I believe we must build a partnership that will help us solve the problems associated with growth, and maintain our reputation as one of the best metropolitan areas in which to live and raise families.
We are uniquely challenged by growth in this community. It is no secret that we have the fastest-growing population and one of the fastest-growing economies in the Nation. Whether you live in the city of Las Vegas, Henderson, Clark County, or North Las Vegas, you know that the landscape is changing day-to-day with construction and roadbuilding.
The question all of us here today are confronted with is, how do we keep from being consumed by our own growth? Growth is a great indicator of prosperity and opportunity, and we have a lot of both here in the valley. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a 7 percent annual growth rate. When I tell my colleagues in Congress about our growth rate and dynamic economy, they just shake their heads. They feel challenged by population increases of 1 or 2 percent. It really catches their attention when I tell officials in Washington how we have over 70,000 new residents a year coming into the valley, and that there is no end in sight.
I have no greater mission than to be sure that the key policymakers in the Federal Government understand the critical growth-related needs of southern Nevada. Both of our Senators, both of you, both Senator Reid and Senator Bryan, have done an outstanding job in this regard, and I am proud to be working with the two of you on the House side.
We have seen dozens of communities around the Nation fail under the pressures of growth. We need look no further than to southern California, and I don't want to pick on our neighbors to the west, but they lost their battle to growth. Think of Los Angeles and you think of sprawl, pollution, congestion, and crime, and we don't want to become another L.A., not another statistic.
I believe our local government officials in southern Nevada have done a good job in keeping ahead of the growth curve. Our quality of life remains high and opportunity abounds; yet, we will have to redouble our efforts if we are going to keep ahead of the curve.
Clearly, important steps are being taken in the right direction. Just yesterday, Clark County leaders announced a long-range plan to provide parks and recreational facilities to meet the demands of a growing population over the next two decades. Southern Nevada's population is going to expand inevitably from the current 1.25 million or so, to 2 million-plus. Fortunately, there is a growing movement in this country and in this community to avoid the mistakes other cities have made in the past. Citizens, corporations, and all levels of government are pulling together to improve the livability of our communities.
Livability covers a number of topics. It means preserving green space and recreational facilities. It means building modern schools. It means providing better transportation and protecting our air and our water. It means making our streets safer and promoting economic opportunity across our communities.
I strongly support proposals currently being discussed in Congress to provide resources for local community planning, transportation, school construction, green space, and helping our police. Citizens and their local elected officials have the responsibility to make the decisions about what each community needs and how to spend their resources, while those of us in Congress have the responsibility to make it a priority to provide the needed assistance.
I want to thank you again, Senator Reid, for inviting me here today. I feel this forum is extremely helpful in setting a course for a livable Las Vegas well into the next century so that my children and my children's children will be able to grow up in a truly livable community.
Thank you very much.