire over the next several years, So part of our 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:04.120 efforts are around preservation of those eight thousand units. One 0:16:04.120 --> 0:16:05.840 of the issues that a lot of mayors are struggling 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:08.960 with where you have had medical or recreational marijuana initiatives 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:15.760 is federal state city jurisdiction. How is DC's marijuana recreational 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:20.280 marijuana use allowance faring under the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Well, 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:26.160 we uh, per se don't have a legalization of recreational marajuana. 0:16:26.520 --> 0:16:29.960 Um and it's just confusing, So let me explain. Uh. 0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:32.840 First of all, we do have a medical marijuana regime 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:36.160 that's been in place for a number of years, which 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:40.040 I understand people are also questioning the use of medical marijuana. 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:43.840 A couple of years ago, our voters approved a measure 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:49.160 to allow for the use of marijuana by adults UM 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:52.200 in the possession of marijuana in their private homes for 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:56.640 recreational use for non medical use. Part of your function 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.040 is different, though, and the reason why I point this 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:02.560 out is in Stay, it's where marijuana is legalized. Uh, 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.760 they have a regime that allows for the growing and 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:09.600 procurement and sell of marijuana. That's not the case in it. 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:12.320 So how does that How does that mesh with the 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:19.359 federal government's position illegal? According to it is part of 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:23.600 the m forget the word that they use, but the 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:27.120 medical use of marijuana is not approved on the federal schedule. 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:31.399 So any uh, any marijuana regime where whether it's medical 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.760 or recreational, if there's a change in federal policy to 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:37.640 enforce those crimes, that will have an effect on any 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:41.959 state that has a medical or recreational program. As we 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:45.520 are talking about the smart cities and the infrastructure, how 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:48.919 fast is DC growing and where do you see the 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:51.440 district in the next ten to twenty years. Well, we 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:54.880 grow about a nine hundred people per month. Um. We've 0:17:54.880 --> 0:18:00.320 been on that pace for I think the last five years. Sustainable. Uh, yes, 0:18:00.520 --> 0:18:02.439 it is, um, but we have to make a lot 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:06.360 of investments in transportation and housing. UM. Where the biggest 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:09.440 pinch that we have is on housing. Uh. And we're 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:12.359 starting to see it in other and other things that 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:15.560 people need associated with housing, like childcare. And who are 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:19.040 those people. How are the demograt effects of the city changing? Um, 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:21.479 well they've changed. I think that the part ofly the 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:24.520 biggest changes that they're very young. Uh. You heard one 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.000 of the mayors say a little bit earlier than her 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:30.159 city is half of the people that her city UM 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:33.720 grows by our millennials. I will say it's much significantly 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:36.439 higher for for d C. That most of the people 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:39.200 moving here are under the age of thirty five. UM. 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:41.920 We are also see people who are downsizing that are 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:46.080 moving from the suburbs to the district. Mayor. I know 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:47.639 that your time is short. I know we have to 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:49.119 let you go. UM. I just want to talk to 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:52.080 you about priorities. How do you prioritize and how do 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:53.760 you figure out how to pay for it as you 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:56.840 get into the infrastructure of the nation's capital. Well, we've 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:58.879 actually I'm just gonna talk to you about one new 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:01.800 effort we have and that around uh. Of course, we're 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:04.800 making the necessary investments in metro, and we're seeking to 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:08.080 get a dedicated funding source, and we're encouraging our neighbors 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:10.760 in Maryland and Virginia to join us. UM. But we're 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:13.520 also doing some back to the basics things in our city. 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:17.119 When it comes to infrastructure, I am. I have a 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:19.600 state of good repair plan in my current budget for 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:23.040 all residential streets in d C. We do pretty well 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:26.879 on our main arterials, only seven percent of them are 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:29.560 in poor condition, but that number goes up to thirty 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:32.240 where you're talking about residential streets. So I have a 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:35.720 five year plan to get rid of poorly rated roads 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:39.080 UH in in the district and and that's very important. 