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LOOKING FORWARD: A BUDGET FOR "A CITY THAT WORKS"
Mayor Michael A. Nutter
March 19, 2009
Good morning Council President Verna, Majority Leader Tasco, Majority Whip Clarke, Minority Leader O'Neill, Minority Whip Rizzo, members of the City Council and the General Assembly, other elected officials, guests, my fellow Philadelphians and friends in the region.
And my fellow public servants in the Administration.
Let me also say thank you to my executive partner in the Commonwealth, Gov. Rendell, and Philadelphia's House Appropriation's Chairman Dwight Evans and my own State Rep. Kathy Manderino, who is always looking out for me.
For me, it's always a pleasure to return to these hallowed Council chambers, my first home in public service.
I want to thank each Council member for your willingness to partner with me in the interests of all Philadelphians, for your prompt, professional consideration of my first budget and so many bills that followed, for the very difficult rebalancing of that budget late last year and your participation in the new budget process that unfolded in recent weeks.
I sincerely look forward to working very closely with each of you to move our city forward with a new budget.
More than 14 months ago, when I first addressed you and the City at our Inauguration, I spoke about a rebirth of optimism and hope. I told you what kind of leader I would be - that I wanted to lead this city in a new direction away from the policies and politics of the past.
I said it was time for new ideas and bold action. After a year and a half campaigning for change, on that inaugural morning I said that we must reform a status quo that for too long has held us back.
Today, Madame President, I am that same reformer standing before you with the same message - if we work together, if we share the sacrifices that change demands, we will secure the future of the New Philadelphia that we all want.
And what kind of future is that? What is my...
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