I decided to run for Mayor six years ago because I wanted to change the old politics of this city and put an end to the corruption that held us back for so long.    I love this city and I knew we could do better.

I talked about what Providence could be with honest government; a center of entrepreneurship and creativity where jobs are being created; a safe city with vibrant neighborhoods, excellent public schools, great public parks and exciting cultural opportunities.

Over the past six years, we have accomplished a lot.  We reformed the way this city does business — we got to the bottom of the testing and promotion scandal in the police department, abolished the notorious tow list, denied pensions to those who violated the public trust, instituted merit-based hiring, ended the practice of soliciting campaign contributions from city employees and modernized city departments with new technology.

We’ve also brought $3 Billion dollars of new investment to the city, attracted new businesses and created thousands of good paying jobs. We also reduced crime, launched great after-school programs, dramatically increased recreation activities for our kids, and made sure city government reflects the diversity of the city it serves.

But even with this progress, we now face the most serious economic crisis our state and our country have seen since the Great Depression.  I know that continuing our work is the key to putting Providence in the strongest position possible, poised for exciting new opportunities, when the recession ends.  Protecting our progress and getting through these hard economic times will not be easy.  But I know that we’ve got to make the right decisions now to preserve the reforms we’ve made and build our future.

We can’t go backward.  We’ve come too far in moving our city forward.

Let me share with you, some specifics about what remains to be done.  First, our schools.  We are seeing improvement across the board in our schools, and we’re standardizing our curriculum and raising the quality of teaching, but there is a lot more to do to accelerate student achievement in a significant way.

Second, the redevelopment of the newly available I-195 land totaling approximately 20 acres will begin in the next two years.  This is an incredible opportunity for Providence.  This is going to be  a whole new jobs center that will help us grow the City’s knowledge economy.

Next, we have been working on building a strong and effective system of public transportation that will improve quality of life and encourage job growth.  Planning is underway to develop a comprehensive metropolitan transit system, including street cars.  In the next few years, we will start to build this system which all the experts agree will transform the City.

Finally, together we’ve rebuilt entire neighborhoods in our city and previously abandoned areas have come back to life.  We’ve created a sense of community again in our neighborhoods and we have to safeguard the progress we’ve made and restore the strength of the neighborhoods that have been especially hard hit in this economic crisis.

We now have a President committed to a real partnership with cities.  The chance to continue to work with President Obama and the talented members of his administration as we implement his recovery plan is a serious responsibility and a great honor.  If done right, this has the potential to change the economic condition of our entire state.

I started this job to clean up our city government and grow our economy and I intend to complete it.  This is the time for all of us to recommit ourselves to all of the work ahead.  So, I am asking for your support in my re-election campaign in 2010.

When our new President was inaugurated, he called upon all of us to become fully engaged in the civic life of America.  He urged all Americans to respond to a call for national service, mentor a student, participate in a neighborhood clean-up, create a summer job for a young person, or engage in some other effort to strengthen your community.   As we continue this work, I too ask you to answer the President’s call and become real partners with me and your city in the work ahead.

Thank you.

Please click here to watch a short video I recorded with this message as well.