0:19:39.520 --> 0:19:43.080 We're also very focused on UH as you've heard on 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:45.879 making our city more resilient when it comes to to 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.480 flooding in the likes, I would say transportation and housing 0:19:49.520 --> 0:20:05.720 are a top two infrastructure issues. So Mayor Roberts were 0:20:05.760 --> 0:20:08.639 at this Smart Cities meeting. UM, you hear about smartness 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:11.400 and smart that all the time. How do you use 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:14.320 data and transparency, which are themes of this conference to 0:20:14.440 --> 0:20:19.679 create a smart city. Well, you can have data usage 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:21.800 in many different areas of what cities worry about and 0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:24.800 what they focus on every day. UM, what we've really 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:27.720 looked at in Charlotte is how do we use data 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:30.600 to make sure that we're serving everyone, that we're being 0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:35.200 equitable in our infrastructure, and that we're connecting people UM 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:39.280 two jobs, to healthcare, to even healthy food as part 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:42.800 of UM the inequalities we see in our communities. And 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:45.680 so when you have data where you know where people 0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:49.480 are working, UM, where they're living, which bus routes connect 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:52.399 them to, those bus routes work, those transit connections work, 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:55.679 how do the roadways work. When you have that accurate data, 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:58.360 you can make sure that not just is the government 0:20:58.359 --> 0:21:03.000 operating efficiently, but also individual folks who are just living 0:21:03.000 --> 0:21:06.520 their lives in your community are operating efficiently as well, 0:21:06.680 --> 0:21:09.439 and that helps with the quality of life and also 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:13.160 helps UM to eliminate some of the disparities in income 0:21:13.359 --> 0:21:17.280 and access other challenges that rapidly growing cities face all 0:21:17.320 --> 0:21:21.639 across America. And when you're talking about transit infrastructure in particular, 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:24.520 I know you were specifically speaking about bus routes. UM. 0:21:24.760 --> 0:21:28.920 Are there other issues transit infrastructure issues or possibilities that 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:32.439 Charlotte's looking toward, And what are your priorities and how 0:21:32.440 --> 0:21:34.280 will you pay for them? That's all packed in one 0:21:34.320 --> 0:21:36.560 package right there, and I only get three minutes tonto 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:41.320 that as long as you want. Well, UM, the funding 0:21:41.400 --> 0:21:44.080 is a challenge, and I think what we we look at. 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:47.560 We have a very successful light rail UM that we're 0:21:47.560 --> 0:21:50.000 extending to our university, which is great because it will 0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:53.040 connect to UNC Charlotte to our downtown. UM. We have 0:21:53.200 --> 0:21:55.000 that's gonna be ten miles added to the ten miles 0:21:55.000 --> 0:21:57.359 already there. And we have a streetcar system and we 0:21:57.440 --> 0:21:59.800 have three more lines that are under study that we 0:21:59.840 --> 0:22:02.120 know where those quarters are going to be. But that 0:22:02.520 --> 0:22:04.880 additional total is going to be about six billion dollars 0:22:05.400 --> 0:22:08.120 and right now we don't have funding and place we're 0:22:08.119 --> 0:22:10.400 waiting to hear from the federal government to whether they're 0:22:10.400 --> 0:22:12.560 going to continue the Tiger program and other things that 0:22:12.600 --> 0:22:16.320 we have used successfully UH to start that that light 0:22:16.400 --> 0:22:18.840 rail system that we have going. And what we find 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:23.080 is it's not just about transportation. It's also about land use, 0:22:23.440 --> 0:22:25.280 and it's about how you grow your city and how 0:22:25.280 --> 0:22:27.040 you plan your city so that when you can put 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:30.320 density along those quarters, you're much more efficient getting people 0:22:30.359 --> 0:22:33.199 to work, getting people to the doctor, etcetera. And also 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:36.360 leaving room for some open space for those big parks 0:22:36.400 --> 0:22:38.560 and those green ways and things that you need to 0:22:38.640 --> 0:22:40.639 help that balance in that quality of life and to 0:22:40.680 --> 0:22:43.560 help your environment. And so so funding is a key 0:22:43.600 --> 0:22:46.879 part of that. But we're also looking at the range 0:22:46.880 --> 0:22:49.240 of options because we know that half the folks moving 0:22:49.240 --> 0:22:51.760 to Charlotte every day or under age thirty five. We 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:54.520 know they don't like cars. So I've heard them many 0:22:54.640 --> 0:22:57.679 forums and many community meetings. They want to bike, they 0:22:57.720 --> 0:22:59.840 want to go transit, they want to uber. So we 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:02.560 want to make sure that we're expanding our bike pass. 0:23:02.920 --> 0:23:05.440 We want to make sure that we're doing mixed mixed 0:23:05.560 --> 0:23:08.320 use development so they can actually walk a lot of places. 