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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release May 10, 2000 |
       DELTA VISION, DELTA VOICES:  MISSISSIPPI DELTA BEYOND 2000 
               President Clinton and Vice President Gore:  

Highlighting the Future Economic Development of the Delta Region

May 10, 2000

BUILDING ON 7-YEARS OF EFFORT TO BRING PROSPERITY TO THE DELTA REGION, PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE WILL PARTICIPATE IN A NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF THE DELTA. Today, in Arlington, Virginia, President Clinton and Vice President Gore will kick off Delta Vision, Delta Voices: The Mississippi Delta Beyond 2000, a two-day national conference to promote economic and community development in the Mississippi Delta region. The bipartisan conference -- the largest of its kind ever assembled -- will bring together over 750 people, including Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, state governors, and leaders and constituents from the Delta region, to discuss ways to ensure that the region shares in the nation's unprecedented prosperity. The President will release a new report by an interagency task force on recommendations for the future of the Mississippi Delta, announce new infrastructure and community investments in the region, and urge Congress to pass the Delta Regional Authority Act. The Vice President will unveil new economic development initiatives and participate in a town hall meeting on bringing business, technology, and empowerment to the Delta region.

THE CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE REAL PROGRESS IN MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF THE DELTA. The Mississippi Delta region encompasses 7 states, 219 counties, and more than 8.3 million people. Although it has bestowed a rich cultural heritage upon our nation and contributed greatly to its productivity, this historically impoverished area still lags behind the rest of the nation in social and economic growth. To address these concerns, in 1990 the Delta Commission -- authorized by Congress and chaired by then-Governor Bill Clinton -- published a landmark report containing a 10-year plan with recommendations on revitalizing the Delta region. In the past 7-years, the Clinton-Gore Administration has made considerable progress in meeting the goals outlined in the report and in bringing prosperity to the Delta communities. For example:

BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENABLE THE CITIZENS OF THE DELTA REGION TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN AMERICA'S SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. Although significant progress has been made, more work remains before the Delta region can be an equal partner in our nation's economic prosperity. For example:

PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE WILL ANNOUNCE KEY INITIATIVES TO INCREASE GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY TO THE DELTA REGION. As part of this Administration's longstanding commitment to the revitalization of the Delta, President Clinton and Vice President Gore will announce new investments and steps to promote the region's social and economic development, including:

Providing Infrastructure Improvements to Promote Growth and Increase Job

Access

Investing in Economic Development for the Delta's Future

Strengthening Delta Families and Delta Communities