Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Ballard Inaugural Address

Here is the text of the speech Mayor Greg Ballard delivered at his swearing-in ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial today:

GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE ON THIS NEW YEAR’S DAY. I’M ESPECIALLY GLAD TO HAVE MY FAMILY HERE – MY WIFE WINNIE, OUR CHILDREN, MY MOM, MY BROTHERS AND SISTER AND OTHER RELATIVES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE THE MARINE CORPS COLOR GUARD TAKE PART IN THIS CEREMONY, AND I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THEM.LET ME ALSO TAKE A MOMENT ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE IN INDIANAPOLIS TO OFFER SINCERE THANKS TO MAYOR BART PETERSON FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO OUR CITY OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.

AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO HIS WIFE, AMY AND THEIR DAUGHTER, MEG, FOR THE MANY SACRIFICES THEY HAVE MADE.

THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS OF THE CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL HERE AS WELL. PRESIDENT BOB COCKRUM, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THE OTHER COUNCILORS OF BOTH PARTIES TO CARRY OUT THE WILL OF THE CITIZENS OF OUR GREAT CITY. AND I THANK MY FELLOW CITIZENS OF INDIANAPOLIS FOR GIVING ME THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS YOUR MAYOR.

I PLEDGE MY VERY BEST EFFORT TO LIVE UP TO THE TRUST YOU’VE PLACED IN ME.I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN INDIANAPOLIS, AND WHEN I COMPLETED MY SERVICE IN THE MARINE CORPS, I BROUGHT MY FAMILY BACK. NO MATTER WHERE I WAS STATIONED, I WAS ALWAYS PROUD TO CALL INDIANAPOLIS “HOME.” I CAN SENSE THAT MOST PEOPLE IN OUR CITY FEEL THAT SAME PRIDE.

INDIANAPOLIS IS A GREAT CITY. WE ARE A CITY THAT’S USED TO SUCCESS. BUT SKYROCKETING TAXES AND VIOLENT CRIME HAVE SHAKEN THE CONFIDENCE OF OUR CITIZENS AND HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. WE FACE A LOT OF CHALLENGES AND THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE HARD WORK AND TOUGH DECISIONS.

MY GOVERNING PRIORITIES WILL BE THE SAME AS THOSE I TALKED ABOUT AT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. WE NEED TO INTENSIFY OUR EFFORTS TO FIGHT CRIME, PUT OUR FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER, REINVEST IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY INTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND HELP THOSE WHO ARE IMPROVING EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.

MY TOP PRIORITY AS MAYOR IS PUBLIC SAFETY. WE MUST REVERSE THE RISE IN CRIME AND PROVIDE SAFETY TO THE CITIZENS OF INDIANAPOLIS.THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD REST WITH THE MAYOR – THAT’S WHAT CITIZENS EXPECT. TO THAT END, ALL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES MUST BE UNDER THE MAYOR’S CHAIN OF COMMAND.

I WILL BE HONEST WITH THE CITIZENS OF OUR CITY ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO GET CRIME UNDER CONTROL. THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS FULL OF EXTREMELY HARD-WORKING, COMPETENT, CIVIC-MINDED POLICEMEN AND WOMEN WHO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB. I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO SEE TO IT THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES THEY NEED. IN PARTICULAR, WE MUST PUT POLICE BACK INTO THE COMMUNITIES, ALLOWING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET TO KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE PEOPLE IN THEM SO THAT THEY CAN HELP PREVENT CRIME, RATHER THAN MERELY REACT.

ADDITIONALLY, THIS CITY MUST ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF EX-OFFENDERS RETURNING TO SOCIETY. I WILL PUT IN PLACE PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE JOB SKILLS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SO THAT EX-OFFENDERS HAVE A USEFUL SKILL THAT WILL BENEFIT SOCIETY AND THE STRENGTH TO STAY AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE AND SCENARIOS THAT GOT THEM IN TROUBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

ANOTHER TOP PRIORITY IS TO REDUCE CITY GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND RELIEVE THE GROWING BURDEN ON MARION COUNTY TAXPAYERS. WE WILL EXAMINE EVERY BUDGET ITEM AND FIND WAYS TO CUT COSTS.AS THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL IN MARION COUNTY, THE MAYOR OF INDIANAPOLIS SHOULD LEAD ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN CONTROLLING SPENDING. THE MAYOR DOES NOT HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OVER MANY PUBLIC ENTITIES THAT HAVE SEPARATE AUTHORITY TO TAX OR SPEND PUBLIC FUNDS, BUT I WILL USE MY LEADERSHIP POSITION TO MAKE SURE GOVERNMENT WORKS TOGETHER IN MARION COUNTY TO BENEFIT THE TAXPAYERS.

