2/20/2002 Media Contact: Steve Campbell,  317-327-NEWS Jo Lynn Garing,  317-327-NEWS

2002 State of the City Address

If ever there was a moment when the state of our city had to be discussed in the context of the state of our state, the state of our nation and the state of our world, now is that moment.

The world finds itself seemingly locked in a mortal struggle between conflicting ideologies and cultures. But in fact the struggle is not what it seems. In the Information Age, the different cultures, ideological systems, races and religions understand each other, not perfectly, but better than ever before. No, the real battle is as old as mankind – it is the conflict between good and evil, the desperate attempt by the amoral and the unscrupulous to assert power and dominion over the vast majority who believe in the sacredness of human life and the dignity of humankind.

The ideological brethren of Osama Bin Laden are not Muslims, but Pol Pot, Hitler and Stalin. Our country – the United States of America, the beacon of hope for a world seeking reconciliation – has been here before.

We introduced the world to enlightened democracy with our bold declaration of independence from England. It took four score and seven years, but we fought a civil war to end slavery in our country. We saved the world from Nazi tyranny and slowly wore down the tyranny of communism in most of the world. We belatedly lived up to the inspiring words of our founding documents when we legislated equality through the civil rights movement. In all this, we have never acted perfectly; we have sometimes been unconscionably slow to act; but as we sit here today I can confidently state that more than any other nation ever we have tried to do the right thing.

And so we are trying again - in today's conflict. Let's take a moment to show our support for President Bush, our dedicated public safety officers, and the men and women of our military services fighting for what is right! Our president certainly doesn't need my praise, but I offer it fully and freely for the job he has done in pulling us, and the rest of the forces on the side of "good," together to battle the forces of evil.

Here on the home front, cities are the front lines of the terrible new type of warfare terrorists have unleashed. Just ask the members of Task Force One, local public safety officers who were on the ground in New York City within 24 hours after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. We were not far into the day of September 11th when I and other leaders in our city and county understood that we had a new responsibility – to ensure the safety of our people against previously unimagined perils.

I ordered a top to bottom review of all our emergency response plans. The good news is that I'm convinced there were few better-prepared cities than Indianapolis prior to September 11th. The bad news is, of course, that all the rules have changed. What was good enough a year ago is not good enough today.

So we have rewritten our plans to take into account the new realities. I'm pleased with the results. You can see a hard copy of the plan or review it online at indygov.org. We want your input; and your help when the time to respond to an emergency comes. We will drill and practice so we can be sure of an effective response if and when we are visited by a disaster or a human-induced emergency.

In our State Capitol building there is conflict of another sort – the peaceful struggle of ideas about Indiana's future. I believe our state's policy makers – the Governor, Lt. Governor, and the House and Senate – deserve more credit than they have been given for tackling issues that go to the very foundation of Indiana's long-range prosperity.

Restructuring our tax code to protect homeowners – particularly those in the cities, who will be hardest hit by the court-ordered reassessment – and to create the conditions for growth in the world economy of the 21st Century is a profoundly important thing to do. We must all encourage them to not lose heart because of the difficulty of the challenge. Our ability at the local government level to help build a modern, globally competitive economy hinges on the success of the tax restructuring effort underway at the Statehouse as we speak.

But tax restructuring will not, by itself, create a prosperous economic future for the Indianapolis region. We must build that ourselves. We took a big step in the right direction last week in kicking off the Central Indiana Life Sciences Initiative.

What does this massive initiative to create new businesses and more cutting-edge research and development in the life sciences mean to people who aren't corporate CEOs, university presidents or mayors? Besides economic gains like new jobs for scientists, nurses, skilled tradespersons and construction workers, the fruits of the Initiative will be both life-enhancing and life-saving. New discoveries and new products will bring the grandfather back from the grip of death, help the young woman recover from a near fatal car accident, grow the three-pound preemie into a three-year old miracle. To me, the Life Sciences Initiative is about making life better for people.

