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Mayor Bloomberg Discusses Progress New York City has Made Since September 12th, 2001 in Weekly Radio Address
September 16, 2013
The following is the text of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, September 15, 2013"Good Morning. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
"Last week, New Yorkers came together in prayer and remembrance for those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. It was a day to recommit to the work we've done to honor their memory, and to supporting the loved ones they left behind.
"It was also a moment to reflect on how incredibly far New York has come since that tragic morning 12 years ago - and to remember that, in the days after 9/11, the very survival of the city as we knew it was in doubt. Would we remain a global economic capital, or would companies and jobs flee the city? Could we continue to attract new residents and visitors from around the world? Could New York survive the recession that followed 9/11, or would the crime and blight of the bad old days return?
"That's why, from day one, our Administration's goal was not only to recover and rebuild the World Trade Center site, but to restore faith in New York's future. And together, the city has succeeded beyond what anyone thought was possible. Over the past 12 years, our population has grown by about 300,000 people - and for the first time since 1950, more people are moving into New York City than moving out of it. While our country as whole has still not gained back all of the jobs that were lost during the last recession, our city has gained back three times the number of jobs we lost back then - thanks in large part to our Administration's efforts to diversify the economy. We now have a record number of private sector jobs, up more than 400,000 since 2002. And the majority of those jobs have been created outside of Manhattan. Meanwhile, tourism has shot skyward in our city since 2001, while crime has plummeted by 32 percent over the same period. Murders and shootings are at record lows, and this year we're on pace for fewer than 400 murders, which would have been simply unthinkable a decade ago.
"The anxiety that filled our city post-9/11has been replaced by a sense of energy and renewal - including in Lower Manhattan, the scene of such devastation 12 years ago. In 2002, our Administration laid out a comprehensive plan to bring the area roaring back to life; and today, there are more people living in Lower Manhattan than ever before. Where the Twin Towers once stood, the 9/11 Memorial pools have welcomed nearly 10 million visitors since they opened two years ago. The Museum being built under the Memorial Plaza will open next year, ensuring that the stories of that day are not forgotten. In addition, 7 World Trade Center is 100 percent full of tenants. And next year, 1 World Trade - the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere - will open for business. 4 World Trade will open later this year - and 3 World Trade is rising, too.
"We will never forget those we lost; the Memorial and Museum will help ensure that. And we must never forget the lessons of 9/11. But our city has emerged from the shadow of that day stronger than ever, and we have entered a new era. It's an era that is not defined by the uncertainty that followed 9/11, but by our hopes for the future - and by the extraordinary promise of our City that is, more than ever, the global capital of freedom and opportunity.
"This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening."
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