March 11, 2008
Detroit
Symphony Orchestra Hall 7 p.m.
Members of City Council,
distinguished guests, citizens of Detroit.
Good evening.
We are here tonight, in the early
years of the 21st Century, in one of America’s great cities.
Through more than 300 years,
generation after generation of Detroiters has answered the call to greatness –
as the final stop on the Underground Railroad … putting the world on wheels …
creating America’s middle class … serving as the Arsenal of Democracy …
breaking down barriers of discrimination.
We are here tonight because of the
magnificent achievements of our forbearers in this city – mayors like Zachariah
Chandler … Frank Murphy and Coleman Alexander Young who fought on behalf of the
dispossessed and the disenfranchised. We are here because of heroes like
Dr. Ossian Sweet, Dr. Ralph Bunche and Judge Damon Keith, who fought for the
rights of all people, then and now.
We should all be tremendously
grateful and profoundly proud for the legacy of all those who have come before
us in this city.
Yet, in the daily press of events,
in the midst of foreclosures, joblessness, Iraq and Afghanistan, presidential
politics, hatred and racism, and even the Kwame Kilpatrick roller coaster ride,
sometimes we may not see our own time for what it truly is. Tonight, we
are at the dawn of a new, transformed Detroit.
Years from, when other mayors
deliver their state of the city address, they will look back at this time as
the time we as a community decided to transform our city. They will
remember this as a time when we thought not only about us, but about the future
-- a time that we put aside divisions and found a new hour of healing and
hopefulness in which we joined together to transform the city that we all love.
Detroit, this is our moment.
We are here tonight to examine the
State of our City.
A great deal has happened since
you first chose me more than six years ago to undertake the leadership of this
great city.
Tonight, like every urban center
in America, we have our share of problems. But tonight, any fair analysis
will show that we have made tremendous progress on many fronts to rebuild our
city. Tonight, because of our collective hard work, because of our
collective sacrifice, our tenacity and our resilience, Detroit is
transforming.
We are solving very difficult
problems that have defied solutions for decades. We have proved to many
people, including even the U.S. Census Bureau, that they were underestimating
our city.
Just take a quick look at some of
what we, working together, have achieved.
For more than 30 years, the Pick
Fort Shelby sat empty and decaying -- with trees literally growing on its
roof. Tonight it is being redeveloped.
For more than 30 years, the Monroe
Block sat in a state of neglect and decay. Tonight a developer is
preparing to bring it back to life.
For more than 20 years, the Book
Cadillac Hotel sat empty and abandoned, the victim of scavengers who stripped
it clean. Tonight, it is rapidly approaching its grand reopening this
November that will recapture all the glory it knew in the early years of the 20th
Century.
For more than 20 years the city
struggled with the question of what to do with the Hudson’s block. Now,
Dan Gilbert and his Quicken Loans development team and family are looking at
that as one of the sites for their world headquarters and the 4,000 good paying
jobs they are bringing to Detroit. They could have gone anywhere.
They chose Detroit.
In total, counting large and small
projects, we have rehabilitated 75 buildings in downtown Detroit. We have
achieved more than $6 billion in new development throughout this city.
And we are doing all of this in spite of the worst economic times Michigan has
faced since the Great Depression.
For decades we had a reputation as
a city that no one would want to visit. Tonight, we are on the New
York Times Travel Section list of 53 “must see” destinations around the
world in 2008. Imagine that. The New York Times classifies
Detroit as a “must see” destination.
For decades this city debated
whether we would have casinos. Once we decided the answer was, “yes,”
then we couldn’t decide where we wanted to put them them. There was even
an ill-fated attempt to force them onto the riverfront. Tonight, as a
result of final development agreements negotiated by this administration, two
new permanent casinos worth more than $1.2 billion are up and running. A
third will open later this year.
Tonight, Detroit is a city the
U.S. Census Bureau has acknowledged they undercounted by 47,000 people – the
combined population of all the Grosse Pointes. They added those people
back to our population count. It’s the first time we’ve ever as a city
challenged the numbers and won after a final count.
Tonight, we are a city that has
had its bond rating upgraded by the prestigious Wall Street rating agency
Standard and Poor’s. In upgrading us they said, and these are their
words, “the city has seen growth across the spectrum, including relocations,
expansions and renovations of local businesses.” Wall Street is taking
note.
