knowledge that we have some unlikely partners among us. some might wonder what the united states attorney general is doing at a conference largely about the defense that poor people receive in state and in local courts. likewise, many of you -- the local officials, budget officers and prosecutors gathered here today -- have not traditionally been engaged in discussions about the right to counsel. but all of us should share these concerns. it must be the concern of every person who works on behalf of the public good and in the pursuit of justice. that's what this conference is all about, expanding and improving this work. learning from each other. recruiting new partners, and making sure that for our criminal defense community, government is viewed as an ally and not as an adversary. ..

>> americans understand how their fellow citizens experience the criminal justice system, they will be shocked, angered, feelings that i hope would compel them to become advocates for change and allies in our world. third, we must expand the role of the public defender. we must encourage defenders to seek solutions beyond our courtrooms and ensure that they're involved in shaping policies, that will empower the communities that they serve.

now, i'm committed to making sure that public defenders are at the table when we meet with mother stakeholders, in the criminal justice system. i have charged the department's leadership with calling on our components to include members of the public defense system in a range of meetings. we will also involve defenders in conferences, application review panels, and other venues where a public defense perspective can be valuable. and it should not go without saying. every state, every state should have a public defender system. every state. [applause] in all of this, i stand with you and with anyone who is committed to ensuring the sixth amendment right to counsel. it is as basic as that. last year, when i became attorney general, i took an oath to support and to defend the constitution of the united states of america.

i also made a promise, a promise to the citizens i serve and the colleagues i work alongside. a promise to guard the rights of all americans and make certain that in this country, the nancy pelosi distribution centers gent are not -- the indigent are not invisible. so let me assure you today this is not a passing issue for this department of justice. i have asked the entire department of justice in my office, in lloyd robinson's and in components as diverse as the office of legal policy and the criminal division to focus on indigent defense issues with a sense of urgency and a commitment to developing and implementing the solutions that we need. in the coming weeks, we will take concrete steps to make access to justice a permanent part of the work of the department of just tipples. -- justice, with a foe campus effort by our leadership office to ensure issues get the attention that they deserve of. government must be a part of the solution, not simply by acting

as a convener, but also serving as a collaborator. now, once again, we stand at the beginning of a new decade. we must seize this opportunity to return to the beliefs that guided our nation's founding, and to renew the strength of our justice system. i have every expectation that our criminal defense system can and will be a source of tremendous national pride. and i know that achieving this requires the best that we as a profession, and as a people have to offer. i pledge my own best efforts and today, i ask you for yours. thank you very much. [applause]

>> many thanks to attorney generic holder and we will certainly follow up on all of those ideas and suggestions that he made today and i think marlene will make sure that his remarks today are also included in our files, right? we'll have that available to you so you can remind her. i remember in july, we spoke at the 100th anniversary of the naacp and said the department of rights, civil rights division is back and we're open for business, so tom perez, we will be looking to bring you some business. i want to go a few administrative things before introducing the next panel, which will sort of set the tone for the sessions later today. first, some of the logistics things. the workshops are going to take place on hall three levels of the hotel here. there are signs that direct you and there are doj staff members

here has well, there's a map of the hotel in the materials that you received when you registered and coffee is available here on this level, also up on the second floor of a this plenary. and the promenade areas, there are some reference tables that you should all stop by during the course of the next two days. staff from the criminal justice association will assist you throughout the symposium about the brand jack funding in your state and representatives from several state agencies will be presenting later today during the plenary and tomorrow morning's workshops. of a the first set of workshops, there's going to be a working lunch and we ask that when you go to this lunch today, sit with the other representatives from your state, whether you like them or not, we want you to sit with the people from your state, all right? every table has a name of a state or a territory. please sit at that table. we will be asking you to participate in facilitated state delegation discussions at those tables. and more directions on this will

be provided after lunch. and after all the people from the various states are seated, we're asking others from the federal government to take the remaining seats. that's the government is the step child in this, right? you get the open seat if there is one, so keep that in mind. and now for the plenary session that will be really terrific with all these great folks we want you to see. i thank laurie robinson for making all of this happen over theels 11 years. [applause] to moderate this first panel on the current crisis in the criminal indigent defense system, we have jo-ann wallace, who is the moderator, president and c.e.o. of the national legal aid and defender association. she also serves as a director and dep ought director of the d.c. public defender service here in washington, d.c., also serves the coordinated juvenile

justice program and representing adults and juveniles in many cases, and also was one of the deputy directors of the appellate division of the pds. she also clerked in the federal courts, in the southern district, for judge mary johnson low well, ra dear friend of mine. landlords the founder of the american council of chief defenders, the national defender leadership institute and the district of column behave -- columbia appellate review. she's also an advocate for the poor. please welcome to the podium, joanne womb as. -- joanne womb as. clear clea jo-ann wallace. and the panelist can come up too as well. >> good morning. oh, boy. the attorney general is absolutely right, you can't see a thing from up here. as our panelists are getting

seated, i'd like to just take a moment and to echo the sentiments expressed earlier and to thank attorney general holder for his remarks and for this conference and laurie robinson and all the department much justice staff who have made it possible. chief defenders from all across the country have told us that the information and the influence that the earlier conferences had played -- were significant factors in their ability to improve indigent defense this their jurisdictions, and they're very excited to have this opportunity to come back to washington. so thank you. now, i have the pleasure of introducing our very distinguished panel. i will tell you that because of time, i will be very brief in the introductions. i will not do their incredible expertise and accomplishments

justice, and i apologize in advance for that, and ask you to please refer to your program booklet, because in there, you will find more -- find their bios. so if i can, starting to my immediate left, please welcome justice michael cherry. justice cherry was elected to the clark county court in 1998. professor norm letstein served as dean of university of indiana law school until 2002. to his left is aadvice buchanan, she is currently the director of the d.c. public defender service and has been since 2004, and previously served as the agency's deputy director for two years. to her left is senator lidia

jackson who is a member of the louisiana senate and has been since 2005. senator jackson previously served a term as a representative in louisiana. and then to her left, nancy diehl, was a member of the wayne county prosecutors office for 28 years, her last position there until she retired last year in 2009 was a trial chief. so please welcome our panel. thank you for being here. [applause] >> most of us have either seen firsthand or read what happens when there isn't competent counsel. we've witnessed it, we've read the stories, we've heard the stories, about people like eddie joe lloyd, who served 17 years for a crime that he didn't commit in michigan.

or people like roberta miranda in nevada. mr. miranda was assigned a fresh out of law school attorney for a murder charge. after serving 14 years for that crime, he was exonerated, and was successful in the lawsuit of achieving a $5 million verdict against clark county for wrongful conviction. but are the stories that we see and hear and read about anomaly itanomalies or do they really represent what's happening in the system across the country today. professor lefstein, what is the state of indigent defense? >> that's a broad question.

good morning, ladies and gentlemen. i'm happy to undertake an answer to the question. in fact, it was agreed upon that i would both talk about what has transpired since the conferences in 1999 and 2000, and also talk about the state of indigent defense. it's an unenviable task, because i'm supposed to do all of that in no more than 10 minutes. references were made to the conferences in 1999 and 2000, but i wanted to remind everyone what was said after those conferences were completed. there were summaries of those conferences that were published, and in the 1999 executive summary, it was written that overall, despite programs -- or progress, i should have had say, in many jurisdictions, indigent defense in the united states today is in a chronic state of

crisis. following the 2002 program, there was a similar executive summary issued respect being the collective judgment of those who attended and what the summary says was indigent defendants frequently do not receive effective counsel, as guaranteed by the u.s. constitution. instead, they are assigned incompetent, overworked or underfunded defenders, who simply cannot do their jobs. far too many jurisdictions lack the financial capital or political will to provide adequate funding, staffing, and access to technology. so what has changed since 1999 and 2000? are those summary statements from the conferences 10 and 11 years ago still an accurate portrayal of what we have in the united states today? well, there have been a number of changes among the states.

to be sure, there has been a lot of legislation passed. since the year 2000. since that time, nine states have organized their defense services on a statewide basis. and they have provided for the most part funding at a statewide level. today, there are 28 states that organize their defense services statewide, which provides a measure of independence, and there are now 28 states, not always the same 28 states, but almost always the same 28, that provide funding entirely from a statewide level and most observers i think agree that the likelihood is more uniform and effective defense services are provided if you have statewide organization and statewide funding. but it's also, i think, fair to say, that's not always the case. and i think it also needs to be

noted that these reforms, these legislative changes have not always been all that successful. three states, in addition to the nine i mentioned earlier, organizing services on a statewide basis, have enacted statutes of partial authority over indigent defense. in nevada, which i'll let justice cherry talk about, actually issued an order to try to do that very same thing at a statewide level through a supreme court rule. though in fact, that has not yet occurred as i understand it in the state of nevada. the total amount of money now being spent on public defense in the united states has clearly increased since the year 2000. the best estimates available suggest that in fiscal year 2002, state and local government spent approximately $2.8 billion on public defense. in fiscal year 2005, the sum was

up to $3.5 billion. and the best estimate is that for fiscal year 2008, state and local governments were spending approximately $4.3 billion on public defense in the united states. all that is good news, but frankly, it doesn't tell us anything about the state of indigent defense in the united states of america today. and the truth of the matter is, as the attorney general's comments suggested, the state of indigent defense in the united states is in terrible shape and the constitution's sixth amendment right to counsel, both in criminal and juvenile courts, is repeatedly violated every day in this country to the detriment of our clients, to the fairness of the justice systems, and frankly, to the very legitimacy of criminal and juvenile courts, and what's worse is, it's

deteriorated, because state and local governments who fund indigent defense are faced with enormous financial problems. of a all, is there any high temperature in the budget that is easier to cut or reduce than funding for lawyers who represent criminals or juvenile delinquents. it's also important as i suggested a moment ago that some of the legislative reforms have been incredibly unease'sful. the -- unsuccessful. the situation in georgia perhaps best illustrates the point, because even though new legislation was passed in 2003 and was heralded as a great improvement, the system has been severely underfunded, and today in georgia, just as in the past, defendants still are effectively denied the right to counsel in all kind of cases, including capital cases, which remains still a problem throughout the country. of course, there are a few bright spots and there are some

programs that are doing well that are even models for the nation. and there are thousands of committed defenders and private lawyers, but they struggle under incredible difficulties. because they are underfunded and simply don't have the support necessary to do their jobs adequately. the increases that have occurred in public defense funding, however much we may be pleased with them, collectively, the system is still woefully underfunded and the two national properties that were issued in 2009, one with which i was involved, justice denied issued under the auspices of the constitution project, and the national legal aid and defender association, made the point i think well, as did a report issued in 2009 by the national association of criminal defense lawyers, that focused on

misdemeanor courts throughout the country. but besides a lack of funding, there are problems with an insufficient independence, because you have political and judicial overreaching of the defense function and especially in the lower courts in this country, and the attorney general hit upon the point, oftentimes, persons are not effectively offered counsel, they are inadequately advised of the right to counsel, and all matter of waivers of counsel are accepted when they would never withstand constitutional scrutiny if they were ever to be reviewed by an appellate court. the manifestations of inadequate funding are unpleasant reminders of just how far we have to go in reforming indigent defense in this country. not only is it a lack of support services, investigators and experts, but it is truly a situation where the case loads are crushing, and they are

