Empowerment Zones Signing Ceremony

Addressing the media from the White House East Room today, President Bill Clinton briefly commented on the Los Angeles earthquake and then discussed the Community Empowerment program. The President assured Governor Pete Wilson and Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan by phone that the Administration will do everything possible to help the people of Los Angeles and southern California deal with the earthquake and its aftermath. The President also spoke with the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and indicated that later in the day it will be possible to issue the appropriate federal declaration for California. President Clinton described the Empowerment Zones (EZ) and Enterprise Community (EC) program as a new approach, coordinated in partnership in Washington between the private and public sector and at the grass roots level, to focus on a community investment strategy which would empower people to determine their own future. The program includes about $2.5 billion in ta close