hursday, March 31st, 7:30 PM
"Under the Influence of ego trip Pt. 2"
Curated by Andreas Vingaard and ego trip

Rap City

Dirs. Glenn Holsten and Lisa Marie Russo, 1988, 27 min.

Rap City (1988), directed by Glenn Holsten and Lisa Marie Russo, spotlights Philadelphia and features rare and candid footage of Illadeph legends DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and Schoolly-D, as well as then-rising female emcee Yvette Money.

Writing on the Wall

Dir. Sandra King, 1986, 28 min.

Writing On the Wall (1986), directed by Sandra King, tells the poignant story of a young Newark, NJ graffiti artist, MIKAH, struggling to make a name for himself. But the film also wins big points for historical significance by presenting a snapshot of legendary New York City cult figure, KEO - graf writer, artist and designer, and emcee - while still a teenaged member of MIKAH's crew.

Scheduled to appear:

Filmmakers Glenn Holsten and Sandra King, KEO X-MEN and Micah Kelly aka MIKAH, the subject of the film, and other guest TBA

Friday, April 1st- Sunday, April 3rd Continuing Ed? This on-going series presents films and speakers in order to advance discussion about the future of education and education reform. Themes covered in this series include charter vs. public, integration vs re-segregation, multi-cultural curriculum, home-schooling and other alternative sites of learning, access to institutions of higher learning and the future of education professionals. Friday, April 1st, 7:30 PM Harlem Homegrown: Films made for, by or about Harlem (meets) Continuing Ed? Waiting for Superman David Guggenheim, 2010, 102 min. For a nation that proudly declared it would leave no child behind, America continues to do so at alarming rates. Despite increased spending and politicians' promises, our buckling public-education system, once the best in the world, routinely forsakes the education of millions of children. Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim reminds us that education "statistics" have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the foundation of Waiting for Superman. By embracing the belief that good teachers make good schools as well as critiquing the role of unions this film explores some of the approaches taken by education reformers and charter schools. Panel Discussion Speakers TBA Film Website

Saturday, April 2nd, 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM Continuing Ed? 4:30 PM Waiting for Superman David Guggenheim, 2010, 102 min. For a nation that proudly declared it would leave no child behind, America continues to do so at alarming rates. Despite increased spending and politicians' promises, our buckling public-education system, once the best in the world, routinely forsakes the education of millions of children. Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim reminds us that education "statistics" have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the foundation of Waiting for Superman. By embracing the belief that good teachers make good schools as well as critiquing the role of unions this film explores some of the approaches taken by education reformers and charter schools. Film Website 7:30pm The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman Dir. The Grassroots Education Movement, 2011, 55 min. Sam Anderson A group of New York City public school teachers and parents from the Grassroots Education Movement wrote and produced this documentary in response to the Davis Guggenheim's film, Waiting for Superman.The Inconvenient Truth provides a critique of an increasingly free-market driven education system, the undermining of teachers unions and the overall faith in the idea that charter schools are just what the country needs. This film highlights the real-life experiences of public school parents and educators inside schools and in our society and takes a holistic look at education reform. Panel Discussion with the Grassroots Education Movement Other Speakers TBA Film Website

Sunday, April 3rd, 5:30 PM Continuing Ed? The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman Dir. The Grassroots Education Movement, 2011, 55 min. Sam Anderson A group of New York City public school teachers and parents from the Grassroots Education Movement wrote and produced this documentary in response to the Davis Guggenheim's film, Waiting for Superman.The Inconvenient Truth provides a critique of an increasingly free-market driven education system, the undermining of teachers unions and the overall faith in the idea that charter schools are just what the country needs. This film highlights the real-life experiences of public school parents and educators inside schools and in our society and takes a holistic look at education reform. Film Website

