MAYOR MIKE DUNCAN
>> AND HE IS WALKING TO THE
PODIUM RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK .
AND HE IS ABOUT TO STAR
>>Mayor Duggan: I WANT TO START
BY THANKINGJASON LEE AND
TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THEIR NEARLY 50
YEARS OF SERVICE
I WANT TO START WITH A SPECIAL
WORD TO JANICE WINFREY WHO I
TONIGHT.
SHE WOKE ME WITH A PHONE CALL
YESTERDAY WITH THE DEVASTATING
FATHER.
SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE
.
I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HER AND
JANICE I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE
ARE REALLY GLAD YOU ARE HERE
AND OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
ARE WITH YOU.
GOD BLESS YO
I WANT TO THANK MY PARTNERS ON
DESTROYED CITY COUNCIL.
WHEN I TALKED TO MY FELLOW
MIRRORAND WE TALK ABOUT STATE
OF THE CITY SPEECHES, THEY ARE
ALL CURIOUS ABOUT WHY I HAVE
CITY COUNCILMEMBERS ON THE
STAGE.
APPARENTLY THAT IS UNHEARD OF
IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
BUT I TELL THEM HERE AND
DETROIT WE ARE REBUILDING THE
CITY AS A TEAM.
IT IS THE MIRROR AND THE
COUNCIL TOGETHER.
OUR GOAL IS TO REBUILD DETROIT
EVERYBODY.
THE
MIRROR AND THE COUNCIL.
THOSE PLANS.
AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO
INTRODUCE MY PARTNER STARTING
WITH OUR GREAT COUNCIL
PRESIDENT , BRENDA JONES.
COUNSEL MEMBER JENAE ERRORS.
JAMES TATE.
I THINK YOU HAVE A BETTER
CHEERING SECTIO
AUDREY SURVIVING.
COUNSEL MEMBER GEORG
COUNCIL MEMBER MARSHEFFIELD.
COUNSEL MEMBERRACQUEL.
GABE LELAN
AND OUR CLERK JANICE WINFREY.
AND SCOTT BENSON IS OUT OF TOWN
OR HE WOULD BE HERE TONIGHT.
,
THERE IS A GREAT DEAL MORE HOPE
IN THE CITY OF DETROIT THAN
THERE WAS WHEN I DELIVERED THE
FIRST STATE OF THE CITY THREE
YEARS AGO.
REMEMBER HOW THINGS WORK?
AFTER 12 STRAIGHT YEARS OF
DEFICITS, THE CITY WAS FINALLY
IN BANKRUPTCY
OUR RETIREES WERE AFRAID THEY
WERE GOING TO LOSE A
SIGNIFICANT PART OF THEIR HARD
EARNED PENSIONS.
CONSOLIDATED IN A NUMBER OF THE
ONES THAT WERE OPEN THEY
WEREN'T OPEN AFTER 5:00.
IT OFTEN TOOKAND A HALF HOUR
IF YOU CALLED 911.
MANY NIGHTS THERE WERE ONLY
THIS TOWN.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHEN MEDICAL
HELP WOULD ARRIVE.
OVERGROWN GRASS COVERED NOT
ONLY THE VACANT LOTS BUT THE
PARKS IN THE CITY THAT HAD BEEN
CLOSE.
NEARLY HALF THE STREETLIGHTS
AND THE CITY WERE OUT AND HALF
THE BUSES WERE SITTING BROKEN
DOWN IN THE GARAGES.
THOSE FIRST FEW WEEKS WHEN I
WORSE.
I TURNED ON THE TV ONE NIGHT
AND THERE WAS A REPORTER ON TV
ASKING PEOPLE TO PLEASE COME TO
THE LOCAL FIREHOUSE AND DONATE
TOILET PAPER BECAUSE THE CITY
OF DETROIT COULDN'T
FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET TOILET PAPER TO THE
FIREFIGHTERS, AND I THOUGHT HOW
DYSFUNCTIONAL DO YOU HAVE TO BE
NOT TO BE ABLE TO GET TOILET
PAPER TO FIREHOUSES .
WHEN KEVIN DEPARTED WE LEFT AND
CROPSEY AND DECEMBER 2014.
A LOT OF PEOPLE PREDICTED WE
WOULD BE RIGHT BACK AND THE
SAME PROBLEMS AND WE COULDN'T
MANAGE OUR OWN AFFAIRS BUT
INSTEAD WE FINISHED WITH THE
FIRST BALANCED BUDGET AND 12
YEAR
AND THEN LAST YEAR WE FINISHED
WITH A SECOND BALANCED BUDGET
AND THIS JUNE WE ARE GOING TO
FINISH WITH 1/3 BALANCED
BUDGETS.
