City-County Looks to "Showcase" during G20 Meeting

Shortly after the White House announced that it would host a mid-year meeting of the G20 in Pittsburgh, the city and Allegheny County issued a joint statement touting the meeting as a great way to “Showcase Southwestern Pennsylvania to an international audience.” County Executive Dan Onorato says, "During the past few years, we've transformed Southwestern Pennsylvania into a hub for next-generation jobs and 21st Century innovation. We've also made great strides in cleaning our air, water and land, as well as promoting smart growth, sustainable development and green jobs. I want to thank President Obama for giving us this remarkable opportunity to showcase our accomplishments and transformation on a world stage." Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says, “We are honored to have this tremendous opportunity to showcase Pittsburgh to the rest of the world. We're especially proud that Pittsburgh was chosen because of our status as a symbol of economic transformation as well as our leadership in the green movement.” The city and county are in the process of forming a host committee and public safety officials are already working with the Secret Service to formulate plans to handle officials, support staff and protestors. A spokesperson for the mayor's office says the city was informed about the meeting just this morning.