Good Morning
Council President Borders, members of the City Council, distinguished guests, my fellow Atlantans, thank you for coming this morning. A special thanks to our corporate sponsors, The Coca-Cola Company and AGL Resources and to Mayors Andy Young and Sam Massell and to the families of the late Ivan Allen and Maynard Jackson for joining us today.
It is great to be with you and some of you will remember that I didn’t put my glasses on last year because I decided I wasn’t going to use the speech that was prepared. But I guess, in three years, I’ve turned somewhat into an elected official and this is my last breakfast as an elected official until there’s a new election. I don’t want to take any chances that I don’t have a chance to give this speech sometime in my career. So I hope you will appreciate it. It is as heartfelt as last year’s presentation. It’s just some prepared text.
I want to say thank you to the committee that helped put this together and to the Coca Cola Company and AGL Resources. Both companies and all of you have really made this tradition more and more successful each year. So will representatives from both of the companies and the planning committees stand and be recognized. Breakfast was good too, right? Didn’t have to cook it. Don’t have to wash the dishes. That’s my qualifications on a great breakfast. And this one was tasty as well, so thank you to the Sheraton for what they’ve done to support the breakfast.
Let’s begin with a moment of silence for the victims, the families and loved ones of the Tsunami disaster.
My prayers go out to those affected by this global, catastrophic tragedy.
I sincerely hope that this horror can serve as a catalyst to bring the people and the governments of our world together, to focus on those things that unite us, and to demonstrate to the world the passionate nature of America and our fellow human beings.
Friends, people of Atlanta; the state of our City is strong.
We are winning back our optimism, the enduring faith that we can meet any challenge.
In three years, we have:
- Balanced our budgets;
- Put our fiscal house in order and restored fiscal discipline;
- Strengthened our ethics laws;
- Repaired our streets;
- Filled thousands of potholes;
- Improved our customer service; and
- Increased the number of police officers and firefighters.
For the second year in a row crime is toast. At year’s end crime was down 12% and the Police department finally, finally, finally expects to be recommended for national accreditation for having met over 446 standards for training, operations and performance. Congratulations.
The Atlanta Fire Department saves lives everyday; our fire deaths are trending downward and last year the Fire Department installed 1,200 smoke detectors in the homes of needy residents. AND we are rebuilding our infrastructure and expanding our airport. Ladies and gentlemen, we have turned our City around.
We are on the move!
With the help of the private sector who contributed millions in cash and in-kind services, and especially one young man who is here today and I ask him to stand, Peter Aman, and Bain & Company. Peter came to the office right after the election and volunteered his services. And some of us were ready to rebuff him and say yes, one more consultant. But we were persuaded by others that we should listen. And indeed, for the last three years, Bain & Company has provided incredible expertise and support – millions of dollars - but more important than the dollars, experience and passion about making this a well run city. Thank you Peter and thank you Bain.
There are many others, there are many others. Over 75 companies, the Chamber of Commerce, many people in the audience have served on task forces and commissions and each time have brought new, fresh, innovative and sometimes very daring ideas. I would ask if you have served on a commission or a task force helping the City turn around, if you would stand now, you know who you are. There’s Branding and Ethics and Housing and Homelessness, on down the line. Thank you.
We came to office and pledged financial stability, efficiency and effectiveness, public safety enhancements, and financing and improving our infrastructure.
We are meeting those pledges and we are on the move!
Let me give you just a couple of examples.
- We streamlined government operations by saving $165 million in three years.
- We reduced personnel from 37% above the national average to less than 5%.
- We successfully implemented a $3 billion funding strategy for water and sewer, long overdue water and sewer improvements.
- We issued over $2 billion in airport and water and sewer bonds.
- We assisted over 12,000 Atlantans in their job searches and employed over 700 young adults in summer jobs.
We are on the move!
But we cannot rest. We must rise to this moment, to make our City better than it has ever known. To do this, we must be the shapers of events, not just observers.
For if we let this moment pass, we may lose the possibilities of the future.
Almost one hundred years ago, Theodore Roosevelt, one of my favorites, said, “the one characteristic more essential than any other is foresight . . . it should be the growing nation with a future that takes a long look ahead.”
So, today, let’s look ahead, let us take our long look ahead and set great goals and a shining vision for our City.
