Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
The audience at the Harmonie Club in Manhattan included Robert Rifkind, the National President of the American Jewish Committee, Norman Stein, President of the New York Chapter, Diane Steinman, Executive Director of the New York Chapter, Martin Bresler, former President of the New York Chapter, Judge Shirley Kram, and Judge Allen Murray Myers.
The Mayor attributed the recent gains in the City's economy and spirit to his administration's choice to raise standards in the City and challenge New Yorkers to do better. "The prevailing philosophy was a pessimistic view that government was incapable of making sound decisions," the Mayor explained. "The accepted wisdom was that the City was ungovernable. But our government can provide direction, help, and assistance for the citizens of New York. I believe that the single greatest factor in our ability to turn New York City around was that we challenged the accepted wisdom, the orthodoxy of failure."
The Mayor addressed the recent drop in crime. "In the last two and a half years we've reduced crime by more than any comparable period in the history of the City and New York City is now the safest large City in America," he said. "The quality of life has improved in almost every area of the City."
Mayor Giuliani spoke about the increase in the number of companies remaining in New York City, as well as the number of companies that are moving back to the City from other states. "Instead of seeing businesses leaving, we're not only retaining businesses but we're getting them back to New York City," said the Mayor. "We haven't seen that in a very long time. New York City's economy is expanding because we refused to believe that its decline was inevitable." The Mayor pointed out that the Cotton Exchange decided to remain in downtown New York City financial sector rather than moving to New Jersey.
He highlighted other accomplishments in job creation and retention:
He highlighted the following achievements in the workfare program:
"If you take a trip down to the World Trade Center and the World Financial Center you're not going to see a place that's contracting, you're going to see two new buildings going up," said the Mayor.
The Mayor also pointed to the record breaking year for the tourist industry in the City and credited the combined effect of a lowered hotel occupancy tax and a drop in crime. "The industry is growing, more jobs are being added--and this is not only affecting the hotel industry, it's affecting the restaurants, transportation, and everything else," the Mayor said.
The Mayor expressed his hopes for the future. "We must have the courage and the vision to look beyond 'conventional wisdom,' to ignore the naysayers and to pursue our shared objectives...and to make New York City an even better place for the next generation," he said.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC), with a membership that numbers 50,000, was established in 1906 with the intention of safeguarding the rights of Jews on a local and global scale. The organization includes thirty-two offices in the US and an Israel office in Jerusalem. The AJC was the first American Jewish organization to open an office in Israel. The AJC commissions and publishes research to maintain its standard of accuracy, plays the advocacy role by corresponding with the government, media, and public, and it engages in diplomacy to maintain positive relations with other groups.