Helen Marshall’s Inaugural Address:
Thank you Justice Leach. And thank you Mayor Bloomberg, Reverend Tweed, Assemblyman Aubry, and each of you who have joined me today as I begin my second term as your Borough President.
Queens County in 2006 is the greatest collection of people ever assembled; with more than 150 languages spoken and almost half our population born in a foreign land. Family ties, business connections and cultural histories extend globally.
In the past four years I have worked hard to accomplish the goals I set forth in my first term. With the help of many of you, I am proud of all that has been completed.
As I look ahead, there are key issues that impact every sector of the Borough and deserve our attention:
HEALTH: I will not tolerate the closing of any hospitals in Queens. Currently Queens has 1.4 hospital beds per 1,000 residents while Manhattan has 7.1 hospital beds per 1,000. This is a gross inequality.
SENIORS: While I am borough president our senior citizens will have a friendly face and a hot meal delivered to their door every day.
HOUSING: Young people both married and single today have high incomes but decent housing is still not within their grasp.
ZONING: A balance must be struck so that there are ample opportunities for growth, but not at the expense of destroying the historic character of a community.
ILLEGAL CONVERSIONS: The Department of Buildings and the Fire Department need and should be given the resources to deal with violations that lead to tragedies.
In this year we will see the opening of new facilities such as the High School of Architecture and Planning in Woodhaven; the Performing Arts Center at the former Dutch Reform Church in Jamaica and the new sports field in Queensbridge Park in Long Island City.
This year we will break ground for the new Frank Sinatra High School for the Arts; a renovation of the Museum of the Moving Image; a new stadium for the New York Mets, Willets Point will be born anew, the old RKO Keith Theatre will once again light the path to Main Street, Flushing along with a great plaza and development in parking lot 1. And, they are but some of the many projects which we see move forward over the next four years.
I want to thank you sharing this day with me. And I would like to again thank all of the dignitaries and community groups who have participated in this ceremony.