One of the reasons Atlanta is on the move is the public private partnership tradition that we have built over the decades. It began in the 1880s, when Henry Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, and city leaders, advocated and espoused the development of a “new South” with a more diverse economy.
Later, the City invited the entire nation - over a million people came - to view the progress and potential of Atlanta when it launched in Piedmont Park, the Cotton States and International Exposition.
It continued over the years with mayors Hartsfield, Massell, Jackson, and Young and throughout the 20th century. One important moment in our local history that helped shape our future and has reached my top ten of what makes Atlanta different, is when our own Ivan Allen had the courage and the faith to act on his belief that Atlanta would be a better place and would have a brighter future if everyone was included in the democratic process. In fact, he was the only southern elected official to testify in favor of the Civil Rights Act. His leadership set Atlanta apart from mainstream Southern politics. With the help of the business community and an aggressive advocacy of the African-American community, he launched a six-point plan to make Atlanta a “ big league city.” And he put Atlanta on the move and we are benefiting this very day from his vision and his courage.
Part of his plan was the development of affordable housing for working and low-income families. At the time, it was met with a great deal of controversy, not unlike the controversy surrounding our public discussion at the local and national level about the solutions for poverty and homelessness.
One year ago, I told a story about my dad and the challenges he faced in his life as an alcoholic. With prayer, family and community support, he was able to turn his life around.
I believe that it is imperative for a “ big league city” that those who need services get the needed services so that they can achieve success in their lives.
I am very proud to report that in 2004 significant progress have been made on the Homeless Commission’s plan.
As mentioned in the video:
- The Gateway 24/7 Center is scheduled to open this spring.
- Hope House is under construction.
- Hundreds of at risk families have received emergency funding in the face of eviction or foreclosure.
- Over 1,000 homeless men and women have been reunited with their families or with support services.
We realize that one serious accident, one spouse who is laid-off, a chronically ill child or parent or some other tragedy can set a working family back. And as a community, all of us, all of you have responded to those in need with a great deal of love.
I would like to thank, Mark, Horace and others, Nancy, and Debbie and others who have really been the stalwarts behind this initiative to stand so that we may recognize them as representatives of the thousands of volunteers and the many, many donors that have made this possible. Please stand Horace, Nancy, Debbie, David, Mark, and other commission members. Because we stand on the brink of being able to eliminate homelessness in Atlanta as we know it.
Now, remember, you didn’t think we could find $3 billion either. Two years ago, we said $3 billion dollars and nobody thought it was possible, including me. But we did it. Because, unfortunately as we have breakfast today, there are men and women and children who have slept under a bridge, who have slept in a shelter and who really have lost their way and have no home and often have no hope.
Atlanta is on the move!
Along with prayers and support, my father could not have turned his life around had it not been for his education in public schools and Howard University, and as a lawyer.
My mother is an educator and she instilled in me that one of the most important assets that you can bring to life is an education. We all have an obligation to make as much possible for our children as we’ve had, and probably even a little bit more. Dr. Hall and the school board members, I’m glad that we finally solved our sewer problems and we’ve gotten that started, because I would now like to turn our attention to public education and I hope that you will welcome our assistance.
Just last week in USA Today, Atlanta was listed as 15th among the most literate cities in the country. We, of course, think we’re first. However well adults are faring, our young people need our help.
No truly great city can be “best in class” without quality public education and partners who are vested in its success. Marian Wright Edelman says, “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.”
I don’t believe there is any component other than faith that is more valuable. So this year we plan to build on the recent successes of the Atlanta Public Schools System and partner with them to support students and their families. There are students and faculty members here this morning, so will the board and Dr. Hall and the students stand. I won’t go into all the details of the plan, but let me just give you a window. You know it’s exhaustive and you know it’s going to be bold and you know we’re not going to leave anything undone. Right? We’re going to get this done just like we get buildings built and runways built in Atlanta. So we’re going to collaborate with APS to target a 25% increase in the high school graduation rate in five years. A 25% increase which will put us at 72% and that doesn’t really sound really great to me, but I’ll take it. Maybe we’ll achieve it in three years and we can get much, much higher Dr. Hall. We’re going to partner with APS to successfully implement the new high school model at Carver High School.
We will continue our “Booking it With the Mayor.” The reason why you haven’t heard of that program is you’re not in kindergarten, first, second or third grade. This is a program we initiated with Ticketmaster, Starbucks Coffee, and the Screen Actors Guild to enhance the reading skills of young people.
