Speech
February 5,
2003
Good evening.
Thank you, Bart, for your warm introduction. Bart represents the
many neighborhood residents who have worked so hard to help build strong
San Jose neighborhoods. I
thank all of you for joining me here tonight. First, let me welcome our newest
councilmembers – Terry Gregory and Judy Chirco.
I’m pleased and proud to introduce Pat Dando as Vice Mayor
tonight. I also welcome back our returning councilmembers who were just
reelected – Linda LeZotte, Cindy Chavez, and Nora Campos.
And those who are continuing their terms – Forrest Williams,
Chuck Reed, Ken Yeager, and David Cortese. Together we can accomplish much, and
I look forward to working with of all you over the next year. Tonight marks my fifth State of the
City speech. Without a doubt,
it’s the toughest I’ve had to prepare for.
In the past this has been the customary time for mayors to unveil
new proposals, programs, and projects.
I think we all realize this year is different.
This is not a time for big announcements. Now, however, is the time for us to
be focused, to be decisive, and to deliver the things that matter most to
the people of San Jose. San Jose is a strong, confident city.
We’re a city full of hope. We have made steady progress by
successfully focusing on our long-term priorities. Yet, as strong and
confident as we are, we face tremendous challenges and uncertainties this
year that require a steady hand. We are a nation on the edge of war.
Just today, Secretary Powell went to the United Nations to make the
President’s case. Each day, we come closer to sending our young people
into battle. I worry, as you do, about their safety.
And I worry what this will mean to our security at home and to our
hopes for peace in the world. At the same time, we’re suffering
through a national recession that has been catastrophic for California,
and for all of us in Silicon Valley.
40,000 people have lost their jobs in the last two years, and
families are hurting. Businesses are struggling. And governments – at all levels –
face huge deficits. Cuts in
services may be coming; layoffs are looming; projects postponed. Yet, despite the threat of war, the
pain of recession, and the uncertainty of deficits, the state of the city
remains strong. Strong
because of our city’s optimism. Strong because of our history of
overcoming challenges. But
mostly, strong because of our people.
People like those who’ve joined me on stage tonight.
Teachers, police officers, fire fighters, workers, and neighborhood
volunteers. This is San Jose. These people are what make San Jose
strong today. And give us
hope for what San Jose can be tomorrow.
People who work to make this city a better place to live for all of
us – today and tomorrow. People have
always come here from all over the world, with boundless hopes, willing to
work incredibly hard to achieve success and better lives for their
families. We came for the Gold Rush, working in the Almaden quicksilver
mines. We grew the nation’s
fruit in the Valley of Heart’s Delight.
We invented amazing technologies in Silicon Valley. We turned
challenge into opportunity, and loss into victory. Let me take
you back in time for a moment with a short video that reminds us of where
we came from, and what we have achieved together to build this great city. [Video.] I remember those orchards, and my mother working in those canneries. I remember when aerospace and defense came with Lockheed and FMC, before we were Silicon Valley – and I remember them being followed by waves of new technologies. Continuous change is a fact of life
here. Change brings uncertainty – but it also brings hope. As we just
saw, we’ve made tremendous progress as a community. We’ve worked hard
together to create a better life for our families in San Jose.
We’re building stronger neighborhoods, and helping all of our
children achieve. We’re
building affordable homes and better transportation.
We’re keeping our great city the safest in America. I am proud of the vision we share – and what we have done, together, to achieve it. Although today’s uncertainties may slow our progress, they will not change our vision. They will not shatter our faith, or undermine our commitment to building a great city. But the uncertainties are serious.
The state’s fiscal problems are about to crash upon our cities,
counties, and schools. Over
the last two years of recession we’ve worked hard to strengthen the
City’s reserves, make smart investments, and cut our costs. However, the
recession has deepened and continued longer than anyone anticipated. And just a few weeks ago the
Governor’s budget proposal doubled our own deficit – overnight. On top
of this, the state is threatening to take away Redevelopment – our most
successful tool for driving a strong economy, creating jobs, building
affordable homes, and improving our neighborhoods. We don’t know what the Governor and
Legislature will do with the state budget problems in the end. It will be
a moving target, changing from day to day, creating frustration and
uncertainty. What we do know is the magnitude of the problem we must
solve: a deficit that could be as much $120 million. That’s more than our Fire
Department’s entire budget. More
than the budgets for our libraries, parks and recreation, and street
services – combined. We may have to do what no mayor or councilmember
wants. We may have to make very difficult choices about our services and
employees. As we consider these difficult
choices, we must remember that we’re talking about people and their
families – not just numbers on a budget ledger. Our decisions will
affect the lives of real people, whether they are city workers or the
families they serve in our community. That’s why I will work with all our
city employees as partners for fair and equitable solutions. That’s why
I will stand shoulder to shoulder with our legislators, community leaders,
and residents who have joined me in this fight to protect the quality of
life we cherish in San Jose. I will do everything I can to keep
our police officers on our streets, and our fire fighters on their rigs. Saving lives and keeping us safe. I’ll lead our community so we can use Redevelopment to keep
building thousands of affordable homes for our families, creating jobs for
our residents, and strengthening our neighborhoods. Everyone can help. We
can do this, together. Sacramento and Washington will hear San Jose’s
voice. I began the fight last week when I
joined the mayors of California’s largest cities in Sacramento.
We told the Governor and legislative leaders that harming cities
harms the state. I told them that cities are where California’s
prosperity is created. I
reminded them that economic recovery in San Jose and Silicon Valley means
recovery for California. Economic recovery means jobs. A working city is a strong city.
