[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 21, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE NATIONAL TRAINING AND INFORMATION CENTER'S 30TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF ORGANIZING NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                       COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 21, 2003

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Gale Cincotta 30 years ago had a 
vision that led to the founding of the National Training and 
Information Center (NTIC) for neighborhood residents to become experts 
on identifying and resolving the issues on mortgage and insurance 
redlining, HUD/FHA abuses and community-level drug problems in the 
inner city. President Carter appointed Ms. Cincotta to the National 
Commission on Neighborhoods where she chaired the Reinvestment Task 
Force. In 1990, NTIC's work, along with that of 9 local organizations, 
on community-based anti-drug initiatives was recognized by President 
Bush senior at a White House luncheon. Ms. Cincotta served on the 
National Commission on Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing, 
established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and she 
was a member of the Community Investment Advisory Council of the 
Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.
  Ms. Cincotta and the National Training and Information Center 
established a multi-ethnic, multi-racial coalition of community 
organizations whose mission is to build grassroots leadership and 
strengthen neighborhoods through issue-based community organizing. NTIC 
helps build organizations with the resources and capacity to: (1) 
identify local issues that impact the urban areas, (2) develop 
effective strategies to address the root causes of issues, and (3) 
create opportunities for the organizational leadership to negotiate 
with business decision-makers. NTIC's primary focus is to provide 
training and technical assistance to a wide range of groups who are 
willing to promote and foster community organizing as goals for 
obtaining affordable housing for families, establishing drug prevention 
programs for the sick and assist in the fostering of neighborhood and 
community investments to improve better living conditions for people.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the efforts and achievements of Gale Cincotta 
and the National Training and Information Center for their 30th 
anniversary for empowering the people to organize to bring about change 
and progress in improving the lives of people from all walks of life.

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