Council for Excellence in Government to Get Coast-to-Coast Citizen Perspective on Homeland Security

9/10/2003

From: Sarah Howe of the Council for Excellence in Government, 202-530-3270; e-mail: showe@excelgov.org

News Advisory:

-- Council for Excellence in Government to Get Coast-to-Coast Citizen Perspective on Homeland Security; DHS Secretary Tom Ridge to Kick Off Initiative

What do Americans really want, need and expect from government when it comes to homeland security? Are citizens concerned about -- and connecting -- issues like health, safety, transportation and economic viability when they think about the broad homeland security challenge?

To find out, the Council for Excellence in Government will convene a first-of-its-kind series of town hall meetings across the country during the coming year to get the views of citizens and also of businesses, first responders, volunteer and civic organizations, and local government leaders. Then it will share the concerns and ideas of citizens with government leaders at all levels and make recommendations for action.

September 16 will mark the first step in this critical year-long effort -- Homeland Security from the Citizen's Perspective -- with a launch event in Washington in cooperation with public and private sector partners and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In addition to the town hall meetings, the initiative will comprise expert working groups and public opinion research. Based on the results of that work, the Council will publish a set of major homeland security recommendations for action by key government players at the local, state and national levels, as well as business and civic leaders, and citizens.

Tom Ridge, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and Texas Congressman Jim Turner are among the leaders who will participate in the launch at the Mayflower Hotel on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 at 9:30 a.m.

"This effort will engage citizens across the country to better understand their unique concerns about homeland security," said Patricia McGinnis, president and CEO of the Council for Excellence in Government in announcing the project. "But it will also challenge a cross section of homeland security decision makers and thought leaders to respond and address the concerns and vulnerabilities raised by the American people."

The first town hall meeting will take place in St. Louis October 8, and is sponsored by Accenture. Others are being scheduled in Florida, New York, California, Kentucky, Texas and Washington.

For the Day Books:

WHAT: The launch of Homeland Security from the Citizens' Perspective, a Council for Excellence in Government initiative in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other public and private sector partners. The initiative will engage and connect citizens, businesses, and government nationwide through a series of town hall meetings, expert working groups, and a national poll to determine how best to anticipate events and deliver faultless protection and response to the American people.

WHO: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Council for Excellence in Government President Patricia McGinnis.

Citizen's Perspective Panel Discussion with: Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts; U.S. Rep. Jim Turner (D-Tex.), Minority Chair, Committee on Homeland Security; Mayor Brenda Barger of Watertown, South Dakota; Joseph M. Henderson, Associate Director for Terrorism Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Winston, NC Sheriff Wayne V. Gay, President, National Sheriff's Association.

Moderator: Frank Sesno, host of public television's "Worldtalk" and professor of public policy and communication at George Mason University.

WHERE: Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m.

Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Council for Excellence in Government is a national nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that works to improve the performance of government at all levels, as well as government's place in the lives and esteem of American citizens.

In 2001, the Council spearheaded a similar initiative to Homeland Security from the Citizen's Perspective, entitled E-Government: The Next American Revolution, which offered a series of recommendations to federal lawmakers. Those recommendations later served as key elements of the E-Government Act of 2003.