Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz today joined peers from nine northeastern states in Washington, D.C. at Northeast State Leadership Day, held at the White House to provide county-level elected officials an opportunity to advocate for their communities on infrastructure and community revitalization issues. In addition to participating in panel discussions on these topics, Leadership Day attendees heard remarks from U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Larry Kudlow of the White House National Economic Council, and Frank Brogan of the U.S. Department of Education.  Former U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, also scheduled to give remarks, was a late scratch for the event.

“As Erie County Executive it is my responsibility to always advocate for our residents, while at home or here in our nation’s capital. While Washington’s leadership has failed us in recent years, we remain hopeful that programs Erie County could benefit from such as a significant infrastructure package, more robust investments in community centers, and reenergized environmental protections could still be forthcoming. That’s what I am here to talk about,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “I also expressed my disgust and disappointment with the President’s recent racist comments. More than 20% of Erie County’s population is made up of members of various minority groups and it is important that all feel that their elected officials, especially the President, are working on their behalf and in their best interests.”

Tuesday’s event, hosted by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, was the third of ten such regional events. Joining Erie County Executive Poloncarz were elected officials from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and elsewhere in NYS.

Federal departments participating in Leadership Day included the Departments of Transportation and Energy; the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of National Drug Control Policy; the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). 

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