easily, in my opinion, the worst manifestation of what happens in the united states. i received an e-mail several years ago, and some of you have heard me tell this story, of a lawyer who was serving as a public defender in a northeastern city, he didn't know me, but he knew i had written on the subject. he said i have 325 misdemeanor and felony cases, i'm supposed to be handling all of these simultaneously. i can't do it, and because of that, people are going to jail. well, i told him what he needed to do, including talking to the head of the program. he did that, and the head of the program told him, we do triage representation in this jurisdiction, that's what you're supposed to do, and if you can't do it, we'll hire somebody else, and if you file a motion, which somehow seeks relief, then you will, in effect, impugn this

program and we will fire you. well, that story may be unusual only in the sense that the defender was willing to protest. because the vast majority of defenders are not willing to do it and the vast majority of heads of programs of various kinds have not been able for a variety of reasons to bring to the attention of the courts the enormous problems that they face. to put it bluntly, because of excessive case loads, not only are the rights of defendants eroded and the sixth amendment undermined, but rules of professional conduct are violated daily as we tolerate a kind of second rate legal representation in the united states that is a shame for the american legal profession. it is true, there have been some efforts at litigation and they will be explored in workshops

following this plenary session, but for the most part, the litigation, however important it has been, and i do think it's important, that certainly have brought very mixed results, as some defenders, very few defenders, have sought to withdraw from cases or stop appointments, notably in arizona, tennessee, and in miami, and there's also been efforts made at systemic litigation, and those too have languished in the courts, perhaps with the single recent example where significant result was achieved in montana, where it brought about a legislative change through a lawsuit brought by the american civil liberties unit -- civil liberties union. the reality is i think summed up in the report that i worked on with bob on behalf of the national right to counsel committee, justice denied, america's continuing neglect of our constitutional right to counsel. here is what we said if our

executive summary. today, in criminal and juvenile proceedings, in state courts, sometimes counsel is not provided at all. and it often is supplied in ways that make a mockery of the great promise of the gideon decision. due to funding shortfalls, excessive case loads and a host of other problems, many systems are truly failing. and the country's current fiscal crisis, indigent defense funding may be further curtailed. and the risk of convicting innocent persons will be greater than ever. although troubles in indigent defense have long existed, the call for reform has never been more urgent. yes, it is fair to say the crisis that was written about following the 1999 symposium continues, nearly 50 years of after gideon as professor

ogletree has suggested. progress has been made, but we have a long, long way to go. the battle for the sixth amendment is by no means won. [applause] >> quite absenteeism indictment, but as professor lefstein said, progress is being made. justice cherry, the nevada juvenile dishry has played haki leadership role in some sweeping reforms in your state. can you tell us about that? >> sure. >> well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell you what's happening in my state of nevada. i grew up in st. louis, but moved out to las vegas in 1970, after i graduated from washington university law school in st. louis, and have been there now for 40 years, except for the three years that i've been living in carson city. no, i don't live in carson city.

i exist in carson city. i'm a recovering public defender and special public defender and criminal defense attorney, who actually ran for elected judgeship in 1998, and actually won. even though there was adverse publicity about that i let everybody go, even though my name wasn't joe. i served eight years on the district court bench and then in 2006, had this vision that i wanted to be a supreme court justice, and i can tell you all, watch out what you wish for, you may get it. i not only ran, i ran unopposed so i've been on the supreme court now for three years. in the early 1970's, i was a clark county public defender, i worked my way up to assistant public defender, where i was in charge of like 25 attorneys. phil cohen is here from the clark county public defender's office and they have over 100 attorneys, so that shows the growth of our state and especially in indigent defense. my supreme court consists of seven justices, two females,

five males. we have a very diverse group. we have an african-american, a bask, a jew, a mormon, so we have a diverse thing. the only thing they're not diverse about is i'm the openly one on the supreme court now that ever tried a case as a lawyer, a criminal case, so it makes it quite different when i say well it's a little different when you're representing a defendant, other than sentencing a defendant, because six of the seven of us were trial judges. we now have a lady on the court who comes from private practice, which is really unusual. we do not have an intermediate appellate court. in fact, we can't even call it intermediate, because it's on the plat in november. -- ballot in november. it has slim to none chances to pass, but our legislature has passed it twice and hopefully we'll have a court of hey people's. there's only 11 states without a court of appeals and of course we're one of them. in 2007, when i first became a member of the supreme court, the chief justice was william paupin

who served as a public defender with me in the early 1970's and in fact, i took him to his first murder trial, which he actually won, and so we had a good friendship and he knew my background as a public defender, special public defender and criminal defense attorney over the years. two things hamed. you heard about the miranda case. i'm very familiar with the miranda case, because in post conviction relief, my partner went to the district court judge and said i need investigative fees, about 2500, the district attorney said sorry, mark, i don't have the money, i can't give it to you. when the case got into federal court, a young lady who was a criminal defense attorney got $100,000 to go to cuba to interview witnesses and this was a person who not only was not guilty, he was innocent. he was completely innocent and he spent all those years on death row. and i guess the most interesting thing is that the county got slapped with about a $5 million lawsuit, and i had mentioned phil cohen was the public defender now, he wasn't at that

time, and at that time, they did allow brand new attorneys, baby public defenders, to do murder casements. not anymore, not under phil's regime. they have a murder team. so in 2007, the chief justice decided to create the indigent defense commission, and one of the reasons is the review journal, our paper in las vegas, which is probably the only paper right now that's pushed, did an expose on what we call the conflict attorneys. those were people appointed to represent indigent defendants and when there was conflicts with the public defender's office. and it was the -- the judges were appointing friends and relatives and it wasn't working pout very well, so this expose was brought to the attention of the chief justice and he decided that between the miranda case with the big verdict and the expose on contract attorneys, that some changes needed to be made, and i threw myself on the grenade there. i said bill, i would like to be

chairman of this commission, because i think i have the best background for indigent defense and he went ahead and appointed me. he's now left the court, he's retired and he's back in private practice. so we started in 2007 with the indigent defense commission and the first mistake i made, of course being was i did not include prosecutors and some rural judges, which was a big mistake, and after we came up with some subcommittees, it was determined that i needed to start over and we did name some prosecutors, who have been heavily involved, and we couldn't have accomplished what we've accomplished to date without the prosecutors, and i included the rural judges, so that you understand in nevada, there are two major counties, reno, over 300,000 people, and clark county, which is las vegas, over two million people. over two million people. and then we have the rural areas, where we have combined judicial districts, even though there's 17 counties. the judicial districts are combined and each judicial

district has about two district court judges. washaro has 14, 16 district court judges. las vegas will be having 52 district court judges in 2011. what we first looked at is performance standards. and once we included district attorneys and rural folks to participate in the indigent defense commission, we got some things accomplished, and even though we had some resistance from the counties and i couldn't have accomplished what i accomplished without two county managers, who actually took this seriously, even though things are real bad in reno, thing are ream bad in las vegas as you all know, our legislature is going into special session on february 23 with a billion dollar deficit, they were able to do some things for the indigent defense and i give them a lot of credit, because they

put their jobs and their necks on the line by doing that, but one thing that backs up the indigent defense commission is the sixth amendment and gideon where's wainwright, where you have a right to not only counsel but competent counsel. we were able to pass performance standards, even though my fell loaf jurists on the supreme court had never represented indigent defendants, they had sentenced a lot of them. they went ahead on instituting the performance standards, we did institute them and now we're doing training sessions on performance standards. the neck thing we want today do was case load standards, and i had the greatest distance from david carol from nlada, national legal aid defensors association, i couldn't have done it without him. he was recommended to me by our executive director of the aclu in clark county and he gave me insight in to this whole issue of indigent defense and how to

handle it through a court order, rather than through legislation. we would love to handle this through legislation, but you have to understand in nevada, we still have that small state mentality, even though we're a larger state now, where our legislature meets every other year and it's a citizen legislature, an of course, they have to balance the budget. so one of the things the legislature did over the years is kept on cutting the state public defenders budget, so that it became really a non-entity as far as indigent defense, it represents just a couple counties. most of the counties have gone to public defender or contract system. we next decided to look into case loved standards and that's caused real problems. real fighting between district attorneys, public defenders, criminal defense bar, contract attorneys, county managers, and so we had bob do a report and unfortunately, he did not make recommendations as to what the

case loads were in was wash was. we were unable to really use that report to our benefit, so we're redoing it again, so my commission is going to be meeting on february 26, when we meet, we do video, so that you can participate from carson city, las vegas, or reno. and i get a pretty good turnout, because we're going to be talking about case load standards and where we go from here. as to how. now, just recently, i was approached by some members of the public defenders, that decided that maybe case load standard of 214 non-murder, non-class a felonies would be appropriate, and the former chief justice, who is now just another associate justice -- associate chief justice decided that we needed to do more study on this, so we're going to continue to study. one of the things we

accomplished was with the appointment of contract attorneys. where they had conflicts and we were able to establish a conflict office in las vegas, headed by a former p.d., public defender, and a former d.a. and a conflict office in washoe. we can't do it in the rural areas, because in the rural attorneys, you have to beg attorneys to take indigent appointments. so we left it to the judges in the you're areas to handle that -- rural areas to handle that situation the best they can. so we were able to establish both of these conflict offices. they've tried to institute training programs, they do stringent studies of these attorneys who apply. one of the things in clark county and i was a contract attorney for a number of years, they used to have a stipend of 3,000 a month through jeff wells from clark county, we were able to raise that stipend to $4,500 a month to represent conflict

defendants and also, if they went into trial, they got paid hourly. so we had a number of people considering the economic times in las vegas, although lawyers are still doing fairly well, to have a number of applicants and so that system is still in its infant stages, but we're hoping it brings better results. eye know the next time the review journal goes and interviews defendants in jail how much they like their attorneys. we do have a special public defender in las vegas, i was the first special public defender, phil cohen was the s.e.c. one, it's a guy named dave shek now and it's an office that does only murder cases. we have the public defender and an alternate public defender in reno. we would like to better fund the special -- the state public defender, but that doesn't seem possible. i'm going to be around here for the next couple of dames. i was a law clerk for the

quammen employment opportunity commission in 1968. with they had resurrection city and all the things that were going on here with the johnson administration, so i'm glad to be back. my son is a press secretary for one of our congresswomen. unfortunately, he lives in washington, he's not here, his dad is here because that guy named obama is going to be in las vegas to apologize about making fun of tour city where you go and blow all your money, so he won't be here, but i want to thank you for this opportunity. i'm hoping that we get some question and answer session, so i can talk more about the indigent defense commission. i'm very excited about being panel to participate in this. some day we would like to have an oversight committee, commission that would look over indigent defense, but until economic things -- until you start going to las vegas, and reno and blowing your money, we won't be able to do that, because we've got a billion dollar deficit. so thank you for this opportunity to talk about indigent defense men.