Sunday, April 3rd, 7:30 PM Keeling's Caribbean Showcase Curated by Keeling Beckford of Keeling's Reggae Music and Videos The Upsetter: The Life & Music of Lee Scratch Perry Dir. Ethan Higbee & Adam Bhala Lough, 2008, 90 min. An in depth exploration of one of the most fascinating and influential artists of our times, Lee Scratch Perry. This documentary probes into Perry's mysterious youth as well as the notorious events of his peak production years in Kingston. Scratch mentored a young Bob Marley, created the sound of Reggae as we now know it, pioneered a new genre of music called Dub, invented what was to become the remix and produced international hit songs for artists from Junior Murvin to The Congos to Paul McCartney to The Clash all while working out of the infamous Black Ark Studio, a shack that he built with his hands then later burned to the ground in a fit of drug addled rage. Equally a documentation of a musical culture and a fascinating character study of genius and madness, The Upsetter is a sight and sound clash of visual and aural styles, utilizing archival footage, photographs, concert video, audio clips, music video clips both old and new, and an exclusive, candid interview with the mastermind himself at his home in Switzerland. Filmed in Jamaica, London, Switzerland, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Colorado, The Upsetter charts Perry's influence on all reaches of the globe. Q&A with co-director Adam Bhala Lough Reception Sponsored by Sugar Hill Ale Link to Film Website

Monday, April 4th, 7:00 PM Doc Watchers Curated by Hellura Lyle Americana Dir. Topaz Adizes, 2010, 91 min. The compelling stories of two American teenagers in their last months of high school before enlisting in the U.S. Army are juxtaposed with conversations between Americans and locals overseas of what it means to be 'American' and 'free'. Shot all over the world from Vietnam and Hiroshima, to Belgrade and Istanbul, Americana is an epic exploration of American identity at home and abroad. Link to Trailer

Wednesday, April 6th, 7:00 PM The Harlem International Film Festival The Harlem International Film Festival Kicks Off Hi Wednesdays Beginning April 6 Join us every first Wednesday of each month beginning in April as we bring back several award-winning films from Hi5 plus some must-see gems that have not yet been screened. The first program features award-winning shorts by some phenomenal female filmmakers from Harlem and Brooklyn to Australia and the UK including Tracy Grant's, I Remain, that won the Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker. 7:00pm If I Leap Dir. Jackie J. Stone, 2010, 18 min, USA A young nun struggles with her desire for something she has never experienced. Film Trailer Jacob Dir. Dena Curtis, 2009, 12 min, Australia Gina, a young Aboriginal mother finds herself in a predicament when her husband Max returns home and learns the truth about baby Jacob. Knock Off Dir. Rosanne Flynn, 2010, 11 min, United Kingdom Pregnant teenager Jude's brave stand when a Chinese DVD seller is mugged shows her father Michael he needs to stand up for his daughter in the face of other people's prejudice. I Remain Dir. Tracy Grant, 2010, 46 min, USA This uplifting, inspirational film about living life and dealing with the struggles that come with it was made in the hope of furthering breast cancer awareness, particularly in minority populations. Through its unique perspective, the film also shines as a testament to the strength and bond of the African-American family. Film Trailer

Thursday, April 7th, 7:30 PM Under the Influence of Sam Greenlee The Spook Who Sat By the Door Dir. Ivan Dixon, 1973, 103 mins. The Spook Who Sat by the Door is based on the novel by the same name by Sam Greenlee. It is both a satire of the civil rights struggle in the United States of the late 1960s and a serious attempt to focus on the issue of black militancy. Dan Freeman, the titular protagonist, is enlisted in the Central Intelligence Agency's elitist espionage program as its token black. Upon mastering agency tactics, however, he drops out to train young Chicago blacks as "Freedom Fighters." As a story of one man's reaction to ruling-class hypocrisy, the film is autobiographical and personal. The novel and the film also dramatize the CIA's history of giving training to persons and/or groups who later utilize their specialized intelligence training against the agency. Reading and Q&A with Sam Greenlee Link to Trailer

Friday, April 8th - Thursday, April 14th, 7:30 PM Documentary in Bloom Presented by Livia Bloom The Third Body Dir. Peggy Ahwesh, 2010, 9 min. A hallucinogenic religious film is stitched together with early computer generated NASA video from 1980s virtual-reality tours in Peggy Ahwesh's inspired juxtaposition of the mysterious realms of faith and science. Kati with an I Dir. Robert Greene, 2010, 86 min. A captivating, vibrant portrait of popular Alabama high school senior Kati Genthner, filmed by her half-brother, reveals fights with her parents and romance with her sweetheart as she teeters on the brink of adulthood. As Kati prepares for her graduation day, viewers are invited to witness the intimate details of her life--from a coed pool party to a trip to the mall with her boyfriend, singing their favorite romantic song at the top of their lungs. It's all as wholesome and happy as apple pie... or is it? After Friday, April 8th and April 9th Screening: Q&A with Kati with an I director Robert Greene Reception Sponsored by Sugar Hill Ale on Friday, April 8th After Monday, April 11th Screening: Discussion with producers Susan Bedusa, Douglas Tirola, and Sean Price Williams, who also co-photographed the film Link to Film Website

