Tonight
we are here not only to have a fundraiser but also to
listen to my reflection on the job
I have
performed as councilor and why I want to stay working at
the city hall as one of your
representatives.
Yes, this is a good opportunity to share with you what I
am doing and what I
want to
continue doing as your city councilor at large.As you know I
represent one of the nine votes and I have voted more
than 500 times during our
decision and
policy making process since I was elected to the council
in 1999; and I am convinced
that my
deliberations and votes have been worthwhile. I live in
peace with my conscience and I vote
my
conscience. My vote is well pondered and is emitted only
if I believe that it will be in favor of the
collective
interest. So far I have nothing to regret, on the
contrary I am pleased with our
accomplishments,
though there still is a lot to do.
I have a long
list of accomplishments that are not absolutely of my
own, since I need the support
of at least
four or five fellow councilors. Similarly, they need my
vote for them to get what they are
fighting for.
There are occasions that I fight harder together with
them in support of their projects or
initiatives
because supporting them I achieve what you and I want to
better Lawrence. I am a team
player and
all of you are the essential part of our team, “The
Love and Power Team"
I have made
my voice heard and voted on issues such as: fiscal year
budgets, tax rates, appointments,
firings,
ordinances, charter modifications, management audits,
disposition of city’s properties surpluses
and
authorizations of loan guarantees like the one requested
by Malden Mills; and I challenge anyone
to check all
city council meetings’ minutes and then tell me if I
deserve to be reelected or not.
My record is
there. I do not sell my integrity to satisfy my ego with
the blindness of holding high
political
positions. You know that I have been participating in
elections since 1991 and that I tried
four times
before I won a position in the council. I helped others
reach their goals while I did not
make it;
however I have always been happy for being part of the
project to make Lawrence a better
place. I do
not deny the fact of being enjoying the privilege that
you gave me to be one of your elected
officials but
I am enjoying it and also enduring the sacrifices that it
involves.
As council
president I instill respect, professionalism and a
democratic deliberation process enabling
the free flow
of ideas expressed by citizens and councilors at council
meetings. Sometimes I am diplomatic,
cautious,
respectful, the conservative, the liberal but never
lenient. My strength lies on my independence and
integrity and
above all on your support. I have to be in peace with my
self and for that to happen I have to do
things right,
with love and respect to my fellow citizens.
We are facing
tough economic times and although the budget deficits
abound throughout the nation and
being
Lawrence hardly hit, I think that out of every crisis an
opportunity rises and that is to identify the
wastes, fat,
inefficiency and duplicity to get rid of them, through
the use of executive power the Mayor has
and by proper
legislative measures to be taken by the Council.
We’ve got to have the guts to make the tough
decisions,
always protecting the taxpayers’ money. Your
investment must be used with frugality and
effectiveness
to produce tangible results and not to cover superfluous
expenses and fancy projects.
There are
many other tough decisions to make, such as: the water
plant and water distribution system
privatization,
the 2003-2004 fiscal year budget and its chain effect,
merging of departments, fees’ rises,
CDBG funds,
The Gateway, and the Downtown Revitalization, eminent
domain actions, and several others;
and I as
other councilors and the mayor shall be spreading
information to you all, and that is where we will
need your
input and opinion for us to take them into account in our
decisions.
As I said at
the beginning I am proud of the role I play in the
council but I don’t want to tell you one of
those boring
litanies. The facts are there in black and white and I am
full of energy and desire to continuing
offering
myself as a humble member of this team in pursue of the
goal of making true the dream I have, the
dream you
have, the dream Lawrencians have of feeling pride of
living once and for all in a Lawrence MA
cleaner,
safer, economically developed, self-sufficient and
self-reliant, free of derogative labels and proud
of having
harmonious ethnic diversity and economic and political
justices.
I will not
compromise the resurgence of Lawrence as the attractive
and productive urban center that it
once was,
let’s go forward, say no to the retrocession.
God bless
you, thank you for trusting in me. God Bless Lawrence,
God bless America.
Love and
Power for Lawrence
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