We have to go back a ways to find the genesis of this initiative. In May 1867, a civil war veteran moved to Indianapolis and later set up shop with a pharmaceutical laboratory in a small two-story building on Pearl Street, near downtown. Colonel Eli Lilly, working alongside his son, hung a simple sign above the front door advertising "Eli Lilly, Chemist." Today, this local, homegrown business is one of our partners in building Indianapolis's 21st Century economy.

We've set four specific goals in our quest to make Central Indiana a recognized global life sciences leader: first, we will promote collaborations among our region's great research universities, the private sector and government, including developing a downtown research community. Second, we will strategically market Central Indiana as a world-class life sciences hub. We've got to tell people we're here! Third, we will position Central Indiana as the place to be for careers in health and the life sciences by attracting and retaining a critically skilled workforce. Finally, we will push for more public and private investment capital for the life sciences. We expect to assemble $50 - $100 million in venture capital funds in the first two years.

Big numbers, big talk, big dreams. Can it really happen? Yes! Already, without a cooperative effort, we have the critical building blocks of great companies, great universities, like IUPUI, and a supportive local government. When we hit stride, the sky will be the limit. And our lives, and the lives of people everywhere, will be better for it.

As we prepare to invest to build a strong and diverse economy, we would do well to ask, What are we prepared to invest in the lives of those who haven't shared in the prosperity of the last decade?

Too many people in Indianapolis live in substandard housing, are at risk of homelessness, or already are homeless. Too many people at the lowest level of the income scale can't find housing that is safe and decent and affordable. I want Indianapolis to be a city where no child has to frantically stuff his worldly possessions in his backpack, worrying about where he will sleep, or if he will have to change schools again, because his parent can't make the rent payment.

Addressing the needs of our homeless citizens is absolutely critical. Just listen to these numbers: more than 3,500 people in Indianapolis are homeless on any given day. "Homeless" means not just living on the cold streets, but in a shelter, transitional housing, or doubling up with another family. Approximately 15,000 people in Indianapolis are homeless at some point during the course of the year, 30% of whom are children. 45,000 Indianapolis residents are at risk of homelessness each year... This is unacceptable!

The Indianapolis Housing Task Force is developing a "Blueprint to End Homelessness." I anticipate the completion of this very important 10-year strategic plan in late spring. Then I intend to go to work with our whole community toward the blueprint's ultimate goal – bringing an end to our national shame: pervasive homelessness in the richest country in the world.

And, what of those who are one lost paycheck away from homelessness? Our Marion County legislators proposed one answer – the Indianapolis Housing Trust Fund – which was created by the state legislature in 2000. Unfortunately, we haven't funded it – until now. At my request, and with the generous assistance of Sallie Mae, the student loan company, the first $375,000 will be deposited in the trust fund in a matter of days. And I am committed to finding other sources of revenue for the trust fund so we can prevent an affordable housing crisis.

I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to tour the Barton Apartments, a downtown public housing high-rise, to see, firsthand, improvements like renovated apartments and upgraded elevators. I promised three years ago to prevent this building from being converted to condos, which would have displaced the elderly and disabled residents. I'm proud to say we have kept the promise to maintain low-income housing downtown; to not disperse the residents, many of whom are like family to one another; and to commit the money necessary to significantly improve the living conditions at Barton Apartments.

For those whose incomes are below average, but not desperately low, we do a better job. That's because community development corporations and other housing partners work to preserve and increase our city's stock of affordable housing.

What does that mean? It means a grandmother will get those much-needed roof repairs. It means a young family will rent a re-habbed house with a backyard for their two young children. It means a longtime renter will have enough money to finally purchase that home he's dreamed about.

Perhaps that home will be in Fall Creek Place, the site of the spectacular re-birth of a near-northside neighborhood. The reason so much commitment has been made to Fall Creek Place is that it represents one of the rare efforts to help people lift themselves up by the bootstraps – to build a meaningful net worth through home ownership – to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. And, with the support of our City-County Council, new homeowners and visitors will benefit from new streets, sidewalks and sewers. Drive south on Pennsylvania; north on Delaware around Fall Creek; you can't miss the signs of rejuvenation. And if you want a home, act quickly, because it gives me enormous pleasure to say, "They're going fast!"