Friday, April 15th 7:30 PM Under the Influence of Mr. Complex with Special Guests Pharoahe Monch, Dres from Black Sheep, Maya Azucena, Bliss and Just Ice 1 You Stole My Heart Dir. Mr. Complex, 2009, 6 min. A hilarious tale of a stick up artist who falls in love with one of his victims. Stars Duane Cooper, Oleena Ru, Bliss and Mr. Complex. 2 Sexting Dir. Mr. Complex, 2011, 4 min. When people in today's society get too engulfed in text messaging they become awkward in the simple act of conversing face to face, even in the most intimate moments. Stars Duane Cooper and Jackie Nova. 3 Die Laughing Dir. Mr. Complex, 2010, 15 min. A young man seeks revenge on his father for cursing him with the power of being too funny. Stars Kenny Williams, William Jackson Harper, Giannina Frino and Marlene Duperley 4 Fanatic Dir. Mr. Complex, 2011, 27 min. When a Fanatic loses his girlfriend to his idol, he snaps and becomes detrimental to them all. Stars Shaun B. Laurent, Shernita Anderson, Andres "Dres" Titus and Pharoahe Monch. Fanatic Trailer Afterparty with djs Ohsokool and Crossphada and superstar performances! www.yardstickflicks.com

Wednesday, April 27th, 7:30 PM Beyond Bullets: Gun Violence in America Curated by Sylvia Savadjian (A Portion of the Evening's Proceeds Will Be Donated to Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.) Living for 32 Kevin Breslin, 2010, 40 min. Living for 32 is the inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the tragic gun shooting massacre which occurred on the Virginia Tech campus, April 16th, 2007. The winning combination of Colin's passion, charisma and optimism has commanded the attention of the American public and media since the devastating incident which left 32 dead and 17 injured. In Living for 32, Colin shares an intimate account of terror he and his classmates endured and the courageous journey of renewal and hope he chose to pursue. Film Website http://www.livingfor32.com/home.html Bullets In the Hood: A Bed-Stuy Story Terrence Fisher and Daniel Howard, 2005, 22 min. Winner of the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking, Bullets in the Hood: A Bed Stuy Story contains frightening images that could only be captured by someone like co-director Terrence Fisher, who has spent his entire life in the projects and experienced the tragedy of gun violence as a seemingly inescapable part of life. Says indieWIRE, "...a great example of how Guerilla film making can play an important social function by bringing forth new and intimate voices and subjects that are normally glossed over by local evening news casts." Film Profile with Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKGE1Hea5-k A Harlem Mother Ivana Todorovic, 2009, 14 min. In 1998, 18 year old LaTraun Parker made a documentary about the difficulties of growing up in Harlem. Eights years later he was shot dead on the street. Today his mother Jean Corbett-Parker (co-founder of not-for-profit Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.) fights youth gun violence and helps other parents survive the pain through her organization, Harlem Mothers. Weaving footage from LaTraun's own film with scenes from Jean's new life today, A Harlem Mother is a short documentary that tells this tragic and inspirational story from the dual perspectives of mother and son. Film Website http://aharlemmother.com/ Post screening panel with: Kevin Breslin, Director, Living for 32 Kevin's directorial credits include A Smile Gone, But Where? and Women of Rockaway. His latest, Living for 32 premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Colin Goddard, Subject, Living for 32 Shot 4 times at the Virginia Tech shootings which left 32 dead and 17 more wounded, after finishing his college degree, Colin decided to volunteer for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the nation's largest gun control organization. going to Jean Corbett-Parker, Co-founder Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. A longtime resident of Harlem, Jean was moved to start Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. after her son, LaTraun Parker, died on April 28, 2001 outside a nightclub at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 131th Street. Stephanie Skaff, Downtown Community Television Director of DCTV's anti-gun violence media campaign, "Beyond Bullets". Before coming to DCTV, Stephanie worked as a producer, fundraiser and arts administrator throughout NYC.