[applause] >> thank you, justice cherry. senator jackson, louisiana took a different road to reform. can you talk about that for us, please? >> sure. good morning. i think programs the most important preps wallison from -- to be learned from the louisiana experience is not the new structure or the new funding, but it's the process that it took to bend the political will of the state. in 2005, speaking to a joint session of the louisiana legislature, our then chief justice said to us, it is never a popular political position to spend money on what some people see as a social program for criminals. well, here we sit in 2010, we're still not -- indigent defense is still not popular. it is -- but we have in a state,

as red as louisiana is, made significant progress. and i think the important lessons to learn are what did it take to move the ball further down the field? what did it take to begin to resolve the tremendous turf battles that exist, and what were the political dynamics that led to progress. i think that i started in this, because i was the only non-lawyer in the -- in the legislature who had a little sense of justice and fairness, that -- who didn't know enough to know what i was getting into. it probably should have been a significant clue that in 2003, when we began to perform the reform process, with the

creation of a bipartisan, broad base task force, blue ribbon task force commission, that there were probably 50 different drafts of a concurrent resolution. that should have been a key indicator that this was not going to be an easy process down the road to reform. but louisiana did come together, starting with that blue ribbon commission, which really walls the precursor for the broad based legislative i have initiative that followed, but that commission was a base where all of the players gathered together in one forum to discuss differences, and to hat least

build a constituency for a not very popular public policy initiative hand in louisiana, the turf of battles were pledge dear. it was probably the only political issue that i could choose at the time where there was no identified constituency, in support. even the people who should have been in support, the private bar, the public defenders, were fighting each other. and the only real people who wanted change and cried for reform were the people in just a minute who couldn't vote, which is always a big motivation for politicians like myself. and while we didn't transform indigent defense to a public policy notion, i think we did make significant reforms to principled, practical, public policy decisions.

principled because fundamental to this discussion were those democratic values of equality, justice, and fairness. and that overarching theme really walls the rallying cry around which we organized legislative support and community support. practical because we are politicians, we are faced as the judge talked about, with all those dynamics of balancing budgets. this year, louisiana too has about a billion dollar deficit. but the reform process made realistic political choices. recognizing that change would not come overnight, an education of legislators was a very critical aspect of reform. we were guided by a more engaged

bar association during this process. and certainly our friends, the great carpet baggers of information, certainly help levellized the playing field in louisiana and we did a number of things in the reform process. i think that surprised legislators and helped us garner support. we pressed for an information-driven reform. we didn't ask for a whole lot of money at the on set. we asked for increased oversight for central authority, for more stable and predictable funding revenues. but we did that with the request for uniform reporting, case load data, to make the case for later funding requests. i think that that request for

information, that we proposed incremental changes, was a real road map to our successful reform efforts. we started this process in 2003. in 2005, we introduced the bill that let everybody that had a fight fight. and that process began to change and create a send trammized oversight authority in louisiana, with some regulatory authority over about 60 disparate district provider systems. we were on -- we had begun the process of reform, and then katrina happened. in louisiana, katrina had so many devastating effects. and highlighted among those effects was the awful treatment of our citizens and the total

dismantling of the criminal justice system if new orleans. but katrina also had some positive effects. and one of those effects had to deal with our constituents realizing that indigent defense was not just something that happened to the criminal in the part of the town that i didn't live in, but it broke down the barriers of them versus ups. the national spotlight prodded legislators to realize that reform was something that had to be addressed and had to be addressed now, but it was much easier for legislators to make those choices, because they had constituents at home who somehow now realized that the devastating effects of flood

waters did not just limit themselves to those that were indigent. that those waters washed away so many barriers and so many protections that the average citizen held dear. those fundamental principles again were embrace embraced by r constituency and made the urgency for reform really necessary, but it made -- it created new constituencies for change, that had not existed prior to the storm. and it also had the effect of making all of the turf battles really secondary. the entire criminal justice system was in disarray. and so public defenders, the private bar, the.

>> terrible system, and even the district attorneys had to come together to restore the criminal justice system and so it created a caldron of effort and activity towards restoring those fundamental principles of justice and fairness and everyone had to participate in rebuilding not just the public defense system, but the entire criminal justice system. i will speak later in another panel about the particulars of the louisiana legislation and experience. but i -- i really do want to stress that it is so important to educate legislators and citizens about the primecy of the right of council. that has been the driving

principle in force that has spurned activity and legislative initiative in hour reform efforts. and while indigent defense still is not politically popular, it is practical public policy and it is a necessity. and people realize the economic value and just as a last inspiration of hope, when we started the efforts in 2005, and this is certainly the -- i think the third wave of reform efforts in louisiana, the state's contribution to indigent defense in louisiana was about $7 million. in 2010, we were investing about $28 million in indigent defense. and last week, in a very

conservative state, political environment, with an extremely ambitious governor, and facing a billion dollar deficit, the governor has announced in his executive budget, has proposed another $7.5 million increase in indigent defense funding, and the lesson of that i think is broad based, practical policy, prelying on the fundamental principles of fairness and justice. [applause]

>> when our panelist got together to talk about the panel for today and i asked senator jackson how she was doing, she replied she was almost recovered from the battle. michigan has had legislation introduced recently, which would substantially reform its public defense system. nancy diehl has been an outspoken proponent for reform. so nancy, what's in this for prosecutors? >> good morning. did you do this for the prosecutor? now i knew this was going to be a tough jury to address, but this isn't rolely fair, is it? ok.

let's see if it will work down there. can you hear me all right? all right. thank you so much. and i appreciate being given an opportunity to address you today, as a longtime prosecutor. but maybe it has something to do with my roots. that would be perry mason. so you see, growing up, i thought defense attorneys rode the white horses and wore the white hats. you do. and -- and i thought that all the best things in the criminal justice system were because of the defense attorneys, and that defense attorneys could right the wrongs and make our system of justice better. so when i was in law school, and

after i graduated, i started out as a defense attorney. and maybe we should require that for all prosecutors. [applause] i think it makes a difference, and i grew up, not only with perry, but believing as sir william blackstone said, it is better to set 10 guilty men free, than could convict one innocent person and isn't that what hour system of justice is based on, presumption of innocence, burden of proof, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and how can you have a system of justice that dolls not work without -- well, let me put it this way. how are you going to uphold those principles if you don't have an effective defense

attorney? it's impossible. and our system of justice will fail if we don't have competent, effective defense attorneys. and as a prosecutor, -- oh, you probably want to know how i switched sides, don't you? i skipped that part of the horse ride. well, as a defense attorney, you know what i saw? i saw prosecutors who i didn't think believed as i did, in their mission, and that as -- that it is a prosecutor's mission to see that justice is done. i didn't see a lot of that on the other side. i saw something else and i also saw the defense attorneys struggling day in and day out and not really able to make a difference, because the system seemed so weighted on the other side. and they seemed to overwhelmed, so i thought, i believe in that prosecutor's mission to see that justice is done, and i think i can do better on the other side. so i ended up in the wayne county prosecutors office. that's detroit.

we have a little crime. we're bus sieve. -- we're busy. and so it just seemed so clear to me that the defense attorneys' role in the criminal justice system was just as important as the prosecutor, so it's important to speak out. i didn't realize it was so unusual for a prosecutor to speak out in favor of proper compensation, and effective defense representation, until i became state bar president, ok, someone worried about what i was going to say again. i was told to keep it clean. think how much power prosecutors have. it's just not fair. am i touching it?

[laughter] and furthermore -- [laughter] can you hear me? i'm going to try to just leave it there and project a little bit. does that sound all right? beautiful. you know, judges and court reporters always ask the lawyers to speak up in a courtroom? i believe i'm the only lawyer where the people from the courtroom next door had to come in and say to the judge, will you please ask ms. diehl to keep it down. i found out when i was state bar president and i wrote my column on the issue of indigent defense in michigan, that people were so -- you want me to hold that now?

[laughter] and they said you'd be a tough group. that i received so many phone calls, e-mails, notes, thanking me for speaking out about it as a prosecutor and then i thought well, why. isn't it important to all of us that we convict the guilty, and set the innocent free? if we convict an innocent person, then the guilty person is still out there. how does that help any of us? if you don't have a competent attorney on the other side, then how is our system supposed to work? attorneys, good attorneys on each side analyzing the evidence, investigating, scrutinizing it, makes for the right evidence to come in. the best trials are with the best lawyers. now don't you -- let's see if we get agreement here. if you have a good prosecutor and a good defense attorney, do you really need the judge?

excuse me, your honor. [laughter] then we see that the evidence is scrutinized, the right evidence comes in and probably even more important, before the trial, that if there's something that's been overlooked, the defense attorney can bring it to the prosecutor. i can't tell you how often the prosecutor ends up having to find something or something looks unusual and we end up investigating it. i would tell my prosecutors on a regular basis, some of the best work that we can do as prosecutors, to of prove that we've charged the wrong person paneled you should have had never stop at any point in that system, if anything comes to your mind that we should investigate. but it's hard, because we're overburdened and you know that's really why prosecutors don't speak out, because every time they do, they're worried that we're going to lose presources, that they're going to lose money. if we give money to the other side, there's going to be less for them. that's the wrong way of looking hat it. the whole system needs to have more presources. but if we don't have a competent attorney on the other side, then the prosecutor is overburdened.

wrong people are convicted. wrong people go to prison. what happens? a long appeal process. reversal. so we spent wasted money on the wrong person in prison. the real person is out. and you know, that's no closure for the victim either. there's no closure for the victim in those cases. it hurts all of us. to make the system work, we need to work together. i believe that as martin luther king said, that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. and in concluding my comments -- well, i hope i'll get a chance to say a few more worried, but this part of it, my comments were written at reagan national yesterday. i don't mean i wrote them while i was there but as i was coming out and leaving the terminal, the huge sign, maybe some of you saw it. there is more things that unite us than divide us. and i believe that's true. and working together and speaking out, we can make a difference. thank you. [applause]

>> i'm thinking i'll stay right here. is this on? professor ogletree mentioned that hall of the documents and information from the sessions are contained on the thumb drive that his institute was so kind to provide. one of those documents i want to point out is a blueprint for a safer michigan that talks about what needs to happen in the state of michigan, including indigent defense reform, which is signed by the prosecuting attorneys association of michigan, the michigan sheriff's association and the michigan association of chiefs of police, so they really are coming together there. last but not least, avis buchanan. we've been talking about various

things changing in states across the country but one thing has remained constant. very early on in its history, the public defender service for the district of columbia was nominated the exemplary service and it continues to be a model for the nation. how is it that pds has not only survived but thrived over these years? >> as you said, pds was set up to be a model public defender office. it's been in place since 1960 when it was known as the legal aid agency and it became the public defenders service in 1970, when the district of columbia reorganized its court system and i think there are four principles or values that pds has maintained from the beginning and those are independence, training and supervision, resources, and -- no. no. sorry. and case load management.

i can't believe i forgot that one. the independence is the core value, i think, and it's what has allowed pds to be successful and to maintain the other three values. the public defender service is overseen by an 11-member board of trustees. those 11 members are chosen by five statutorily designated individuals. there's oversight offer influenced by the federal system, and by the d.c. local system. the federal chief judges -- the chief judges of the federal trial court and appellate court are two of the appointing authorities. the chief judge of the local court of appeals is another appointing authority. the chief judge of the loam superior court and the mayor of the city, and because of that, this local political system doesn't have direct influence over pds and the joint influence

of the federal and the d.c. government have a way of counterbalancing each other. : pow

>> the city paid out that money to two different segments over the course of a year, and the federal government was the paymaster for the d.c. public defender service. there was no way the city could decide because of something that pds did, didn't -- did that they didn't like what they're going to withhold funding because the federal government had possession of the funds. the resources since then have become have been coming to the federal government because of some political negotiations that happened back in 1997, whereby the federal government took over the funding of the d.c. justice system. the federal government now funds the public defenders service and the d.c. court systems, and u.s. attorney's office has always been the prosecutor for untold crimes in d.c. so we have resources coming from the federal government, the

congress gives us our funding in support, in conjunction with the support of the president, and we've been very favorably looked upon by those funding sources. that has given us the resources to be very effective and to allow us to maintain the caseload limitations for our attorneys. we are very concerned and put a lot a priority on making sure that those cases get done, and that they get done right and that the attorneys have what they need to represent effectively our clients. my predecessor, ron sullivan, always talks about pds representation as better representation than money can buy. and i think that is true. so we have resources to develop maintain. our attorneys are supervised by senior people, and those supervisors are instructed to make sure that those caseload

limitations are maintained, and that the quality control is maintained. and all of the attorneys begin training before they handle a case that our attorneys spent eight weeks in training, and they go him and that includes exercises, it includes on your feet training. and all those things put together help make pds successful and help it maintain a reputation for excellence that it has had over the years. we are, i've heard from other public defender offices and people who manage public defender offices across the country that it's very much a challenge to try to achieve what pds has. because of the different resources availability that they have, and they think that it's hard to try to achieve the things that we have a. but they do try, and we think they should still strive even though they don't necessary have the same kind of resources, and pressed back on those folks who would deny them or who find it, find it problematic to increase the funding.

