Communication 040057

..Title Mayoral Street Inaugural page 1 January 5, 2004 Mayor Street's Inaugural Address Congratulations to the elected officials who have taken the oath of office today. Members of City Council, retention and newly elected judges, Register of Wills Ron Donatucci, Sheriff John Green, and Clerk of Quarter Sessions Vivian Miller. I am pleased to welcome Councilmen Jack Kelly and Juan Ramos, the new members of this Council. ..Body To City Council President Anna Verna, you and your planning committee deserve a warm round of applause for this spectacular inaugural celebration. Also, thank you for serving as a co-chair of my re-election campaign committee and congratulations on your re-election as Council President. For one who has taken perhaps the most improbable route to the Mayor's office in the storied history of Philadelphia politics, the opportunity to serve the people of this city and make Philadelphia work has been much more than a job ... it is a cause, to which I am proud to have devoted most of my professional life. I am just as enthusiastic and committed to building a better Philadelphia today as the first day I walked into City Council 24 years ago. I am grateful to so many people for this opportunity, but above all, I must thank the people of Philadelphia who in the General Election assessed the accomplishments of this administration, the character of its leadership and decided overwhelmingly to return us to office. I am humbled by your support and confidence. A special thanks to ALL the men and women of my administration for your dedication, commitment and hard work! I must thank my incredible wife and partner, Naomi Post-Street. It was her vision, advocacy and commitment that drove this administration on behalf of children and her public support through the most emotional and stressful campaign of my career could not have been better. I am eternally grateful to her. Naomi would you please stand. Last year we learned just how important family, friends and faith are at the crossroads of life. The experience has made us stronger as individuals and as a family. Let me also take a moment to thank the members of the Philadelphia City Council. You do a very important and difficult job, often being the first point of contact for citizens seeking the assistance of their government. Although much has been said about the relationship between City Council and my administration, notwithstanding our "special moments," on the issues most important to our future, we have worked together to make strong decisions in the best interests of this City. Mayor Street Inaugural page 2 January 5, 2004 Over the next four years, I am committed to building an even stronger and more productive relationship. Together we can grow Philadelphia's reputation as a city of historical importance, cultural significance and new economy prosperity. However, achieving this 21st Century Philadelphia will require more than mere cooperation between the Mayor and City Council. Philadelphia is an indispensable part of the economic engine that drives the success of this entire region. It should be painfully obvious that failure to develop a better working partnership within the region will compromise our future, a theme embraced by the "Select Greater Philadelphia" marketing campaign announced recently by the Chamber of Commerce. To protect our region and reverse a negative statewide economic trend will require a strong Philadelphia at the core of a strong region where cooperation among civic and political leaders becomes the norm not the exception. This stark reality is the driving force behind the appointment of Nick DeBenedictis, a man intimately familiar with both the city and suburbs, to chair a group of leaders to help make our regional goals a reality. From the health care industry to colleges and universities, from the Vanguard family of mutual funds to Comcast Corporation, some of the greatest resources in America are located right here in this region. Our Goal: to capitalize on those assets for our mutual benefit. America, grounded in a multi-party political system, has fashioned perhaps the greatest participatory Democracy the world has ever known. The give and take of partisan politics, even when it periodically gets loud and messy, is a small price to pay for Democracy! However, our system works best when political leaders foster honest public debate and steer clear of destructive partisan bickering which interferes with our ability to inspire public support and create a great future for our city, region and Commonwealth. In that spirit, I extend a hand of partnership to Governor Rendell, Speaker Perzel, and our local legislative leaders in Harrisburg. Though we may have our partisan and political differences, we are Philadelphians first. And that gives us a special opportunity and a heightened responsibility to work together to accomplish great things for this City. I also look forward to continuing the productive relationship we have enjoyed with the members of the Philadelphia Delegations and the Legislative Black Caucus in Harrisburg. Their support has been invaluable. The aggressive agenda we intend to pursue for our city and region will require an unprecendented amount of communication, coordination and commitment. Political and economic forces with legitimate and potentially conflicting programs will need to be respected and reconciled. I have begun that work. Since November, I have talked with or have scheduled "talks" with the editorial boards of most of our newspapers, children's advocates and neighborhood activists. I have met with Governor Rendell, Speaker Perzel, Congressmen Fattah, Brady and Hoeffel, Mark Schweiker, Dr. Bernard Watson, Amanda