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I wrote this second State of the City speech for the 1st
year anniversary of our administration. We were just starting to see our initiatives take
shape. The problems, which had been a part of the city for so long, were finally being
addressed. This speech was also given 45 days before an important bond issue that was
necessary to rebuild the vital infrastructure we needed to continue moving forward. Later
that summer, it passed overwhelmingly and allowed the us to push on. -Mayor Marc H. Morial Second State of the City
Address Ladies and gentlemen, members of the City Council, Superintendent Holmes, members of the School Board and my fellow citizens of the great city of New Orleans: Thank you so much for joining us tonight at the Lawless Memorial Chapel on the campus of Dillard University. I also want to thank WWL-TV for broadcasting this State of the City Report. Being here tonight brings back many pleasant memories for me. As a teenager, often I rode the bus to the Dillard campus where I was welcomed warmly by the students and faculty, and I have always felt a part of the Dillard family. In my home, the name of Dr. Albert Dent, for many years the president of Dillard, was spoken with reverence and admiration. Today, I want to extend my congratulations to Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook, the distinguished President of Dillard, who continues the tradition of academic excellence. In much the same way, I'd like to speak to you on this occasion about a mission we are building for our great city. Our mission is to work for safe streets, paved streets and streets that lead to jobs. Our mission is for an efficient, scandal-free government, a police force that is respected for its integrity, and an airport that is the Gateway to Latin America and the connecting point to the entire Gulf South. Our mission is for an expanded convention center, a rebuilt school system and a Tchoupitoulas Corridor that helps our port operate more effectively. Our mission is a NORD program where every child, regardless of his or her station in life, can enjoy wholesome recreation. Our mission is a city where arts and music are part of our common experience. Our mission is a city that belongs equally to all of us. Four hundred days ago when we took office, our city government was in chaos. Crime was pandemic, and the New Orleans Police Department was in shambles. There was evidence of misuse of public funds, and there was no capital program to repair our city streets, playgrounds and public buildings. Many city employees and citizens had given up hope. Four hundred days ago, we brought to this job our enthusiasm, our optimism, our energy, our ethic of hard work and our belief that people can and must make a difference. Tonight, 400 days later, I want to tell you what we have accomplished. Know that we are not yet satisfied. We cannot be satisfied because, even though murder is down 19 percent and juvenile crime is down 27 percent, crime is still much too high. We cannot be satisfied because even though more people are working now than at any time since 1981, our unemployment rate is still too high. We cannot be satisfied because though we as a city have accomplished much in 400 days, we have only just begun. We have only just begun to open the doors of opportunity for so many who have been denied in the past. We have only just begun to restore New Orleans' past glories. As the 21st century draws near, we've only just begun to chart a new course for the next millennium, for New Orleans' coming building boom - Phase III of the convention center, a downtown basketball arena, more than 10 new hotels and renovations of hundreds of buildings and thousands of abandoned houses. We're going to see a new emphasis on our natural assets, our art, our architecture and our music, as many join hands to make us the cultural capital of the South We're going to see our city emerge as a major health and medical capital as our great institutions, Tulane, Xavier, LSU, Charity and the V.A., join with new private health companies to take advantage of the booming, changing field of health care. This will create thousands of highly skilled jobs with good wages. Let us seize the opportunity. In 400 days, I've learned many valuable lessons as mayor of New Orleans. The most important is that no mayor can be effective without an excellent cabinet and staff and an outstanding city council. I have been extremely fortunate in all regards. Our team is filled with individuals who work tirelessly. They work hard Monday through Friday and then work some more on weekends and holidays. I would like to ask the members of the administration to stand and be recognized. I also want to commend the City Council. Upon taking office, the members of the council and I recognized that, while we might not agree on every issue, we would not allow our disagreements to become personal or vindictive. We have kept that pledge. I must tell you that most of the time, we find areas of agreement where compromise is possible. Please join me in recognizing and applauding our fine City Council. In 400 days, our efforts to address the city's crime problems have become well-known throughout the nation. We have, with the assistance of the City Council and Sheriff Charles Foti, implemented and vigorously enforced the nation's strictest juvenile curfew. Other