Thursday, April 28th, 7:30 PM "Under the Influence of ego trip Pt. 2" Curated by Andreas Vingaard and ego trip White Lines and the Fever: The Death of DJ Junebug Dir. Travis Senger, 2010, 26 min. This film (which won the Best Documentary Short award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival) is the story of Junebug's double life as a DJ and drug dealer. Recalling the Bronx in the early 1980s, this documentary explores the old-school days of hip-hop and the dangerous underworld at the legendary Disco Fever. Never-before-seen footage and interviews with Kurtis Blow, DJ Hollywood, and Sal Abbatiello tell the tragic story of one of the greatest DJs ever. Link to Trailer SBX! Holding Down the Tradition Dir. Jun Ohki, 2005, 31 min. A cult classic set in the heart of hip-hop and featuring unearthed battle footage from the late eighties. Part music video and part documentary, SBX! stars a powerful line-up of hip-hop figures and underground celebrities, among them Show & AG, Lord Finesse, Percee P, Party Arty, D-Flow, Edan and Dave Tompkins. This film is a uniquely joyous celebration of the D.I.T.C. crew's contributions to BX hip-hop history that plays like Jim Jarmusch run amok in Patterson Projects. (Plus a very special bonus film live from the planet of Brooklyn...) Scheduled to appear: Filmmakers Travis Senger and Jun Ohki, Sal Abbatiello (Disco Fever; Fever Records), legendary hip-hop pioneer DJ Hollywood and D.I.T.C. members to be announced.

Monday, May 2nd, 7:00 PM Doc Watchers: Three Short Docs Curated by Hellura Lyle One of These Mornings Dir. Valery Lyman, 2010, 17 min. Realizing the feeling would be big as people went to vote for Obama, filmmaker Valery Lyman set up a phone line and asked folks to call right after they voted and say whatever was on their minds. Messages poured in from all over the country, and while it all still hung in the balance. This tapestry of incredibly moving messages narrates our journey from dawn til dusk, revealing a nation on the brink of transformation. Link to Film Website Weightless Dir. Faith Pennick, 2010, 39 min. Fat girls rule the water in this film about a scuba diving camp for plus-size women called Big Adventures. The camp was created by a psychologist and certified scuba diver & instructor who felt ostracized by other divers because of her size. Weightless depicts larger women as they are rarely seen, physically active and not consumed by the need or expectation to be thin. Link to Trailer Why Are They Here? Yara Costa, 2010, 30 min. A tiny village in Lesotho, an isolated island in Mozambique, the bustling capital of Ghana...poor Chinese immigrants come here hoping to thrive and prosper, but find themselves facing all kinds of obstacles - even death. This film takes a close look at three stories representing the most personal encounters between Africans and Chinese in the past ten years. Link to Trailer