Bennett, Zack Stahlberg, Mark Segal, Henry Nicholas, Paul Vallas, Jim Nevels, Bishop Ernie Morris, Pat Eidding, and others. Those Mayor Street Inaugural, page 3 January 5, 2004 discussions have covered a wide range of issues including relocating the Barnes Collection, siting the Microsoft High School, implementing the automobile insurance agreements we have negotiated with the State, protecting the rights of the LGBT community; using Keystone Opportunity Investment Zones effectively and the importance of the faith-based community. I am not finished! My goal is to develop new and stronger partnerships; minimize the impact of a hard fought municipal election and create a determination among local and regional leaders to work in harmony to advance a new set of city and regional priorities agreed to by us all. In 24 years of public service I have always put the well being of our city first. So let me be clear, under no circumstances will this government improperly reward political supporters or condone any culture that does not protect the interests of the people. In the coming weeks we will underscore that commitment through a new Code of Ethics that will spell out a higher standard of ethical conduct for all City employees. Judge Ida Chen of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas will chair this effort. In addition, several reform steps have begun at the Philadelphia International Airport, the Minority Business Enterprise Council and in our Inspector General's office to insure the integrity of this government at every level. But while insuring high ethical standards, we will never abandon the goal of expanding opportunities for businesses owned and operated by African-Americans, Latinos, women, the disabled and other minorities. We will continue to break down the historic and artificial barriers to their doing business! Philadelphia will be better and stronger when the doors to city and private sector business are open to everyone. I will work with the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the African American Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to ensure that economic diversity prevails in our great city. In 1991, a nationally recognized renaissance began in Philadelphia. We demonstrated fiscal discipline and created a bustling Center City that has become a magnet for empty nesters, young professionals and tourists. It was a proud time for all of us, but I knew then that Philadelphia could not achieve true greatness with a thriving downtown surrounded by dying neighborhoods. I also understood that years of neglect and decay in neighborhoods could not be reversed without the support of a healthy center city. Thus our commitment to turn our attention to neighborhoods without turning our backs on Center City. Developing 21st Century neighborhoods and schools and a thriving business community will continue to be the focus of this administration. Families are the hub of our neighborhoods and protecting and nurturing our children is a moral imperative we do not intend to neglect. We have built a solid record: after school programs, a children's fund from the construction of new stadiums, public education reform, better childcare facilities and a new last dollar scholarship program that will Mayor Street Inaugural, page 4 January 5, 2004 inspire and facilitate higher education for our children. But we need to do more! In fact, it is our goal to work with children's advocates, Paul Vallas and the School Reform Commission to have after school slots available for every elementary school student in the City by the end of this term and to build new public schools that strengthen neighborhoods and provide a first class environment for teaching and learning. Nothing is more important to our future than providing high quality education options for all children in every neighborhood. Strong public, charter, parochial and private schools, that are anchors in their communities, are all essential. In this year that marks the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, lets make a renewed commitment to fulfill the ideals of educational opportunity and achievement envisioned by that landmark decision. We will strengthen our investment in neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Transformation Initiative will continue to be the vehicle by which we change the prospects of many neighborhoods from "blight to bright." In Philadelphia there are no throw away neighborhoods or throw away people and that includes the men and women trapped in our prison system. We will continue our war on drugs through the Safe Streets program and fight crime and violence in every neighborhood. A special emphasis will be placed on curbing the tragic problem of domestic violence and abuse. My time in neighborhoods has reaffirmed for me that regardless of race, ethnic background or social status, families fundamentally want the same things, a quality education for their children, and clean, safe neighborhoods with high quality city services. Fulfilling this dream is my greatest motivation. We will complement our work in neighborhoods by implementing a new strategic plan for Fairmount Park. The Park will be better integrated into the city both as a place for recreation and relaxation and as a resource that distinguishes Philadelphia from almost every major city in America. It is an important part of our strategy to attract and retain jobs, residents and visitors not just to our city but to our region. Finally, we will bring new vision and energy or as Patti LaBelle says "A New Attitude" to our work of growing the Philadelphia economy. This is no time to tread water. Despite a national recession, our stewardship over the last several years has