cities are copying our juvenile curfew. I believe it has saved lives by taking children off the streets and returning them to their homes with their families. Under the direction of Police Superintendent Richard Pennington, we have begun community policing initiatives in three public housing developments. Dramatically, in Desire, B.W. Cooper and Florida, the murder rate has dropped over 70 percent. But we are not satisfied and we cannot be satisfied until the murder rate is zero! We have only just begun to attack the crime problem. We will make our streets safe again, and we will not surrender our streets to the gun-toting thugs, the vicious drug dealers and hoodlums. This city is ours. Last year at the State of the City Address, I said that when it came to the selection of a new chief of police, I would rather be right than quick. With Richard Pennington, this community knows we were right. What has been quick is his effort to reduce crime and clean up corruption. Under his leadership, we have begun the task of cleaning out those individuals on the police department who have been corrupted or no longer have the enthusiasm for the struggle to make our streets safe. We have terminated 28 police officers, 21 have resigned while under investigation, 121 have been suspended and nine are under emergency suspension from charges filed against them. Two days ago, the legislature passed our "Right to Know Bill" so that complaints against police officers will no longer be expunged. We are winning this fight, but every step is a tough one. Yet it must be done. I must tell you that I grieve for some of those officers who made just one mistake and have seen their careers ruined. There is no such thing as 50 percent honor and integrity. You either have a standard of uncompromising honesty or you don't. I grieve also for the honest police who are viewed with suspicion because they are cops in a time when police scandal seems to be everywhere. We all know that bad cops are a small minority and that good cops are the overwhelming majority. We cannot , we will not, tolerate dishonest cops, and we're going to weed them out - one at a time or in bunches - it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that New Orleans once again becomes one of America's safest cities. You can't achieve that without a police department that is honest, diligent and determined to serve the community well. To make our police better, we must pay them better. I eagerly await the police compensation commission's recommendation on this issue. On that note, I would like Chief Pennington and the other officers who are here tonight to stand so that we can show them they have our full support. Tied inextricably and undeniably to our fight against crime is our ongoing effort to give the young people of New Orleans something to say "YES" to. We have asked our young people to respect and obey the curfew, and the vast majority have done so. We are determined to offer our youth something more than a firm hand. We must help their parents and teachers bring the joys of learning into their lives and help boost their self-esteem. This summer, under the Mayor's Team Summer Jobs Initiative, more than 3,000 young people will learn about free enterprise from the inside. They will learn about work ethic. This initiative could not have been accomplished without the assistance of the private sector. In a spirit of altruism and cooperation, hundreds of businesses have agreed to hire teenagers this summer. This program has also been boosted by the cooperative efforts of the Orleans Private Industry Council and HANO who are helping the city fund and administer this vital project. In 1995, we continued our commitment to the New Orleans Recreation Department, which received a $1.5 million increase over last year. The revitalization of NORD will provide for the largest summer program in its 60 campsites and 16 pools for more than 10,000 of our city's children. We are not satisfied. We must do more. It is a source of pride that we have seen 14,000 new jobs created in the New Orleans economy in the last year. We are pleased that passenger traffic at the New Orleans International Airport is up 20 percent over 1993. It is good news that cargo volume at the Port of New Orleans is up 40 percent. We're glad that the health industry is continuing to grow and is now generating more than $5 billion in economic impact. We all know that our tourism industry is booming. We're up to 10 million visitors a year, and more than 55,000 citizens hold jobs in the tourism industry. We are a national leader in convention tourism, which alone has a $2 billion impact each year. Business at the Morial Convention Center is up 20 percent. That is why we're going to make sure that Phase III of the convention center is built. We are all concerned that neighborhoods not be disrupted by traffic, but the Phase III expansion means a $1 billion a year economic impact on our economy, and we cannot let that pass us by. We need the jobs. We need the growth. And we are going to have it. As we rebuild our riverfront and our downtown, we must rebuild our great neighborhoods as well. From Holly Grove to Central City, from Treme to Lower Nine, from Algiers to the East, and from the Vieux Carre to Lakeview, ours is a city of great neighborhoods with character and personality. For the first time in our city's history, our reorganized Division of Housing