Mayor Nutter says he expects more Washington support for cities in the coming months.
Nutter attended President Obama's jobs announcement yesterday in Washington, DC. During the speech, Obama outlined plans for more tax breaks for small businesses, new investment in infrastructure projects and additional support for green jobs. But Nutter noted that Obama also sent clear message about cities during the speech.
"Shortly after the president outlined these three issues, it should not be missed that he mentioned increased support for state and local governments," Nutter said. "He said it and acknowledged it Clearly the White House and the president's advisors know that cities are struggling."
Nutter has repeatedly petitioned the White House for more direct aid to cities during the economic crisis. Much of the funding in the $787 billion stimulus package was directed to state governments, not cities. And despite millions available for infrastructure or education, there have been no funds provided to help stave off city budget cuts or layoffs.
"Cities and metro governments are too important to fail," Nutter said.
Nutter said yesterday's announcement will help Philadelphia, where unemployment is in the double digits. But he said recovery will be a slow process here.
"We had a problem before the recession. The recession has exacerbated it. And most estimates are that 2010 is going to be another tough year," Nutter said.