Jobs create confidence and hope.
Jobs create prosperity. I
will continue to focus on three areas that will help create and sustain
jobs in our community. First, thanks to you, our voters, we
have $600 million in park, library and public safety construction projects
in the pipeline. We will expedite construction strategically – to create
jobs, reduce our costs, and renovate parks and libraries for our
residents. Other agencies in our region can do
the same. I’ve already
asked the San Jose Unified School District to consider building their
school bond projects as quickly as possible. That’s another $400 million
that can help boost our economy. That’s a billion dollars right there. Second, voters can say yes to
jobs at the polls on March Fourth by approving Measure A, the Airport
Security and Traffic Relief Act. The City Council voted to put Measure A on the ballot because we needed to
make immediate improvements in security at the airport, as required by the
Department of Homeland Security. With
Measure A, we can finish traffic relief projects and move ahead
quickly to build an airport we’ll be proud of. If Measure A gets the go-ahead from the voters next month, we can break ground as early as this summer, and that will create one-thousand-seven-hundred new jobs. Now, not later, and without raising taxes. Let me repeat that: One-thousand-seven-hundred jobs, security improvements, without raising taxes. Silicon Valley ships nearly $30
billion of products through our airport every year
– the products that make us a global economic center.
It’s through our airport that the people with new ideas for the
products of tomorrow travel to make business deals today. Measure A also means a more competitive airport – for
our competitive Silicon Valley industries. The airport is the essential
player in our regional economy. We must pass Measure A to keep it
that way. And third, we must continue to be a
city that helps our businesses achieve success and create new
opportunities and jobs for our residents.
Competition between cities and regions is always intense,
especially during a recession. We
need to do all we can to show the business world that San Jose is the best
city in America to do business. It’s been said that businesses come
to where they are wanted, and they stay where they are appreciated. I will continue to lead our city’s efforts to cut red tape
and streamline regulations. We
must help our San Jose businesses, small and large, to thrive. And we must
bring in new ones to join them. Thriving businesses create jobs. But jobs also create traffic. We all remember that in good
times, traffic congestion is one of our biggest challenges. When the
economy picks up again, so will traffic. Now more than ever, we must keep
focused on solutions for traffic congestion. We have two vital transportation
priorities – BART and the Coleman/880 freeway interchange – that are
more important than ever during these uncertain times. Make no mistake: we will bring BART
to San Jose. Working with our coalition – business, labor, and elected
leaders – we will get the funding we need from Washington.
We will ensure that Sacramento fulfills its funding pledge for
BART. And we must also make sure the
Coleman/880 interchange near the airport is built immediately.
This project is critical for traffic relief in the region. It’s
also essential for us to move ahead with airport improvements. I will
fight for this one. We need
it for our economy, for our airport, and for our future. As we look to
the future, we can use your help in so many ways.
One of our greatest resources in San Jose is the talent and energy
of our residents. The
thousands of volunteers who make our city better, our neighborhoods
stronger, and life richer. Now, more than ever, please give your
time. Join your neighborhood association to help plant trees or prepare
for emergencies. Sign up to
scrub out graffiti or pick up litter from a park. Work with our arts and
cultural groups to help them enrich the life of our community. Read to
kids, or keep a senior company. Help our police officers and firefighters
keep San Jose safe. We will make it easier for you to
volunteer. You can use our
Call Center as a one-stop shop to become a part of “Volunteer San
Jose.” They’ll ask you
what you’re interested in, give you ideas, and get you signed up.
Just call 277‑4000. We’ll
hook you up with your community. People helping people has always been
part of San Jose’s solutions for uncertain times.
There’s no question these are some of the most challenging times
we have faced. The people of San Jose have weathered
tough times before: the barriers of the depression, the disruptions of
wars, and the damage of disasters. We have always risen above them and
looked forward, with a clear vision for our future.
That’s how we’ve built the great city that we are today. We have seen the boom times of
agriculture, aerospace, and semiconductors surge and decline – only to
be replaced by new technologies, new industries, and new opportunities
that have changed the way the world lives and works. And so now we face new obstacles. But
every one of us has grown up and lived through uncertain times. That
experience gives us the strength for today.
We know that by working together, San Jose will rise above these
challenges again. We will
emerge, as we have so many times, a stronger, greater, and even better
city – through our hard work, our confidence, our talent for solutions. The memory of difficult times – and
good times, too – moves us to fight for our vision of the great city
that San Jose will continue to be. I know that’s what motivates me. I remember my parents at the kitchen
table counting pennies when I was a kid so they could make the house
payment. That’s why I’ll
keep fighting for affordable housing that helps our families. I remember growing up with good
neighborhood parks and safe streets where people looked out for each
other. That’s why I’ll keep working for strong neighborhoods. I remember as a young man seeing the
long unemployment lines that included both aerospace engineers and
farmworkers. That’s why I’ll keep pushing for good jobs in a diverse
and resilient economy. What guides me every day is a vision
for our future. I see the
faces of our children with their families, growing up in a city that
creates a future of possibilities for them. I see them thriving in a city
that offers a better future for every resident, and for every
neighborhood. San Jose is that city, a city of hope
and of dreams. A city of
solutions. We transform
challenge into opportunity, loss into victory, dreams into reality.
I’m confident the spirit that makes San Jose such a unique and
special place will continue to make us America’s best city. San Jose –
a city you’re proud to call home. Thank you. |