Press release Thursday 31 March 2011 For immediate use ED MILIBAND'S SPEECH AT THE LAUNCH OF LABOUR'S LOCAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN Check against delivery Ed Miliband MP, the Leader of the Labour Party, speaking at the launch of Labour's local election campaign, said: Thank you for those kind introductions. Thank you Jo, for letting us join you this morning at your fantastic school - and to all of you for coming. On May the Fifth it will be a year since the General Election. For many people the local elections are the first chance for people to reflect on whether our country is heading in the right direction. So I want to talk to you today about what I believe a re the big three challenges facing our country. - The cost of living crisis facing British Families; - Whether we can meet the British promise by which the next generation should always do better than the last And - how we build stronger communities. I wish this Conservative led government was addressing these challenges. I wish they understood that in tough times, we need to be ambitious about the kind of nation we should to be. The problem is that because they have decided to cut too far and too fast, they are taking the country in the wrong direction. 1. From Downing Street to your Street. We would halve the deficit in four years, and so the Tories say that there’s no real difference between us. The local elections show how wrong they are, because up and country, we can see how Tory values, Tory choices impact our local communities. Today we published new research that the Tory-led government’s cuts to local government will hit the average family with cuts of £182 per year. And that’s on top of the cuts to services, the threat of redundancy, the increase in VAT and the tax credit changes which will make the squeeze even tighter, for the squeezed middle. The scale and pace of these cuts threaten what I call the promise of Britain – the belief that the next generation must do be tter than the last. Sure Start centres are being closed. Tuition fees trebled. Education Maintenance Allowances and the Future Jobs Fund scrapped. The safety of our streets in the battle against crime is being put at risk by scrapping 12,000 police officers. While the youth services, leisure centres and after school clubs that help combat the causes of crime are being shut. These cuts threaten to unpick the very fabric of our communities. No one should be in any doubt: all these cuts are coming direct from Downing Street to your street. They go too far. And they are coming too fast. 2. Unfairness But not only are these cuts happening too far and too fast. We can see the values of this government in the way they make their cuts. In our most vulnerable communities, in cities like Manchester and Liverpool, the cuts are nearly twice as deep as the national average, and nearly ten times as deep as in places like Windsor. Communities across England face these threats. Great Yarmouth, Burnley, Corby, Thanet and West Somerset all face the highest level of cuts. It‘s not about North versus south, it’s about fair versus unfair. It’s the trademark of this government. The politics of division. 3. Labour values We can do something better. I want us to do more than simply protest. I want us to be able to protect. Labour councils are focusing – and will focus - on supporting front-line services. We want to keep communities strong and safe and share the burden of cuts as fairly as possible. Being a Labour council under this government is not going to be easy. Labour councillors are being forced to make some hard choices. But what matters to us is the chance to put our values into action. We know that means tough decisions. So Durham, for instance, facing cuts of £266 for an average family, the Labour council asked their residents, what they wanted to protect. They said adult social care, so Labour protected those services. But in the Conservative and Liberal Democrat-led Birmingham council, where we are today, adult social care cuts will hurt 11,000 vulnerable people. The Tories so-called “EasyCouncil” in Barnet, is closing eight children's centres and cutting sheltered housing wardens for the elderly. And when it comes to reducing waste, Labour’s Sandwell Council has cut the number of top managers by fifty per cent, so money can go to frontline services. In Liverpool, ranked by the Audit Commission as having the “worst financial management” in the country under the LibDems Labour’s Joe Anderson and his team found millions of pounds in efficiency savings. Their reward? Some of the biggest cuts in funding in the country. So Labour councils will strive to protect what matters most. Labour councillors will put the communities they serve first. We will try to make things a little fairer for hard pressed families. These are our values. These are the choices we'd make. If you want a strong first line of defence against cuts that are coming too far, too fast. If you want the tough decisions taken fairly and openly. If you want councillors who will be your voice in tough times Then vote Labour on May the Fifth.

Press Releases: Holding the Qadhafi Government Accountable
Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:04:52 -0600



Holding the Qadhafi Government Accountable


Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWashington, DC

February 26, 2011


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The United States strongly condemns the ongoing violence and human rights violations committed by the government of Libya against its own people. As President Obama said, these actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. They must stop.

We are moving quickly on a series of steps to hold the Libyan government accountable for its violation of human rights and to mobilize a strong response from the international community.

Last night the United States took action to limit the ability of senior officials of the Qadhafi regime to travel. As Secretary of State, I signed an order directing the Department to revoke U.S. visas held by these officials, others responsible for human rights violations in Libya, and their immediate family members. As a matter of policy, new visa applications will be denied.

This step followed President Obama’s Executive Order freezing assets and imposing financial sanctions on members of the regime responsible for abuses against their own people and the suspension of the very limited defense trade we have had with Libya, including pending sales of spare military parts and other licenses allowing private companies to sell military equipment there.

The United States is also working with our friends and partners to mobilize a strong and unified response from the international community to hold accountable the perpetrators of these unacceptable violations of universal human rights. This afternoon I continued close consultations with our European allies, including EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. Negotiations are underway at the United Nations Security Council on a resolution that would impose new sanctions and restrictions. On Monday, I will meet with a number of counterparts in Geneva and address the UN Human Rights Council, which on Friday recommended suspending Libya's membership. We are also working with partners to determine how to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. Consistent with the President's guidance, we will continue to look at the full range of options to hold the Libyan government accountable and support the Libyan people.

We have always said that the Qadhafi government's future is a matter for the Libyan people to decide, and they have made themselves clear. When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now. Moammar Qadhafi has lost the confidence of his people and he should go without further bloodshed and violence. The Libyan people deserve a government that is responsive to their aspirations and that protects their universally recognized human rights.