Then we’re going to launch, my favorite, ‘Next Step . . . the Atlanta Promise’ program. This is a case management plan to offer not one, not two, not three, but every high school senior enrolled in Atlanta Public Schools, opportunities to develop and implement a personalized NEXT STEP plan for their future. Now I’m announcing it in January, and the benchmark is May, so everyone has to sign up as you’re leaving.
We are going to guarantee every high school graduating senior this year, not three years from now or ten years from now, that we will develop a plan for them for higher education, for work, or for training by the day they walk across the stage with their diploma. Everyone. Now you know I said I was not an educator, but I have read the recent reports which say you start young and then you grow them and you invest early and you reap the benefits of the seeds you sow. Dr. Hall, I’m sorry, I’m just a mayor. And for me, it seems that Atlanta’s promise has to reach everyone who has completed high school. Even those who barely made it because this society needs everyone of them to be a success as well.
We have several examples, but I’ll give you one of them. There was a young man who came to Atlanta Workforce Development this summer and he was really headed to needing a lawyer. We found him a job during the summer in a law firm, Alston & Bird, and he’s turned his life around. Now I know that every case is not that simple. But not every case is hard either. There are many young people who just don’t know what to do next. So this next step, Atlanta Promise, is going to be our gift to them. I really urge you to be engaged with us on this. There’ll be more details, we’ll do job counseling, job fairs, Mayor’s Night In with Students to Dream Jamboree which Andy started years ago, to a special Senior’s Desk in City Hall and city facilities so that anyone who knows a high school senior in the Atlanta public schools can get information about how that child can be engaged with us. And by May, we will have left no stone unturned as a community, and we will guarantee all 2,000 plus graduating seniors a plan for success.
We are on the move!
For decades businesses and families have moved to the suburbs, we admit that, taking their jobs and their spending power with them.
It’s my goal to reverse that trend and to expand the energy and prosperity of the city.
So, what did we do? We developed a plan… to ensure that Atlanta will be the thriving core of the region and the most successful city in the Southeast, not just for three or four years, but for decades to come. It is called The New Century Economic Development Plan. It focuses on economic opportunity, healthy neighborhoods and a high quality of life.
And as you know, we are an ambitious city.
It is not the Atlanta way to aim low.
We aim high, and we hit our targets.
This plan establishes very clear goals and measurable goals for the next five years. So, what does it entail?
1. JOBS
We will focus on the growing industries that matter most to Atlanta –
We will add 60,000 new jobs by 2009 by supporting growth in:
- Transportation and logistics
- Tourism and entertainment
- Health services
- Higher education
What else do we need? Money.
2. CAPITOL INVESTMENT
We must invest more in job creation, entrepreneurship and small business. And here’s a new idea, just one. So please City Council, don’t go crazy yet. We can create an Economic Development Fund by setting aside 1% of our General Fund budget to support job creation and entrepreneurship initiatives and then seek to match those funds with state and federal dollars and also private sector dollars.
3. HOMEOWNERSHIP
Homeownership is the key to creating wealth in America for many, many families. I want everyone who works hard and wants to own a home in our City to have the opportunity. Our plan will add 2,000 new workforce-housing units each year.
4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE
We will invest in public safety and decrease crime by 50% in five years and we are well on our way to achieving this goal. A compassionate city must ensure that all city residents, no matter where they live, have access to a well-paying job, to a safe neighborhood and nearby retail to meet their daily needs. To jump start community development we will focus the energies of the city on increasing the economic vitality in six specific underserved corridors and neighborhoods.
We pledge to put public, private and civic resources behind the BeltLine project. I see Cathy Woolard is here and we need to thank her for keeping that flame alive for us. Thank you. We will also invest in Imagine Downtown initiatives including the arts, entertainment and sports.
The BeltLine project has great potential to drive economic development. Some say it will have the same economic impact that Hartsfield-Jackson Airport has for economic growth. Along a 22-mile corridor, there will be paths, parks and transit. Along this corridor, we will see new development. This is a wonderful project. It is a project that goes through 45 neighborhoods and 11 council districts. It is made in heaven for politics. And it compares to Boston’s similar project of six miles. Twenty-two miles, 2,000 acres of green space, an emerald necklace around our city.