I ALSO INTEND TO WORK WITH GOVERNOR DANIELS AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AS THEY WRESTLE WITH OUR ANTIQUATED PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM. NEXT, WE NEED TO PUT A PRIORITY ON STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS.

WE’RE ALL PROUD OF OUR CITY, BUT WHAT MATTERS MOST IN OUR DAILY LIFE IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. DO I FEEL SAFE FROM CRIME? IS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PROVIDING FOR MY CHILDREN? ARE MY STREETS CLEAN? DOES THE CITY CARE ABOUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD? A GREAT CITY IS A COLLECTION OF GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS. WE NEED STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH GOOD SCHOOLS AND REDUCED CRIME. WE NEED THE MAYOR’S OFFICE CONNECTED TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS. ONLY THEN WILL PEOPLE BE PROUD OF THEIR CITY AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

I WILL RESTORE THE FRONT PORCH ALLIANCE TO REESTABLISH NECESSARY TIES BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF INDIANAPOLIS.

I WILL APPLY THE “BROKEN WINDOWS” THEORY, WHICH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY USED IN OTHER CITIES TO PROMOTE SAFETY BY CLEANING UP BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS INCLUDES SHORTENING THE TIME FRAME WITH WHICH TO DEAL WITH ABANDONED HOMES. OTHER CITIES HAVE FOUND TAKING SUCH STEPS CAN REDUCE CRIME, IMPROVE PROPERTY VALUES, AND MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER.

A FOURTH PRIORITY, TO WHICH I’M FIRMLY COMMITTED, IS TO ESTABLISH PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. CITIZENS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT.OUR CITIZENS DESERVE AN ELECTED LEADERSHIP THAT IS RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR TAX DOLLARS. TAXPAYERS DESERVE TO SEE HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING SPENT. FORMER MAYOR STEVE GOLDSMITH TOLD ME THAT THE MAYOR OF INDIANAPOLIS MUST REPRESENT THOSE NOT SEATED AT THE TABLE. I WILL DO JUST THAT.

IN MY ROLE AS MAYOR, I WILL ENSURE THAT ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS KNOW THEY SERVE THE CITIZENS AND ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO ANY ORGANIZATION OR POWER STRUCTURE. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE EMPLOYED BY THE PEOPLE. THIS CITY DOES NOT BELONG TO THE GOVERNMENT. IT’S BEEN BUILT BY ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO PAY THEIR TAXES, KEEP UP THEIR PROPERTY, RAISE THEIR KIDS, LOOK OUT FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS – WHO DO THE BEST WITH WHAT THEY HAVE AND HELP THOSE WHO HAVE LESS. AND THEY HAVE
THE RIGHT TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR HOW WE SERVE THEM.

THE LAST AREA WE MUST ADDRESS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. IT WILL REDUCE CRIME, LOWER HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL SERVICE COSTS, AND EXPAND OUR ECONOMIC BASE BY BRINGING IN TOP-FLIGHT JOBS —THAT IS EDUCATION. THE MAYOR MAY CONTROL FEW OF THE LEVERS OF EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTY, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, EDUCATION WILL BE A TOP PRIORITY IN MY ADMINISTRATION. WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTY. OUR KIDS DESERVE IT AND OUR CITY DEMANDS IT.

THIS IS MY VISION: MAKING OUR CITY SAFER, IMPROVING ITS FISCAL CONDITION, REINVIGORATING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, ESTABLISHING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND IMPROVING EDUCATION.AS YOUR FELLOW CITIZEN, I AM HONORED TO SERVE AS MAYOR OF INDIANAPOLIS, AND I WILL WORK HARD TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR PAST CITY LEADERS. OVER THE PAST YEAR, I’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING MANY CITIZENS WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE ACTION TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF OUR CITY.