AND I FULLY EXPECT AN EARLY
2018 WE WILL BE PERMANENTLY OUT
FROM FINANCIAL REVIEW
COMMISSION OVERSIGHT BECAUSE WE
WILL HAVE MADE BUDGET AND PAID
OUR BILLS FOR THREE YEARS AND A
ROW.
SELF-DETERMINATION WILL BE
BACK.
AND WE ALANCE THE BUDGET WHILE
CUTTINRESPONSE TIME OF POLICE
AND EMS AND HALF.
BY GETTING THE 65,000
STREETLIGHTS OUT AND REOPENING
ALL 270 PARKS WHILE DEMOLISHING
11,000 VACANT BUILDINGS AND
GETTING ANOTHER 5000 OCCUPIED.
AND WITH THE HELOF THE GREAT
DRIVERS AND MECHANICS AND
OFFICE STAFF WE ARE NOT ONLY
ACHIEVING FULL PULL OUT WE ARE
PROVIDING 1300 MORE TRIPS A
COMMUNITY.
SO WE KNOW WE HAVE A LONG WAY
TO GO, BUT I WANT TO TAKE A
CABINET.
WHO HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS
MOST OF THE YEAR.
ALL THEY HEAR FROM ME IS WHY
THEY ARE NOT DOING MORE SO THIS
IS THE ONE NIGHT OF THE YEAR
THAT GETS THEM RECOGNITION.
LET'S START WITH OUR GREAT
CHIEF OF POLICE JAMES CRAIG. I
AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO HOLD
YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL THE END OR
MY SPEECH WILL BE OVER WHEN WE
ARE DONE.
ALEXIS WILEY OUR CHIEF OF
STASH
, OUR CHIEF
FINANCIAL
OFFICER , WHICH HOLLOWELL OUR
CORPORATION COUNSEL, CHARLIE
BECKHAM
, ERIC JONES OUR FIRE
THE
HEAD OF OPERATION, DAN DIRKS
, AND WE HAVE DENISE STARR HEAD
OF HR, GARY GROUND,PORTIA
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
OFFICIAL,
OPERATION ARTHUR , OUR HIGHER
HOUSINDIRECTOR AND OUR NEWEST
CABINET MEMBER PLEASE STAND UP,
THIS IS HER FIRST WEEK ON THE
JOB JENAE CALDERON OUR HEALTH
DIRECTOR WHOSE FAMILY IS FROM
DETROIT BUT SHE WENT OUTTO
PENN FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL, WAS
WORKING AND THE CITY OF
BALTIMORE AS A LEADER OF THE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND HAS COME
BACK TO HER HOME AND IS NOW
LEADING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
OF THE CITY OF DETROIT.
PLEASE GIVE AND A BIG HAND TO
THE ENTIRE CABINET.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME
TO THANKTHE 9000 MEN AND WOMEN
DETROIT.
AREN'T THEY DOING A REMARKABLE
JEWEL BOWL JOB?
THAT GETS US TO THE CONCLUSION
OF THE THINGS WE HAVE ALREADY
DONE
I DON'T REALLY WANT TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE, I WANT
TO SPEND THE REST OF THE NIGHT
TALKING ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT.
WE HAVE IMPROVED THE BASIC
SERVICE
, BUT IF WE ARE GOING
TO FULFILL A VISION OF BUILDING
A DETROIT THAT INCLUDES
EVERYBODY, WE HAVE TO DO A
WHOLE LOT MORE AND SO I HOPE
THE STAFF WILL FORGIVE THAT WE
WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON
THE PAST BUT INSTEAD TALK ABOUT
THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO
DO.
WE ARE GOING TO SPEND TONIGHT
TALKING ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT.
YOU CAN'HAVE A RECOVERY THAT
INCLUDES EVERYONE IF THERE
AREN'T JOBAVAILABLE FOR
EVERYONE WILLING TO WORK.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATAND
DETROIT HAS GONE DOWN FROM 18
PERCENT THREE YEARS AGO TO 9.8
PERCENT LAST MONTH.
WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT
ACCOMPLISHMENT, EXCEPT THAT 9.8
PERCENT IT STILL REMAINS THE
HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF
ANY CITY AND THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN.
WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE WORK
LEFT TO DO.
AS OUR NEXT STEP WE ARE
ATTACKING THE PROBLEM BY
CREATING A WHOLE NEW PLATFORM
WHICH WE ARE CALLING DETROIT AT
WORK.
THE DETROIT AT WORK WEBSITE IS
LIVE NOW ON THE CITIES
WEBPAGE
PROGRAMS.
