WASHINGTON, D.C.-

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson gave his State of the Cities address in Washington D.C., just one day after President Obama’s State of the Union address.

“I’m here to say that the state of the union is strong because the state of our cities is strong,” he said to the crowd of almost 300 mayors.

Johnson, USCM president, says the federal government is failing to find a solution to growing tensions between police officers and people of color.

“Being a mayor is no longer just about making sure the trash is being picked up or buses are running on time. Today, we are the ones grappling with these very big real big picture challenges,” he said.

Johnson says a new survey by the Conference of Mayors and Zogby Analytics reveals that nearly half of the American public believes cities are on the right track, compared to only 29 percent of those who think the nation is on the right track.

Johnson also introduced the concept of “3.0 cities,” cities that are the hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. He said 3.0 cities interact with the federal government in a new and innovative way.

He demanded action on topics like immigration, the economy and climate change from the federal government, while asking for empowerment and investment for cities across the nation.

“We’re facing an inversion of the hierarchy of power,” Johnson said. “We’re flipping the old paradigm on its head. Cities are the leaders in the nation, experimenting, taking risks, making hard choices, yes, mayors, you’re doing that.”

Madison De Muri filed this report.

http://fox40.com/2015/01/21/johnson-delivers-state-of-the-cities-address-to-u-s-conference-of-mayors/