November 6, 2019
This is an exciting time to live in
Columbus. The numbers show we’re a diverse city with a very bright future –
leading the state and the Midwest in job growth, setting the standard for smart
cities, and remaining an affordable place to raise a family.
But the next four years isn’t about
the numbers – it’s about the people we’re working for every single day.
We’re focused on solutions to the
problems facing great American cities in the 21st century:
supporting our residents from birth to five and beyond, building housing
Columbus families can afford, taking a strong stand for common sense gun laws
to protect our families and first responders, teaming up with the community to
ensure public safety works for every person in every neighborhood, and making sure
a dynamic, inclusive economy is the cornerstone of the future we’re building
together.
All of this and so much more is the
foundation for a Columbus that works for all
of us.
We all have different paths to that
future. Two of my friends from Columbus City Schools chose not to go to a
four-year college. So while I went off to college, taught nonviolence in public
schools with the Carter Center, and played football with the Earlham Fighting
Quakers, they took different paths.
One joined the Marines. The other
became a union apprentice with the Sheet-Metal workers.
We were three kids from Columbus
blessed with the opportunity to work hard and build successful lives.
If we want that same success for every
person in every neighborhood, we must recognize and reward the dignity of all
work -- because there truly is inherent dignity in all work. We cannot allow
family, friends and neighbors to continue working in the shadows, left out of
the opportunity we must all share.
I see the folks working too hard for
too little, wondering when they get a fair shot.
I hear the families facing eviction,
navigating a system that’s too often foreign and confusing at one of the
toughest moments in life, not knowing if there’s a better way.
I feel for the parents sacrificing
everything to afford daycare and pre-k, knowing high-quality early childhood
education lays the strong foundation for their child’s future success.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to
succeed in this city.
Just last week, I met someone who
moved to Columbus four months ago. I asked him what he thought about Columbus.
He said, “I have lived in some great American cities with a strong past and
rich history. What’s different about Columbus . . . what is special about
Columbus . . . is everyone talks with excitement about its future.”
Columbus, our best days are ahead of
us, not behind us. And we can build that future together.
I am so honored to serve as your
mayor. It’s the best job in the best city in America. And I am excited to
continue this work with you for the next four years.
Thank you, god bless you, and god
bless the City of Columbus.