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:10.800 We see a lot of folks walking to breweries we have. 0:23:10.960 --> 0:23:13.200 That's another, you know, big booming industry in Charlotte. The 0:23:13.240 --> 0:23:16.639 micro breweries really absolutely we have like twenty one of 0:23:16.680 --> 0:23:20.359 them within a mile of uptown. It's incredible, and people 0:23:20.359 --> 0:23:22.160 want to walk to those. They don't They don't want 0:23:22.160 --> 0:23:24.760 to have to worry about driving after that, so they 0:23:24.800 --> 0:23:27.760 also want to have the social life that goes with that, 0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:30.080 and um, people being out. We had this whole group 0:23:30.119 --> 0:23:32.800 of cyclists who meet on every Tuesday night, like a 0:23:32.880 --> 0:23:34.480 hundred of them, and they just take the streets over 0:23:34.520 --> 0:23:36.320 and they have these routes that are neighborhoods and they 0:23:36.320 --> 0:23:37.960 have their lights on and they have a great, big 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:40.639 social thing out of it. And so it's about looking 0:23:40.680 --> 0:23:45.639 at a full range of cycling, walking safely, um, making 0:23:45.640 --> 0:23:47.760 sure that traffic is rounded the right way, to make 0:23:47.800 --> 0:23:51.840 safe crossings, etcetera. And having a bus and transit system 0:23:51.880 --> 0:23:56.199 that overlays that that helps connect people and again reduces 0:23:56.240 --> 0:23:59.960 those transportation costs as well as helping the environment. One 0:24:00.040 --> 0:24:02.040 issue involving your city that of course just had a 0:24:02.119 --> 0:24:05.320 lot of national attention is HB two, which is known 0:24:05.359 --> 0:24:08.119 as the bathroom Bill in shorthand. UM, you're in a 0:24:08.119 --> 0:24:11.120 tough re election fight right now, and that's become part 0:24:11.240 --> 0:24:15.600 of the campaign. UM, there is a constituency in Charlotte, 0:24:15.600 --> 0:24:17.920 in North Carolina that had concerns about what the Human 0:24:18.000 --> 0:24:21.720 Rights Commission had recommended originally for your policy. Is there 0:24:21.720 --> 0:24:25.720 a way that that your original provision, which the Bathroom 0:24:25.720 --> 0:24:28.320 Bill was meant to combat, could have been rolled out 0:24:28.440 --> 0:24:32.080 to get greater broader support and not prompted the state 0:24:32.160 --> 0:24:35.280 legislature to intervene. First of all, I have to correct 0:24:35.320 --> 0:24:37.959 anyone who calls it what you just called it. It 0:24:38.040 --> 0:24:41.760 was a bill about discrimination or non discrimination. It is 0:24:41.760 --> 0:24:44.720 what it is commonly known as exactly. But what it 0:24:44.800 --> 0:24:47.600 was but the challenges that people really think that was 0:24:47.640 --> 0:24:49.919 all it was about. And what it was about was 0:24:50.000 --> 0:24:53.720 Charlotte standing up to say we don't believe discrimination against 0:24:53.720 --> 0:24:57.000 the LGBT community is right, and that we believe in 0:24:57.000 --> 0:25:00.520 public accommodations you should have some ability to take a 0:25:00.560 --> 0:25:05.080 complaint to a local committee if you finally discriminated against. UM, 0:25:05.080 --> 0:25:07.159 we wanted our restaurants, our hotels, in our taxis to 0:25:07.200 --> 0:25:10.000 be inclusive and by and large they are, but there 0:25:10.040 --> 0:25:12.919 are still isolated incidents of discrimination. So it was really 0:25:12.960 --> 0:25:17.640 all about non discrimination for the LGBT community community. UM, 0:25:17.720 --> 0:25:20.960 the word bathroom was never in our original ordinance. It 0:25:21.080 --> 0:25:23.879 was in HB two, So I always want to correct 0:25:23.920 --> 0:25:26.520 folks on that. Uh. And in terms of could we 0:25:26.560 --> 0:25:29.639 work better with the state, UM, we had a whole 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:33.320 year of campaigns based around because this is a vote 0:25:33.320 --> 0:25:36.360 that happened three times in the city of Charlotte, so 0:25:36.720 --> 0:25:38.640 it was our two votes a year before I got 0:25:38.640 --> 0:25:43.679 elected mayor. And again open public legislature knew about it. 0:25:43.800 --> 0:25:46.560 We had a whole year of campaigning. Legislature knew about it, 0:25:46.920 --> 0:25:49.879 and we did not hear anything. And looking at the 0:25:49.880 --> 0:25:52.800 two hundred other cities across America that had noniscrimination ordinances, 0:25:52.800 --> 0:25:56.080 including Columbia, South Carolina are neighbor to the south, um 0:25:56.320 --> 0:25:59.000 merle Beach, Atlanta, et cetera, many cities we compete with. 0:25:59.640 --> 0:26:01.640 We didn't hear anything from legislation during that whole year 0:26:02.040 --> 0:26:07.000 about any retribution, any backlash that would happen, and so 0:26:07.160 --> 0:26:11.520 it was unexpected and I think, UM, we did what 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:14.439 we could in terms of projecting what we were gonna do, 0:26:14.640 --> 0:26:18.640 talking about being equal, you know, inclusive city. We will 0:26:18.680 --> 0:26:22.240 continue to um express those values in Charlotte. We were 0:26:22.320 --> 0:26:27.560 very successful and still getting UM conventions and businesses, etcetera 0:26:27.600 --> 0:26:30.159 coming to Charlotte because they knew that Charlotte was a 0:26:30.160 --> 0:26:32.399 city that stood up UH and said we do not 0:26:32.480 --> 0:26:36.080 believe in discrimination. And so we had over eleven thousand 0:26:36.160 --> 0:26:40.120 new jobs created in Charlotte, over a thousand companies expanded 0:26:40.560 --> 0:26:44.439 or came to Charlotte in in spite of what the 0:26:44.480 --> 0:26:47.240 state did. And so we continue to express those values. 0:26:47.240 --> 0:26:49.280 We continue to talk about all the great things Charlotte 0:26:49.320 --> 0:26:52.320 has and all the ways that we do include and 0:26:52.359 --> 0:26:55.639 welcome folks. UM. We are incredibly diverse city and we 0:26:55.680 --> 0:26:59.560 will continue to um be that. We're working very closely 0:26:59.560 --> 0:27:01.280 with the pride IT sector to do what we can 0:27:01.320 --> 0:27:05.520 within the constraints of what our state legislation has UM 0:27:05.520 --> 0:27:08.960 prohibited us from doing, but they did not UM monitor 0:27:09.080 --> 0:27:11.680 the private sector in that so we are working very 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:14.000 closely with them. We've always been a collaborative city and 0:27:14.119 --> 0:27:16.600 we're going to continue to thrive and prosper based on 0:27:17.119 --> 0:27:22.960 being equal, inclusive, fostering innovation, celebrating creativity. Let's take that 0:27:23.000 --> 0:27:26.000 a step further and expanded out to Capitol Hill into 0:27:26.040 --> 0:27:30.879 the federal government in the relationship between the municipalities, Charlotte specifically, 0:27:31.160 --> 0:27:33.560 and the federal government. UM, that's why you're here, You're 0:27:33.560 --> 0:27:35.600 in the Capitol c You're in the nation's capital. You're 0:27:35.600 --> 0:27:38.560 gonna be on Capitol Hill soon. What is that relationship 0:27:38.680 --> 0:27:41.720 like and what role can the federal government play when 0:27:41.720 --> 0:27:45.600 it comes to Charlotte being a smart city, improving infrastructure 0:27:45.720 --> 0:27:47.680 and some of the other is shooes that you've brought up. 0:27:48.119 --> 0:27:51.359 We actually have worked pretty well with our congressional delegation 0:27:52.080 --> 0:27:53.640 around a number of things. And one of the things 0:27:53.720 --> 0:27:55.480 that we're trying to get as a Doppler weather radar, 0:27:55.560 --> 0:27:57.359 which we don't have in Charlotte. UM. I think we're 0:27:57.400 --> 0:27:59.639 the largest. I know, we're the largest municipality doesn't have 0:27:59.680 --> 0:28:03.640 one that we we used South Carolina. UH and Robert Pittinger, 0:28:03.680 --> 0:28:07.439 who's a Republican congressman UM from our area, has helped 0:28:07.440 --> 0:28:11.320 to champion that. So UM we look at energy infrastructure 0:28:11.440 --> 0:28:16.080 and the things we've done UM around alternative energy, around 0:28:16.400 --> 0:28:19.919 um UH energy conservation, etcetera. We've worked close to a 0:28:19.920 --> 0:28:23.560 Senator bor on that. UH. There are many things that UM, 0:28:23.600 --> 0:28:26.240 we have actually had success with our federal government. What 0:28:26.280 --> 0:28:30.760 we're interested in physically around infrastructure is to continue some 0:28:30.840 --> 0:28:32.679 of the programs that have been so successful, like the 0:28:32.720 --> 0:28:37.040 Tiger grants UM so much that has supported transportation infrastructure. 