At Last! Urbanites Have Hope!

Executive Order: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs

Section 1. Policy. About 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and the economic health and social vitality of our urban communities are critically important to the prosperity and quality of life for Americans. Vibrant cities spawn innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the businesses, universities, and civic, cultural, religious, and nonprofit institutions they attract. Forward-looking policies that encourage wise investment and development in our urban areas will create employment and housing opportunities and make our country more competitive, prosperous, and strong. In the past, insufficient attention has been paid to the problems faced by urban areas and to coordinating the many Federal programs that affect our cities. A more comprehensive approach is needed, both to develop an effective strategy for urban America and to coordinate the actions of the many executive departments and agencies whose actions impact urban life.
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Source: The White House web site

Note: That's odd. I thought innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment spawned vibrant cities...not the other way around. So, we haven't paid "sufficient attention" to the needs and wants of cities...we've ignored 80% of the American population? Strange, we've heard no outcry on this, no 60 Minutes specials on the un-met needs of urban America, particularly the urbanites of Manhatten, Beverly Hills, and the condo rows of Miami Beach.

Perhaps these are not the urbanites that the Office of Urban Affairs will concern itself with. I suspect this new office should be re-named the Office of Inner-City Slum Affairs. But of course, "urban" has such a more classy ring to it.