Mayor Reed in Washington Working to Bring Jobs to Atlanta

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

President Barack Obama with Mayor Kasim ReedAs President Obama works to pass his new jobs bill, Mayor Reed is in Washington this week working to make sure Atlanta gets its share of those jobs.

“I think we need to pursue the jobs bill, which is why we need to be aggressive right now,” Reed said. “And so you will see me here as much as is appropriate right now. … What I’m focused on is making sure that there is no significant infrastructure legislation that is passed where Atlanta and Georgia don’t win.”

President Obama has made investment in infrastructure a centerpiece of his jobs proposal, and that fits perfectly with Mayor Reed’s plans for the city.

“I think we need to pursue the jobs bill, which is why we need to be aggressive right now,” Reed said. “And so you will see me here as much as is appropriate right now. … What I’m focused on is making sure that there is no significant infrastructure legislation that is passed where Atlanta and Georgia don’t win.”

At the top of the Mayor’s agenda in Washington is securing reimbursement for the city’s sewer overhaul – putting money directly back in Atlantan’s pockets by reducing our water bills. Mayor Reed is also discussing funds to dredge the Port of Savannah, opening it to larger ships and attracting new jobs to the city.

Mayor Reed knows that what Atlanta needs right now is not politics, but leadership. That’s why the Mayor’s efforts have gained the backing of Gov. Deal in a bipartisan partnership rare in today’s climate of bitter partisan politics. Working with Gov. Deal and President Obama, Mayor Reed is ensuring that Atlanta remains at the forefront of the economic recovery that will define our times.

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Statement from Mayor Kasim Reed on the Anniversary of 9/11

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

“Upon the tenth anniversary of 9/11, we pause to reflect upon the tragic events which are etched into our collective memories. Following the senseless loss of life and the extensive destruction on September 11, 2001, our country stood together during a moment of incredible grief.

This weekend, I join all Atlantans, Georgians and Americans as we remember each of the individuals who perished unnecessarily during these attacks. We express our deepest remorse to the families who experienced a sorrow we will never know.

We also acknowledge the courage of our first responders who risked their own lives to rescue survivors and ease the suffering of so many. We honor our brave men and women in the armed services who for the last decade have fought against further terrorism on behalf of all of us. They continue to provide a blanket of protection that keeps us safe.

We also must remain vigilant because there are still those who seek to harm us. We must not only look out for our own safety, but for the well-being of our families, neighbors and fellow Americans.

September 11 marks a day of remembrance for our nation. Let us never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

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Statement from Mayor Kasim Reed on President Obama’s Jobs Speech

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

“I am pleased that President Obama stepped forward tonight to lay out a plan to the American people which will revitalize our national economy and create new jobs for our workforce.

As Americans, we have become weary of the political back-and-forth which has become common place over the past three years. The President displayed true leadership by presenting a strong job-creation package that should garner bipartisan support and restore confidence in our nation’s ability to create well-paying jobs and stabilize our recovery.

The proposed payroll tax cuts and regulatory reductions will allow American businesses to redirect money toward new hires and investments. At the same time, families will have more money in their pockets without negatively impacting the Social Security Trust Fund.

The President’s proposals also extend unemployment insurance so out-of-work citizens can get through these extraordinarily difficult times.

President Obama also understands that an effective jobs plan involves maintaining and advancing our national infrastructure – our roads, bridges, rails, ports and more. Efforts such as “Project Rebuild” contribute greatly to putting Americans back to work and strengthening our economy.

Now that President Obama has presented his plan – which is based on ideas long supported by both Democrats and Republicans – it is imperative for Congress to act at once. I believe the American Jobs Act is a vital first step towards moving our country forward and bringing an end to this terrible period of high unemployment and under-employment.

There is no excuse for further delay.”

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Mayor Reed Discusses President Obama’s Economic Record on MSNBC

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor


Mayor Kasim Reed joins MSNBC’s Chuck Todd to assess the president’s record on the economy, and whether  some are attempting to divide African-Americans, a group hit particularly hard by the recession, as a way to attack President Obama’s re-election campaign.