RONALD REAGAN SAID, “ALL GREAT CHANGE IN AMERICA BEGINS AT THE DINNER TABLE.” I BELIEVE THAT – NOW MORE THAN EVER. BUT WE NEED EVERYONE TO STAY INVOLVED IN FIGHTING CRIME, STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS, MENTORING YOUNG PEOPLE, AND PRESSING FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT.WE WILL MEET THE CHALLENGES WE FACE TOGETHER, WE WILL CARRY ON OUR CITY’S TRADITION OF SUCCESS, AND WE WILL LEAVE TO THE NEXT GENERATION A CITY OF WHICH THEY CAN BE PROUD.

THANK YOU.

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:47 PM GMT-5

    Classy. One of his first thoughts was to thank the Petersons. Very thoughtful and considerate. I sense it was genuine, too.

    We will watch with careful eyes. I didn't vote for him, but I admire him.

    I don't think there's fake bone in his body, judging form what I've seen and heard in the last few weeks. That attitude will serve him well in his new job. He is going to be surrounded by turkeys.

    I pity the fools who underestimate him.

    On this new day in our city, I wish him well. No politics today, just good thoughts.

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  2. I wonder why the entire text of this speech is all in UPPER CASE LETTERS --- most peculiar! Such typography reduces reading legibility by 42%. Have you ever seen a newspaper or Bible all in upper case letters? Didn't think so!

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  3. Anonymous6:06 PM GMT-5

    Thank you, Gary, for posting this.

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  4. Anonymous6:15 PM GMT-5

    Wilson....GO AWAY

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  5. Anonymous6:19 PM GMT-5

    Ignore the dumpster diver, he is just sad because it wasn't his boy, Peterson, up there.

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  6. ANONYMOUS-- GO AWAY!

    (Let Gary Welsh run his own blog without silly advice on moderation from the anonymous peanut gallery.)

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  7. It was one of your more silly comments, Wilson.

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  8. Anonymous7:16 PM GMT-5

    I wonder why Wilson46201 posts any comments at all. Such ramblings are very legible and articulate, but no one cares what they say.

    Even if Ballards speech was full of lies, Bart Peterson would spew his own lies as well.

    The villiage called, Wilson46201,
    they need you to come home now!

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  9. There's a sound reason your own blog uses upper and lower case letters, like all popular printed materials - it's simply easier for the eye and brain to scan and read. 42% easier to read than all upper case. In the olden days of typewriters, sometimes speeches were done all in upper case to make it slightly easier for visually-challenged speakers. In the early days of computers, lower case letters simply weren't available at all. Nowadays with cheap word processors almost universally available, the font size can be increased for speech-texts. Sometimes unskilled beginning "typists" use all upper case letters -- for some strange reason, the Center Township Trustee's Office got into this bad habit. I spent several months convincing a reluctant bureaucracy to change to use the typographical conventions used by the Western Civilized World since the 1700s.

    ALL CAPS in the 21st Century is just plain weird!

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  10. Anonymous7:20 PM GMT-5

    The tactic is always the same, Gary.

    Someone exposes yet another stupid Wilson comment, and he either:

    1) attacks anonymous posters for lack of online identity, or

    2) "defends" the blogmaster in some inane off-hand side comment, thus deflecting the original observation.

    Regardless whether it's in caps or italics or Chinese, Wilson...the inaugural address was sane, short and classy.

    To be fair, it was every bit as classy as Bart's election night remarks.

    Slow your roll, Wilson. As odd as it may sound to you, not everyone is waiting with baited breath to hear every thought that passes through your brain.

    Especially the thoughts that don't get filtered by smarts.

    Perhaps we can return to civility in politics.

    One can hope, can't one?

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  11. IT IS ENCOURAGING THAT WILSON FINDS NO FAULT WITH THE CONTENT OF MAYOR BALLARD'S MESSAGE, ONLY THE TYPEFACE.

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  12. As usual, the personal attacks on other commenters all seem to come from the usual cowardly anonymous nobodies. Instead of civilized political discourse, the anonytrolls want to distract off the topic of Ballard's speech and onto attacks on me. Oh well...

    It still hasn't been explained why Ballard oddly released the text of his first official speech ALL IN UPPER CASE type. Very peculiar in the 21st Century...

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  13. Anonymous8:05 PM GMT-5

    I LOVE IT, BART LIES! YOU'RE BRILLIANT!

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  14. Anonymous8:07 PM GMT-5

    BLAME THE IDIOTS AT THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR

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  15. Anonymous8:12 PM GMT-5

    I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEY TAKE DOWN BARTIE-POOS PICTURE AT THE AIRPORT AND REPLACE IT WITH BALLARDS!