we have gotten a lot of support, and we've been a model. we want to be a model, and i've heard other people have adopted some of our programs and some of our values. the nevada public defender and sorry, clark county public defender has adopted our training program, and i heard from another public defender last night that they adopted our intern program. so we encourage people to steal, steal freely. we will never convict you inappropriately at that. we will be happy to have you steal from us. [applause] >> i think without a little bit of time so i'd like to ask you, avis, really you know, public defense doesn't operate in a vacuum. its link with all the other parts of the criminal justice system. how has the criminal justice landscape changed in the last 10 years that has had an impact on the public defender's role, or

conversely, how has the public defense role changed? >> there are two main changes that pds has seen over the course of its existence. one is the increased use of technology. there is a lot more use by prosecutors of technology, science, to prove their cases. there's a different culture that has developed in jurors who have expectations based on what they see on tv, what can be proved in size, or through size. we had the nas report, which is going to be discussed and a plenary said discussion tomorrow. that has vastly influenced the public defender's approach to litigation. our office has -- weasel a concept from the chicago public defender, and we now have a

forensic science program, and we develop expertise in the different sciences that prosecutors use. we use them -- they use offensively but we also use them defensively and authentically. so we develop some expertise in an arson litigation, dog bites, bold fragments. we have a forensic science conference that focuses on some of these issues that are next what is going to be dealing with mental health issues. there is obviously the dna. dna evidence and we've been very, very aggressive in trying to provide resources through the nlada website to the larger public community. so we really focus on enhancing our practice in that area, and becoming a resource and being a model for public defenders there. the other areas is holistic defense. there's been a big movement toward redefining the scope of public defender work and what it really means to be a public defender, that our clients needs are not only in the courtroom

facing the criminal charge, but that there are collateral consequences whether it is immigration or child support, that flow from their involvement in the criminal justice system. we put a lot of emphasis on developing a reentry program to try to address the needs of people returning to their communities from serving census. there are challenges related to housing and employment, that people have to overcome. drug abuse, everyday, that make it very difficult to transition and to avoid committing crimes again. so we have our reentry come have a reentry summit, another idea that we stole from someone else. but it has grown over the years. we've had an annual conference, the last one was in june, and had about 1000 attendees. one of the focuses there is to advise people of their options, record expungement. the district of colombia

expanded the options available to people for expunging the records. vastly expanded the options, but still very few people actually qualified to have that done. but we bring social service providers and traders and employers together, and it's a one-stop shopping -- shopping conference where people can come and get advice. and it is very popular. so there's lots of different things available, and that we focus on. we have a special education advocacy program for kids in the deliberately system, and all these are an integral part of our public defense work. >> thank you, avis. [applause] >> i'm told that we have, there are microphones and we wanted to come that we have a few minutes before we end the session, for questions if there are any. if you have a question that you would like to address to any of the panelists, please come up to one of the mike's. there are three on the floor here. while we are waiting to see if

anyone comes up, i think justice jerry wanted to make a remark. >> since i'm one of the senior people, one of the senior citizens on this panel, i start practicing in 1970. we used to, and the prosecutor talked about terry mason that i thought became a criminal attorney because i want someone like delta street as my secretary. [laughter] >> and also i want to win every case like terri did. but when it first are practicing we had to worry about the perry mason center with jurors. to say that we don't expect anybody to stand up in the audience and to the crime that my client, now things have changed. thanks a lot order and csi, jurors want more and more and more. they want dna, fingerprints, and so that's changed drastically. also with especially court system, with the drug war, mental health court. boy, that change that i wish i had that when i was a public defender in the early '70s will be to divert people out of

the system. of course, what we do with and the returning veterans, our veterans are great people who served in did not. when they came back, look what we had to go through with them. i've got a feeling you folks will be going through with them when they come back from iraq and afghanistan, and had to come up with systems to work on posttraumatic stress to center and everything else that goes along with our veterans coming home. so i think to be a lot of changes. but it is changing for years i have seen the system, no doubt. >> single questions, i'm going to take the liberty, the moderators privilege, and asked one last question of the panelists. 30 seconds down the line. the attorney general talked about the public defense system and the justice system that we want to have, that we want to be, what's going to take. 30 seconds. >> as a member of the judiciary, the judiciary has to take a positive outlook and not just worry about affirming convictions and making sure that

strickland is strictly construed and that everybody is and how to, maybe not a perfect row but they are entitled to a fair trial. i think that's an important thing that the judiciary realizes that even though you are elected in a lot of states like i'm elected, there's nothing wrong with once in a while reversing conviction. >> professor lefstein? >> when you look at states that have achieved some measure of reform, often times it's because the systems are truly very inadequate. and the worst, the system is the more likelihood there is a reform. and that is in part, i think, the story of louisiana. and i think it's been true of some other states as well. it obviously takes a collaborative effort in the various states. it doesn't happen, obviously, with just one constituency

pushing for reform, and it takes some leadership in the legislature of the kind that senator jackson furnished in louisiana. or was furnished by a well-known representative, senator alice in texas. [applause] >> i don't know if senator alice is in the audience, obvious he some of you, maybe that is senator alice clapping. [laughter] >> but i suspect if someone else from texas. and it also takes, if you look for example, at some jurisdictions that it had reform, it takes media focus. georgia legislation in 2003, which i declared a failure in my remarks earlier, would not come about at all, i suspect, if it hadn't been for the atlanta journal-constitution and the focus that was brought to bear. what happened with the las vegas

sun journal, i think it is, in their exposé about the situation in nevada. and it almost seems happenstance as to whether or not the media does take an active role. the press in michigan has been terrific in exposing the deficiencies in michigan. the "new york times" has been foremost in exposing difficulties in new york. litigation is underway in those jurisdictions, but the climate is so terrible, financially, in state government these days that notwithstanding all of the problems in new york and michigan, which i think are too terrible examples in the north and certainly can be matched in jurisdictions in the south. it still seems an uphill battle to get legislation through. but finally, i would simply say, since you gave me the micropho microphone, -- >> i'm a quick learner though.

[laughter] >> i will just have to make one final statement, or too. [laughter] >> and that is, to the effect that i fear, having looked at public defense in the united states throughout my professional career, and i was involved at the groundbreaking of pbs and help to right the first action of the service back in the late 1960s and early '70s what i have seen over the years and what i have seen, thinking back on the 1999 and 2000 province, i fear that 10 years from now a similar audience might be convened in and in d.c., and we will see all of the problems then that we see now. unless there is some forward movement by the federal government. and without that --

[applause] -- i simply don't think this enormous unfunded mandate imposed by supreme court decisions is going to be effectively implemented by 50 states in this country to the satisfaction of those of us gathered in this room today. >> thank you. please thank our panelists. [applause] i know the rest of them will be speaking at other sessions. i'm sorry i am being given a time. can we go? okay. good, great. the real 30 seconds to give ago. shows how to do it a, avis. >> i did know we only have 30 seconds. [laughter] >> i guess i'm down to 15. [laughter] >> am hi. recognize that a flawed public defender system is a flawed criminal justice system. and that you can have a functioning criminal justice system if you don't have a good public defender. so don't accept high caseloads.

am hi. >> a transcending policy value that makes, creates a safe place for bipartisan cooperation and cultivates a climate where legislators can hopefully enact practical public policy. >> more leadership from prosecutors and prosecutors would speak out about the importance of this issue to the general public. i think you would make a difference. more leadership from the federal government which i heard this morning and i should say, keep it up that it was wonderful to hear. and resources. lots of resources. did i say resources? resources. thank you. [applause] >> thank our panel. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

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[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> and we will be back to this discussion on the public

defender's symposium on indigent defense this afternoon at 1:45 eastern as they take on the issue of juvenile defense. live coverage at 1:45. a couple of political stories here from political. ben smith in his blog is reporting that chris barron, the organizers of the draft chain e-mails this morning that he is organizing a write in vote for the former vice president. also politico saying in terms of debate on capitol hill that republicans are taking a page from democrats and asking for the debate on job creation to be televised. no response from democratic leaders on that quite yet. the seatback is underway as a matter of fact. speaking to the group is more and coverage of that continues throughout the day. on our companion network, c-span into the afternoon. may day, liz cheney is taking. and deceiving the group will

hear from another of people, including former tennessee senator fred thompson. tennessee representative marsha blackburn and the keynote speaker this evening as columnist george. >> that's why this is the only country in the world where today's employee is tomorrow's employer. and yet, there are still people in american politics who, for some reason -- >> also in washington today president obama in fact at this hour is announcing the establishment signing an executive order establishing a bipartisan national commission on fiscal responsibility. the two cochairs of that will be senator simpson, former senator simpson of wyoming and the former chief of staff to the white house. the clinton white house. president obama speaking now. live coverage on c-span3. we will show you all of that event later in our program schedule.

across town to look at the jw marriott hotel. this will be the sight of this weekend's meeting. the winter meeting of the national governors association. lots of coverage for you of that as well on c-span beginning on saturday be the opening news conference. you can check our website for further details on coverage of the meeting this week and. all this week on c-span to hear on c-span2 in evening we will be bringing you booktv prime time. the focus tonight is the current situation in afghanistan.

>> harold ford junior who is considering a run for the senate from new york was the keynote speaker at the new association of black and puerto rican legislative. the annual conference. senator gillibrand who holds the seat currently also spoke as did governor david paterson, there at the putting. and congressman charles rangel also speaking. this is about an hour and 20 minutes. >> jim and gary, thompson, senator schumer, senator gillibrand, attorney general cuomo, and controlled dinapoli,

and all of you wonderful people who have come here to help this organization. i'd like to begin, in my remarks with a weekend where i began friday night in tribute to the late, honorable percy ellis sutton. [applause] >> but i would like to suggest that in only six weeks, we have started to make the chairman a mythological figure, and in some ways started to begin, why we remember him. he was an assemblyman, the borough president of manhattan, and ran for the mayor of the city of new york. but that's not why we remember him. he held a number of jobs, so many that i can't keep track of them. just the story assembly when keith wright said he was an auxiliary police officer.

and he was a great lawyer. but that's not why we remember him. he was the chairman of inner city broadcasting. with six affiliate stations around the country. one of the largest african-american media moguls the country has ever produced. but that's not why we remember him. we remember him because, in 1961, when a lot of people were scared, he went into the heart of segregation in mississippi, and was jailed for weeks for boycotting public accommodations that didn't serve african-americans. [applause] >> we remember him because after he was mayor, after he ran for mayor and could not get coverage in the major media, he shifted inner city broadcasting to

create w. l. i b. so that a neighborhood could start to get the message that all of us elected officials wanted to deliver. [applause] >> we remember him because he wasn't afraid and he spoke truth to power. when malcolm x was murdered in 1965, and his widow, with four children and two on the way, had no place to bury him, only percy sutton came forward to have a fitting burial for that great leader of our community. [applause] >> so we rightly takes his place alongside the great leaders of our community, not him ask, who lived in our time and offered us a steadfast discipline, criticism and honesty about the america as it was at that time and the america as it was for black americans. harriet tubman, who went back into the south over 40 times to

rescue her brothers and sisters from slavery. paul robeson, a singer, an actor, a scholar, an activist of a philosopher and one who could have gotten along well by going along but chose rather to speak out against injustice with the truth. so in honor of percy sutton, who taught us to speak truth to power, for a moment i would like for the power to speak to the truth. this state, over the last four years, has had revenues down twice the national average. working with the legislature, since i became governor, one month before two years ago, we have reduced $33 billion of deficit. [applause] >> this has been painful. this had been challenging.