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Mayor Kasim Reed and The White House Announce Speakers and Program for the Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum

Mayor Kasim Reed, The White Office Business Council and The White House Office of Public Engagement on Wednesday announced that Tyler Perry, founder of Tyler Perry Studios, and Ofelia de la Valette, founder and owner of Dance 101, will serve as the keynote speakers during the Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum on Friday. The forum will support job growth and foster economic success for local entrepreneurs including a live pitch competition – the winner of which will receive $10,000 in startup financing and eight weeks of business mentoring.

“Atlanta has a rich legacy and tradition of supporting urban entrepreneurs, especially small, minority and women-owned businesses,” said Mayor Reed. “In collaboration with President Barack Obama’s goals to grow the economy and put people back to work, today’s forum offers a unique opportunity to initiate a dialogue on the future of innovation in the urban community. When entrepreneurs are allowed to capitalize on opportunities and are appropriately assisted by the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, they are able to create jobs and reinvigorate our local economy.”

“President Obama’s top priorities are creating jobs and providing economic opportunities for all Americans to ensure that we win the future,” said Michael Blake, Deputy Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. “One critical way to achieve that goal is by partnering with visionary leaders such as Mayor Reed to provide local business leaders, especially urban entrepreneurs, with the tools they need for economic success and job growth.”

Mayor Reed has made supporting local entrepreneurs a vital part of his economic development initiatives, and the Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum continues his dedication to expand economic opportunities for all Atlantans and strengthen the economy by investing in the hard work and determination of innovative entrepreneurs like Tyler Perry and Ofelia de la Valette. We’re excited to have them join us as we bring together and invest in the future of Atlanta’s growing business community.

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Statement from Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed on the Passing of Rev. Howard Creecy, Jr.

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

Rev. Howard Creecy Jr.“Atlanta lost a great spiritual and civic leader today with the passing of Rev. Howard Creecy, Jr. Throughout the years, Rev. Creecy inspired and touched everyone he came in contact with. He was a pastor, mentor, friend and confidante to many, including me.

His devotion to friends, family and community was immeasurable. Although he was already pastor at another church, Rev. Creecy jumped at the chance to worship with his father at Olivet Church in 2002. When his father passed in 2008, Rev. Creecy took his place as senior pastor of Olivet.

He also held an unshakable commitment to civil rights. Just this year he agreed to take the helm of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as its chairman with the dream of restoring the organization to its former glory.

I cherish my time with Rev. Creecy and like so many others will miss him very much.”

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Kasim Reed rings the closing bell at NASDAQ

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

In recent weeks, Mayor Kasim Reed’s economic leadership has put Atlanta in the national spotlight. With appearances on Meet the Press and profiles in Roll Call and The Economist, Mayor Reed’s economic leadership has been recognized nationwide. Today, Mayor Reed will continue bringing national attention to Atlanta when he rings the closing bell for NASDAQ during a visit to New York. As Mayor Reed rings the closing bell at NASDAQ, snippets from his 2011 State of the City address will play simultaneously in Times Square on the NASDAQ screen.

Since taking office, Mayor Reed has hired more than 250 police officers, improved fire-rescue response times, re-opened all of the city’s recreation centers as safe havens for young people, and improved the service delivery of city departments such as Sanitation and Public Works. Within 18 months, he has increased the city’s reserves from $7.4 to more than $70 million dollars. Working with the Atlanta City Council and the city’s employee unions, he successfully initiated a series of sweeping reforms to address the city’s pension liability.

The comprehensive pension reform plan creates $22 million in savings the first year, reduces the city’s exposure to market risk and allows the city to pay off a $1.5 billion unfunded pension liability. The measure saves the city more than $270 million over the next 10 years, and more than $500 million over 30 years.

Mayor Kasim Reed – New Leadership for a New Direction.

