Cory Booker in 2008-2011 Mayoral State of the City addresses
On Corporations:
Supports Women, Minority and Small Business Assistance
Booker Supports Women, Minority and Small Business Assistance: My goal in 2011 is to empower even more Newark entrepreneurs to realize their dreams. Brick City Development Corporation (BCDC) has proposed a new small business program with loans of up to
$150,000 to women, minorities, and small business who seek to grow and expand. And we will start a new effort to help small, minority contractors break into the construction industry.
Source: Fifth Annual State of the City Address 2011
Mar 1, 2011
On Crime:
ReLeSe: Pro bono legal services to ex-offenders
With "Volunteer Lawyers for Justice," we launched ReLeSe, the first organization of its kind in the Nation, to offer pro bono legal services to ex-offenders; to date; more than 1,200 clients have received help to eliminate barriers to employment and
family reunification. We also started the Fatherhood Center to help dads returning from prison transition successfully back into the lives of their children. We opened a City Hall Office of Reentry and created the Newark Prisoner Re-entry
Initiative, which in a year's time has served over 600 ex-offenders and already placed more than half in jobs. This powerful network of providers we've assembled, in total, is serving thousands of returning ex-offenders and dramatically lowering
recidivism rates.Every dollar we invest in re-entry initiatives results in many more dollars saved as we reduce our dependency on courts, police and jails. These programs must, and, under our leadership will, expand in the coming years.
Source: 2010 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Feb 9, 2010
On Energy & Oil:
Weatherize of 450 homes; free for seniors
Our partnerships with La Casa de Don Pedro and First Hopewell have led to the weatherization of over 450 homes--helping residents save money with lower utility bills and creating jobs for Newarkers. We've partnered with Local 55 to train residents for
jobs in weatherization, resulting in free home weatherization for dozens of our seniors. And we are moving forward with the sale of city-owned, abandoned homes to small, local contractors who will work with Local 55 to rehabilitate and weatherize them.
Source: 2010 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Feb 9, 2010
On Environment:
Work with Urban Environmental Institute on solar technology
We are creating job opportunities for Newark residents in the New Green economy. We attracted two new solar companies to our City. Another illustration of our job creation efforts is our City's newly constructed motors garage on Wilson Avenue.
This facility, built using local contractors and local resident labor, contains new solar technology installed by the Urban Environmental Institute, a program employing and training our Newark youth in the growing industry of solar installation.
Source: 2010 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Feb 9, 2010
On Drugs:
Community courts for minor crimes like drug possession
Community courts zero in on low-level crime--offenses like vandalism, shoplifting, minor drug possession--and combine punishment and help.
In the community court, instead of fines many people can't pay or short jail terms that do them no good, quality-of-life offenders will be sentenced to visible community service throughout the
City and referred to drug treatment, job training, adult education, counseling and other services.
Research suggests that this problem-solving approach to justice works: community courts in other cities have helped reduce crime while improving public trust and involvement in the justice system. I am so proud of the collaborative effort.
Source: 2009 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Feb 9, 2009
On Environment:
Save our environment while creating jobs and wealth
From energy audits on City facilities, to distributing thousands of compact florescent light bulbs, to green businesses, tax incentives for green construction, job training programs for a new green economy, with
Innovation Fuels, a biodiesel fuel production facility in Newark and other green business coming, Newark is saving money, saving energy, saving our environment all while creating jobs and wealth in our City.
Source: 2009 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Feb 9, 2009
On Health Care:
Newark Rx: affordable medications for uninsured Newarkers
The health care challenges of Newark and all American cities will continue until federal action is taken, but we will not take this challenge lying down and today we acknowledge a win in the battle for health care justice in Newark.I am truly pleased
tonight to announce Newark Rx, to begin to combat the rising costs of prescription drugs. Newark Rx will create immediate access to affordable medications for thousands of uninsured Newark residents. Newark Rx is the creation of my office, Heinz Family
Philanthropies, PhRMA, and other innovative partners. Several pharmaceutical manufacturers are contributing funding and donating free--FREE--medications for the uninsured. I know through the amazing work of Teresa Heinz and Jeff Lewis of Heinz Family
Philanthropies that more partners will be added and more people who need medications will get them.I am honored tonight to be joined my friend, Chris Heinz, a member of one of America's leading political and philanthropic families.
Source: 2009 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Feb 9, 2009
On Budget & Economy:
Budget crisis: cut $60M in spending; cut municipal taxes
So much was said when our City, in the midst of a $180 million budget crisis, moved to take aggressive corrective action. After cutting spending by $60 million and increasing revenue in a like amount, our City still faced a budget crisis of monumental
proportions with mounting personnel costs. We refused to tax our way out of this problem and did the unheard of thing. In 2007, thanks to Municipal Council support, we cut our municipal tax rate in order to absorb tax increases by the County and for the
school district so that we could sustain the same overall tax rate for our citizens. We made the difficult decision to eliminate hundreds of job vacancies from the budget, offer buy outs for employees to voluntarily separate and ultimately lay off
65 employees. Local government cannot be about employment, it must be about efficiency, effectiveness, about delivering the best of services to residents and dedicated to creating business and employment opportunity for residents outside of government.
Source: 2008 State of the City Address
Feb 1, 2008
On Jobs:
Passed laws on prevailing wage & large-scale firings
Our Administration has taken numerous steps [on labor issues]: from being the first city in
New Jersey to adopt a prevailing wage law to the first city to pass legislation to prevent large scale firing of workers when new contracts are awarded.
Source: 2008 State of the City Address
Feb 1, 2008
On Principles & Values:
I believe in Newark as the city of opportunity
342 years ago, Puritans came ashore onto the banks of the Passaic River, searching for freedom and the promised land, they looked at the wild woods and uncultivated lands here and said, "I believe in the infinite strength of God's children, I believe in
Newark." When waves of immigrants poured into our City from across the globe, yearning to be free, with worn hands that would build this City, they said in countless foreign languages, "I believe this is the city of opportunity, I believe in Newark."
Source: 2008 State of the City Address
Feb 1, 2008
On Welfare & Poverty:
Assist beneficiaries with earned income tax credit
We aggressively stepped up our work with the earned income tax credit, even establishing a free tax center in City Hall, leading to savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars in filing fees and assisting in putting millions of previously unclaimed
dollars into the pockets of residents. And now with the Governor's expansion of eligibility for the state EITC, hundreds, if not thousands, more Newarkers can claim additional benefits.
Source: 2008 State of the City Address
Feb 1, 2008
Page last updated: Jun 01, 2021