HERE IS WHAT IS DIFFERENT ,
THIS TIME WE WENT TO THE
EMPLOYERS AND THE CITY AND WE
HIRING FOR?
TELL US WHERE THE
VACANCIES ARE
RIGHT NOW .
THEN WE WENT TO THE TRAINING
PROGRAMS THAT WERE TRAINING FOR
THOSE JOBS SO PEOPLE KNEW IF I
WENT TO THIS PROGRAM THERE WILL
BE A JOB FOR ME AT THE END OF
THE LINE.
AND THAT'S ALL WE ARE GOING TO
DO IS PUT IN TRAINING PROGRAMS
WE KNOW THERE IS A JOB IN.
IT IS INTERESTING HOW YOU HIT
ON THESE IDEAS -- IT CAME OUT
OF A TRAINING PROGRAM.
CORRECTION
CENTER FOR RETURNING
CITIZENS .
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TAKIN
RETURNING CITIZENS SIX MONTHS
AWAY FROM BEING RELEASED -- WE
HAVE 6000 RELEASED A YEAR.
IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING
PRODUCTIVE FOR THEM TO DO, WE
KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO GET BACK
INTOWHAT THEY WERE DOING
BEFORE SO WE GOT TOGETHER WITH
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND SAID,
LET'S IDENTIFY PEOPLE SIX
MONTHS BEFORE THEY ARE GETTING
OUT AND WE ARE ONLY GOING TO
TRAIN THEM FOR JOBS THAT WE
KNOW EXIST. SO WE TALK TO OUR
EMPLOYERS YOU GET A CERTAIN TO
FORGET TO GET A HIGH LOW
OPERATOR.
THE TAKE OUT THE LEAD TO
RENOVATE THE HOUSES SO WE CAN
YOU
NEED SPECIAL TRAINING AND
GET A CERTIFICATE.
FOOD AND LINE PREP COOKS.
FOR ALL THE RESTAURANTS OPENING
.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS BUT YOU GET
A CERTIFICATE FOR THAT.
AN ASBESTOS REMOVAL PRIOR TO
DEMOLITION IS ALSO A JOB WITH A
CERTIFICATE.
WHAT WE DID WAS WE SET UP
TRAINING PROGRAMS AND WE WENT
TO THE FOLKS AND SAID HERE IS
GOOD JOBS.
IF YOU WANT TO WORK HARD AND
THE RESPONSEWAS REMARKABLE.
SO WE DID AN EVENAT RYAN
PRISON WHERE WE ANNOUNCED THIS
AND THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO
STOOD UPAT THIS AND HE WAS ALL
EXCITED AND SAID HE WAS 25
YEARS OLD.
HE SAYS THE FIRST JOB-TRAINING
I HAVE EVER GOTTEN IN MLIFE
I
WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT TO
ANYBODY ELSE , BUT IT DOES SEEM
ODTHAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO
PRISON TO LEARN YOUR SKILLS.
I TALKED TO HIM AFTERWARDS AND
I SAID THIS IS INTERESTING.
WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE GOTTEN
INTO A PROGRAM BEFORE?
YOU HAVE ALL THE SCHOOLS OUT
THERE ADVERTISING AND PROGRAMS
A JOB OR NOT.
HE SAYS WHAT YOU DID HERE WAS
YOU CAME TO US AND SAID HERE
ARE THE JOBS THEY ARE HIRING
FOR, HERE IS THE TRAINING
PROGRAM AND WE ARE EXCITED TO
SIGN UP.
HE SAID IF YOU EVER DID THAT
FOR EVERYBODY ELSE AND THE
CITY, IT WOULD BE VERY
SUCCESSFUL. SO BASED ON THE
ADVICE OF THAT RETURNING
CITIZEN, WE HAVE KICKED OFF
DETROIT AT WORK ON THE CITY
WEBSITE AND IT IS GOING TO BE
THE PORTAL BY WHICH PEOPLE IN
JOBS.
SO JEFF WHO IS DOING A GREAT
JOB RUNNING THIS PROGRAM IS
SITTING DOWN WITH EMPLOYERS.
AND THE HOSPITALS COME AND AND
THE HEADS OF DMC AND HENRY FORD
OKAY.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF
ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS THAT WE CAN'T
FILL.PEOPLE PUSH FOLKS AND
WHEELCHAIRS HOW CAN YOU NOT
FILL JOBS IN THE CITY
AND THEY SAID THE BIGGEST
PROBLEM IS
TRANSCRIPTS .
HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS.
YOU CAN'T HIRE SOMEBODY UNDER A
HOSPITAL IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE
TRANSCRIPT.
JEFF SAID THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY
BE TRUE.
SCHOOLS AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY