Obama Administration Launches

" Strong Cities, Strong Communities "

New Initiative to Support Local Economic Growth

By Althea Dixon

Blacks4Barack Org.

White House Correspondent

Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes said that after listening to the feedback from leaders across the country, the Administration came up with a plan to partner with the leaders to build Strong Cities, Strong Communities!

This is an innovative pilot project designed to help stimulate and strengthen economic growth on the local level by eliminating red tape and the usual barriers with a more effective use of federal resources.

Communities around the nation will be eligible to compete for grant monies that are designed to perk up local community economic planning that will be innovative in stimulating empowerment, vision and participation of citizens in the well fare and development of the areas where they live.

Strong Cities Strong Communities (SC2) channels the resources of the federal government to help empower cities with their local aspirations to strengthen their neighborhoods by using these strategic methods:

Providing assistance and support – working with local communities to find ground up, not top down solutions:

Providing on the ground technical assistance and planning resources tailored to local governments’ needs and helping them use the federal funds they already receive more efficiently and effectively; and Partnering for growth:

Developing critical partnerships with key local and regional stakeholders that encompass not only municipal and state governments, but also new partnerships with the business community, non-profits, anchor institutions, faith-based institutions, and other public, private, and philanthropic leaders.

There are four components to the SC2 Pilot: Community assistance teams that will work directly with cities to support mayors in selected cities around the nation. SC2 Fellowship Program will train, select and place those that will assist with implementation. SC2 Planning Challenge to help additional cities develop economic blueprints to be able to take advantage of the grant competition opportunities.

SC2 pilot cities were selected on the basis of economic need, strong local leadership and collaboration, potential for economic growth, geographic diversity, and the ability to test the SC2 model across a range of environments. Federal assessment teams spent time on the ground working directly with mayors and other local officials to determine needs, opportunities and gather input for the pilot initiative.

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Vice President Biden to Take the Bite

Out of the Crime of Government Waste

By Althea Dixon
Blacks4Barack
WH Correspondent

As the New Sheriff in Town by Executive Order VP Joe Biden was appointed by President Barack H. Obama as Sheriff Joe! "President Obama asked me to head up the Campaign to Cut Waste—a new effort to root out wasteful spending at every agency and department in the Federal Government.

According to WH officials, Biden is assigned to hunt down miss-spent dollars, he will shine a light on fraud which accounts for billions of taxpayers dollars being wasted by government useless and unaccounted for over-spending everyday. "This kind of waste is just unacceptable. Particularly at a time when we’re facing tough decisions about reducing our deficit, it's a no-brainer to stop spending taxpayer dollars on things that benefit nobody. " said Biden.

Biden with the help of a new Government Accountability and Transparency Board, which by the way, will be a group composed of independent inspectors general and high-level agency officials who he will personally assign and whose primary duty is to help him root out waste, fraud and abuse across the government. Thus ensuring that the citizens tax dollars are being spent on things that matter, like investments in education, innovation and improving the country's infrastructure.

"So, folks, we’re changing the way your government does business (and spends your hard-earned tax dollars), and I think you’re going to like the results." ~Vice President "Sheriff" Joe Biden.

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President to Announce Cabinet Changes
as Robert Gates Retires

By: Althea Dixon

WHITE HOUSE Correspondent

Blacks4Barack Org.

(D.C.) President Obama will nominate CIA Director Leon Panetta this week as secretary of defense, replacing Robert M. Gates as part of a series of national security shifts that will also place Afghanistan war commander Gen. David H. Petraeus in the top CIA job, U.S. officials said.

Ryan C. Crocker, a five-time ambassador who retired in 2009 after wartime service in Iraq, will be assigned to head the U.S. diplomatic mission in Kabul.

Marine Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, Air force who is currently the deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command, will take Petreaus’s job in Afghanistan. Gates’s retirement date is scheduled for June 30, when Panetta will take over at defense, assuming he is confirmed by the Senate.

Patraeus will retire from the Army, to become CIA Director. He will assume Duty the first of September.

The agency will be headed for several months by an interim director. The delay in Petraeus’s move will allow him to oversee the critical summer fighting season in Afghanistan and the initial withdrawal of U.S. combat troops pledged by Obama. Officials said that both the numbers and configuration of units to be withdrawn will be decided under Gates prior to his retirement. Postponement of Petraeus’s departure will also allow time for a smooth handover to Allen.

Planning for the changes has been underway since March. Panetta accepted the National Security post Monday after much consideration.The President will make the announcement tomorrow.

These changes are dependent upon Senate Nomination Agreement.

B4B NOTE: We would like to thank Robert Gates for all he has done for the safety and well-being of Our Country. Your work is Greatly Appreciated.

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B4B ANNOUNCEMENT

B4B is proud to announce that Ms. Althea Dixon has been selected to serve as a White House Correspondent for The Blacks4Barack Organization. Ms. Dixon has been a strong Obama supporter since early during the historic presidential primaries. Her duties will include monitoring and reporting on White House conference calls with various members of President Obama's Administration. Ms. Dixon's services are certain to be of great value.

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