PRN: 2011/294

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2011

The State of the Union:
President Obama’s Plan to Win the Future

In his State of the Union, President Obama spoke of the need to maintain America’s leadership in a rapidly changing world so that our economy is competitive – growing and working for all Americans. To do so, he is putting forward a plan to help the United States win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building our global competition. At the same time, the President understands the need to reform the way our government does business and take responsibility for our deficit – by investing in what makes America stronger and cutting what doesn’t.
· Innovate: The President is calling for new investments in American innovation. The President’s Budget will help increase the nation’s R&D investments, as a share of GDP, to its highest levels since President Kennedy. He is issuing a challenge to America’s scientists and engineers to invent new clean energy technologies that will lead the world. To incentivize these innovations, the President is calling for 80 percent of America’s electricity to come from clean sources by 2035, including wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. He is also putting forward measures to ensure that the U.S. is the first country to put 1 million advanced technology vehicles on its roads.

· Educate: The President understands that to win the future, we have to win the race to educate our children. Building on the success of Race to the Top, he is calling on Congress to re-define and right-size the federal role in education, by replacing No Child Left Behind with a new law that raises expectations, challenges failure, rewards success, and provides greater flexibility for schools to innovate and improve results for their students. The President is also pledging to prepare an additional 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math teachers by the end of the decade. To help restore America’s global leadership in higher education, the President will continue efforts to strengthen the Pell Grant program and is calling on Congress to make permanent his American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth $10,000 for four years of college.

· Build: The President is calling for a new effort to ensure that the U.S. has the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information – from roads and airports to high-speed rail and high-speed Internet. He is proposing efforts to repair and rebuild America’s infrastructure and put forward a National Wireless Initiative to help business extend the next generation of wireless coverage to 98 percent of the population.

· Reform: The President is working to reform government so that it is leaner and smarter for the 21st century, removing barriers and creating new incentives for growth. The President has ordered a review of regulations to remove needless burdens, while ensuring common sense standards to protect the American people. He also asked for efforts to merge, consolidate and reorganize federal agencies to make America more competitive. The President is urging reforms to further reduce the rate of health care cost growth, including medical malpractice liability. And to ensure that the U.S. remains the best place for businesses to invest, President Obama is calling to reform our corporate tax system, eliminating loopholes and lowering the corporate rate without adding to the deficit.

· Responsibility: The President recognizes that both parties and both houses of Congress must come together to reduce our deficits. As a step toward achieving that goal, he is calling for a five-year freeze on all spending outside of security, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. This freeze will require substantial cuts, including to programs the President supports, to allow for the investments in education and research that our economy needs. He called for a bipartisan effort to strengthen Social Security to safeguard it for future generations, and wants both parties and both houses of Congress to work together to cut spending wherever it may be appropriate, including health spending, defense spending and spending in the tax code.
































INNOVATE

From the Internet to GPS, inventions by talented scientists and engineers supported by government investments have created good middle class American jobs and transformed the world. That is why the President’s Budget will help America win the future, increasing the nation’s research and development investment as a share of GDP to its highest level since President Kennedy launched the space race. President Obama’s innovation agenda includes:

· A new commitment to supporting clean energy technology, paid for by ending taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuels: The President’s Budget will propose increasing clean energy technology funding by a third compared to 2010, including an expansion of the successful ARPA-E research program and a doubling of the number of Energy Innovation Hubs operating around the country. These Hubs will allow America’s scientists and engineers to gather the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy. The President’s Budget will also focus on high-value research on clean energy deployment, including more than doubling investments in energy efficiency and a more than 85 percent increase in renewable energy investment. These investments will support the “$1 a Watt” initiative to make solar energy cost competitive; increased funding for 24-hour geothermal renewable energy; and industrial efficiency to keep U.S. manufacturing competitive. To ensure that we make these investments without adding to the deficit, the President called for ending the approximately $4 billion per year in tax subsidies to oil, gas and other fossil fuel producers.

