In that spirit, I'd like to make three points. First, government matters. There are functions that can be performed in no other way. As I've made clear today, these functions are under broad attack. They make an enormous difference in the lives of Americans.
Government does work, and government does make a difference.
To offer an example that's just a few miles from here, the South Bronx is making enormous progress in its transformation from an urban wasteland. You will see a vast area of attractive new and rehabilitated housing, and the beginnings of businesses returning and jobs being created. Business and communities came together with the help the Community Reinvestment Act, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. In the same vein, about 25 years ago, then Mayor Lindsay quipped about not being comfortable breathing air he couldn't see. Today, New York City's air is appropriately invisible.