Tonight, we know we could support
more than 3 million additional square feet of retail in the city, thanks to a
report by the prestigious Brookings Institution’s Social Compact. Their
study concluded the household income of Detroiters is actually $2 billion more
than the 2000 Census acknowledged. Their report is critically important
as we go after more retail outlets for our city, something Detroiters have been
complaining about ever since I can remember.
Tonight, we have implemented the
first two phases of our Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) initiative property
tax cut for new homeowners in the city. I know I am very safe in saying
this is the only administration in the history of this city to offer an 18-35 percent
property tax cut to new home owners.
Tonight, we continue to be a
national leader in the development of Brownfield sites. In 2007 alone we
had 22 approved projects worth more than $2.3 billion dollars of potential
investment. In recognition of our success, the National Brownfield
Conference will be held here in May.
Tonight, the structural changes we
are making in our basic operation of city government are paying
dividends. The often difficult, frequently painful decisions we have made
have brought our budget back under control and into balance.
Tonight, the modifications in
health care benefits we achieved in our contracts with city employees are
saving us $35 million a year, every year, making a significant contribution to
balancing our budget.
Tonight, our total salary costs
for all city employees for the current fiscal year are $100
million less than the total salary costs the year I took
office.
Tonight, no one is talking
about insolvency. Tonight, no one is talking about
bankruptcy. Tonight, no one is talking about receivership.
So we have come a long way in six
short years. But, like all urban areas, we still have our
challenges. Our job is to face up to those challenges with vision and
courage.
The book of Proverbs
tells us, “When there is no vision, the people perish.”
Tonight I want to share with you
my vision for meeting those challenges. I will outline for you some of
the very innovative initiatives we have underway to create the NEXT
Detroit.
They include initiatives to
further modernize our police department and help Detroiters to feel more safe
in their homes … to prepare our citizens for jobs they can start today … and an
economic stimulus package, that we are calling our Neighborhood Opportunity
Fund, that provides for long-term investment in our city that will last for
years to come.
Tonight, Detroit, this
is my vision for this city that we love.
Tonight, Detroit, the
state of our city is one of promise. Webster’s dictionary defines promise
as “ground for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence.”
I want to turn tonight
to a subject that is on the mind of every Detroiter – public safety.
I
believe the Detroit Police Department has the bravest, finest police officers
in the country. And we have the finest Fire Department you will find
anywhere. Every day the brave men and women in both departments put their
blood, sweat and tears on the line to protect us. It takes a special
calling—a special person—to be a police officer. It takes a special
calling – a special person – to be a fire fighter. So to all the police
officers who protect and serve us, I say, “thank you.” To the fire
fighters who are running into burning buildings while everyone else is running
out, I say “thank you.”
One of the continuing concerns of
all of our citizens is police presence in our neighborhoods. Research has
shown that one of the most effective deterrents against crime is police
visibility.
As I’m sure you remember, in
September 2005 our financial condition forced us to make cuts that resulted in
our merging precincts into districts. The savings we realized helped
minimize the number of police officers we had to lay off that year and moved
more officers from desk duties to street duties. Despite this, many community
members disapproved of the changes because they felt a detachment from their
neighboring precinct stations.
It is vital that the bond and
partnership between the Detroit Police Department and the community remains
strong and unbreakable and I want you to know that I have heard you.
Therefore, in the coming year the Chief will institute six Mobile Police
Stations to be deployed in each one of our Police Districts.
The Mobile Police Stations will be
customized recreational vehicles that will be deployed strategically throughout
each District. Instead of building the old mini-stations, we’re using
technology to bring the mini-stations to your neighborhoods. They will be
fully outfitted and equipped with officers and office workstations. They
will be accessible to citizens who can visit, make police reports, make
accident reports and obtain information about police, community programs and
other initiatives. They also will serve as a hub for officers walking the
beat in the various neighborhoods.
We’ll be able to move them to
areas we identify as hot spots or to areas where a block club or neighborhood
association has been asking for a heightened police presence.