0:28:37.280 --> 0:28:41.480 You know, we are a sort of non traditional transit city, UM. 0:28:41.720 --> 0:28:44.120 You know, unlike the older cities that have had transit 0:28:44.160 --> 0:28:46.400 for years. Charlotte was one of the first ones that 0:28:46.520 --> 0:28:48.480 wasn't a coastal city and wasn't one of the you know, 0:28:48.560 --> 0:28:52.160 top ten that had a very successful light round developed 0:28:52.760 --> 0:28:57.160 development and that was really based on the portion of 0:28:57.160 --> 0:28:59.840 the federal government was was able to fund UH and 0:29:00.000 --> 0:29:03.120 that has spurred incredible private sexual development has really been 0:29:03.720 --> 0:29:08.000 UM the leverage that we've used to get that collaboration 0:29:08.160 --> 0:29:10.960 to really grow our city in a smart way, in 0:29:11.000 --> 0:29:14.360 a way that's more effective and efficient and provides opportunity 0:29:14.360 --> 0:29:16.720 to more people. And so that's really where we're looking 0:29:16.720 --> 0:29:18.600 to the federal government is to continue some of those 0:29:18.600 --> 0:29:21.760 successful programs that we have proven our successful that we 0:29:21.800 --> 0:29:23.960 can point to the dollars that we saved and the 0:29:24.000 --> 0:29:27.440 dollars we've generated based on that investment. I wanted to 0:29:27.440 --> 0:29:29.520 ask a little bit about, Um, what reaction you would 0:29:29.560 --> 0:29:32.640 have to the Supreme Court's decision not to listen to 0:29:32.840 --> 0:29:35.400 the appeal to the lower court Voter I D ruling. 0:29:35.480 --> 0:29:37.840 Last of all, that the plan that had been approved 0:29:37.920 --> 0:29:41.240 was called by the lower court and almost surgical precision 0:29:41.240 --> 0:29:45.800 attempt to disenfranchise African American voters. Looks like, Um, that 0:29:45.960 --> 0:29:48.000 law is not going to come back for the time being. 0:29:48.160 --> 0:29:51.720 How is that affecting voters in Charlotte. That has a 0:29:51.760 --> 0:29:54.280 tremendous impact. And I have to say I was glad 0:29:54.280 --> 0:29:58.480 to see the Supreme Court's decision. And I actually looked 0:29:58.560 --> 0:30:01.000 very closely at that Voter I D built when it 0:30:01.080 --> 0:30:04.080 was first passed at our state, and I looked at, 0:30:04.480 --> 0:30:07.320 um where they made it harder for African Americans to vote, 0:30:07.720 --> 0:30:10.880 and where there were districts that were packed. And that also, UM, 0:30:10.960 --> 0:30:15.640 we're you know, our districts are unconstitutional, and so they 0:30:15.720 --> 0:30:20.080 are required to redraw our state legislative districts. UM before 0:30:20.160 --> 0:30:23.280 next year's elections. They had to redraw the congressional districts 0:30:23.280 --> 0:30:25.480 as well. But if you look at the forms of 0:30:25.520 --> 0:30:29.840 I D and they they found the conversation that went on, Uh, 0:30:29.880 --> 0:30:32.760 they targeted forms of id that African Americans don't have 0:30:32.880 --> 0:30:36.600 in the same proportions as UM white folks have, and 0:30:37.040 --> 0:30:41.440 that UM is distressing to people who want to have 0:30:41.520 --> 0:30:45.000 a voice in their government and who have also unfortunately 0:30:45.040 --> 0:30:51.160 seen decades of discrimination and earlier attempts to disenfranchise whole 0:30:51.160 --> 0:30:54.720 segments of our population. We are all about making sure 0:30:54.920 --> 0:30:58.520 everyone in Charlotte has a voice, that everyone feels empowered. 0:30:59.360 --> 0:31:02.080 We welcome citizen input all the time. We have a 0:31:02.120 --> 0:31:04.920 budgeting process where we put our budget online. We asked 0:31:04.920 --> 0:31:06.600 citizens to go in and show us what you would 0:31:06.600 --> 0:31:08.400 add us subtract you know, how do you think it's 0:31:08.480 --> 0:31:10.600 impact your neighborhood. Tell us what you feel. We have 0:31:10.640 --> 0:31:13.040 town hall meetings all over our city with all of 0:31:13.080 --> 0:31:17.200 our eleven um THIS representatives on the city Council and 0:31:17.200 --> 0:31:19.560 and I'm going to have one in June. We want 0:31:19.760 --> 0:31:22.800 people to feel like they're part of their future. And 0:31:22.880 --> 0:31:26.560 when we have a bill that is disenfranchising the whole segments, 0:31:26.560 --> 0:31:29.120 that is not helpful. So UM we're glad to see 0:31:29.120 --> 0:31:33.120 the Supreme Court cares about that aspect of democracy. Wanted 0:31:33.160 --> 0:31:37.880 to ask also about UM housing part of the infrastructure issue. 0:31:37.920 --> 0:31:40.320 We talked a little bit with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser 0:31:40.400 --> 0:31:42.560 about the issue of homelessness in the city and she 0:31:42.600 --> 0:31:45.080 says that's a big part of her infrastructure plan. Is 0:31:45.080 --> 0:31:48.040 that a problem in Charlotte And does that dovetail at 0:31:48.080 --> 0:31:51.480 all with the concept of a sanctuary city. I'm not 0:31:51.520 --> 0:31:54.280 sure if Charlotte is a sanctuary city at all. Okay, 0:31:54.360 --> 0:31:58.000 to separate issue, So how can cheeze those apart completely? 0:31:58.160 --> 0:32:00.880 Very good? So, housing and affordable housing is a huge 0:32:00.960 --> 0:32:06.120 challenge because our rents are rising faster than wages. As 0:32:06.160 --> 0:32:09.000 our city grows, obviously property that's close in it has 0:32:09.040 --> 0:32:12.840 a lower lesser commute becomes much more valuable. And so 0:32:13.120 --> 0:32:16.000 what we are struggling with is about thirty four thousand 0:32:16.160 --> 0:32:19.160 units that we are short of affordable housing. And this 0:32:19.240 --> 0:32:22.240 is for hourly workers, It's for our hotel workers, for 0:32:22.280 --> 0:32:25.760 our teachers, for our police officers. Uh, folks who are 0:32:25.800 --> 0:32:28.680 you know, middle class but um but in the lower 0:32:28.760 --> 0:32:32.560 level of that that income bracket and really trying to 0:32:32.560 --> 0:32:35.600 find a place that they can afford to live that's 0:32:35.600 --> 0:32:38.840 not thirty miles outside of the city. And so we 0:32:38.880 --> 0:32:41.240 are working very hard to increase the amount of money 0:32:41.240 --> 0:32:45.520 that we put into subsidized housing. UM. Actually, we advocated 0:32:45.560 --> 0:32:48.240 to keep the Community Development Block grants that are federal 0:32:48.280 --> 0:32:51.040 grants that we've used for housing projects, and so whether 0:32:51.080 --> 0:32:54.160 it is new housing, whether it's renovating existing home so 0:32:54.280 --> 0:32:56.480 seniors can stay in their homes and not get gentrified 0:32:56.520 --> 0:33:00.000 out of their neighborhood US, they can do those essential repairs, etcetera. 