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p3<5889sy>|q9s9gs|q+~q|s9x|q>gxϟ9<ϙ?3>gϞ|3s9>g>gyϟ"~όsy>g3:>g?<ϙ?0>g9 0s8?>g>gyϟ"~@sx>`02f>`? ϙ?0>g9 0y>O?'<>g>gyϟ&~@sx>`0O>p? ϙ?3>gϓ3y>O'?>g>gyϟǁ ~sy>g3O> ß?O >ϙ?3>ǵ?3y>O'?>g>gyϟ~|sy>g3_>ϟ?O&>yϘ9>sx?9>O'9>g>s|qϟς??<|yǞys|>s9|gx?&?Ϝ898>p8"?<>g>pϜxp~s>p8?px?&?ϟ yy>>x?<>"?>g>|'Ϝ|>x?s>|>?sx?~ߐdžߏǂ?σ{??σ>=<??ρ x8ς'ρ>Oρ>Oρ񟞁ς'ρ>Oρ>Oρ?~?ρς-'σO>OO>O!?<x y<ρ27N>o>o<`yLJ?8p >|q89?ρ2?s8x9yy|9?sg993ρ? 33~ρyy?sg983ρ? ə3&0~s  ?8xyǎx|?3?~8q3-τO8!9s<pg? ????!@*J:\DRAFTS\NRLOGO.WPGJ:\DRAFTS\NRLOGO.WPGhd\,3BV4d\,,  AZ"Arial Regular(. Z 6Times New Roman Regular(3$ !  'dxd( $ Figure  1  VZY I&mage <=8C HKKKK !  _ ]8XXdd8]  ,[j\!6&"`z1% `E,,%y%y,,%j[[j\!6&"`x1% `E--%y%y,,%j (#(#        (#(#[  ReleaseNo. 0212.00     $XmMXXX$iX$XmMRemarks  p  #.$i##XX.#%X=e XXX0  AsPreparedforDelivery f (#(# #XX X%X=en#~  by z N  SecretaryofAgricultureDanGlickmanWhiteHouseEmpowermentConference   June28,2000!Columbus,Ohio :    Goodafternoon,andthankyouverymuch.Thankyou,MayorColeman,foryourhospitalitythisweek.Itsanhonortobeheretocelebrateandbuildontheempowermenteffortsthathavebeensosuccessfulinsomanyplacesaroundthecountry.  WealloweahugedebtofgratitudetoPresidentClintonandVicePresidentGore,whopioneeredtheempowermentconcept.Butallofyoudeserveequalcreditforsuccessfullyputtingitintopractice,formakingitworkinyourcommunities.  EmpowermentZonesandEnterpriseCommunitiesareatruepublicpolicyinnovation! n askidswouldsay,itisa waydifferentapproach.Itcombinesthebestofmarketbasedsolutionsandgovernmentactivism.Insteadofleavingpeopleexclusivelyatthemercyofthemarketplace...andinsteadofcreatingatopdowngovernmentprogramforeveryproblem...theVicePresidenthasfoundanewway,wherethegovernmentservesasapartnerandcatalysttoencouragelocallyled,privategrowth.  AndthanksinparttotheVicePresidentsempowermentstrategy,wearecurrentlyenjoyingthelongesteconomicexpansioninAmericanhistory.Wehavecreatedmorethan22millionjobs,andunemploymentisdownto4percent.Weturnedarecorddeficitintoarecordsurplus,whichisapproaching1trillionover10years.Wehavethefastestandhighestrealwagegrowthinthedecadesandthehighesthomeownershiprateever.  ImproudtosaythatalotofthatgrowthishappeninginruralAmerica,thanksinlargeparttotheEZ/ECInitiative.EZ/EChasledtocommunityimprovementsinruralareasaroundthecountrynearly2,000newhomesconstructed,255newbusinessesand$167.5millioninvestedinnewwatersystems.AndyetweknowthattherearestillpartsofAmericanotparticipatingfullyinthiseconomicexpansion.  Iwanttosharejustonestorywithyouthatdemonstrateshowthe_EZ_/_EC_Ԁeffortbringsfederalresourcestogetherwiththespiritandinnovationofcommunityleadersandordinarycitizens.  ӄmore \  \@*^  1/2 Ї^_  _2_ _  _C.W._ԀHuntgrewupin_Panola_ԀCounty,Mississippidrinkingsandywellwaterthat?