I also have directed the chief to
implement an expedited recruiting plan to hire more than 300 officers in 2008
to patrol our neighborhoods and protect our citizens and businesses. We
have a manpower issue in our Detroit Police Department. We need police
officers. And we have had an inordinately long process to recruit new
officers. Quite honestly, our process has been horrible.
Until now, it could take anywhere
from six to 12 months from the date you filled out an interest card saying
you’d like to be a Detroit Police Officer to the date that you actually entered
the Police Academy. I asked the Chief and the Detroit Police Officers
Association to work together to streamline that process. The result is
that we have shortened it to a 13-week process. I want to thank the DPOA
for working with us on this critical manpower issue.
If you are a young man or women
who has thought you’d like to become a Detroit Police officer, or if you know
someone who would like to be a Detroit Police officer, now is the time to
apply.
Our new recruit graduates, who are
now assigned to foot patrol in the neighborhoods for a six-month period before
they are assigned to a scout car, will be deployed from our mobile police
stations. They will actually walk the neighborhoods and talk with the
residents. This deployment will allow an opportunity for the recruits to
get to know the layout of the neighborhoods. But, most importantly, it
will allow them to personally bond with the individual residents before they
are assigned to scout cars
I also
will be adding civilian positions in the Police
Budget for this coming fiscal year, 2008-2009, so that more police officers can
be deployed to perform direct crime fighting functions rather than sitting
behind a desk. The addition of these civilian positions will allow the
Chief to maximize the number of sworn officers in active crime fighting
activities.
One of our most pernicious crime
problems is burglaries. This type of crime is personally invasive and
impacts a person’s sense of security.
I have directed the Chief to come
up with a reduction strategy to take those criminals who are invading our homes
and businesses off the streets. The Chief has implemented a plan that
uses traditional policing and science and technology to arrest and assist in
the successful conviction of those who are breaking into our homes, our churches,
our schools, and our businesses. I don’t want to give you too much
information, because I don’t want the bad guys to know the details of our
strategy. But I want you to know that this is one of our most important
priorities this year. The plan is already in motion and you will see the
results.
One of the most disconcerting
aspects to the crime issue is the very young age of some of the criminals
caught committing crimes. In the past six months, the Police Department
arrested one group of 20 teenagers that the Prosecutor charged in over 100
multiple, major crimes.
In January, the Police Department
arrested a 13 year old and a 15 year old who had committed an armed
robbery. The 13 year old confessed to committing 2 other armed robberies
during the month. We even have a 9-year-old that did a home
invasion.
Clearly, these young people are
being failed by their parents, by their families, by their schools and by the
community. A lot of these kids are in a very negative environment that
influences their behavior. I find it hard to believe that a 9-year-old
becomes a criminal by himself.
We cannot just arrest our way out
of this problem. A recent report from the Pew Center on the States said
that for the first time in this country’s history, one out of every 100 adults
is in prison in the United States. We have more people in prison than any
nation in the world, including China. And spending on prisons is
increasing at six times the rate that spending on education is increasing.
Something is terribly wrong with that picture.
We have to intervene with these
young people early in their lives before it is too late.
We will continue to reach out to
Dr. Connie Calloway and the Detroit Public Schools to continue to develop
partnerships to better track our young people and help keep them on a positive
track.
We also will be presenting to the
Detroit Public Schools a proposal we have received to create a residential
boarding academy for young people who need a more structured environment.
The proposal has been developed by a team led by Dr. Carl Taylor, the renowned
sociologist and youth development specialist from Michigan State
University. It would create the school on the site of the old Belle Isle
Boat Club. The school would be a maritime academy and would be named the
Admiral J. Paul Reason Academy after a distinguished African American Admiral
who rose through the ranks to become commander of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic
fleet.
The school represents the type of
innovative, outside of the box thinking we must generate if we are to save this
generation of young people in this city. It would incorporate a Naval
Junior ROTC program designed to develop self-discipline, self-respect,
motivation, community service and leadership skills.
The academy will provide its
students the type of learning and living experience that allows them to compete
and succeed as they enter adulthood in our demanding and competitive global
society. I want to thank State Representative Marsha Cheeks
for helping move this proposal through the state process in Lansing.