0:33:00.600 --> 0:33:03.000 We advocate to keep those and they're in the current budget. 0:33:03.000 --> 0:33:06.160 We hope they're in uh physically or eighteen as well. UM. 0:33:06.280 --> 0:33:08.320 So that's something where the federal government has been been 0:33:08.400 --> 0:33:11.080 very helpful in our housing situation. One of the challenges 0:33:11.160 --> 0:33:13.680 we have is that we are not allowed to require 0:33:13.720 --> 0:33:17.520 a new construction a certain percentage to be affordable. So 0:33:17.560 --> 0:33:20.880 even though we're doing more mixed income housing, it's voluntary. 0:33:21.000 --> 0:33:23.240 We encourage it, we try to work with developers to 0:33:23.280 --> 0:33:26.160 do it. UM. We try to UM show how it 0:33:26.200 --> 0:33:30.160 benefits everyone. But again we have to help subsidize with 0:33:30.320 --> 0:33:32.640 public money to really get to happen the speed that 0:33:32.680 --> 0:33:34.760 we need. So that's a challenge. Housing continues to be 0:33:34.800 --> 0:33:37.640 a challenge, but we've we've got some great projects underway 0:33:37.840 --> 0:33:40.800 on the sanctuary city issue that is an immigration issue, 0:33:41.400 --> 0:33:45.080 and that is really UM cities that are trying to 0:33:45.640 --> 0:33:51.400 um not defy federal law, but to limit uh federal 0:33:51.440 --> 0:33:55.040 reach in terms of their communities in deportations. We are 0:33:55.080 --> 0:33:57.880 not a sanctuary city. We are a welcoming city. We 0:33:57.920 --> 0:34:00.120 have many immigrants. But we also have a TUITI, V 0:34:00.120 --> 0:34:04.200 and G program, which is a federal program that allows 0:34:04.880 --> 0:34:11.200 local sharff's deputies to actually UM start deportation proceedings for folks. Now, 0:34:11.239 --> 0:34:14.480 they only encounter that program if they are arrested for 0:34:14.600 --> 0:34:17.239 some kind of offense, and so it is really targeting 0:34:17.640 --> 0:34:20.960 violent criminals. Sometimes we're concerned that it's not necessarily targeting 0:34:21.080 --> 0:34:24.120 violent criminals. UM. We don't want to use for traffic 0:34:24.360 --> 0:34:28.000 incidents that sort of thing. UM, but we do want 0:34:28.040 --> 0:34:30.920 to be a city that supports immigrants. We have an 0:34:30.960 --> 0:34:33.320 Immigrant Integration Task Force. It's looking at how do we 0:34:33.360 --> 0:34:36.879 support immigrants, small business, how do we help more legal 0:34:36.920 --> 0:34:41.560 residents become citizens UH. That's something that we're actively working 0:34:41.560 --> 0:34:44.520 with some nonprofits to to encourage because then you have 0:34:44.600 --> 0:34:47.239 the full rights and privilege of the citizenship. UH. And 0:34:47.320 --> 0:34:51.160 sometimes the housing and the immigrant issue do overlap when 0:34:51.480 --> 0:34:54.680 immigrants are part of that UM that lower income Ralley 0:34:54.719 --> 0:34:57.520 workforce that has a hard time finding housing. But they're 0:34:57.520 --> 0:35:00.440 really two separate issues. My final question, and for you, 0:35:00.760 --> 0:35:03.319 Mayor Roberts, deals with some of the divisions that we 0:35:03.320 --> 0:35:05.799 see in politics today. If you are looking at North 0:35:05.800 --> 0:35:09.480 Carolina from a national stage, you see cities like Charlotte 0:35:09.520 --> 0:35:12.400 that are heavily democratic college towns. Of course you're Raley Durham's, 0:35:12.440 --> 0:35:14.640 those tend to be blue. And then there's the seas 0:35:14.719 --> 0:35:17.439 of deep red all over the state now in North 0:35:17.480 --> 0:35:19.680 Carolina that combines to make the whole thing pretty purple, 0:35:19.719 --> 0:35:22.080 pretty competitive, and I'm sure you'll have no shortage of 0:35:22.120 --> 0:35:26.120 presidential attention in But in the meantime, as the mayor 0:35:26.200 --> 0:35:28.839 of a major city, is there's something you can do 0:35:29.520 --> 0:35:31.919 um within your own state, your own region to sort 0:35:31.920 --> 0:35:35.160 of bridge some of these political divides that we see 0:35:35.680 --> 0:35:40.160 between demographic groups, urban rural, the divisions we see in 0:35:40.200 --> 0:35:43.240 politics today. Well, the first thing to remember is that, um, 0:35:43.280 --> 0:35:47.759 we have gerrymandering that again has been declared unconstitutional in 0:35:47.800 --> 0:35:49.640 our state. And so the first thing I'm doing is 0:35:49.680 --> 0:35:54.399 advocating very strongly for an independent rediscertain Commission. And they're 0:35:54.400 --> 0:35:56.680 actually bills in the House and Senate that would support that, 0:35:56.719 --> 0:36:00.680 but they haven't gotten out of committee. UM. We're hoping 0:36:00.760 --> 0:36:03.280 that that is going to change before the next census. 0:36:04.280 --> 0:36:07.440 But that is a challenge because what we find is 0:36:07.480 --> 0:36:10.080 that even though a very purple um, the state as 0:36:10.080 --> 0:36:13.480 a whole is about in terms of registrations, we have 0:36:13.719 --> 0:36:19.359 ten Republican and three Democratic congressional representatives, so and that 0:36:19.640 --> 0:36:22.000 is also married in our state House and Senate. It's 0:36:22.000 --> 0:36:25.239 a veto proof majority. So what we find is that 0:36:25.560 --> 0:36:29.319 redistriarching with the Independent Commission would help restore balance. So 0:36:29.360 --> 0:36:30.960 that's one of the first things I'm doing. But the 0:36:31.000 --> 0:36:32.920 second thing I want to do is help bridge the 0:36:33.000 --> 0:36:35.400 rural urban divide. And what we find is a lot 0:36:35.400 --> 0:36:39.000 of legislatures now and conservative areas are from rural districts. 0:36:39.320 --> 0:36:41.480 We want them to prosper to we want to make 0:36:41.480 --> 0:36:44.319 sure that our cities connecting to those rural areas around us, 0:36:44.560 --> 0:36:46.440 and we have a whole farm to fork movements so 0:36:46.480 --> 0:36:49.719 that we have fancy restaurants in Charlotte that that pick 0:36:49.880 --> 0:36:52.440 local farms and highlight them and talk about them on 0:36:52.480 --> 0:36:55.680 their menu and really help them survive and help them 0:36:55.680 --> 0:37:01.160 be UM publicized. As part of supporting that rural area 0:37:01.239 --> 0:37:04.200 that is just outside our borders. We have UM farmers 0:37:04.200 --> 0:37:06.719 markets that do the same thing. We have UM some 0:37:06.840 --> 0:37:09.720 tourist attractions in surrounding areas that are in rural areas 0:37:09.719 --> 0:37:11.920 where a lot of people from Charlotte go and spend 0:37:11.920 --> 0:37:14.760 money and spend time. We want to continue to build 0:37:15.120 --> 0:37:18.040 and looking at ourselves as a region and look at 0:37:18.040 --> 0:37:21.080 economic development as a region. And so even if there's 0:37:21.400 --> 0:37:24.400 a large company that wants to create a new factory 0:37:24.480 --> 0:37:29.000 or a new manufacturing facility, we want them to look regionally. 