+ 4 <DL!X?isonlysuitableforbathingandwashingclothes.Inrecentyears,hehashauledwaterfrom_Clarksdale_Ԁin5gallonjugs,drivingmorethan60mileseachway,sothatheandhisfamilycouldhavesafedrinkingwater.Butthissummer,forthefirsttime,heandhisfamilyaswellas500otherfamilieswillreceivesafe,chlorinateddrinkingwaterintheirhomesfromthe_Panola_ԀCountyWaterAuthority.Thatwasmadepossibleinpartbya$3.1millionprojectfinancedwithagrantandloanfromUSDA.  Today,weareannouncing$4.7millioninnewcommunityfacilityloansandgrantstosixdifferentstatesaspartofthe_EZ_/_EC_Ԁinitiative.In_Apalachin_,NewYork,acombinedgrant  `  andloanworth$68,000toagroupcalled_Playyard_ԀConceptsishelpingbuildanewdaycarecenter.Fortyfourchildrenintheareawillbecaredforinasafeandcleanenvironment,providingahugebenefittolocalemployersandgivingparentspeaceofmindthattheirchildrenaresafewhiletheyreatwork.  ToempowerruralAmerica,wealsohavetobringtheInformationAgetoruralAmerica,somethingthatUSDAhasbeenveryinvolvedin.Overtheyears,wehavesuccessfullyintroducedtelephoneserviceandelectricitytoremoteruralareas.Nowwehavetoensurethattheyshareinthenextgenerationoftechnologies!computers,theInternet,modems,satellites,  fiberopticsandsoon.Orelsetheywillbeleftbehindastherestofthecountrymarchesintothe21stcentury.    Ifyouthinkaboutit,informationtechnologyoffersatremendousopportunitytobridgetheeconomicgapseparatingruralAmericafromthecitiesandthesuburbs.Itusedtobeyouhadtobeinamajorpopulationcenter,ornearaport,todobusinesssuccessfully.Buttechnologyisthegreatequalizer.Today,withamodem,afaxandonlinecapability,youcandobusiness with  ` anyone, from anywhere.WejusthavetomakesurethatruralAmericahasaccesstothose |P moderninformationtools.  Evenaswecreateruralgrowth,itscriticalthatwenotalterthefundamentalanduniquecharacterofrurallife.Ifwebringtoomanymallparksandshoppingcenterstothecountryside,thenwevetakenthe rural outofruralAmerica.AttheheartofruralAmericasappealisthe ,  openspaces,therelativesolitude,thenaturalbeautyandtherecreationalopportunities.Wemustpreserveallthat,bycurbingsprawlandemployingsoundconservationandlandmanagementstrategies.  Itsimportanttonotealsothatsomeofthoseuniquelyruralqualitiescanbeexportedtothecities,thuscontributingtotheirempowermentandqualityoflife.AtUSDA,wehave,forexample,anUrbanandCommunityForestryProgram,whichhelpsmakecitiesmoreliveablebyhelpingpreserveoldtreesandplantnewones,protectopenspacesandbuildpublicparksandcommunitygardens.  Speakingofcities,Inowwanttointroduceaclosefriendandvaluedcolleague.Heisthecitymousetomycountrymouse.Butwehaveworkedwelltogethertoensurethatthecitiesandthecountrysidearenotadversariescompetingforfederalresources...butpartnersinpursuitofmoreprosperityandopportunityforallAmericans.  ӄmoreh  ` 0/3 Ї`3  Heisatruecrusaderforsocialjustice.Thereareveryfewpeopleinpublicservicewhohavehisenergyandpassiontoimprovethelivesofthe_underserved_Ԁandunderprivileged.Isaythesethingsnotjustbecausetheyretrue...butbecausemywifeisonhisstaff,soIhaveavestedinterestinkeepinghimonmygoodside.Y  YLadiesandgentlemen...SecretaryofHousingandUrbanDevelopmentAndrewCuomo.ZZWWX  X@*#L  fh3L