we have had to reverse course on some of our most prime beliefs over the past two years to try to keep the state from running out of money. we have had to veto legislation that any other time would have brought opportunity to our communities. i had to veto a piece of legislation that would have helped children afflicted with lead poisoning, but at the time it cost us $50 million. it was legislation i introduced when i was a senator. these are very difficult times for new york. these are very difficult times all around this country. 48 of the 50 states are currently in deficit. 29 states have laid off or furloughed workers. 27 states now have abandoned all of their early childhood and

prekindergarten education programs. the state of california is passing out ious. the state of arizona is, at this point, now selling off a state properties to pay their debts. the state of -- state of illinois has released inmates from prison because they have been unable to pay their debts. the state of vermont have shortened their court week to four and a half days. the state of utah have shortened their state workers workweek to four days. the state of hawaii have shortened the school week to four days. so these are difficult times. some people say, i shouldn't be running for governor because i have tried to stop this state from running out of money and

becoming insolvent. [applause] >> let it be known, i am not going to let this state run out of money, not on my watch, and i will be running for governor no matter what they say. [cheers and applause] >> now we have got to get real here for a minute. the reality is that school districts around the state, 95 percent of them, have the resources to cover the proposed reductions that we are making. the wealthy school districts have $1.5 million in wealth that they can use to absorb this deficit, but there school districts who can. and they are the districts of

roosevelt and and, in new york city. and mount vernon in westchester. in arbor hill writes blocks away from where we speak, and in fillmore in east buffalo where 40 percent of the children live below the poverty line. if we make a reduction, we cannot cut those districts any more. because they don't have the resources to absorb it. and in any reduction plan that i offer, we will not overtax the school districts where the students live on the margins of their means. [applause] >> but these are difficult times. just last week, we have had to redefine the deficit from 7.4,

to $8 billion because of the wall street firms gave their bonuses in stocks, not in cash. and we can't tax them. but we will find a way to bring the resources, and we will balance this budget and we will balance it in the right times. and his our ardent belief that in times like this, we cannot ask those who have the least to pay for it. that's why last year, we increase the welfare allocation for the first time in 19 years. we increased food stamps by 30%. we increased unemployment insurance from 26 weeks to 59 weeks. [applause] >> we increase cobra benefits for those who lose work and need health insurance from 18 months to 36 weeks. and we provided -- for 36

months. and we provided $350 million for those who are going to college who can't take the increase in loans by lenders who are taking our young people's educational opportunity a way. [applause] >> when i came into office in march 2008, african-american and hispanic companies who were qualified to receive 16 percent of the contracts that new york state was offering in procurement got 1.3 percent of the business, even though they were qualified and even though they had the resources, even though they were certified. we have quadrupled that number in a 23 month. [applause] >> the african-american firms that are lawyers and bankers, insurers and the sellers of securities and bonds to issue

debt, we have sex toppled, sex toppled means six times. it shouldn't be confused with any rumors. [laughter] >> we have sextupled their anticipation and 23 months. we have rewritten new york's real estate laws so that we have now defined the meaning of a loan and the meaning of predatory lending. if you go outside the perimeters of our new law, you will be prosecuted for mortgage foreclosure violation under the laws of the state of new york. [applause] >> and so as we move forward, it is important to know that the state, a state that has had more

difficulties than any other state has been at the center of the recession, has not had to make the changes that 36 other states have made. we have balanced our budgets. we have paid to all our obligation is. i made sure that we paid our school districts, our local governments, our service providers. i have maintained a sound credit rating went other states didn't, i'm black, i'm blind and i'm still alive. that how much better to they want me to be? [cheers and applause] >> and so this is an election year and it's open for anyone that would like to challenge me,

and the only way i'm leaving is through the ballot box. and the only way i am leaving before is in a box. [cheers and applause] >> and the reason i am the way i am is because i was raised right here in this caucus, under the tutelage of people like al, people like danny ferrell and angelo del tauro. but also like their mentors. people like david dinkins. people like my own debt. people like congressman charles rangel, and the late percy sutton. they always told me keep fighting, don't give up. keep fighting, don't give up.

keep fighting, and never give up. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, governor paterson. they have decided to make a joint presentation. perhaps in the interest of time. our senior senator chuck schumer and the dean of the congressional delegation, chairman of the ways and to me, charles rangel. welcome. [applause] >> thank you, girl. it's good to be here. with my partner. it is good to see the senator that is here.

my control, attorney general, glad that you are all here. recognizing the length of the program tonight, and knowing that i can't get back to new york without my senior senator, we decided to greet you together. my portion of this greeting is to say, for those of you who have identified education as a priority, that the condition that we find ourselves in the city, state and in the federal government dictates, that without education we won't have the ability to survive. not to survive. [applause] >> percy sutton understood that vision. percy sutton touched so many different lives. percy sutton will live for ever because one of the initiatives that he had was not just forming

groups like this to fight like hell as the governor has so well spoken, but to make certain that every kid is exposed to a good, decent college education. but percy had partners. and one of those partners, you youngsters, if you don't know, you should know, his name was arthur d. [applause] >> and i would like to ask arthur to please come on stage, because they have an award for him, and percy loved him so much. and on behalf of all of the supporters of percy sutton and legislative set of served this body over the years, i want to pay tribute to arthur eve, because he lives now and he would live forever.

[applause] >> arthur is the best, and his lovely daughter, alicia. so bring it on, nick. what do we have for my distinguished and my buddy? right over here. arthur is going to be brief because, because it is time to be briefed. there it is come here. arthur, the love of all of us, you know, is with you, but is only symbolized tonight by your buddy who love you so much, percy sutton. and i'm so pleased that i am here to represent him, because he would want to do this. he would be doing it, but i'm lucky enough to be here to do it. thank you for all you have done and continue to do. god bless you. [applause] >> this is the percy sutton empire state award.

and it is given to you as the first one that they have. thank you, nick perry. [applause] >> whatever we've been able to do, god did it. i didn't do it. god did it. and god gave us percy sutton, and this morning in church someone said i started the c. program. it was not me. it was percy sutton who started the program in the city university. and he started that, and many of us build on that to develop the eop, step program, see step, eoc, liberty partnership, teach

opportunity, professional opportunity core. there are at least 600,000 eop graduates, 500,000 seek, and 400,000 members if you count all of the others. because of percy sutton. over 300,000 people got their education, and they are now paying billions of dollars back to the state in taxes. [applause] >> percy sutton loved education. and we love him. percy mentored me when i ran for mayor. he ran the same year. and he consulted and gave me good advice. and it is good to be here, with charlie and chuck when we both served in the assembly.

charlie and tom fortune and i rented a house together. >> easy. >> we had a house together here in albany. >> that's enough. >> it was cheaper to rent a house and live in a hotel. charlie was a cook, i was a dishwasher, and tom did the shopping. [laughter] >> i want to thank all of you, and thank the caucus that have grown, their numbers are significant, and all i can say in concluding, focus on children. and the education of children. [applause] >> don't back away from any program that would help our children. [applause] >> thank you, and god bless you. [applause] >> you're the man, baby.

>> my friends, my friend and partner in the senate is not an ordinary senator. he certainly isn't a freshman, but even more than seniority, he has provided the leadership for the congress, and indeed, the nation. working very closely with our great president and certainly the speaker of the house and the ways and means committee. we don't know how new york would have been able to do as well as she has been able to do that even in programs the governor was talking about and the mayor has been talking about is because we were able to get the house and the senate to do what had to be done with our programs. and so, it is great we don't get a chance to talk about each other in washington, but every year we come up together. i want you to give a great round of applause for my buddy, chuck schumer on the finance

committee, and the third ranking member of the united states senate. [applause] smack while we're at, let's hear for the dean of our whole derogation, charlie wrangle. [applause] >> thank you, chart. i'm going to be in spirit and be brief. i just want to recall to you when i got to the assembly just a little after charlie and tom fortune and the great arthur eve, you could count on two hands, two hands, the number of members of the caucus. now there are 48 when i started there was a young freshman next door to me, who had one staffer who carried him around and help him out. and everything has grown and grown since then, so congratulations black and puerto rican caucus. we make history together.

[applause] >> last year, i say to all of you we have a hope and a prayer and help us achieve it. and that is, that we persuade first the president and then the senate, to nominate the first latina to the supreme court, sonia sotomayor. she is on the court today. one of the many accomplishments of barack obama. [applause] that i want to thank you for first bringing her great name to all of our attention in terms of the supreme court. and i want to say one final thing. tonight, we state not just to the caucus members, but to the millions they represent. to the worried moms and dads who are keeping the wolf of the monthly bills at the door, to the senior citizen who worries

about healthcare and the cutbacks that occur to them. to those young men and women who are desperately seeking a job, not just for two weeks or two months, but for two years. we speak to them, and i can assure you, and i know charlie can, president barack obama speaks to them as well. and despite, despite all of the barriers put in his way and put in our way, we have accomplished a great deal, but we have much, much more to accomplish. we must on the bench continued to increase diversity. and tonight, i am proud to announce that we are nominating raymond, a haitian-american to the second circuit court of appeals. [applause] >> i have always tried to bring

diversity to the bench. i have three criteria. excellence, moderation and diversity. i have nominate a record number of people of color to the bench. in fact, i told one of the white males i nominated that he was diversity. [laughter] >> but we also have much more to do. we have to create jobs. we have to improve education. we have to pass a healthcare bill that gives healthcare coverage to all americans. [applause] >> and here is what we say together. chairman wrangle, and all of us here tonight, to president obama, when the special interests go after you, when everyone goes after you, we have your back. we have your back would you are fighting for healthcare. we have your back when you fight for jobs. we have your back when you are improving our kids education, and together we will succeed.

thank you, god bless you and have a great evening. [applause] >> okay. let me say a special welcome to congressman paul toggle from the 21st district that i believe he is in the middle. and i want to also introduce to you knock him smithy represents the 14th senatorial district in queens and is the first african-american president pro tem of the new york state senate. welcome smith. [applause] >> thank you very much. good evening, everyone. thank you very much. good evening, everyone.

