【正文】 e poor neighborhoods that oftentimeshave difficulty getting to the places where there are jobs. (Applause.) So itamp。rsquo。s going to help folkswho are willing to work hard, trying to get into the middle class, it helps them get access helps people get access to opportunity that, up until this point, had a tough time.
　　So we know this works. Today, weamp。rsquo。re kicking off the next round of petition for TIGERgrants. Mayors and governors, city councils, state legislatures, all of you who are watching heretoday, if youamp。rsquo。ve got a great idea for your city or your state, then let us know your plan. If it willencourage economic activity and support local businesses, and help put people to work, thenyour country is interested in partnering with you.
　　And TIGER grants arenamp。rsquo。t the only way that we can help cities like St. Paul and Minneapolisrebuild their infrastructure. Youamp。rsquo。ve got federal funding helped to build the Green Line。 thatamp。rsquo。sgoing to make it easier than ever to travel between the two cities. Youamp。rsquo。ve got more than 5,000construction workers from all over Minnesota helping to build it. Nearly 200 police officers,train operators and maintenance workers are being hired. And thatamp。rsquo。s not counting all the jobsthat are being created from the offices and the apartment buildings that are going to be builtalong the line. Because the trains stopped at neighborhoods that have access to publictransportation, those folks are going to work. And all of this can be duplicated all across thecountry.
　　But unfortunately, funding for these projects are going to be in jeopardy unless Congresspasses this new transportation bill. So I want everybody to understand. Now, the good newsis Keith Ellison, Betty, theyamp。rsquo。re already onboard. (Applause.) They know this needs to happen. AlFranken, all over it. Some Democrats and Republicans are already working together to makesure transportation doesnamp。rsquo。t funding doesnamp。rsquo。t run out. And weamp。rsquo。re seeing some glimmers ofhope, because this new round of TIGER grants was the result of bipartisan cooperation. Thatamp。rsquo。swhat needs to happen when we work together.
　　But weamp。rsquo。re going to need your voices telling a story around the country about why this is soimportant. Roads and bridges should not be a partisan issue. More Americans should haveaccess to the kind of efficient, affordable transit youamp。rsquo。re going to have with the Green Line. (Applause.) Thereamp。rsquo。s no faster way or better way for Congress to create jobs right now and togrow our economy right now, and have a positive impact on our economy for decades than ifwe start more projects and finish more projects like this one.
　　Letamp。rsquo。s create more good jobs, build smarter schools, better airports, faster railways, betterbroadband networks. Letamp。rsquo。s educate our kids and our workers better. Letamp。rsquo。s rebuild an economywhere everybody who is willing to hard has a chance to get ahead. (Applause.)
　　This is the beginning, not the end. Weamp。rsquo。ve got a lot more rail we got to lay. Weamp。rsquo。ve got a lotmore roads we got to travel. Letamp。rsquo。s get going, Minnesota.
　　Thank you. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.