I've spent so much time talking about housing because it is one cornerstone of neighborhood revitalization. Another is aggressive enforcement of our health, safety and zoning codes. That's why we're fighting owners of problem motels, run-down apartment complexes, and unsafe rental homes, and conducting neighborhood code enforcement sweeps.

I've been to places in this city where raw sewage stands in stairwells, where the jagged edges of broken windows obscure the sunshine, where uncovered electrical outlets literally threaten children's lives, and where a police run is an everyday event. We will not allow people to profit by consigning their fellow human beings to living conditions that no one in this city should ever accept! And we will not force the good people of this city to stand by helplessly and watch their life savings dwindle along with their property values because of the callous actions of a motel owner or negligent landlord!

I will hold city government to a high standard as well. Two weeks ago, my office distributed a neighborhood survey so you can not only share your experiences in working with us, but also tell us how we can better meet your needs. You can call my office, you can download the survey from the city's website, indygov.org, or you can pick up a copy at your nearest public library location. Please, tell me how we are doing.

Any region needs a strong center. A pulsing heartbeat of activity, our downtown has experienced a rebirth during the past thirty years. But we need more people living downtown to ensure its long-term success. Fortunately, everyone seems to want to move there! Demand is terrific.

I look forward to the redevelopment of the Market Square Arena site, and a lot of changes in the whole near-eastside. We'll be announcing the timetable shortly for bidding on the former arena site and we'll be opening up the conversation about how the site will fit into a larger vision for the surrounding area.

One change I would like to see is the removal of the Market Street interstate ramp. With the demise of Market Square Arena, the needs of the city have changed. The ramp divides the neighborhood and hinders redevelopment. I'm going to be working hard on this in the coming months and years.

Ultimately, human infrastructure matters more than concrete, asphalt and steel. Strong families are the bedrock of our community. Through the Family Strengthening Coalition, we hope to keep families more connected – to each other and to the services they need – out of a belief that isolation is both a cause and a symptom of family breakdown.

Strong families have some measure of financial security. We're in the midst of a campaign to increase awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is available to working families who earn up to $32,000 a year. The average refund for people who filed for the credit last year: more than $1,500. But last year, over 15,000 Indianapolis families eligible for the credit missed out, either because they didn't know about it, or they didn't know how to apply.

Five new locations are open through April 15th offering free tax preparation, and financial counseling so people who are willing to work to support their families can build long-term assets with their refunds. Next year, we will expand the program countywide. This all-volunteer effort costs Marion County taxpayers nothing. The Earned Income Tax Credit isn't a gift, it's a tax benefit to which working families have a right under the federal tax code.

One key factor for a community that wants to promote strong families and economic self-sufficiency is equality of opportunity. Last month, at the Mayor's Celebration of Diversity Awards ceremony, I recognized local businesses and organizations who place an emphasis on workforce diversity, diversity education, and equal opportunity.

We are fortunate to have an increasingly diverse population with rich and different cultural heritages. We are experiencing a new wave of immigration to our city. Latinos, yes, but people from every region of the world as well, seeking, as immigrants always have, greater opportunity. Put yourself in their shoes; imagine walking through the streets, hearing an unfamiliar language, reading words that mean nothing to you. With the help of some of our City-County Councillors, we're taking steps to acclimate new arrivals to Indianapolis – with bilingual signs in the City-County Building and our parks, an IPD Spanish language hotline and Spanish language fire safety publications made available by our firefighters. And soon we will have a Mexican Consulate in our city serving Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. A las familias nuevas en Indianapolis, bienvenidos! (to new Indianapolis families - welcome!)

