3/93 Defense Conversion

FOIA Number: 2006-0466-F FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff. Collection/Record Group: Clinton Presidential Records Subgroup/Office of Origin: Speechwriting Series/Staff Member: Jonathan Prince Subseries: OA/ID Number: 10440 FolderID: Folder Title: 3/93 Defense Conversion Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: S 91 7 1 2 JONATHAN M. PRINCE: BOX ONE CONTENTS 3/93 Defense Conversion 1993 Year Wrap Up 5/93 Small Business Support 10/93 Kerrey Commission 12/93 Entitlements Conference 7/93 Wireless Demo at White House 12/16/93 Video Scripts 2/93 Econ Plan Announce 3/93 Review of Bush Bonuses 1993 Econ Plan Charts Urban Task Force 1993 Ass'td Communications Memos 11/93 Thanksgiving Homeless Event NAFTA -- Chamber of Commerce Export Policy Announcement CRA Reform 12/93 Pan Am 103 Anniversary Event 1/93 Exec Actions 7/93 CDFI 12/93 CRA Reform 5/93 Reemployment/Training 7/93 EITC Expansion 10/93 California 9/93 School to Work 5/93 Microloans Mike McAlary Get-well Card Videos 9/93 Community Empowerment Board Creation 1993 Economic Plan Materials THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON March 29, 1993 MEMORANDUM FOR: RAHM EMANUEL JEFF ELLER GENE SPERLING JONATHAN PRINCE JEFF WATSON STEVE SILVERMAN AL MALDON From: Dorothy Robyn, NEC Subject: Regional Meetings on Defense Conversion This is to follow up on Friday's discussion about the outreach meetings on ARPA's $500 million "Technology Reinvestment Project" (TRP). Since President Clinton announced the project at his Baltimore speech on defense conversion, ARPA has received 5000 requests for the program information package; there is significant interest from small businesses, colleges and universities, chambers of commerce, and trade associations. The outreach meetings are designed to brief potential applicants about the TRP programs. Chris Coburn and the regional governors' associations are setting up the meetings. (Coburn was staff director of a recent Carnegie Commission study, chaired by Richard Celeste, of "Science, Technology and the States in America's Third Century." He is working out of a NASA technology transfer center at Battelle Labs in Ohio.) Coburn thinks we may get 700-1000 people at each meeting. The meetings will occur the week of April 12 in the following cities: New York, Detroit, Orlando, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Los Angeles. The cities were selected in consultation with the regional governors' associations -- one city per region. The key criteria were (1) proximity to dense concentrations of defense industry, and (2) accessibility/population (CA, NY, TX and FL are the four biggest states). We agreed on Friday to tie the meetings closely to President Clinton and, toward that end, to try to get the Vice President to kick them off and a Cabinet official to lead the others. Where possible, the Administration official will make a site visit to a defense firm or lab that is diversifying into commercial markets (a kind of mini-version of the President's Baltimore visit). The political message is that the President's defense conversion package -- and his investment package more broadly -- will help create jobs and economic growth. in -2- Several issues still must be resolved. 1. What to Call the Meetings. They are currently being called the Technology Reinvestment Project Regional Meetings. We need something more evocative of jobs and swords-to-plowshares. Our drop-dead date for a new name is c.o.b. Tuesday, March 30. 2. Key Administration Officials. Ideally, we would like the following lineup: April 12 New York Gore, O'Leary, Gibbons April 13 Detroit Reich April 14 Orlando Aspin April 15 Dallas/Ft.W Pena April 16 Los Angeles Ron Brown I will talk to Greg Simon about getting the Vice President; Jack Gibbons has tentatively accepted. Steve will contact O'Leary, Reich, Aspin, Pena and Ron Brown. 3. Site Visits for Administration officials. Coburn will ask governors and local officials for suggestions on site visits. I will ask DoD for suggestions. (Westinghouse worked well for the President's visit, but smaller firms might work better for the regional site visits: The potential for conversion is much greater among the "subs" than the large "primes." And for that reason, that's where the TRP programs are targeted.) 4. Media. The site visits are designed to generate press interest. In addition, we want to arrange press availability and/or an editorial board featuring the traveling team from ARPA and the other federal agencies. (ARPA's Lee Buchanan, who put the TRP together, will be outstanding with the press. He's a witty physicist with a gift for explaining technology -- and DoD's new dual-use direction -- in lay terms.) We would like C-SPAN to broadcast one of the meetings. Coburn has mentioned it to Lou Ketchum, but the White House needs to follow up. The Pentagon press officer for these meetings is Jan Walker: (703) 695-0192. 4. Invitations to Members of Congress. I will draft a letter from the President inviting Members to the meeting in their region. We will enclose a packet containing information about logistics, agenda, audience, likely press coverage, and an explanation of the choice of cities. -3- 5. Choice of "B" Cities. ARPA can do somewhat smaller outreach meetings in another five cities. Boston is a given, because it came so close in the "A" competition. Other candidates are: Groton (CN), Philadelphia, Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, Denver, Albuquerque, San Francisco, and Seattle. Rahm needs to give me guidance on this as soon as possible. 6. Letter to Governors. Coburn suggests that the President use this as an occasion for a letter to every governor. Several of the TRP programs are designed to support and build on good state activities (manufacturing extension, regional technology alliances). More generally, the TRP represents a major step toward forming a federal-state partnership in technology. I will draft such a letter if you think it makes sense. CC: David Lane Bo Cutter Steve Jones Chris Coburn