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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
Contact: (202) 456-7035
December 4, 1998
VICE PRESIDENT GORE LAUNCHES "HASSLE FREE
COMMUNITY" PROGRAM, WITH FIRST THREE LOCATED IN
KANSAS CITY, DALLAS /FORT WORTH AND SEATTLE
Promises Better, More Accessible Public Services For Americans
Kansas City, MO -- Vice President Gore today launched the "Hassle
Free Communities" program, a federal-state-local partnership to improve
customer service and make government services more accessible to all
Americans.
"The goal of these Hassle Free Communities is to help make it easier
for Americans to take advantage of the services government provides," the Vice President said in his remarks to the 75th Annual Congress of Cities.
"For the first time," he added "federal, state and local agencies
are delivering services to their customers -- the American people -- when they want them, where they want them, and how they want them."
The Vice President's National Partnership for Reinventing Government
(NPR) is leading the "Hassle Free Communities" initiative, and will
coordinate the federal government's efforts to expand the initiative
nation-wide.
This initiative began as a pilot project in three communities --
Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas City, Kansas; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; and
Seattle, Washington. In these three communities, federal, state, and local agencies have formed teams to more effectively meet the needs of their citizens. Some of the new efforts include:
- "One-Stop-Shops" that help small or developing business with Social
Security requirements, local state and federal tax issues, business
licenses, and start-up loans.
- "Hassle-Free Mobiles" or mobile vans that take specialized
government services and assistance directly to citizens. For instance, a
van travels to a senior citizen center and counselors on board provide help
with Medicare and Medicaid issues, veterans' benefits and tax forms.
- A telephone locator system that enables customers to search for
information from all levels of government by topic, such as health care,
housing or employment.
- A map in buses and subways that marks the location of community
service centers and identifies the nearest transit stop.
- A local post office or motor vehicle office where customers can
apply for a passport.
- An opportunity for hikers, campers, hunters and fisherman to
purchase maps, permits and licenses for state and federal lands.
For more information, contact Kelly Paisley, National Partnership for
Reinventing Government, at (202) 694-0051 or kelly.paisley@npr.gov.
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