Mayor Foster extensively addressed the challenges that the city of Long Beach will face in the coming year during his State Of The City address on Tuesday night, the first one that was made available to the public free of charge and broadcast on local television channels as well as on the web. The event was held in the Carpenter Center on the campus of CSULB.
The Mayor did not shy away from addressing the city’s financial woes and the economic suffering of its residents.
“We may be uncertain of our resolve and question our path,” he said. “We may despair that our future is not as bright as our past. Will we act out of fear? Will we retreat in the face if that challenge? Will we think more about ‘me’ than about ‘us?'”
Foster repeatedly referenced “The Greatest Generation” – that which “witnessed deep economic distress and conflict on a global scale.” He expressed admiration for their resolve and determination in difficult times, drawing obvious parallels between their experiences in the 1930s and 40s and those that we face today.
Outlining ideas to overcome future challenges, Foster called for better spending efficiency, a culture change in city government, and pointed out new business opportunities that the city has attracted in the past year. He also spoke at length about improvements made to the city’s infrastructure, and future improvements that must be made – perhaps providing hints that the Mayor is not yet done after the failure of his Measure I infrastructure tax last year.
“We will have to assess how we can develop a long-term infrastructure program,” he said. “We will not be a first class city without a solid infrastructure, and we will need to find a way to pay for it.”
CSULB President F. King Alexander delivered the night’s opening remarks.
“On behalf of our nearly 40,000 students, faculty, and staff, let me pledge to you – regardless of the economic condition of the day, whether that be good, bad, or really bad as in Sacramento and Washington – our commitment to keep supplying this city and region with the human talent, new ideas and creative energy needed to build and sustain a new economy for the future that will benefit all the citizens of this region,” he said.
CSULB was last week named one of the top 50 Best Value public universities in the nation.
Did you attend? Or watch the speech on television or online? What were your thoughts on Mayor Foster’s speech?