>> good evening. >> one thing led to do quickly. all the men in the house, all the men in the house i want you to look to the lady to your left and the right and say happy valentine's day. now, now, all the ladies in the house look to the left and to the right to the men and say happy valentine's day to them. and my wife is way over there. table 84. happy valentine's day, michelle. thank you very much. i have the pleasure -- i have the pleasure of introducing someone tonight, a young man that all of you know. but i was at service this morning, and the preacher, susan

johnson's cook, gave us a sermon out of exodus. and the topic was through struggle comes strength. through struggle, strength. the young man that i'm about to introduce to you as a young man who understood and knows what struggle is and how does that struggle give strength to individuals. this young man could have left washington and went on to make millions of dollars, but he recognized that there were people and individuals who were struggling that needed somebody to stand up for them and give them strength. this young man struggled on behalf of of immigrants, and now these immigrants, through an

immigration for program that he accomplished, have strength to manage their own lives on their own. this young man understood that they are homeowners who were struggling with people who would not and did not want them to maintain their homes, so he struggled and thought for so many homeowners who were being victimized by predatory lenders. and so many of them to have a home over their head and a roof over their head. this young man understood the struggle of young people who were fighting to school to school, who needed loan programs. he fought and struggled for them, and so may of these young people now have the right to get a decent education. he understood struggle brings strength. this young man has always been there for our communities from buffalo to brooklyn. this young man is one of the

brightest lights in the state of new york, and has a future brighter than many know as he comes forward today. he hails from queen. one of the best attorney general's in a state of new york, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming andrew cuomo. [applause] >> good evening. it's a better 18 and that. pretty neat. >> good evening. >> lecher for a great senator from queens, my good friend. how nice was that introduction that malcolm should call me a young man made me so happy. [laughter] >> is a great senator, great president pro tem. he has done a fantastic, fantastic job bringing the senate to the majority, malcolm smith. let's give him a round of applause. [applause] >> to our great in c. tonight,

he paid me to give him that plug but it was my pleasure in what. let's give him a round of applause. carol lewis. [applause] >> nick perry, to ruth thompson, to govern patterson and senator schumer and senator gillibrand and harold ford we'll be hearing from and all the other a lack is, it's a pleasure to be with you. nearly 40 years for the caucus. let's give them all around of applause. 40 years what they have accomplished. [applause] >> and as david dinkins used to say when you get to this point in the program, everything has been said, just not everyone has said it. [laughter] >> so let me be brief also. but this is an important we get. because on this weekend, we recommit ourselves to the

battle. we recommit ourselves to the battle for justice, the battle that says every child, every person in this state deserve the right to make the most of their god-given talents and and any barriers in the way must be knock down. and it is the affirmative obligation of government to be that vehicle. when we talk about the good fight, that is the good fight. and that is a fight that we have to fight every day. and the reason it is important we are here and we recommit ourselves this weekend is because the battle must go on. because the barriers still exist. because there are still too many young people who are not judged by the content of their character. for people who think our work is done, they have to think again. it's painful to say, but discrimination is alive and well in new york state today. and that is the truth. and we have to say it, because you will never solve a problem

you are unwilling to admit. and if you have any questions, spend a day in my office. and hear the tales of discrimination and housing employment and in lending. and yes, it is better, but it still exists today. there is no doubt. there are to many millions who don't have access to healthcare. and we are at a time today, my friends, where these hmos that are in a position where they can play god. because the hmos will decide who gets covered and who doesn't get coverage. and if you don't get covered, you don't get the operation, you could lose your life. there is to barriers to access to credit and access to capital. and there is still two education systems in this state. not public and private. one for the rich and one for the poor. and when you go into a school on the rich side of town, they will show you the first great and it'll show you the first grade

that are on the internet. and you go to the first grade and a poor school, and they don't even have a basketball net. you going to school on the rich side of town and they will show you their fancy computers and the fancy pentium processors. you go into a school on the poor side of town and the most sophisticated of electronic equipment is the metal detector that you walk through on the way to the classroom. and that is not new york. that is not america. that is not fair does. that cannot be tolerated. and that's why we are here this weekend. [applause] >> and i want to you, my friends, one of the great issues that we are in the midst of today, one of the great economic justice issues is how we are going to do with the consequences of this economic meltdown that we just went through. . .

>> it was too good to be true. it was a fraud. it was a scam. they made hundreds of millions of dollars over the past ten years. now the government has to come in to bail them out. and the government comes in it means the taxpayer is going to have to pay the bill. that means the taxpayers will have paid twice because of they first paid when they lost the equity in their home. when those home values dropped

it means the equity in your house is gone. and the equity in the house is main asset. that is a retirement, nest egg. that is gone. if you think the citizens are going to lose the equity in their home and then paid to bail out the bankers so that they can have million-dollar bonuses, then you have to think again because that is not justice, that is not fairness, and that is not going to happen in the state of new york. that is the fight for justice that we make. that is what we recommit ourselves to this weekend. it is my honor to serve as attorney general. it is my honor to represent the people of the state of new york in that fight for justice. new york was always a beacon for the rest of the nation. new york is the progressive

capital. we just don't talk about progress. we accomplished progress. the rest of the nation and the other states follow us. that is what it means to be a new yorker. that is what this office has kept alive for nearly 40 years, and that is what we're going to carry forward. thank you and god bless you. [applauding] >> let me acknowledge -- thank you, attorney general andrew cuomo. let me acknowledge the former comptroller of the city of new york, william thompson, who is here with us. good to see you. representing the 35th senatorial districts in westchester county is a woman who among other things is the first african-american woman to preside over the state senate. please join me in welcoming andrea stewart cousins. [applauding]

>> good evening. you never know when you are going to be called upon to do something extraordinary. you never know when somebody is going to say, it's your turn. you never know when you're going to be asked to step up to a bigger platform, to a higher height, and then you never know what you are going to do and how it is going to work out. a young woman i am going to introduce to you is someone who was asked to step up a year ago by governor patterson, terson, e who was asked to step up to become the junior senator of the united states for new york. and people wondered who is

kirsten gillibrand? and within weeks, even days we knew she was. we knew right away she was hard-working. we knew right away she wasn't afraid of a challenge. we knew right away that she was competent that she was a securities lawyer for 15 years. we knew that she knew down state that she spent 15 years in new york city before coming up state. we knew she had a global understanding. then we can to find out that she knew as much about wall street as she did about main street. she knew as much about corporations as she did the small businesses. she knew as much about health care as she knows about the needs for child care.

we understood that she was never going to stop fighting, that she wasn't trying to stop until she went to every one of the county's ty's she represented, d that's nothing was too big or too small for this woman whose dedication and commitment to serve all new yorkers fairly and justly was met. senator kirsten gillibrand has been a tremendous advocate. she has been someone who got on the map and is staying on the map. she is someone who her colleagues as senior senator said works hard, no-nonsense, gets the job done, is liked by her colleagues, and, yes, she is loved by us. i present to you senator kirsten gillibrand. [applauding]

>> thank you, andrea, for that beautiful introduction. you are a woman of much wisdom and much generosity. i want to thank nick perry for chairing this fantastic weekend. thank you, nick, for your artwork. it has been amazing. we have had a great time. i want to thank ruth for as chair of the caucus. thank you for everything you've done. as many of you know, i grew up just a stone's throw from here. and many of you know, one of my greatest mentors and the person who inspired me into public service was the woman who was the heart and soul of the albany democratic party, my grand mother, pauline newman. she was a lady who grew up in the south end of albany. she worked her whole life. she was a secretary in our state

legislature. she knew one very important thing, that women did not have a voice in government. they did not have a say in the direction of their country or the direction of the community because they were not represented. and so what she did about that is she organized women. she organized all the women in the legislature and all the women in albany. and those women with their passion made a difference because they did all the grass-roots work, all the work we do in this room, the door-to-door, the envelope stuffing, the phone banking, she did it. her gift to me when she brought me a lot. every fall i would be working on somebody's campaign working for somee stuffing envelopes or passing out fliers. it taught me one very important lesson that women's voices matter. what we do with our time matters. our advocacy matters. and so i always dreamed of public service and trying to do

things for others. when i was given this opportunity to be the senator for new york i thought long and hard and looked deep into my heart about what kind of senator i wanted to be. and from my grandmother is teaching a new, i knew that i wanted to be a voice for the voiceless, someone that would fight for those families for hiv, someone who fights for that single mom who can't find affordable day care and can't get a job, to be someone who would fight for the small-business owner who can't get a loan, even though they have had one for years and years and years. so i was at church this morning. i don't know how many of you made it. those of you who did make the service, it was well worth it. dr. sue jay gave an amazing sermon. she is an amazing woman. what she talked about was moses. she talked about exodus.

she read from the bible, told us the scripture and said what is most important from the story about moses is the struggle strengthens us. she talked about how moses when he is leading the israelites to the promised land, he was faced with enemies behind, a big body of water ahead, and two deserts on either side. she said, don't dismiss the desert moment. it is that moment when you put out to god and say i need help, i need guidance. it carries you on. that is exactly what moses did. he split the red sea. that reminds me of where we are today. where we are right now. we are in this struggle. this is our desert moment. everything is difficult now. unemployment is as high as it has ever been in our lifetime. 10% nationally, but the real unemployment is 15% in communities of color, 17% for

veterans coming back from iraq and afghanistan. the real unemployment numbers do not show this. some people say it is getting better. look at the stock market. it's doing great. look at the bonuses wall street is giving. it is getting better. that is not true for all across new york. for so many communities, so many small businesses. people are struggling. i've traveled the whole state and have been to all 62 counties. i can tell you that when i meet with families i was in the bronx. i went to the house center. there were 40 children in the waiting room. forty. i talked to moms. they said, i'm worried. one mom told me about her child who had asthma. my child has asthma. i have been in the emergency room at 2:00 in the morning. god forbid i could not afford the medicine he needs to stay healthy. that is what parents face all across the state. we need a health-care system that works for everyone. [applauding]

i have traveled the state and talked to small business owners. even this morning someone came up to me after a press conference, a small-business owner from brooklyn. he said, kirsten, i you doing for me? do you have access to credit? no, i don't. what we're trying to do is increase the credit. helping the credit unions and small banks to get more loans, making sure there is a tax credit for small businesses. those are the kind of solutions that matter. and just as dr. sue jay told us this morning about moses bring the israelites to the promised land. moses was never allowed to enter the promised land. that was up to joshua. every elected leader in this room is part of the joshua generation. president barack obama said, he was leading the joshua generation. what that means is it is our responsibility to move forward to this struggle to the promised land.

now, there will be obstacles in the way. joshua did not have it easy. he had the walls of jericho in front of him. god told him what we have to remember ourselves, if you want to bring those walls down you need to speak in one voice. one voice together, all in unison to break down those walls. that is exactly what joshua did. the walls came tumbling down. that is what we, as elected leaders and community leaders and activists, we will come t ogether through these struggles and brew will be victorious. we will make a difference for every family in new york. god bless you. [applauding] >> thank you. thank you, senator gillibrand. a note of welcome to aurelia greene.

please join me in welcoming felix ortiz, assemblyman from the 51st district in brooklyn. [applauding] >> thank you. good evening. [inaudible conversations] >> it is a great honor for me to be here and welcome you all. the next individual that i am going to introduce is a former assembly member, former assembly member. he and i sat together for many years. he became to be one of the shining stars. it is my great pleasure to introduce to you our comptroller of the state of new york tom dinapoli. >> thank you, assembly ortiz. good evening, everyone. it is a great evening.