and Neighborhood Development is working with non-profit groups, churches, banks and residents to find ways to bring over 30,000 blighted and abandoned homes back into the economy. We are regaining the public trust by eliminating waste, fraud and mismanagement in housing programs. New accountability measures are in place for recipients of housing funds, including financial requirements, capability assessments and enforced time lines for rehabilitating houses. Our commitment to take action against absentee landlords is as strong as ever. We're cracking down on bad landlords, and we're tearing down crack houses wherever we find them. We're cleaning up our neighborhoods with an environmental strike force. They are cleaning up neighborhood dumping grounds and taking action against violators. Additionally, over 300 needy senior citizens have been selected by Project Nu Coat, an effort that is giving their homes a new coat of paint. Through the work of our legislative team, constitutional amendments will go to the voters this fall that will make it easier to turn abandoned houses over to qualified non-profit organizations. We must pass these amendments this fall. We are also determined to improve the quality of public housing. The appointment of Mike Kelly as Director of HANO and the presence of four public housing residents on the HANO board signals a new day for public housing in New Orleans. Mr. Kelly brings experience, compassion and a philosophy of involvement to public housing. I would like to ask him to stand so we can let him know he has our support. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros has praised New Orleans as a national model for the rehabilitation of troubled housing developments. We are going to show the rest of the country how public housing residents can a play a key role in governing their own lives, and we're going to demonstrate that community policing can make public housing developments safe for everyone. We also passed with the assistance of the City Council, a $425 million "Smart Budget" that includes cost savings and accountability measures, revenue reforms and prioritized spending for publicsafety, and a five percent pay raise for city employees, as well as a curbside recycling program. City employees, who will receive their first pay raise in more than five years on July 1, have just completed the first comprehensive training program ever. City Hall is customer friendly these days. It is a clean City Hall, and you will find public employees eager to work with you, knowledgeable and well aware of the importance of treating you with dignity. I want to publicly thank the City Hall employees for their efforts, their sincerity and their energy. Our efforts are also paying off in other areas. Positive economic indicators are showing up in city sales tax collections, which are up almost $6 million over 1993. We have collected $1.3 million in occupational license taxes. New construction value is up $40 million. During the first three months of this year, the city's business center received an average of 20 new business applications every day. The City Planning Commission reports a 27 percent increase in new development land use applications. And the new Office of Tourism, Arts and Entertainment has been busy coordinating local film projects, which last year pumped $37 million into our economy. I support the recent efforts by the private sector to build a studio to serve film companies that come here to make movies and TV commercials. We have also worked closely with the Essence Magazine Music Festival, which will be held next month in New Orleans. The expected economic impact will be $70 million. We want to make it permanent. You may recall that when I ran for mayor, I expressed some doubts about the gaming industry and promised our administration would be fair regulating the land-based casino. Let me give credit where it's due. Harrah's has hired 3,000 workers to date and will hire 2,000 more next year. In 1995, the land-based casino will pump $18 million into the City's operating budget. With our support services agreement, we've enhanced police protection not only around the casino but throughout the city. So let us reflect on the past year. Yes, 400 days ago, this city was in chaos. But 400 days later, we are united, we are enthusiastic and we are up to the challenge that faces us. Four hundreds days ago, our land use codes were a jumble of technical phrases no average person could hope to understand. Four hundred days later, we have finished one revision of the land use codes, and we have started on Phase II, because that is what our home builders and renovators need. Four hundred days ago, the Municipal Auditorium was an aging building falling apart. Four hundred days later, it is rejuvenated as a temporary casino. That is not good enough. I propose that we turn Municipal Auditorium into a national jazz museum whose exhibits will chronicle the development of jazz in New Orleans. I propose that our new museum be surrounded by a national jazz park, to be known to the world as the Louis Armstrong Park in honor of our greatest musician. To bring this dream to reality, I propose that we assemble a task force to be headed by the greatly admired Ellis Marsalis and Councilman Troy Carter. I ask them to work with our music commission to turn this project into a feasible reality. Four hundred days ago, the concept