0:37:29.280 --> 0:37:31.480 And there's a whole regional partnership that markets us that 0:37:31.520 --> 0:37:33.759 way because some as they don't fit in a very 0:37:33.880 --> 0:37:36.840 densely developed Charlotte, but they might fit across the border. 0:37:36.880 --> 0:37:38.600 And we know, again they're gonna live, they're gonna shop, 0:37:38.600 --> 0:37:42.640 they're gonna entertain in Charlotte. Everybody's gonna benefit. So we 0:37:42.680 --> 0:37:44.200 want to continue to do that. One thing I did 0:37:44.239 --> 0:37:46.799 recently is we have a regional coalition of mayors um 0:37:46.880 --> 0:37:49.800 some very small towns along with Charlotte and some bigger towns. 0:37:50.440 --> 0:37:52.799 I gave them all a tour of our airport. It's 0:37:52.800 --> 0:37:55.160 a regional facility. They got the behind the scenes tour 0:37:55.239 --> 0:37:57.120 of all the construction and the growth that we have 0:37:57.120 --> 0:37:59.160 in our airport, and they saw how things worked and 0:37:59.200 --> 0:38:02.480 that helped them feel this is part of their growth. 0:38:02.840 --> 0:38:05.200 It's an asset they use all the time. We want 0:38:05.239 --> 0:38:19.560 them to feel included. We are at the Bloomberg Smart 0:38:19.640 --> 0:38:23.680 Cities meeting with many mayors, including Mayor John Mitchell of 0:38:23.719 --> 0:38:27.160 New Bedford, Massachusetts, the state's sixth largest city, part of 0:38:27.160 --> 0:38:30.360 the Providence Metropolitan Statistical Area, but definitely a place with 0:38:30.440 --> 0:38:34.200 its own spirit and soul. You come from a long 0:38:34.280 --> 0:38:36.960 time fishing family. I do. I do as a matter 0:38:37.000 --> 0:38:39.640 of fact. Yes, my parents were public school teachers, but 0:38:39.719 --> 0:38:42.480 my family, especially on my father's side, was in the 0:38:42.520 --> 0:38:45.280 commercial fishing industry, which is a big thing in New Bedford, 0:38:45.280 --> 0:38:48.839 where the largest commercial fishing port in America and uh 0:38:49.040 --> 0:38:52.080 In are growing in terms of market share. Most of 0:38:52.239 --> 0:38:54.760 a lot of the fishing industry on the East Coast 0:38:54.800 --> 0:38:58.719 is actually gravitating toward New Bedford, UM and so it's 0:38:58.719 --> 0:39:01.680 a big, big part of not only are regional economy, 0:39:01.719 --> 0:39:04.640 but also a big part of our culture. You also 0:39:04.719 --> 0:39:07.840 have a large manufacturing presence, and you're here learning about 0:39:07.840 --> 0:39:11.759 smart cities and infrastructure issues as you are trying to 0:39:11.760 --> 0:39:14.759 harness big data and information toward improving your city. How 0:39:14.800 --> 0:39:17.319 does that interface with some of the workforce challenges you 0:39:17.360 --> 0:39:22.040 have in an inevitably transitioning economy. Yeah, so things are 0:39:22.120 --> 0:39:24.480 complex right now, and and you know, we're in a 0:39:24.560 --> 0:39:27.440 sort of a unique situation, at least for us, in 0:39:27.480 --> 0:39:32.640 the sense that um our unemployment rate has dropped precipitously, 0:39:33.080 --> 0:39:35.960 labor participation has gone up, but we still have sort 0:39:35.960 --> 0:39:41.440 of a pesky cohort of folks who are remain outside 0:39:41.880 --> 0:39:45.799 the labor market. And the lament of most employers these 0:39:45.880 --> 0:39:50.759 days is I've you know, I am hiring up, I've 0:39:50.800 --> 0:39:53.360 got help wanted science, which is a rare sight in 0:39:53.400 --> 0:39:56.719 New Bedford historically, but I can't find the people who 0:39:56.840 --> 0:40:02.000 have the basic basic math and English skills and more 0:40:02.000 --> 0:40:05.799 importantly soft skills to do the jobs. So so you know, 0:40:05.840 --> 0:40:08.520 what we're trying to do is, uh, to to deal 0:40:08.560 --> 0:40:13.160 with that is, among other things, to enhance our transportation infrastructure. 0:40:13.239 --> 0:40:16.319 We want we we believe that are like as other 0:40:16.360 --> 0:40:20.840 mayors do that Uh that uh facilitating the ability of 0:40:20.920 --> 0:40:25.000 people to go from home to their place of employment. Uh, 0:40:25.280 --> 0:40:27.479 it makes us more competitive and sort of the state 0:40:27.520 --> 0:40:29.560 the obvious. But you know, what we've tried to do 0:40:29.640 --> 0:40:34.120 is to integrate smart cities, technology sensors and other data 0:40:34.160 --> 0:40:39.160 gathering measures into our transportation system to allow us to 0:40:39.200 --> 0:40:41.759 figure out where people are living where uh, you know, 0:40:42.040 --> 0:40:46.040 where migration patterns are are heading and and we're in 0:40:46.239 --> 0:40:48.120 the employment growth is so that we can adjust on 0:40:48.160 --> 0:40:51.839 the fly. Data with context is knowledge. When you are 0:40:51.880 --> 0:40:54.080 able to apply that knowledge, then you can move on 0:40:54.120 --> 0:40:55.799 to the next step. What would the next step be? 0:40:55.920 --> 0:40:58.200 And does the federal government or maybe the private sector 0:40:58.239 --> 0:41:01.040 have a role in that. Well, the private sector, I 0:41:01.040 --> 0:41:04.200 think does have a role in helping identify their needs 0:41:04.200 --> 0:41:07.279 and and uh and so I think these days just 0:41:07.360 --> 0:41:12.520 given um, the the back of apparent backing off of 0:41:12.560 --> 0:41:15.719 the federal government from uh from the life of the 0:41:15.760 --> 0:41:17.719 cities in this country at least, that's I think what 0:41:17.840 --> 0:41:21.120 we should assume until until it's proven otherwise. And the 0:41:21.200 --> 0:41:24.600 continuing resource constraints at the local level, you know, more 0:41:24.640 --> 0:41:27.719 has to be expected of the private sector, so not 0:41:27.880 --> 0:41:31.600 only in the way of identifying needs, but also pooning 0:41:31.760 --> 0:41:35.920 up funding to to to actually activate projects that might 0:41:35.960 --> 0:41:37.960 be in the public good, whether they are in our 0:41:37.960 --> 0:41:43.520 case port facilities or whether they are um surface transportation projects, 0:41:43.560 --> 0:41:45.680 whatever it is. But you know what we try to 0:41:45.760 --> 0:41:48.120 do is work in and glove with business so that 0:41:48.480 --> 0:41:50.439 you know, we have a sense of where their needs 0:41:50.440 --> 0:41:53.520 are heart not just presently but a year from now, 0:41:53.680 --> 0:41:56.919 five years from now, and so forth. Your city has 0:41:57.000 --> 0:41:59.759 the highest bond rating ever in its history, which is 0:41:59.800 --> 0:42:02.520 saying something when it starts in the seventeenth century, How 0:42:02.560 --> 0:42:05.960 does smart city innovation play into that? Yeah, I don't think. Uh, 0:42:06.040 --> 0:42:08.080 I don't think S and P was around back then, 0:42:08.160 --> 0:42:11.160 so it might not be a valid marker. But but 0:42:11.280 --> 