2007 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

“OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW”

Introductions:  Louise and City Council members and staff.

This is the fourth year I have had the privilege to address an audience and bring you up to date on where the City of Marion is and where I think it is going.

This year the subject is “Out With the Old and In With the New”.  If you remember the first time I spoke at this gathering, it was a disaster!  In fact, I was pleased to find anyone attended the second one.  It was better, but not by much.  Last year it seamed that I had hit my stride.  While I spoke, I had a slide show going on.  After the presenta-tion, I had a nice lady say is the best I program I had given.  I asked what she liked the best about the program - she said the pictures!  I really like honest people.

So keeping in line with last year’s presentation, you are going to see a lot of pictures.  It is said that a picture is worth a 1,000 words.  You are about to see a few hundred thousand words.

As you look at the pictures of the old city hall and new City Hall as it was being constructed, let me bring you up to date how the city is progressing.

In addition to the City Hall Project being completed, the Lowe Art and Environmental Center in Lowe Park have been completed.  The Parks Department and Community Center are all moved in and are getting comfortable with their setting.  We are very proud of this beautiful facility and well as our newest park.  Please stop and visit and take time to enjoy its tranquil surroundings.

As you drive around the city it is easy to see all the new housing going up.  2006 was another good year for residential growth:

Some of the new places you can visit to eat

If you want a beverage you can go to the new Spy Bar on 10th Street.

Those craving sweets can stop by Temptations Fine Chocolates.

Hearthstone Gifts and supplies has transformed Dickey’s Cleaners into a beautiful gift shop.

If you are in a fix up mood you can stop by:

A new car wash has just opened north of Wal-Mart.

Other new or expanded businesses in the City of Marion are:

I apologize for any of those I may have missed.

I am proud to announce that by FBI data we have been designated, once again, The Safest City in Iowa with a population of over 10,000.  I am also proud of our police force. Chief Daugherty and his department were able to apprehend a suspect in a homicide case within 48 hours of notification of a possible crime.  This quick work says volumes about the skill and devotion to duty of our police force.

We will now move onto another project - the brown field project.  The city has come to an agreement with the owners of the old railroad right-of-way.  We are presently surveying the land to insure exactly what the land includes.  The contract calls for a transfer of $300, 000 to the owners of the railroad right-of-way - $150,000 of which is coming from a state grant.

So, that’s where we are as 2007 begins.

I believe we are definitely headed in the right direction for the City of Marion.

Now to another subject.  I will ask Chief Harry Daugherty, as well as Willy Sloan, Scott Smith and Dave Hogan representing local labor, join me at the podium.  United States Assistant Attorney Rich Murphy is unable to attend today.

Last October, I was approached by a drywall contractor who said he was having a problem competing with what he said were subcontractors who were employing what he thought were illegal aliens.  He asked if there was anything I could do.  The first thing I did was contact Chief Daugherty.  He confirmed what I had thought; there was nothing local authorities were able to do.

Later, I spoke with Mr. Sloan and other representatives of the local labor force.  During these conversations I became convinced that the problem with un-documented and falsely documented workers was in fact a growing problem, not only in the corridor but statewide.  These workers are not working as fruit pickers or even in the meatpacking industries.  They are in fact “picking” jobs in the building trades - drywalling, roofing, concrete, carpentry and other skilled jobs.  In doing so they are putting your friends and neighbors out of work.  According to reports published by Linn County, the average salary for a skilled carpenter is $10.75 an hour.  Those are 1970 wages, not 2006 wages.

After my discussions with leaders of our area work force, I decided to contact the United States Attorney.  A meeting was set up with the then United States Attorney Charles Larson, Sr., as well as Assistant United States Attorney Rich Murphy for the Northern District of Iowa, and Marion Chief of Police Harry Daugherty.

You may be asking, what is a mayor doing by getting involved in what is a national problem.  I think it is a national problem with a great deal of potential problems for us. Let me give you an example.  As was reported in the December 25, 2006 issue of the Newsweek magazine.  “Mayor Lou Beretta, wearing a bulletproof vest, as he pushed through an ordinance in July making English the only permissible official language.  The measure also levied stiff fines on landlords who housed undocumented immigrants and denied licenses to businesses that employed them”.   Although the ordinance was challenged  and struck down, it gives you an idea of what happens when a small city is overrun by undocumented, illegal immigrants.

This mayor felt physically threatened in his own council chamber.

I will also point to three articles recently reported in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. One  in which two people were prosecuted found guilty and are now serving prison terms of two  plus years in prison as well as being find and deported. The other two dealt with the production or use of false documents.

The only thing wrong was that these news articles were buried some where in the in side the paper. It’s possible that the people now using undocumented workers miss the article all together. I hope that this announcement will get their attention.

It is important to note that no one is out to get anyone.  However, un-documented and other illegal aliens are in fact a drain on local economy.  These workers provide nothing to the cities they live in.  They do not pay property taxes, 90% of their wages go directly back to their country of origin.  They do not have health insurance, which means their medical needs are met by using the emergency rooms at our hospitals and seldom pay for such services.  They are often exploited by the very subcontractor who hires them.

The City of Marion is taking steps to hire a new police officer at an estimated cost of $60,000 including salary and benefits.  We will select an experienced officer to be trained and be a member of the task force.

I now challenge other cities in the corridor to step to the plate and participate in this important endeavor.

We are now ready to take your questions.