2002 will be the year our city's cultural development initiative begins to bear fruit. Indianapolis's arts and cultural offerings are extraordinary, with the potential to get better. It's time we told our story to the rest of the world, and, to our own community. Cultural tourism starts by creating ambassadors for the arts among the people of Central Indiana.

This is the last website I'll give you: indyarts.org.

I have only one specific request of you this evening – go home, get on that website, see what our city has to offer, pick something out, go, and then talk about it to everyone you know! President Kennedy asked us to ask what we could do for our country. I'm much less demanding! I'm just asking you to go do something fun and rewarding.

We've talked about economic development, housing, clean and healthy neighborhoods, a thriving downtown, strong families, embracing diversity, and the arts, but we all know that two issues – education and crime – are at the heart of day-to-day life in every city.

There were two monumental advances in public education in our city last year – the Indianapolis Public Schools bond issue approval to build new schools and fix up old ones, and charter schools. Nothing better reflected our community's commitment to public education than the endorsement IPS received for its $250 million bond issue. In an unprecedented show of unity, parents as well as civic, business and political leaders throughout our community rallied to back the initiative. I've never been prouder of our city!

Now, literally tens of thousands of IPS students will have educational opportunities long enjoyed only by their suburban counterparts. Our first graders will be able to learn in brand new classrooms, our middle school students will test innovative experiments in new science labs, and our high school students who wheel themselves into school buildings each day will benefit from improved accessibility and a better learning environment in the hot months of the school year.

The opening this fall of Indiana's first charter schools gives our city's families more public school options. The four schools to which I granted charters – the 21st Century Community School, the Flanner House Elementary School, Christel House Academy and the Imani School for Excellence - will open a wealth of educational opportunities for the young people who attend them and will benefit traditional public schools as well.

These exciting developments come on top of great news about the competitiveness of Indiana school children in recent national comparative tests. On the math portion of the National Assessment of Education Progress test – the test that the U.S. Department of Education calls the "Nation's report card" – Indiana's fourth graders scored the 2nd highest average score out of 40 participating states. Indiana's eighth graders scored the 4th highest average.

Let's keep innovating, with the goal of helping Indiana's kids become Number 1 in America!

The safety of those kids, the safety of our seniors, the safety of all of us, hinges on the resources and the energy we bring to the battle against crime. Three years ago, I promised to add 200 new police officers to the Indianapolis Police Department force. Today, we're more than halfway there. Our police officers are working in your neighborhoods. For the first time in the memory of Police Department veterans, all our police beats…on all shifts…are fully staffed. More officers are working narcotics. More are investigating homicides. . . . and more are battling the scourge of domestic violence.

To combat this plague upon our homes and families, domestic violence service providers, religious institutions, and community organizations have worked together to develop and deliver a comprehensive community-wide response plan. With the help of our elected representatives in Washington, we succeeded in getting $150,000 in funding in 2001 to start building a call center to direct victims of domestic violence to service providers instantly. This is one of the key action items called for in the community plan.

Think for a moment of the woman desperately trying to escape the cycle of violence in her home. She gathers all her courage to make one call while her abuser is away. Reaching the call center, she can be connected with any one of dozens of specialized service providers – without having to risk a call back to her home. This call center means more than telephones staffed with dedicated volunteers. It is a lifeline of hope for victims of domestic violence.

If we are to continue the fight against crime effectively in Indianapolis, we must fix the broken system for funding public safety. That's why I have proposed, and will likely pursue with our City-County Council this year, a plan to pay for Indianapolis Police Department operations, and the growing pension liability to retired officers, out of the county tax base, rather than the much smaller tax base that comprised the old city limits. This is the natural next step in Unigov. It's the right thing to do – and we really have no other sensible choice.

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I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. Not just for providing an audience, but because you wouldn't be here if you didn't love our city and if you weren't willing to work to lift up its people. The state of our city is strong. We have something that no place else on earth can match - people like you, committed heart and soul to making a great city even greater.

I assure you that I will continue to dedicate myself, and the wonderful people in our administration, to that same cause.

Thank you.

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