0:42:15.400 in any event, uh, you know what we we are, 0:42:15.520 --> 0:42:18.200 even though we're two thousand seventeen and not two thousand 0:42:18.239 --> 0:42:21.719 and eight anymore. We still manage the city government with 0:42:22.000 --> 0:42:25.480 a u a an air of austerity as though it 0:42:25.480 --> 0:42:27.160 were two thousand and in the sense that we're not 0:42:27.239 --> 0:42:30.520 parsimonious about every last penny we do. We do look 0:42:30.560 --> 0:42:32.920 for opportunities to invest, but we've got to get more 0:42:32.920 --> 0:42:36.520 efficient all the time because we still our resource constraint um. 0:42:36.640 --> 0:42:40.759 So we we've we have championed a number of efficiency 0:42:40.760 --> 0:42:45.720 initiatives that have freed up capital public capital to invest 0:42:45.840 --> 0:42:49.440 in critical infrastructure whether it's broadband, whether it's port facilities 0:42:49.440 --> 0:42:53.080 and so forth. And we do that by, um, you know, 0:42:53.160 --> 0:42:56.960 by by being more data driven. When I got into office, UH, 0:42:57.000 --> 0:43:01.120 there was nothing in the way of a performance management 0:43:01.320 --> 0:43:05.440 mechanism and city government. We we have one. Now. We 0:43:05.560 --> 0:43:08.360 measured all the things that I think, at least for now, 0:43:08.400 --> 0:43:12.200 that are relevant to our continuing to deliver important services 0:43:12.200 --> 0:43:15.480 but also to save taxpayer dollars. UH. And we've also 0:43:15.560 --> 0:43:20.040 seized opportunities for UH in certain discrete areas. Energy is 0:43:20.040 --> 0:43:23.320 a good example where we've been very aggressive in building 0:43:23.320 --> 0:43:26.120 out our solar capacity. According to the Wall Street Journal, 0:43:26.160 --> 0:43:30.279 we have uh more installed municipal solar capacity than any 0:43:30.400 --> 0:43:33.680 any city in the United States. Actually in the continental 0:43:33.760 --> 0:43:39.120 United States. Honolulu has we're told more installed a capacity 0:43:39.160 --> 0:43:43.239 per capita. But obviously honolul has a slight advantage when 0:43:43.280 --> 0:43:46.440 it comes to sun so so. But but anyway, it's 0:43:46.480 --> 0:43:50.000 just one example of the kinds of the kinds of energy, 0:43:50.640 --> 0:43:53.359 the kinds of initiatives that we were we've been aggressively 0:43:53.440 --> 0:43:56.560 pursuing because you know, when you step back and think 0:43:56.600 --> 0:43:59.680 about our position, your befords a city of a hundred thousand, 0:44:00.080 --> 0:44:03.399 it's an older industrial city. And even though we've we've 0:44:03.400 --> 0:44:06.200 seen a lot of growth of late, we're one of 0:44:06.200 --> 0:44:10.120 these places that historically has lag behind the business cycle, 0:44:10.239 --> 0:44:12.560 right where one of the we're usually late to emerge 0:44:12.560 --> 0:44:14.600 from a recession and quick to go back into the 0:44:14.640 --> 0:44:17.200 next one. And what I'm trying to do is to 0:44:17.239 --> 0:44:19.480 make the right kinds of adjustments along the way and 0:44:19.600 --> 0:44:22.480 right kinds of investments that allow us to flatten that 0:44:22.520 --> 0:44:26.200 out and remain on a on a steadier growth trajectory. 0:44:26.680 --> 0:44:29.440 Being in an event like this one with the Smart 0:44:29.480 --> 0:44:32.880 Cities event and the other mayors in the nation's capital 0:44:33.160 --> 0:44:34.560 and the other things that you guys are gonna be 0:44:34.560 --> 0:44:36.960 doing today, do you find that you are providing some 0:44:37.000 --> 0:44:39.719 best practices to other mayors or you're able to take 0:44:39.719 --> 0:44:42.640 away best practices from them? And I asked that because 0:44:42.800 --> 0:44:46.600 everybody else has been talking about housing and infrastructure, as 0:44:46.640 --> 0:44:49.480 far as transportation, You're the first one I've talked to 0:44:49.600 --> 0:44:53.279 is talked about solar energy and renewable energy. Yeah. So 0:44:53.320 --> 0:44:57.560 we so we try to um through organizations like he 0:44:57.640 --> 0:44:59.880 as Conference of Mayors and others try to share idea 0:45:00.160 --> 0:45:03.000 and I think there is you know, there's this, there's 0:45:03.040 --> 0:45:05.320 this mindset that I think has taken hold among the 0:45:05.400 --> 0:45:09.200 nation's mayors that is all about self sufficiency and not 0:45:09.840 --> 0:45:14.439 you know, waiting for the federal government to initiate something new, 0:45:14.520 --> 0:45:18.480 whether it's an investment, whether it's new social programs, because 0:45:19.280 --> 0:45:22.440 I think there is it's some among most mayors, some 0:45:22.560 --> 0:45:25.200 level of skepticism that the federal government is actually going 0:45:25.239 --> 0:45:28.600 to deliver. And I think that skepticism is probably pretty 0:45:28.640 --> 0:45:32.520 well founded. Um. And and so what we've done, and 0:45:32.840 --> 0:45:34.600 certainly I do this in my city is try to 0:45:34.640 --> 0:45:38.960 preach uh an ethic of self sufficiency. We're going to 0:45:39.000 --> 0:45:41.239 determine our own fate. And yeah, we might need to 0:45:41.280 --> 0:45:44.360 have a good partnership with the state and federal government, 0:45:44.400 --> 0:45:47.120 but but at the end of the day, Uh, it's 0:45:47.160 --> 0:45:50.200 a it's a partnership, but we're driving the action you 0:45:50.280 --> 0:45:52.319 were talking about. Two thousand and eight. Would like to 0:45:52.320 --> 0:45:55.000 take a moment to talk about two thousand seven March 0:45:55.120 --> 0:45:58.480 was the tenure anniversary of the immigration raid that netted 0:45:58.480 --> 0:46:02.520 three sixty one textile workers and the people who hired them. Um, 0:46:02.560 --> 0:46:04.640 how did that change the city and what did it 0:46:04.719 --> 0:46:08.040 learned from the experience. Yeah, so that was the so 0:46:08.160 --> 0:46:12.480 called Michael Bianco Raid, which Michael Bianco was a factory 0:46:12.480 --> 0:46:15.120 in the south end of our city that made um 0:46:15.480 --> 0:46:19.840 rut sacks for for the Department of Defense and it 0:46:19.920 --> 0:46:23.480 employed a large number of undocumented workers. The ICE went 0:46:23.560 --> 0:46:26.920 in and as part in connection with a criminal investigation 0:46:27.000 --> 0:46:31.520 of the employers of the of the bosses as it were, 0:46:31.760 --> 0:46:36.120 um UH rounded up a very large number of of 0:46:36.160 --> 0:46:39.640 the workers who didn't have immigration status. And it was 0:46:39.800 --> 0:46:42.080 it was a shock, I think, not only to the city, 0:46:42.360 --> 0:46:44.960 um for I think obvious reasons and sort of the 0:46:45.000 --> 0:46:47.840 disruption and focuses the lives not only the workers but 0:46:47.880 --> 0:46:50.560 their families, including the school children, was was something that 0:46:50.600 --> 0:46:54.720 people don't forget. But I think it also at least 0:46:54.760 --> 0:46:57.680 through the end of the Bush administration and the Obama 0:46:57.719 --> 0:47:02.840 administration changed the way that inmigration UM law is enforced 0:47:02.840 --> 0:47:06.759 in this country. Um that was perhaps the last of 0:47:06.800 --> 0:47:10.880 the large immigration raids in the country until whatever happens 0:47:10.920 --> 0:47:14.560 next now and I think so we we do continue 0:47:14.560 --> 0:47:19.279 to have a large undocumented worker population, especially in our 0:47:19.280 --> 0:47:21.319 fish houses, not only where they are were the largest 0:47:21.360 --> 0:47:23.360 commercial fishing port where also the large we also have 0:47:23.400 --> 0:47:26.600 the largest fish processing base in the country and in 0:47:26.719 --> 0:47:33.040 our fish processors UM do employ a number of undocumented workers. 