Mayor Bloomberg Discusses the Progress Made in Each of the Five Boroughs Since 2001 in Weekly Radio Address

December 22, 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, December 22, 2013.

“Good Morning.  This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

“The best way to appreciate the great things happening all over New York is to go out and see them.  Last week, that’s just what we did, using the final week before the holidays to spotlight progress the city is making in so many areas, in all five boroughs.  

“That starts with creating new jobs for New Yorkers. The final jobs report of 2013 came out last week – and it shows New York City heading into 2014 riding high.  We’re on course to have a record-setting four million jobs by this year’s end.   During our Administration – despite being hit by two major national recessions – we’ve increased the number of private sector jobs in our city by 13 percent, compared to nationwide growth of less than 5 percent.  And by unlocking the economic potential of areas like Staten Island’s North Shore – where last week we met a new small business owner who’s helping revive that community – we’re setting the stage for continued job growth for the years ahead.  

“With New York’s workforce and population growing to record levels, improvements to our infrastructure couldn’t be more important.  That includes the virtually finished Number 7 subway extension to Manhattan’s Far West Side, which I joined other dignitaries in catching the first train through on Friday.  Even when deep national recessions have produced major revenue shortfalls, our commitment to such infrastructure investments has remained strong.  We have, for example, accomplished the largest program to expand and modernize public schools in New York City history – schools like the new Bard Early College High School in Long Island City where I spoke to students Friday, in one of 63 new school buildings that we’ve opened in Queens alone.      

“Housing is also critical to our growing city, now and in the future.  That’s why our Administration’s affordable housing program – the largest ever undertaken in an American city – has funded construction and preservation of more than 175,000 houses and apartments.   Yesterday, we were in the South Bronx. It has roughly three-fourths of the more than 49,000 affordable units we’ve funded in that borough – affordable housing that’s giving Bronx families the stability and strength that good homes provide.  

“Thriving neighborhoods also need great parks and open spaces.  And over the past 12 years, we’ve added 870 acres to the biggest and best city parks system in the nation.  Today 76 percent of New Yorkers can find a park or playground within a 10-minute walk of home – an increase of a quarter-million people in just six years’ time.   We’ve also invested more than $5 billion in parks improvement projects.  Last week, we cut the ribbon on the latest:  The new Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, where two beautiful new ice skating rinks are now open for the season.

“Our newest New Yorkers – the immigrants who make up 37 percent of our city’s population – are key to our growing economy and flourishing communities.  Last week, I joined a ceremony where nearly 100 immigrants took the oath making them American citizens.  I pledged to keep working for national immigration reform in the New Year.  And I offered them what I’ll also extend to everyone listening now:  My sincere wishes for the best of the season. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.  Thanks for listening.”  

Contact:          Marc La Vorgna                                  (212) 788-2958