· Putting 1 million advanced technology vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015: In 2008, the President set an ambitious goal of putting 1 million advanced technology vehicles on the road by 2015 – which would put us on a path to reducing oil consumption by 785 million barrels by 2030. While the President’s efforts to date have positioned the U.S. to meet that goal, more is needed to ensure that the U.S. is the first country to put 1 million advanced vehicles on its roads. To reach that goal, President Obama will propose in his Budget a new effort to support electric vehicle manufacturing and adoption in the U.S. through improved consumer rebates, investments in R&D, and competitive programs to encourage communities that invest in electric vehicle infrastructure. This builds on our ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil through aggressive steps including strong fuel economy standards for cars and trucks and significant investments in biofuels.

· Doubling the share of electricity generated from clean energy sources by 2035: By proposing to make sure that 80 percent of electricity comes from clean energy sources, the President is proposing new standards that will help create a market to unleash innovation across a range of energy sources, from renewable sources to nuclear power, clean coal, and natural gas. This standard would be coupled with new efforts to promote energy efficiency that save money for American families and businesses – including a new initiative to catalyze private sector investment and upgrade commercial buildings such as offices, stores, schools and other municipal buildings, universities, and hospitals. It will also build on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s efforts to site more renewable energy projects on public lands than at any point in history.


EDUCATE

To guarantee America’s continued success, no race is more important to win than the one to educate our children. That is why President Obama remains committed to the goal of preparing every student to graduate from high school ready for college and a career. The President is focused on ensuring that America reclaims its leadership in the world with the highest proportion of college graduates by the end of the decade. To transform our education system, the President called for:

· Raising expectations to reform America’s schools: Building on the success and reforms of Race to the Top, the President is pledging to work with Congress to apply a bipartisan approach to replacing No Child Left Behind. The Administration’s Blueprint for Reform calls for a re-defined federal role in education that will raise expectations for schools and students, and make room for states and school leaders to lead the way in improving results. The President’s Budget will call for bold restructuring of federal funding to focus on a new goal of college and career readiness for all students.

· Preparing 100,000 new STEM teachers: President Obama has proposed efforts to prepare 100,000 new teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math – key skills for the best jobs in America. The President’s plan will expand promising and effective teacher preparation models and prepare more of the nation’s top STEM graduates for a teaching career.

· Promoting college access and completion: The President will continue efforts to strengthen the Pell Grant, promote more affordable student loans, and revitalize and expand access to America’s community colleges. In addition, the President called on Congress to make permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit that’s worth up to $10,000 for four years of college and has helped millions of middle class families reinvest real dollars in their children’s higher education.

· Reforming immigration laws to stop expelling talent: The President asked Congress to work with him to reform our immigration system in a comprehensive manner so that we stop expelling talented and responsible young people, whether they were brought here by their parents as children, or come from other countries to pursue college and advanced degrees. As we work to rebuild the economy, our ability to thrive depends, in part, on restoring responsibility and accountability to our immigration system.


BUILD

President Obama called on the nation to repair our existing infrastructure and build new ways to move people, goods and information; from high-speed trains to high-speed Internet – creating middle-class jobs and strengthening our ability to win the future by competing in a global economy. The President’s plan to redouble our efforts on infrastructure includes:

· Repairing roads, bridges and transit: The President’s Budget will outline a comprehensive, six-year plan to leverage our resources to repair crumbling roads, bridges, and transit. It will feature up-front investments that will both help generate hundreds of thousands of jobs now and lay a foundation for future economic growth that will benefit all Americans. It will also include transformational investments such as an infrastructure bank that will revolutionize infrastructure finance, leveraging government resources through attracting private capital to build projects of national and regional significance. The President is committed to making sure that this infrastructure program is fully paid for, and free of earmarks.

· Increasing access to high-speed rail: The President is proposing a significant down payment on a national rail network so that, within 25 years, 80 percent of Americans have convenient access to the high-speed rail system, cutting travel time in half relative to driving a car. This new system of high-speed and intercity passenger rail will connect communities, reduce travel times and congestion, create skilled manufacturing jobs that can't be outsourced, and spur new innovations by the next generation of American entrepreneurs.