Although our crime statistics
reflect that crime is down slightly, it is still at an unacceptable
level. But I do want to mention two initiatives by the department that
have had dramatic results in the past year.
First is a significant reduction
in non-fatal shootings in 2007. The department reduced those shootings by
identifying and concentrating attention on specific locations where those
shootings were occurring. The non-fatal shootings in targeted areas dropped
a combined 60 percent during 2007 – a reflection of what careful analysis of
statistics and focused action by our police department can achieve.
Secondly, we achieved a 53 percent
increase in arrests for auto theft and nearly tripled the number of stolen cars
recovered in the city. We're hitting chop shops and we're shutting them
down.
We also are going to continue
efforts to modernize our Fire Department. We have spent more than $28
million in the last six years on new firefighting, EMS and support vehicles and
another $2.4 million to replace and modernize Haz-Mat and firefighting tools.
We have spent more on our fire department in the past six year than has
been spent in any comparable time in our city’s history. I will discuss
steps we are going to take to modernize our department later in my remarks.
Our number one need in this City,
of course, is jobs. Of equal concern is the need, when jobs become
available to have Detroiters with the skill sets needed to fill those jobs.
Job readiness has become as critical as job availability.
Under the leadership of Lucius
Vassar, our Detroit Workforce Development Department is working with Detroiters
to make sure they have the skills they need to successfully hold a job.
Even more important, we are making sure that a job is waiting for them when
they complete their training.
When I took office, there was a
forensic audit, a state investigation and a federal investigation underway into
the practices of what was then the Department of Employment and Training.
We worked with each of these agencies to completely revamp and revise our total
department. Now, reorganized into the Workforce Development Department,
it is being held up as a model across the nation.
Two categories with the heaviest
demand for jobs today are health care and the hospitality/retail field.
At the moment, we are training people in both areas and are preparing to launch
a third training program in the construction trades in the coming year.
The health care career training
program was formed in conjunction with the Detroit Medical Center, the Warren
Conner Development Coalition, Oakland University and the Partnership for
Economic Independence. It is training Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN),
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Personal Care Assistants. We are
honored to have with us tonight the first class of Licensed Practical Nurses at
the Fort Street Training Center. Each of these student LPNs knows that
when they successfully complete their training, a job will be waiting for them
at the DMC.
I ask them to stand and be
recognized. Please join me in recognizing their commitment and
achievement.
The hospitality/retail training is
underway on the eastern campus of Wayne County Community College District and
was formed by a partnership involving WC3D, Goodwill Industries, the American
Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute and CVS Pharmacy. CVS is
participating with this program on an ongoing basis and is training their workers
at the site. Greektown Casino will also be training their workers there.
We also have issued RFPs for two
more training centers that will focus on construction and
transportation-related jobs.
We have also partner with the
state on a pre-apprenticeship construction program. The first one will be up
and running later this spring. We’re going to have 40 slots available for
the initial five-week training phase.
We've already done the
pre-screening and testing for people to participate in this program. They
will do five weeks of training and come out with a certification and
pre-apprenticeship and then move into construction trades. They get a
stipend while they're in the program so that they will have some money while
they're in training. They'll also receive money for their equipment needs
such as hard hat, boots and basic tools.
Our intent is to track them right
into jobs on road construction projects. This is especially important
because the state has a horrible record of involving minority workers and
minority contractors in road construction projects. When this program is
in place, when you pass a road construction project in our city, you’re going
to see Detroiters doing more than holding a sign when you enter and leave the
construction site.
The Workforce Development
Department played a key role in my administration’s successful efforts to keep
Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Ltd., here in Detroit at a time last year
when they looking at a possible move to South Carolina. Caraco is a
generic pharmaceutical manufacturer that is looking to expand as it gets FDA
approval to produce new pharmaceuticals.
The Department, working with the
State of Michigan and Henry Ford Community College, developed a program to hire
and train the workers Caraco needs to expand. To date, Caraco has hired
110 new employees – all of them Detroit residents – through this program.
It plans to invest $14.5 million in expanding its facilities on Elijah McCoy
Drive and will hire an additional 100 to 150 employees by this September and a
total of 500 new employees over the next five years.