it is a long evening. i will just offer a few brief words. congratulations to the leadership of the caucus on pulling together an incredible evening and incredible weekend. let's give another round of applause to the chair, nick perry, of the association, the caucus chair, senator thompson. senator montgomerie. give them another round of applause. i also want to give another acknowledgement to someone who i had the great privilege to serve with. his recognition this evening was of the long overdue and most appropriate. former deputy speaker arthur e. thank you for everything you have done for all new yorkers. and one other shout out. i know he was acknowledged, but i don't think he got the round of applause he deserves. i know from me on a very personal level i could not be

half the comptroller i am today if i did not have a friend and a mentor and a partner in former city comptroller bill thompson. he is a great leader, not only today, but for the future. stand up again. give him the round of applause bill thompson deserves from each and every one of us. [applauding] last thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the great nelson mandela walking out of his prison cell. one of his very simple phrases that certainly guides me is one that i just want to mention to frame my thoughts for the evening. mr. mandela said, "it always seems impossible until it is done." "it always seems impossible until it is done." the founders of this caucus almost four decades ago, i'm sure, could not have envisioned a great success of this weekend to focus on issues and concerns, could not have imagined the

stage and the introductions earlier of the members of the caucus. black, puerto rican, hispanic, and asian members. what a powerful presence. the senate president, majority conference leader of the senate, the governor, a former member of the caucus. this would not have seemed possible 40 years ago. thanks to the efforts the senators and assembly members, it is possible. it is possible to have a voice, to have a seat at the table, and as we go through this tough and challenging time, as all the speakers have alluded to, i think we need to keep in context this sense of history. if we stay focused on what is real. if we stay, as arthur encouraged us to do, focus on what is best

for citizens, we can get through this tough time in a way that is stronger than we were at the beginning of it. i am working with a wonderful team who supports me. my friends, if we work together in partnership, keep our goals in mind, i know the time will come when we will say it seemed impossible, but we did get through it to a better and stronger place. thank you for the hard work you do in our communities. thank you for supporting the caucus and being a part of this weekend. have a great evening, everyone. [applauding] >> thank you, comptroller d inapoli. representing the 68th assembly districts, harlem and east harlem, please join me in welcoming adam clayton powell the fourth. >> good evening, ladies and gentlemen. happy valentine's day once

again. i have the distinct honor and privilege to introduce our keynote speaker for this evening, harold ford, jr. he served in the united states congress for ten years. he is now chairman of the democratic region council and news analyst for nbc and msnbc and a visiting professor at the nyu robert wagner graduate school. a graduate of the university of pennsylvania where he received a b.a. in american history and the university of michigan law school. ford also serves on the pentagon's transformation advisory camp. he also serves as an overseer on the board of the international rescue committee and a member of the council on foreign relations. folks, you know and i know that much has been said over the last two months about this young

man's right to run, quote unquote. i have not endorsed anyone in this u.s. senate race, but i am willing to listen to all of the candidates who are potential candidates and make an informed decision. in the end, if he runs whether you support him or not, let me be perfectly clear, everyone has the right to run. [applauding] many years ago my father and many of your parents and grandparents fought valiantly and shed much blood, sweat, and tears to ensure the rights of all people to vote and to fully participate in this democracy. i'm not just referring to our keynote speaker, because you know and i no there has been een some whispering about our

governor, a former caucus member and whether he cannot or should run for governor again this year. my friends, i have always believed that the people and only the people should decide who represents them. so therefore -- [applauding] so therefore, my brothers and my sisters, in the true spirit of democracy let us give a warm welcome to our keynote speaker harold ford, jr. [applauding] >> thank you. i am honored and humbled to be here this evening, and i won't be long. i know i joke with other

paterson and nick perry and cuomo, that ronald reagan gave a morning in america speech. i thought that we were going at that i would give a morning in albany speech. i grew up in a town called memphis. i ran for congress when i was 25 years old. my mother and dad met. my mother was a member of the church of god is christ, and my dad was a baptist. late nights are part of most political evenings for me. when i announced for congress in april of '96 i was 25 years old. my opponents were all experienced legislators, and i was told that i should not run. voters would make a selection that would not be me. the voters wanted more experience. it was true, i was graduating

law school in my first job, full-time job, if i were to be elected. gracefully, i was. the first few weeks and months of the campaign were incredibly difficult. like those of us to run for office to put our names on a ballot, we can all understand. those who work in campaigns certainly can appreciate as well. i'll never forget my coming home from graduation from law school and arriving in headquarters with a bunch young people working in a campaign because we had no money. i will never forget my elementary school principal, a woman named hattie jackson who is the only woman, the only principal who ever paddled me. i was only paddled once. my mother beat me badly. my principal wants and to my campaign office and said, baby -- that is what she called

me. baby, i've got some an speeches. up to that point i had not been invited and your to speak. the only way we were able to create excitement is that we would just show up at an event. an event like this. the caucuses evening, might have just shown up at the front door to shake hands on the way in and the way out. she rushed in with a great deal of excitement in her voice and a look of glee on her face and said, baby, i got you 35 features. i could not have been more excited. they're graduation speeches. i looked at all of my young guys and women on the campaign. let's be organized and methodical. let's go and grab up every voter registration form in the city that we can find. go to every library. go to the election committee downtown. even if we have to get to one of the outsides are outer counties

and grabbed registration forms. i will be able to politic, but i will be able to words participation. ms. jackson looked at me and said, baby, these are high school graduations. i looked at her and said they must be middle school. still, grab all the voter registration forms. there will be change of address is we need to collect. there will be those that have other older siblings. she said, baby, they are not middle school graduations either. i looked at her with a little puzzlement on my face and said, ms. jackson, what have you arranged me to do, sweetheart. she said, i got you 32 kindergarten graduation speeches. i looked at her with all of the honest excitement that i could end quickly did the math and realized that there were three others i was giving that i did not know where i was supposed to

be speaking. i got you three elementary school of us as well. as much as i wanted to be angry, i had no other place to be. as hard as it was to convince five year olds that they should tell the parents to vote for me. i went out and wants this effort. i was speaking to kids who could not vote. i was spending all of my time while my opponents were all speaking to, of all things, adults. here i was speaking to children. my dad decided to be my driver for some of them. we did not have much money in the campaign. i went to a school called rochdale accelerated school north memphis. and on the radio dial was a

group of deejays had the most awful and heinous things to say about me every day. can we get someone to call in and say something positive? just remind them that i'm not a criminal. remind them that i did go to college and law school. i worked on your campaigns, like all of us have. i got a decent head on my shoulders, and they would just give me a chance and listen to me. he said, boy, don't worry about that. stay on your path, stay on your track. you'll be surprised. keep doing what you're doing. the primary is not for two months. if we have to do that near the end of the campaign, we might. but right now to stay on track. it was easy for him to say. they weren't talking about him on the radio. we pulled into the driveway. i'll never forget. a little lady called into the radio show and identified herself as a grandmother. she said to the deejays and the radio hosts, i want you to know i listen to your show every day i am amazed and intrigue and

oftentimes i find myself in support. they went on to brag about themselves. she came back and said i have disagree with you about one thing. that boy you keep talking about on the radio. what would make you disagree with all the things. who does he think he is running for the seat. the little lady said i believed all of that up until yesterday. what happened yesterday? i went to my grand daughter's kindergarten graduation. he had he walked into the auditorium and spoke before all the kids. he acknowledged their teachers and started a speech about how education was important. no sooner than when he started all the kids fell asleep. that didn't stop him. he kept talking and talking and

talking and talking. when he was finally done he should of all the hands of the students, took pictures with their parents and other family members. the radio deejay said, that is what is going to make you vote for him? his too young and inexperienced. no, that is not. what he did after he took the pictures. the disc jockey said, what might that happened then? when he faced taking the pictures she decided to go back into the kitchen with the janitorial staff and kitchen staff wasn't to pictures of all of them and signed papers and did whatever they wanted to do. i realized then he was going to be just like his dad and the kind of person i wanted in congress. it was that moment in that campaign that changed everything in my life. the beginning of the realization of a dream. at four years old my dad was elected to congress. i knew i wanted to serve in public life. i did not know what it was he did. i knew he put a suit on and people liked him. i enjoyed going to work with

him and taking calls. never forget being nine years old and handling my first case in the office. a woman who called because she could not get the landlord to perform the repairs and improvements on her home that he had promised the apartments two or three weeks before. i decided to call the landlord and introduce myself. we played phone tag. he did the math. he said, young man, how old are you? i said i'm nine years old. he said nine year olds aren't supposed to call. i said nine year olds can call when you don't do right by the people who live in your building. nine year olds can call when you don't respond to the human needs of people who in it so many ways count on you and depend on you. i tell these stories just for a simple reason. you all been unbelievably warm and encouraging and generous to me over the last month and a half. i moved to new york officially about a year-and-a-half ago. my now wife who i dated prior to

running for the united states senate of tennessee, and work here for five years before i met her. she moved here after college. spent time for new york. i taught at a little college called vanderbilt. was going back and forth and was not a resident. aspirations of running office. i lost a close race and hungered and desired to be a part of the public process and what inspired me at nine years old. as it grew and grew, to continue to not only be a part of the conversation, to be a difference. after the '08 campaign then senator obama was elected to the white house. my wife and i decided we would make new york home for a very

simple reason. i live in a relationship and marriage where i get to make all of the important decisions, not yet. she decided we would live in new york. it made the prospect of raising a family uncomfortable for her. some people have said i moved to new york to run for office. if i could have predicted all of what happened over the last three years we should all go into business together and find ways to make loads and loads of money and give to those things that we care deeply about. i have been impressed by two things. number one, people are people. new yorkers are just like tennesseans in big, big ways. people want to work and be able to raise their families. they want a demand for what it is they sell.

people in tennessee and new york want government to work. they're not interested in keeping score and processes. they are more interested and dedicated to a simple thing, that is outcomes. i heard my friends tonight, senator gillibrand, attorney general cuomo, governor paterson. honored to be in the room. i certainly felt like so many new yorkers, those of us who did not live in new york understand the power and the majesty and the huge part of a person. as i listened to all of them this evening i could not help but be reminded that we, as people, depend on each and every one of us to do just one thing, and that is to make government work. i listen to those in the syracuse brag about their education program. i met with the leaders of public housing authority in buffalo and the mayor of buffalo. i met with leaders all across and up and down long island.

even many in this room including my friend, mr. hasty and mr. diaz. these are not people who said they are going to support me. i am not running for anything, at least not yet. [laughter] my hope and belief and prayer is that we as elected officials and certainly those of us who are democrats and even republican who are scattered across the room, our commitments and a system of democracy and openness and understanding that titles don't make you entitled to anything. an understanding and appreciation that above all we as people and voters have every right to choose who we want and we have every right to expect them to deliver. the last few years have been full of stress and hardship. many of the constituents i used to have and that you serve day

in and day out all across this unbelievable state are worried and wondering what the future will be like. they are not as interested in and whether or not we yell loud enough that the republicans are the republicans yell loud enough to address. they are not even interested in hearing as blame george bush or the guy before him or the guy before him for the problems that we faced. the challenges that we in new york or those in tennessee or those anywhere across the nation are facing are ones that in many ways government has to play no role in helping to solve. i listened to charlie rangel talk about the importance of education. i listened about children being stressed and why it is so important to give them an opportunity and a chance. if there is ever a time in which american needed to not only come to grips but be willing to think creatively and beyond the scope of what we have constrained ourselves in thinking about

education and how we teach and where we teach, now is that moment. no generation of americans have ever faced a level of competition, the number of threats to kids, and for that matter, we face today. a generation ever has has the resources, technology, and opportunity that you and i have today. i'm more proud and confident in our ability to find a way out of this mess than i have ever been for a single reason. the people of this state, the people of this country are poised to lead when government and leaders give them the tools in which to do so. i remember traveling in memphis when i ran. as i travelled across a public housing community and met a young man who was seven years old. he was retired from helping those in the community deal drugs. europe ten years old and new stops stops during this.

i have. how did you get started? he talked like he was 25. i used to watch the kids in the neighborhood. they always had something to eat. they always had things to do. they always called me over. a mother told me not to mess with that crowd. when i was in under my grandmother used to use the word man-ish to describe how bad we were. we were awful. i never knew what man-ish. that young man's mother told him that group of boys were just bad. he kept watching and watching. he kept resisting. one day he decided to go over. all they asked him to do was take a the bag and run and across the grass or to another building in the public housing community. he did it. he did it again and again and again. before you knew it he had enough money to buy his own happy meal and by his friend something.