· Launching a National Wireless Initiative to provide 98 percent of Americans access to high-speed Internet: To move toward connecting every American to the digital age, including rural communities, the President announced that he will work to help business extend the next generation of wireless services to 98 percent of all Americans. This National Wireless Initiative will enable businesses to grow faster, students to learn more, and public safety officials to access state-of-the-art, secure, nationwide, and interoperable mobile communications. For public safety officials, this can mean the difference between success and failure, or even life and death; as such technologies can allow emergency workers to access building designs at the scene of an accident and police officers to send pictures to one another in real-time. Finally, the initiative will foster the conditions for the next generations of wireless technology, nearly doubling the amount of wireless spectrum available for mobile broadband (through incentive auctions and other mechanisms to ensure spectrum is used more efficiently) and providing critical support for R&D in wireless innovation.


REFORM

The President is committed to reforms that make government leaner, smarter, more open and ready for the 21st century. These reforms will enable America to win the future by removing barriers and creating incentives for growth, while protecting the health, safety, and well-being of the American people.

· Reforming the corporate tax code: The President is proposing a bipartisan effort to reform the corporate tax code to support economic growth, competitiveness and investment in the United States. Over decades, the corporate tax code has been filled by deductions and loopholes that benefit narrow interests and erode our tax base and requires us to have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. This system is working against our economy’s competitiveness and growth potential. That is why the President is calling for a fundamental reform of the corporate tax system to close loopholes and use the savings to pass the first reduction in the corporate tax rate in 25 years, without adding a dime to the deficit.

· Passing trade agreements that help reach our goal of doubling exports by 2014: As part of his commitment to doubling exports by 2014, the President is calling for trade agreements that keep faith with American workers and create American jobs. In keeping with that framework, he is also calling on Congress to pass the recently completed U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. In addition, he is calling to extend this successful model of trade talks to new potential trade deals – from South America to Asia Pacific, and to our global trade talks. He will also push for additional export agreements like the recently signed agreements with India and China that will support more than 250,000 jobs in the U.S.

· Building on deficit reduction in the Affordable Care Act with additional measures to reduce health care costs – including medical malpractice reform: Building on the deficit reduction already passed through the Affordable Care Act, the President said his Budget will include further efforts to reduce the cost of health care. As part of these efforts, the President pledged to work with Republicans to support state reforms of medical malpractice systems to bring down costs and improve care – building on Administration efforts already underway to assess what works in medical malpractice reform.

· Reviewing and eliminating burdensome regulation: President Obama has ordered a review of regulations to ensure that the government is achieving the right balance between safeguarding the public through common sense standards, without needlessly burdening business.

· Reorganizing the Federal Government: The President announced that, in the coming months, he will ask for the authority to merge, consolidate, and reorganize the Federal Government in a way that makes America more competitive – the first such reorganization in half a century.

· Restoring faith in government: The President stated his commitment to new measures to restore faith in government – including providing taxpayers with a website that shows them how their tax dollars are being spent, renewing his call to veto special interest “earmarks” in all legislation, and asking Congress to publish all visitor records so Americans can know when lobbyists are meeting with elected officials and to pass the DISCLOSE act so that Americans can know when special interests are funding political campaign activity.


RESPONSIBILITY

The President made clear that now is the time to make the hard choices to reduce our deficits without sacrificing the investments we need to win the future – and that doing so will require bringing together members of both parties and both houses of Congress. As part of a down-payment on these efforts he is proposing in his Budget, the President is:
· Proposing a five-year freeze on discretionary spending: As a down payment toward reducing the deficit, the President is calling for a five-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending. The freeze will reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over 10 years, and bring non-security discretionary spending to the lowest share of the economy since President Eisenhower was in office. This freeze will require substantial cuts, including to programs the President supports. In areas outside the freeze, we also will be looking for cuts and efficiencies. For instance, the President is putting forward a five-year plan proposed by Secretary Gates to achieve an additional $78 billion in defense savings.

· Strengthening Social Security for future generations: The President pledged to work with both parties to safeguard Social Security for future generations. He called for a bipartisan solution, working with both houses, that will strengthen Social Security and its protections for the most vulnerable – without putting at risk current retirees or people with disabilities, slashing benefits for future generations, or subjecting Americans’ guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock market.

· Ending the extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent: The President reiterated his strong opposition to permanent extension of tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent. The President believes that given the hard choices we need to invest in the future and reduce our deficits, we need to allow the upper-income tax cuts to expire and return the estate tax to its 2009 levels.