0:47:33.080 --> 0:47:34.920 So there are a lot of folks who are on 0:47:34.920 --> 0:47:37.360 on edge about what might happen next, Will there be 0:47:37.440 --> 0:47:41.799 a return to Michael Bianco style enforcement, and so you 0:47:41.840 --> 0:47:44.000 know what we've tried to do. UM. You know, we 0:47:44.080 --> 0:47:48.920 are not a sanctuary city because I think we've taken 0:47:48.960 --> 0:47:52.560 I've taken the position that because that term is undefined 0:47:52.560 --> 0:47:56.040 in federal law, because there's no sort of settled definition 0:47:56.160 --> 0:47:59.640 that by by taking a hard position, we're only in 0:47:59.719 --> 0:48:03.439 flame aiming the division UH that we're seeing in lots 0:48:03.440 --> 0:48:05.759 of cities around the country. And you know, Frankly, as 0:48:05.800 --> 0:48:07.920 a as a leader of my city, I don't want 0:48:07.920 --> 0:48:10.239 that to be a distraction to all the hard work 0:48:10.239 --> 0:48:14.200 we're doing. All that said, we we take pains to 0:48:14.239 --> 0:48:17.359 help folks in our community know what their legal rights are. 0:48:18.120 --> 0:48:22.000 We take pains to remind folks or what a welcoming 0:48:22.040 --> 0:48:24.399 city New Bedford is. And we're a place that has 0:48:24.480 --> 0:48:29.399 been traditionally hospitable to UH to new immigrants wherever they're from, 0:48:29.440 --> 0:48:32.880 and we'll that will continue to approach it that way. 0:48:33.800 --> 0:48:37.399 Then we've looked at twenty o eight, We've looked at seven, 0:48:37.480 --> 0:48:40.320 let's look at what's your city going to look like 0:48:40.360 --> 0:48:42.880 in the next ten years. Yeah, great question. So what 0:48:43.440 --> 0:48:45.479 I hope from my city is that, you know, we 0:48:45.600 --> 0:48:50.520 continue to cement our status as the UH not only 0:48:50.600 --> 0:48:54.359 the center of the southern part of Massachusetts, but one 0:48:54.360 --> 0:48:56.279 of the leading cities in the Northeast that has a 0:48:56.280 --> 0:48:59.600 more diversified economy, that is a place that people are 0:48:59.680 --> 0:49:02.680 moving into because the school system is has has gotten 0:49:02.719 --> 0:49:05.719 a lot better in doing right by by children. And 0:49:05.760 --> 0:49:08.520 as a place that is competitive and continues to be 0:49:08.600 --> 0:49:12.360 competitive in maritime industries because that's our bread and butter 0:49:12.400 --> 0:49:15.040 with it's our port. Is the reason why New Bedford 0:49:15.080 --> 0:49:17.000 exists and why it will continue to exist in the 0:49:17.080 --> 0:49:19.520 years ahead. That will be a leader not only fishing, 0:49:19.520 --> 0:49:22.240 but an offshore wind which is the next big industry 0:49:22.280 --> 0:49:24.759 for us. It's all coming to the United States and 0:49:24.840 --> 0:49:27.960 the years ahead. UH. And that we have a more 0:49:28.040 --> 0:49:30.719 knowledge based economy that you know, we're one of these 0:49:30.719 --> 0:49:32.920 places in the Northeast that doesn't have much of a 0:49:32.960 --> 0:49:36.319 tech sector, but we're starting to develop the seeds of 0:49:36.360 --> 0:49:39.360 one now. And where we hope is that, UM, we 0:49:39.560 --> 0:49:43.439 we're banking on the idea that technology companies can can 0:49:44.040 --> 0:49:46.439 take root anywhere. It doesn't have to be in East 0:49:46.440 --> 0:49:49.120 Cambridge or in Palalto, and can be in places like 0:49:49.200 --> 0:49:52.240 New Bedford that that offer that are a place where 0:49:52.360 --> 0:49:54.880 ideas can be freely exchanged and where people can have 0:49:54.880 --> 0:49:57.440 a high quality of life and and grow their business. 0:49:57.440 --> 0:50:00.799 So that's that's the idea for us. UM and UM, 0:50:01.320 --> 0:50:03.720 I think we're making progress in that direction. And because 0:50:03.760 --> 0:50:05.600 we don't know how this is all going to be edited, 0:50:05.640 --> 0:50:11.400 I will ask and about UM. You are a Democratic 0:50:11.440 --> 0:50:13.840 mayor of a working class city. You have a Harvard degree, 0:50:13.880 --> 0:50:16.280 but you worked your way through school and the factories 0:50:16.280 --> 0:50:21.080 in the warehouses. How does a Democrat connect with working 0:50:21.120 --> 0:50:23.719 class voters. It's a big question being asked in Washington 0:50:23.760 --> 0:50:26.760 these days. Yeah, I think we So, I think mayor's 0:50:27.000 --> 0:50:31.359 Democratic mayors have a pretty good handle on that because uh, 0:50:31.400 --> 0:50:34.400 and I include myself in this mix, because you know, 0:50:34.440 --> 0:50:40.480 we don't have the luxury of being ideological, um, at 0:50:40.560 --> 0:50:44.719 least overtly ideological, and we don't have the the luxury 0:50:44.840 --> 0:50:48.240 of being partisan. We have to get stuff done. And 0:50:48.320 --> 0:50:51.000 so the way I look at it is if people 0:50:51.640 --> 0:50:55.760 want the same things regardless of their political stripe, they 0:50:56.040 --> 0:50:59.040 they really, as mundane as it might sound, they want 0:50:59.080 --> 0:51:02.120 their streets plow, they want they they want their kids 0:51:02.120 --> 0:51:04.560 to go to a good school. They want their blocked 0:51:04.600 --> 0:51:09.000 to be safe and Democrat or Republican. If you're delivering 0:51:09.000 --> 0:51:11.759 on that, people will you will gain the respect and 0:51:11.800 --> 0:51:15.680 the good will of of of folks. Um That's the 0:51:15.719 --> 0:51:19.400 way I approach it, which is decidedly nonpartisan. It's more executive, 0:51:19.440 --> 0:51:22.360 and I think that's what's attractive to me about about 0:51:22.360 --> 0:51:24.120 my job, and I suspect it's true of a lot 0:51:24.160 --> 0:51:27.440 of other mayors around the country. People are demanding results, 0:51:27.440 --> 0:51:31.000 and as mayor, you're you're in a position to do that. 0:51:31.040 --> 0:51:35.280 If that's if that's truly your focus. All right, John Mitchell, 0:51:35.280 --> 0:51:37.480 A Mare of New Bedford, Massachusetts, thank you so much 0:51:37.520 --> 0:51:49.080 for joining us, Thanks for having me, Thank you, Thanks 0:51:49.120 --> 0:51:53.320 for listening to the Bloomberg Surveillance podcast. Subscribe and listen 0:51:53.320 --> 0:51:59.000 to interviews on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, or whichever podcast platform 0:51:59.040 --> 0:52:02.360 you prefer. I'm on Twitter at Tom Keene, David Gura 0:52:02.880 --> 0:52:06.600 is at David Gura. Before the podcast, you could always 0:52:06.600 --> 0:52:09.360 catch us worldwide. I'm Bloomberg Radio