The CEO of Caraco Pharmaceuticals,
Dan Movens, is here with us tonight and I would ask you to acknowledge him and
the hundreds of new jobs his company is creating in Detroit.
Workforce Development also is
working with Marathon Oil Company to identify Detroit residents with skilled
trades experience as Marathon expands its Detroit-based operations. The
company tells us as many as 800 to 1,200 employment opportunities may be available
for skilled tradespersons as they implement the $1.9 billion expansion of their
Detroit refinery.
In addition, the department is
working with Papa Johns Pizza Restaurants, who have an agreement with the City
of Detroit to develop 15 restaurants in the city. Two locations on the west
side of Detroit have opened and have been fully staffed with the assistance of
the department. A third is in the works in the Wayne State area.
We also are preparing to extend
the hours of our four one-stop Workforce Development Centers to assist
Detroiters who don’t have a GED to earn one in the evening.
We are serious about getting
Detroiters jobs.
Many of you will remember that
last year we launched the NEXT Detroit Neighborhood Initiative (NDNI), a
strategy that organizes city services around specific neighborhood work
plans. Initially, our goal was to raise a little over $2 million to get
this program off the ground. Thanks to the philanthropic community and
partnerships with banks and others, we’ve raised more than $6 million for the
initial phase of this effort.
We chose to focus the first phase
of this Initiative in six neighborhoods – East English Village, the Osborn
Community, North End, Brightmoor, 7 Mile-Livernois and Grand River Greenfield –
because that is a manageable size for us.
We’re
keeping very close track of our progress in each neighborhood. Since we
started in these six neighborhoods in 2007, we have issued almost 8,000 tickets
for blight, commercial businesses code violations or noncompliant rental
properties; we have planted 850 new trees and removed 750 dead trees, we
removed almost 700 tons of illegal dumping and we resurfaced 62 miles of
streets and roads.
Even with all of these very
positive developments, we have a lot of work to do to realize the Next
Detroit. We’re going to have to do that work ourselves.
We can’t look to the federal
government to bail us out. The current administration has no urban
policy. And the national economy is on the verge of a recession.
Just last Friday this nation posted the worst job loss numbers in five years.
One report even said the rest of the country is headed where Michigan is.
We can’t wait for the cavalry to
come from Lansing to save us. There are no ideas for an urban agenda
coming out of Lansing, either.
As I said last year, we are the
cavalry. We have to save ourselves.
As we look at the history of this
country, major public works projects have had a profound effect in spurring the
growth of cities, states and even this nation.
In the 1930’s FDR’s
Works Progress Administration constructed 116,000 buildings, 78,000 bridges,
651,000 miles of road and improved 800 airports.
The legendary builder Robert Moses
played a larger role in shaping the physical environment of New York State than
any other figure in the 20th century. Moses once said, ''Those who can,
build. Those who can't, criticize.''
If FDR and Robert Moses could have
that kind of impact in their time, we can have the same impact on Detroit
today.
For the past 18 months this administration
has been very carefully constructing a public works/economic stimulus package
that is the first of its kind in the City’s history. We have carefully
identified infrastructure needs that must be met if Detroit is to be
competitive in the world economy of the 21st Century. And we
have developed an affordable way to meet those needs.
To make sure that this plan has a
very solid financial footing, we have worked with the nationally-respected
financial consulting firms of JP Morgan Chase out of New York and Loop Capital
out of Chicago. I also want to give credit to Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams
for continuing to stay focused and involved in moving this project
forward. We would not be here tonight without his tenacity behind this
project. Thank you, Deputy Mayor.
Our criteria were very direct and
simple – the plan had to meet the need to upgrade the city’s
infrastructure. It had to involve capital projects that would endure long
into the future. It had to create long-term cost savings for the
city. It had to invest in our neighborhoods and our people. It had
to be affordable. And it could not require any new taxes.
I am pleased tonight to unveil for
you the NEXT Detroit Economic Stimulus Package, which we are calling the
Neighborhood Opportunity Fund.
The final size of the package, and
the final size of the projects, will be determined when we take the bonds to
market. Our goal is to sell bonds worth between $300 and $330
million. We plan to go to the market in early May after approval by
Council and final sign-off by the bond rating agencies.
We propose to pay off the bonds by
dedicating a small portion of our casino wagering tax revenues.