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  16. Anonymous8:18 PM GMT-5

    Greg Ballard has already started his lies! He made a lot of promises to the grass roots people before he was elected and after he was elected he jumped right into bed with the most corrupt politicans in Indianapolis. What a joke this man already is!
    Ballard Lies!

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  17. Anonymous8:22 PM GMT-5

    AH, ANON 818, THE BITTER VOLUNTEER IS BACK. IT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT YOU.

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  18. Anonymous8:25 PM GMT-5

    I supported Ballard but I deeply regret it now. I wanted to vote against Bart Peterson and voted for Ballard by default. Unfortunately, that is exactly what it was...it was a DEFAULT!

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  19. Anonymous8:28 PM GMT-5

    Ballards speech was right on, that is why Wilson46201 finds fault in they typing.
    Please start your own blogs, Wilson46201. That way we will ALL BE ENLIGHTENED by your intelligent comments!

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  20. Anonymous8:37 PM GMT-5

    818..
    There is a reason that Ballard chose the people he chose.
    If you are that close to him, you would know those reasons.
    He was very selective and chose these people for a reason.
    I was a volunteer as well, and am very please with the way I was treated, thanked, and welcomed at his functions.
    Now the he is officially in office, it is I that chose to go about my business. He is the mayor and Bart is NOT!
    Mission accomplished!!!

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  21. Anonymous8:39 PM GMT-5

    825, YOU COULD HAVE VOTED FOR FRED PETERSON THEN. NO ONE MADE YOU VOTE FOR ANYONE.

    POLITICS IS AN UGLY GAME. THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN ENTER THEM AND BE THE SAME PERSON WILL FIND THEY ARE SOON MISTAKEN. TO GET THINGS DONE, I THINK POLITICIANS WITH A SOUL HAVE A HARD TIME LOOKING IN THE MIRROR.

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  22. Anonymous8:47 PM GMT-5

    Ok, Wilson, here it is, in plain English:

    Your constant whining about the typeface, is akin to Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

    It is not relevant. Never was, still isn't, won't ever be.

    Your decision to harp on it makes you continue to look sillier than most folks thought possible.

    AND MORE THAN 42% OF US FEEL THAT WAY. (Where DO you get these factoids, anyway?)

    The delivery method isn't important--the message is. It was a very good inaugural address.

    Didn't see you there snapping pix. Hmmmmmm.

    Remember that kid in high school who had an answer for everything? The annoying little geek who sometimes answered the question, with an answer for something else altogether. As if no one is paying attention to the original question. And half the time, didn't you have this feeling that the answer he gave, was pulled out of his ass? Look! Distract them with shiney objects!

    It was annoying in a high school kid. In an adult, it's just pathetic.

    Pathetic, in all caps, italics, bold, whatever....it's still pathetic.

    The actual words, Wilson--try to focus on them, in whatever typeface or language. You might be enlightened.

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  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  24. Wilson46201 said...
    ANONYMOUS-- GO AWAY!

    "(Let Gary Welsh run his own blog without silly advice on moderation from the anonymous peanut gallery.)"

    Advance Indiana said...
    "It was one of your more silly comments, Wilson."

    I'm ROTFLMAO. Way to go Gary

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  25. Why on Gods earth would any of you respond to this small brain called Wilson. His very lack of content should tell you all you need to know about his level of substance (or lack thereof).

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  26. What does Ballard have in mind for education reform?

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  27. It's really kind of sad - I make a minor observation about the first major speech of the brand-new Mayor of Indianapolis but the IndyU flotsam & jetsam goes off howling and screeching about me. What does that say about the real importance of Mayor Ballard to the anonymous nattering nabobs of negativity twittering here?

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  28. Anonymous5:29 AM GMT-5

    Ballard and his "about nothing" speech are a big disappointment!
    Never thought that I would agree with Wilson!

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  29. Anonymous7:24 AM GMT-5

    Re: caps, if the text was copied directly from a teleprompter scroll, it may caps was as it was originally entered.

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  30. Anonymous9:40 PM GMT-5

    WILSON HAS LOST WHAT LITTLE SANITY HE HAD LEFT. THEY BURIED HIS REMAINING BRIAN CELLS WITH THE CONGRESSWOMAN.

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