The Greater East St. Louis, Illinois area is located in America's Heartland. Once named an All American City, the area is now plagued with high-poverty and crime.
Mr. President, this area is a place you referred to in your July 18, 2007 remarks when you stated "if poverty is a disease that infects an entire community in the form of unemployment and violence; failing schools and broken homes, then we can't just treat those symptoms in isolation. We have to heal that entire community."
The comprehensive reforms that are available via the Promise Neighborhood and White House Revitalization initiatives can jump start growth and sustainability in this area.
We the undersigned call for the White House to designate the Greater East St. Louis, Illinois area as a Promise Neighborhood in 2014.