Casinos are having a major
economic impact on Detroit. They have created well in excess of $1
billion in new investment in our city. They have created nearly 10,000
jobs at a time when we desperately needed new jobs. And they have helped
shore up the finances of both State government and City government.
This year, the City of Detroit
will collect an estimated $197 million in casino wagering taxes. We have
worked hard to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to leverage this assets and
marry that to our public service mission to help people.
Earmarking $29 million a year – a
little less than 15 percent of the total wagering tax during the current fiscal
year – will allow us to meet our goal of floating a bond issue of between $300
million and $330 million dollars. That means we can do now what it
would take us 10 to 15 years to do if we relied only on General Obligation
Bonds.
By taking a small portion of this
relatively new tax and investing it in our future we will shore up our
infrastructure and have a tremendous impact throughout this city. The
deferred maintenance of our police stations, fire stations, rec centers,
crumbling streets and other crumbling facilities can no longer be addressed in
a piecemeal way. Let’s get together. Let’s get it
done.
We have identified specific
projects that we can make a reality by earmarking that small portion of
wagering revenues. We know exactly where we want to build, what
we want to build, and how it will help us in the future:
· We will build one new police
district headquarters on the east side and expand three existing districts.
With our relocation of the Central District and our new Public Safety Mall in
southwest Detroit, all of our district headquarters will be state of the art.
· We will build two new fire
stations, one on the east side and one on the west.
· We will install electrical
generators at all fire stations that would kick in in the event of a blackout
or other emergency.
· We will build a new fire training
complex that will consolidate all training for the Detroit Fire Department in
one facility … provide training to other municipalities and provide a rigorous
driver training facility for both our Police and Fire Departments.
· We will remodel our two
neighborhood health centers to provide better pre-natal care and better care
for infants and children.
· We will complete the acquisition
of land, started by Coleman Young, along French Road next to City Airport to
finish the improvements needed to make it a viable commercial or general
aviation airport. When completed, 90 percent of the funds used for this
purpose would be reimbursed by the FAA.
· We will demolish 50 vacant
commercial and apartment structures around the city. Traditionally, our
demolition budget goes primarily to abandoned homes because commercial structures
are so expensive to take down, so they sit there year after year after decade
after decade. We have identified the top 50 targets for demolition around
the city and we are prepared to take them down.
· We will enhance streetscapes
around the city in areas such as along East Jefferson from Alter Road to
Eastlawn and along Livernois from Six to Eight Mile to turn them into welcoming
gateways to Detroit. We already have installed the new median on
Livernois. The neighborhoods in that area have told us they want those
medians brought to life with trees and flowers. State transportation
funds cannot be used for trees or flowers. Bond money can.
· We will establish a budget
stabilization fund of at least $75 million with very specific triggers that
will have to be met before the fund can be accessed. We have not had a
significant “rainy day fund” since I’ve been in office. It’s time we
established a savings fund that can be used in the case of true emergencies.
· We will make major improvements to
our Public Lighting Department, replacing and upgrading facilities that are as
much as 70 years old.
· We will make major improvements to
our aging Department of Public Works facilities located throughout the city.
· We will provide seed funding for
our 10 year initiative to eliminate homelessness and provide housing for the
homeless who need it in conjunction with the Collaboration to End Homelessness
being headed by Geneva Williams and City Connect
· We will establish a $15 million
entrepreneurship loan fund that will be administered by the Detroit Economic
Growth Corporation that would create jobs for Detroiters. We already have
a commitment for an initial seed grant for this fund of $500,000 from First
Independence Bank.
· We will partner with foundations
and banks to establish and grow a $10 million neighborhood preservation fund to
address foreclosures, weatherization issues and other structural
problems. We will be starting this program this spring in the North End
and the Grand River/Greenfield area with $1.2 million in seed money.
As we implement this pioneering
public works program, we will work hard to use Detroit businesses, and
particularly African American and other minority-owned businesses to do the
work in our city. We will never stop our efforts to assure that Detroit
businesses, African American-owned businesses and other minority-owned
businesses participate in the rebuilding of this city.
We will be conducting detailed
briefings on this plan in the coming days for members of Council, for community
leaders and the editorial boards.