of turning our old Union Passenger Terminal into an inter-modal transportation center was just a thought. Four hundred days later, there is a concrete plan, and we must work to one day make our downtown tied to the New Orleans International Airport by rail. Four hundred days ago, City Hall gave a cold shoulder to the proposal for a Jazzland theme park in east New Orleans. Four hundred days later, our Division of Economic Development has made the creation of this theme park one of its highest priorities. Our people do not have to go to Six Flags Over Texas or Six Flags Over Georgia or Astroworld to find exciting family entertainment. We can build a theme park here that is just as big and exciting as any other park in the nation. It will bring tourists and be an economic catalyst for the East, which will create new jobs and new investments. Four hundred days ago, this city had no coordinated capital program. Projects authorized by the voters languished for years. In our State of the City Address last year, we announced "Rebuild New Orleans Now!" to complete a backlog of work piled up. We have completed 27 projects, and nearly 40 are scheduled for completion before the end of this year. Indeed, we must work with our hands and our heads to make things happen in New Orleans. Rebuild New Orleans Phase I is not enough to prepare us for the 21st century. Much more is needed. To accomplish what we need for the 21st century, we have decided to enter into a historic partnership with our city's public schools. Your new mayor and your new City Council, your new School Board and your new superintendent, have joined hands to say very clearly that we cannot afford to choose between paved streets and better schools; between better playgrounds and air-conditioned schools; between an expanded convention center and a completed Tchoupitoulas Street Corridor. We cannot choose between St. Bernard Avenue and St. Claude Avenue or St. Charles Avenue and St. Maurice Street. To rebuild New Orleans for the 21st century, we must turn to each other on July 15, and we must unite. We want both better schools and better playgrounds, better streets and an expanded convention center. We are going to re-pave the major streets in New Orleans from the Jefferson Parish boundary to the Rigolets. We're going to re-pave Martin Luther King Boulevard, Oak Street, Jefferson Avenue, Magazine Street, Louisiana Avenue, Poydras Street, Prytania Street and Elysian Fields. We're going to re-pave McArthur Avenue on the West Bank, Teche Street, Esplanade Avenue, Almonaster Boulevard, North Galvez Street, Alcee Fortier Boulevard, Pressburg Street and Crowder Boulevard. We'll spend $100 million on street repairs, and no neighborhood will be left out. We're going to do it on schedule and within our budget. And we're going to do it so well that the citizens of New Orleans will want us to do more. The School Board plans to spend $175 million over six years to repair our dilapidated public school buildings. Too many are without air conditioning, and many are not safe and healthy for learning. We must have school buildings that prepare our children to be the leaders of tomorrow. I want to give you some quick details about the upcoming July 15 bond election. Public finance can be complicated, but the benefits of the passage of Propositions One, Two and Three are simple. First of all, we can begin this program immediately, but no one will be required to pay anything for two years. Then, the maximum a person with a $100,000 home will pay is a dime and two pennies. All of the experts predict that in the next several years, New Orleans will see the best economic period in a generation. And if you own a home assessed at $75,000 or less, you will pay nothing. And to those who say we cannot afford a dime and two pennies, I say we can't afford not to pay. New Orleans can be a great city in the 21st century - a safe, clean city - but we have to prepare for our future. We cannot stand still. We must either move forwards or backwards. Which way do you want to go? I say that we must go forward. Tonight, I need your help. Tonight, I ask for your support. We can't pass this bond issue without your assistance. We can't pass this bond issue without expanding our coalition. We must bring together business and labor. We must bring together people from all walks of life - all occupations, all neighborhoods and from all philosophical stripes for one purpose - to move this great city forward into the 21st century. We must embrace the welcome news that the expansion of our convention center will mean a billion dollars a year for our economy. Between "Rebuild New Orleans Now!" and the School Board bond issue, we can create almost 10,000 construction jobs. We can put people to work who haven't worked in years, and we can correct the potholes, improve the rundown playgrounds and restore the sagging school buildings. Please join hands with me and with your neighbors. We are one community, brought together by respect for one another and our love for New Orleans. Together, there is nothing that we can't do. We'll prove to the world and to the critics that the great city of New Orleans is coming back strong, stronger than ever before. We are in a war for the soul and spirit of this community. It is a war we must win, and with your help we will win. Thank you and God bless you. |
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