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Mayor Kasim Reed and the National Black MBA Association Invite Conference Attendees To “POWER UP Your Profitability” In The New World Economy

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

33rd Annual Conference and Exposition will be in Atlanta, Georgia

ATLANTA – Mayor Kasim Reed and the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA®) today announced the organization’s 33rd Annual Conference & Exposition will be held Tuesday, October 4 through Saturday, October 8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The nation’s largest African American business and professional conference and exposition will draw an audience of more than 12,000 executives, entrepreneurs, students, and more than 350 corporations and public sector organizations looking to hire MBA graduates, seasoned professionals, and interns for available positions across the country.

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Mayor Kasim Reed, the White House Business Council and the White House Office of Public Engagement to Host Urban Entrepreneurship Forum

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

Summit in Atlanta on Friday, July 29, 2011 to focus on job creation and access to capital for local entrepreneurs

ATLANTA — Mayor Kasim Reed, in partnership with the White House Business Council and the White House Office of Public Engagement, will host an Urban Entrepreneurship Forum on Friday, July 29, 2011 in the City of Atlanta to focus on ways to support job growth and foster economic success for local entrepreneurs.

“There is nothing more important than creating jobs and putting Americans back to work right now,” said Mayor Reed. “I am pleased to partner with President Barack Obama and his Administration to develop innovative ways to move capital off the sidelines and create more employment opportunities in the City of Atlanta. Supporting urban, small, minority, women and socio-economic disadvantaged entrepreneurs is a critical part of that process.”

In May, Mayor Reed partnered with Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration, to host a roundtable discussion which focused on a variety of issues that impact Atlanta’s female small business owners. A cross-section of women business owners from a variety of sectors including banking, broadcasting and public affairs joined Mayor Reed and Deputy Administrator Johns to discuss the importance of small businesses to the economy and both federal and local initiatives to help women who are committed to business enterprise.

President Obama has laid out a vision to win the future by out-innovating, out-educating and out-building the rest of the world – a plan critical for America’s cities. Earlier this year, President Obama formed the White House Business Council, which strives to execute his plan to promote growth through investments in American business to equip workers with the skills they need to succeed, encourage the private sector to hire and invest in American competitiveness, and attract top jobs and businesses in the United States.

Because entrepreneurship plays a central role in creating jobs and economic opportunity, the Administration is committed to creating public-private and nonprofit partnerships to support current entrepreneurs and spark a new generation of urban business owners. At the local level, the City of Atlanta, via its agent the Atlanta Development Authority, offers several programs designed to boost economic empowerment among urban entrepreneurs, including Opportunity Zones, small business loans and access to federal New Markets Tax Credits. In addition, the City of Atlanta’s research colleges, universities and business incubators provide start-ups with access to affordable space and resources that enable them to accelerate technologies and bring them to market faster.

To focus on these types of initiatives to boost job growth in cities such as Atlanta, the White House Business Council and the White House Office of Public Engagement and the Domestic Policy Council are partnering with mayors to strengthen urban entrepreneurship. The first Urban Entrepreneurship Summit was held at Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ in June with Mayor Cory Booker as the host. A second summit will be hosted by Mayor Mitch Landrieu in New Orleans in mid-July.

More details about the City of Atlanta’s Urban Entrepreneurship Forum will be released at a later time. Due to limited space, these events are invitation-only. However, there will be an online component for the public to view each forum online.

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Mayor Reed’s Leadership Praised In ‘The Economist’

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Kasim Reed for Mayor

It’s easy to govern when the economy is strong. When the economy begins to struggle –that’s when real leaders step to the plate. As Washington struggles over the nation’s economy, Atlanta is busy getting its own house in order, and that has not escaped the attention of journals like The Economist.

Atlanta’s problem is severe, but hardly unusual. New York’s unfunded pension liability tops $120 billion. Chicago’s is nearly $45 billion. Baltimore’s is $3.7 billion; if its pension plan returns 8% a year it will be insolvent by 2022. But Atlanta got a deal done; elsewhere unions and cities are still battling. Mr Reed advises other mayors to “spend whatever political capital is necessary to pass the reform” and “to have a very high pain threshold. This process was nasty, negative, laborious and vitriolic. If you don’t have the stomach for it you need to develop one.”

 

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