he kept doing it and doing it. finally one day they asked him if he would take the bag of little further. he did that the few times. they finally asked him if he would go out and recruit some of his friends to help. he finally woke up one day. his mother found one of the bags in his house, the apartment where they lived. he never felt so embarrassed and had been so hard. this is a ten year-old. alloy that him and said, what id, what did you decide to do? i would focus and go to school. i could not help but think that young man did that for a happy meal. all because he wanted a chance and all he wanted an opportunity. there are kids like that all across new york and new jersey, all across pennsylvania, all across this great nation. we short change them and we short change their future and our future when we don't insure a 7-year-old who is that right, to be allowed to do what he did

and not get caught, realize what he was doing was wrong and refocus his attention. whether i run for office in this this great state i and my e have every intention of starting a family of starting and raising a family. i am concerned as any in this room after what happened in virginia. for any of us the believe for one moment that it can't be shaken are changed, asked martha coakley, ask state senator deeds in virginia. if there is ever a time where we as democrats with all of our

hearts, all of our nucleus, all of our morality, all of our faith, and all of our confidence that we know what is right and best for new york and the country, if there was ever for a time for us not to be content with that, now is that moment. we find ourselves going backward. shame on us. for almost a year a few weeks ago we celebrated the inauguration of a new president, historic on so many levels, pedestrian in others. pedestrian because presidents are elected in response of his predecessor. historic because he is the first african american. historic because he understands the unique needs of african-americans and minorities throughout this great nation. latinos all across this great nation. he understands the importance as

we celebrate because it ensures that new york will get our fair share. it ensures we are all counted and treated equally. historic because he appreciates as much as any urban needs and challenges coming from the great city of chicago. a year and a few weeks later the nation is not sure about us. they are not sure of our real commitment to making government actually work. they're not sure if we understand that government can grow too big at times and pose a problem on middle-class and everyday people. middle-class americans are not convinced that we, as democrats, speak for them, understand them, represent them, and will bark for for them. each time we have faced this challenge, democrats, we have found a way not only to come together, but it didn't build a message that will bring others to it. i submit to my friends this evening we face one of those moments right now and in our

nation. we can either choose, as president obama and former president clinton said so well to be a backwards-thinking or forward-thinking nation. we can be a backward-thinking state or a forward-thinking state. the power rests right here. i am still learning it. one thing i have listened to have learned over and over and over again over the last several weeks, there is an appetite of thirst and desire to succeed again. there is an appetite and others to do well again. there is an appetite and thirst for new york to have the kind of at every level of government that we could all be proud of kamal call our own, although they are accountable to us. that is my person. i say to my friends this evening, over the next few weeks ask for your prayers as my wife and i think about what may happen over the next several

months. those of you may think you know my record and those of you don't, those of you have been nice and those of you who have been not so nice, i think you not only for the chance to listen and learn, but i hope if we decide to go forward you will give me an opportunity to show you that, indeed, i can lead. not only for those in this room, but those across the state. not only for those who are of age to vote, but every five year-old and six year old and seven year-old across the state who hopes they can have a leader in washington who understands that even though they may fall asleep during his speech they deserve representation, the bishop, and a future as future . thank you, and god bless you. [applauding] >> earlier today we should do the morning session of the justice department symposium on the public defender system. more live coverage for you later today when the focus will be on

defending juvenile. that is set to get underway at 1:45 p.m. eastern live here on c-span2. a live look here at the conservative political action conference calling on in washington at the podium now former house majority leader dick armey speaking to the group. we will listen in for a moment. >> the audacity and the arrogance. and then the third thing is they can't put 30 people on the streets unless they are organized from the top down and paid to be there. [applauding] the notion that hundreds of thousands, even millions of people would come by their own volition at their own expense, by their own initiative, by their own means to get to a central place where they could all be seen together saying what they had to say, which was, leave us alone. >> former house majority leader dick armey speaking this moment

this morning. all of this is live on c-span. you can follow that throughout the day. some news on former vice president cheney. the political report says the organizer who cheney said in an e-mail said he is organizing a write-in vote. 2:00 p.m. eastern. a fox news at 6:00. >> we are all here by our own separate initiative. >> looking at the u.s. capitol here at the house and senate are out for the presidents day recess. economic news. first, the number of newly laid-off workers unexpectedly surge last week after having

fallen sharply in the previous week. the labor department also reporting that wholesale prices rose as double the expected pace in january. the ap writing that is propelled by big increases in energy costs. the large jump was viewed as a temporary blip and not the start of an inflation problem. those reports from the associated press. president obama announced the creation of a commission to look at the national debt. he spoke at the white house for about ten minutes. here is a look. [inaudible conversations] >> all right. good morning, everybody. when i took office america faced three closely-linked challenges. one was a financial crisis brought on by a reckless

speculation, the threat to choke of all lending. this helped to spark the deepest recession since the great depression from which we are still recovering. that recession, in turn, helped to aggravate an already severe fiscal crisis brought on by years of bad habits in washington. the economic crisis required the government to make immediate emergency investments that added to our accumulated debt. the critical investments that have helped to break the back of the recession and laid the groundwork for growth and job creation. now with so many americans still out of work the task of recovery is far from complete. so in the short term we are going to be taking steps to encourage business to create jobs. that will continue to be my top priority. still there is no doubt we're going to have to also address the long-term quandary of a government that routinely and extravagantly spends more than it takes in.

when i walked into the door of the white house our government was spending about 25% of gdp, but taking in only about 16% of gdp. without action the accumulated weight of that the structural deficit of ever-increasing debt will hobble our economy, it will cloud our future, and it will saddle every child in america with an intolerable burden. now, this isn't news. since the budget surpluses at the end of the 1990's the federal deficit has exploded. the trajectory is clear and it is disturbing. the politics of dealing with chronic deficit is hard choices. as a consequence no one has been too eager to deal with it. that is where these two gentlemen come in. alan simpson and erskine bowles are taking on the impossible.

they're going to try to restore reason to the fiscal debate to come up with answers as cochairs of the new national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform. i am asking them to produce clear recommendations on how to cover the cost of all federal programs by 2015 and to meaningfully improve our long-term fiscal picture. i have every confidence that they will do that because nobody is better qualified than these two. alan simpson is a wyoming truth teller. if you look in the dictionary it has got simpson's picture. through nearly two decades in the united states senate he earned reputation for putting common-sense and the people's welfare ahead of petty politics. as the number two republican senator he made the tough choices. he closed deficits and played an

important role and bipartisan reduction agreements. erskine bowles understands the importance of managing money irresponsibly in the public sector where he ran the small business administration and served as president clinton's chief of staff. in that capacity he brokered the 1997 budget agreement with republicans that helped produce the first balanced budget in nearly 30 years. one a good republican. the other a good democrat. above all both are patriotic american start answering their country's call for a future from the stranglehold of debt. the commission that will lead. there will be 18 members. six will be appointed by republican leaders. six by democratic leaders. their recommendations will require the approval of 14 of the commission's 18 members.

that ensures any recommendation coming out of this effort and sent forward to congress has to be bipartisan in nature. this commission is patterned on the bill i supported for a binding commission that was proposed by democratic senator ken conrad and republican senator judd wright. their proposal failed recently in the senate, but i hope congressional leaders in both parties can step away from the partisan bickering and join this effort to serve the national interest. as important as this commission is our fiscal challenges too great to be solved with any one step. we cannot wait to act. that is why last week i signed into law the pay go bill. it says very simply that the united states of america should pay as we go and live within our means again just like responsible families and businesses do. this law is what helped get

deficit under control in the 1990's. it was suspended in the last decade. we saw deficits explode again. we are taking an important step toward addressing the deficit problem in this decade and in decades to come. that is also why after taking steps to cut taxes and increased taxation to credit for small businesses to jump-start job creation this year i've called for a three-year freeze of discretionary spending starting next year. this freeze won't affect medicare, medicaid, or social security spending. it won't affect national security spending, including veterans benefits. all other discretionary spending will be subject to this freeze. these are tough times, and we can't keep spending like they are not. that is why we are seeking to reform our health insurance system. if we don't soaring health care costs will eventually become the single largest driver of our federal deficits. reform legislation in the house and senate would bring down

deficits, and i'm looking forward to meeting with members of both parties and chambers next week to try to get this done. that is also why this year we are proposing a responsible budget. we proposed budget reductions and terminations that would yield about $20 billion in savings. we are ending loopholes and tax giveaways for oil and gas companies and for the wealthiest 2% of americans. taken together these and other steps would provide more than $1 trillion in deficit reduction over the coming decade. that is more savings than any administration budget in the past ten years. i know of the issue of deficit has stirred debate. there are some on the left that believe this issue can be deferred. there are some on the right to want to enter into serious discussions with the pre-conditions. those who preach fiscal discipline have to be willing to

take the hard steps necessary to meet it. have a great stake in bringing our deficit under control. if we don't we won't be a will to meet our most basic obligations to one another. america's fiscal problems won't be solved overnight. they have been going for years. going to take time to wind down. with a commission that i am establishing today and the other steps we are pursuing i believe we are finally putting america on the path toward fiscal reform and responsibility. i want to the bank alan erskine for taking on what is a difficult a difficult but thankless task. i am grateful for their own. i know they're going to take up their work with this sense of integrity and commitment. i think part of the reason there going to be effective is;

although one is a strong democrat and one is a strong republican, these are a examples of people who put country first. they know how to disagree without being disagreeable. there is a sense of stability and a sense that there are moments where you set politics aside to do what is right. that is the kind of spirit that we need. i am confident that the product that they put forward is boring to be honest, clear, it is going to give a path to both parties in terms of how we have to address these challenges. take you you very much. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> there you go. [inaudible conversations] >> everything is on the table. [inaudible conversations] >> president obama announcing a commission to look into the national debt. reactions from republicans and others. he dismissed the commission as an idea. nothing more than a partisan washington exercise rigged to impose massive tax increases and pass the buck on tough choices

we need to be making right now. that from the republican leader in the u.s. house. we are going to show you the president's remarks again at 7:20 eastern on c-span. lots of information about the national debt and other economic issues online. you can watch hearings and speeches, read legislation and more on c-span.org. earlier today we hear you the morning session on the public defender system. more live coverage focusing on defending juvenile set to get underway at 1:45 eastern. live coverage on c-span2. and all day live throughout the day on c-span we have been bringing you coverage of the conservative political action conference. live at 12:30. other speakers today include former republican presidential candidate mitt romney set for 1:30. house republican leader john

banner. and later on today george will, 7:30, all of that live today on the c-span. >> a one-stop shop for everything c-span is at c-span.org / store. dvds of our documentaries, the capitol, supreme court, and the white house. a collection of books, coffee mugs, and other c-span accessories. >> next a look at nuclear stockpiles and global security from a nuclear deterrence summit hosted by the group exchange monitor publications. after a short introduction you will hear from ellen counter. she will be followed by the russian ambassador to the u.s. this is about an hour.

>> annual nuclear deterrence summit. my name is ed helmet. publisher of nuclear weapons and materials. welcome you all here today to talk about an issue that needs to be front page. we need to bring attention to it. that is looking at what we are going to do with nuclear weapons stockpiled. the leadership in this area is as it always has been when we started dealing with nuclear weapons. that is between the u.s. and russia. today we are starting off with news from the u.s. and russia. i just want to point out our first speaker today will be sitting next to the russian ambassador and not on this side. a sign that we need to have a partnership to pursue. ..