And then there’s Imagine Downtown. It is the Central Atlanta Progress blueprint to leverage the gift of the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and the investment of Georgia State University. It will exceed our expectations for our town center downtown. More restaurants, more housing, more jobs and small businesses, the multi-modal transportation center, all in the heart of the city.
Atlanta succeeds, when it works in partnership, partnership between the business, civic and public sectors. Everyone in this room is a partner with the City. Our economic development plan is built on the successful partnerships we have today, and the assumption of the increased engagement of every business, civic group, leader and every single person who loves Atlanta.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the move!
But there is nothing that demonstrates we are on the move more than our crown jewel, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
The reason I know we can reach our goals and meet our expectations and be that shining city is because we have the busiest and most efficient airport, not in Georgia, not in the Southeast, not in the United States, but the entire world. We don’t talk about it as much as we should. We don’t talk about the economic importance and the superior management, and the great partners, the private sector partners, the airlines, the concessionaires, the businesses that make that airport run. But since I have your attention, I’ll give you a few facts.
- The airport generates $18.8 billion annually toward our local and regional economy.
- Region wide, the airport impacts 650,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- It directly employs 55,000 individuals, of those, 400 are aviation or public employees and 400 are police and fire fighters. I want to say that again because there’s been a lot of talk about whether the airport has too many people. We have 55,000 employees associated with the airport. Four hundred work for the City of Atlanta in the Aviation Department. And 400 are police and fire. That is a model of public private partnership. It is a model for minority participation, achieving levels of 36 percent in recent years.
- The last four consecutives years, Hartsfield Jackson has been the busiest airport in the world, with 84 million passengers in 2004, expected to grow to 90 million in 2005.
- Last summer, for the second year in a row, the International Air Transport Research Society named Atlanta the most efficient of the biggest airports in the world.
- The 2003 Best of Travel Awards gave top honors for exceeding passenger expectations.
- Last July, Hartsfield Jackson was one of only two airports recognized with a 2004 Environmental Achievement Award for the construction of the fifth runway from Airports the Council International North America.
- It recently received its fourth perfect rating of zero discrepancies in safety. The FAA, attributes the airport’s excellent condition to hard work, attention to detail, and dedication to airfield safety by all personnel;
- The current $6 billion airport expansion underway is the largest airport expansion in the world today and the largest public works project in the history of Georgia.
- The expansion – the fifth runway, an East International Terminal, a new rental car facility and People Mover, a new air control tower (which we will dedicate next week) – will ensure that Atlanta remains the economic engine of the entire Southeast of the United States.
And here is the best news. This airport took vision, it took hard work, it took courage, it took experience in management, but there are no state or city tax revenues that support the airport. It is a self-supporting, self-sustaining business enterprise as it was originally designed to be nearly 80 years ago. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the ultimate example of a public/private partnership, led by leaders of industry and government, most specifically by mayors, dating back to the 1920s. And I learned in preparing for this speech, that it was Mayor Simms who encouraged Council Member Hartsfield to negotiate for the acquisition of Candler Field. So this airport represents the vision of every mayor and every major civic leader for nearly 80 years. The airport staff is here and I brag about them so much that they need to stand up and be recognized.
The airport is the economic heartbeat of our City and our State and our region. It is the key ingredient. And when we remember what our grandmothers used to do: It’s not the icing on the cake; it is the cake - the tangible and visionary expression of mayors and leaders in Atlanta.
In closing, the symbol of Atlanta is the legendary bird, the phoenix, rising from the ashes; we continue to rise. Atlanta’s Promise is Atlanta’s Future.
I ask for your support in the name of many, but to name a few: William Hartsfield, Henry Grady, Maynard Jackson, Ivan Allen Jr., John Wesley Dobbs, Andrew Young, Sam Massell, Alphonzo Herndon, the King family, the Woodruff family, Donald Hollowell, Margaret Mitchell, Billy Payne, Benjamin Mays, Carrie Steele, Barbara Asher, Ted Turner, the Marcus and Blank families and all of those on whose shoulders we stand.
We are the Atlanta that John Lewis speaks of…“From her earliest inhabitants to her most recent newcomers, Atlanta has always been a place of spectacular vision, social progress and economic success…A marvelous idea. She is an innovative concept. She is the best of the South and the New South. She is the fulfillment of our greatest hope, our greatest dreams and our greatest aspirations.
Atlanta is on the move.
Thank you to all of you.