Philadelphia well positioned to capitalize on an improving economy. The activity and energy along the Avenue of the Arts from City Hall to South Street are great symbols of our progress and our potential. Now is the time for bold and decisive leadership that propels Philadelphia to the head of the class in the "New Economy." During this second term, we must simultaneously cut taxes and invest in our economy to become more attractive and competitive. Our tax reduction program, which is the envy of most American cities and states, will be an integral part of our future economic success. The recommendations of the Tax Reform Commission will be the foundation for an Mayor Street Inaugural, page 5 January 5, 2004 honest debate about taxes and services. Tax reductions, tax abatements and tax incentives are important, especially in an environment where the competition for jobs is so fierce. But they are only part of the formula for economic vitality. We need a rational tax plan that stimulates our economy, protects our ability to deliver the high level of basic services Philadelphians deserve and allows us the resources to invest in the future of our city. We will redouble our efforts to grow our hospitality community, expand the Pennsylvania Convention Center and persuade the federal government to spend greater resources marketing American cities. We will work to bring "gaming" to town in a constructive and appropriate way while keeping a watchful eye on important developments like Whitman's Plaza, Columbus Commons, Capehart, Brewerytown and the Naval Home. We will continue to support community development corporations, to welcome housing developers like Westrum and Toll Brothers; to help the merchants of the Philadelphia Regional Produce Terminal find a new location inside the City; to modernize the city's skyline by building the Cira Center and One Pennsylvania Plaza, and to do all in our power to show companies like Towers Perrin, Aramark, Ace and Cigna just how important they are to this city. In addition to the great work regularly done by our economic development professionals, we will focus additional attention and resources on establishing 21st century communities at the Philadelphia Naval Yard, Schuylkill River Park, along the North Delaware River and within some of our strategically located NTI communities. We have magnificent waterfront sites with extraordinary potential to create new centers of activity to compete for investments, new jobs and 21st century professionals, particularly in the ever expanding knowledge based economy. The possibilities can be seen from the great strides we have made in re-establishing the Naval Yard as an important source of economic vitality for our City and the region. This site, which we acquired in the first year of this administration, today houses 4 million square feet of occupied facilities with more than 6,000 employees working 60 companies. The plans for the next phase of this development include a new mixed-use community fronting on the Delaware River. This breathtaking project would integrate into city life a waterfront that has been isolated for more than 125 years and position Philadelphia at the forefront of waterfront development nationally. Achieving our vision will require a significant investment of State, local and private funds. The Governor is attempting to address this issue at the State level, and within sixty (60) days I intend to announce the creation of an Economic Development Capital Fund which will allow us to invest in our most precious physical assets, our water front and our newly created NTI opportunities! A significant amount of my time in this second term will be dedicated to establishing the Fund, launching each of these projects and growing our jobs base. Our goal is to create a fund of approximately $500,000,000 to leverage billions of dollars of other public and private investment in our economic infrastructure! Mayor Street Inaugural, page 6 January 5, 2004 The platform for achieving this ambitious agenda will be a technology-driven 21st century government, one with a new and exciting spirit. The status quo is not acceptable. I have asked Temple University President, David Adamany, School Reform Commission member Sandra Dungee Glenn and Attorney Chris Booth to chair distinguished groups of experts to work with us to find new and more effective ways to perform our day-to-day functions; analyze and refine our programs; and evaluate our personnel. I want this city in an all out sprint into the Future! Our municipal unions must become our best partners in finding constructive ways to effectively deliver services, to control spiraling pension and health care costs and to help achieve the efficiencies necessary to implement fair contracts for city employees that include the wage increases they so richly deserve. We can make the investments I have described today and achieve our vision of a greater Philadelphia within the constraints of balanced, fiscally responsible budgets. We can attract the talent we need to make it happen and we will not be distracted. Now is the time for all of us to become optimists - get beyond the roadblocks. Believe that Philadelphia's greatest days are in front of us. Stop protecting selfish priorities. The Avenue of the Arts should not be pitted against Chestnut Street, neighborhoods should not be fighting Center City and the suburbs and the city should be partners. Philadelphia is a world-class city. It is the anchor to a world-class region. The ingenuity, expertise, foresight and political will to create an even greater city and a greater region resides within us. All we have to do is BELIEVE IN OURSELVES, TRUST EACH OTHER, WORK TOGETHER AND KEEP THE FAITH. ..End