This plan will provide a major
shot in the arm to our local economy, creating jobs for Detroiters while making
investments in parts of our infrastructure that badly need modernizing.
Under this plan, we’ll see improvements in every single neighborhood in the
city. So when people ask, “Mayor, what about the neighborhoods?” or
“Councilmember, what about the neighborhoods?” we can just point.
As I indicated earlier, this very
detailed plan has been under development for 18 months. We sat down at
the table and looked at ways to leverage our assets like the tunnel and the
casino watering taxes to get more dollars in here to get Detroit jobs, to fix
our infrastructure and to move our city forward. We talked to Wall
Street. We reached out to the biggest banks and the best financial minds
in this country. They tell us this plan makes sense and that it will work.
Detroit truly is in a period of
transformation. Our responsibility is to keep focused on that
transformation, to keep it alive, no matter what distractions may arise.
As Detroiters, we have known and
lived the audacity of hope long before Barack Obama captured the national
imagination with that theme. Without the audacity of hope, this city
would have died long ago.
Many people have given up on
Detroit. Many have left. But many more of us have believed.
We have stayed. And we continue to believe in the future of this great
city.
The most important part of the
equation is the people who have stayed here, who live here everyday and who do
the little things that make this city what it is. They’re the people that
participate in the block clubs, the people that do the CB patrols, the people
who check on their elderly neighbor or who watch their neighbor’s children from
time to time – the people that really help make things happen on a daily
basis.
Many of them are hurting in these hard economic
times. But they’re hanging in there and fighting their way through hard
times in a belief that the future is bright. It's their resilience that
we feed off of, because without them, we are nothing.
They’re fighting. They won’t
quit. And if they won’t quit, I won’t quit.
Because of them, we are going to
continue to fight the battle because we believe that we are fundamentally
correct on the premise that what we're doing is transforming this city so that
it can be a better place for people to live now and in the future.
Detroit, you have the right to
have a great city.
Detroit, you have the right to
have buildings refurbished.
Detroit, you have the right to
have new businesses come in your town.
Detroit, you have the right to new
police stations, new fire stations, and new rec centers.
Detroit, you have the right to
modern public lighting and welcoming gateways.
Detroit, you’re not leaving, and
we’re not leaving.
In the past six years, we’ve had
to deal with a lot of entrenched forces that have fed on a system that is old
and archaic. We’ve been peeling back all that old, archaic material one
layer at a time to bring this city into the 21st Century.
We’re implementing structural changes. We’ve been doing that since the
day this administration took office. That’s why departments like Health
and Wellness Services, Human Services, Transportation and the Detroit Economic
Growth Corporation are performing better than they were six years ago.
No one thought we could challenge
existing labor contracts, but we did.
No one thought we could change the
health care plans for our city, but we did.
No one thought we could be
successful in 312 binding arbitration, but we were.
No one thought we could host a
successful Super Bowl, but we did.
No one thought we could plow snow
in this town, but we do.
No one thought we could mow parks
regularly, but we do.
No one thought we could build new
housing, but we have. Not only that, we have led the region in new
housing.
To borrow a phrase from both
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, yes, we can, and yes, we will.
Many of us in this hall tonight
have the privilege of holding leadership positions. We did not choose the
age or the circumstance in which we were born. But we can, and do, choose
how we confront those circumstances, how we fulfill the duties that have been
thrust upon us and how we approach one another
The challenge for all of us in
public office is to rise above our differences -- to rise above our human
frailties – and maintain our focus on working together to move this city
forward. Ralph Waldo Emerson said big jobs usually go to the people who
prove their ability to outgrow small ones. We have much more serious
issues affecting the future of this city than whether we’re going to attend a
speech.
At this moment in our history, we
must turn to each other, and not on each other.
It has been said that in the
annals of heaven, the saddest records are those that tell of the many who ran
the race well, with brave stout hearts, until, in the sight of the goal, in the
sight of victory, their courage failed them.
Detroit, now is not the time for
our courage to fail us. We will win this race. The goal is
right in front of us. But we have to finish it.
I pledge to you tonight that I
will stay focused on the finish. I will never let up.
God bless each of you.
God bless Detroit.
Good night.