Attendance for the Denver mayor’s State of the City address was light compared to previous years, which might be due to the location in the broiling sun of the Greek Amphitheatre of the Civic Center Park at 8 a.m.

Opening ceremonies included Hazel Miller singing a breathtaking rendition the National Anthem, which was certainly a relief to the Mayor’s Office after last year’s surprise switcheroo by Rene Marie who sang “The Black National Anthem.” Miller was radiant and her voice ran its usual range of deep and stirring octaves, with emphasis on creative and sultry, as people are accustomed to hearing with this local diva of gospel music.

The usual city official procession came up to the dais with Councilwoman Jeanne Robb leading the overtures. Mayor John Hickenlooper was introduced a slight bit early and remarked, “that I apparently need no introductions.”

He read his entire speech on cue from the teleprompter with many ovations in reference to individuals who were present for the proceedings; among them Governor Bill Ritter, who was lauded more than once in what seemed to be a campaign endorsement. 

The theme of the State of the City address was characterized in the last line, “Let’s get to work.”  This referred to how Denver needs to roll up its sleeves and revitalize the economy in the wake of the Democratic National Convention and the economic disaster that stares America in the face. Many of the opening remarks by the mayor centered on the $120 million deficit that must be rectified by the city. He alluded to businesses being affected with foreclosures and shutting down, and the impact on FasTracks.   

Transportation And The Economy

FasTracks was at the core of the mayor’s message. He emphasized that the creating the hub of Union Station and the surrounding infrastructure took a collaboration of partners; including the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the state Department of Transportation, the Regional Transportation District and the City and County of Denver. The mayor emphasized that this is the most ambitious transportation plan in the nation.

He often compared his efforts to those of past mayors and emphasized, in much the same manner as Franklin Roosevelt, that, “Our community has not been reckless, but neither have we been afraid of risk.” 

Throughout the address, many comparisons were made to previous times such as the Great Depression. At the same time, he cited optimistic facts such as how Denver “increased its real estate sales in the first quarter of 2009, while some cities decreased by as much as 30 percent.”

Over and over again, he alluded to the business interests and the welfare of the thriving community. He mentioned the stage is set in 2010 for seven weeks of the “World’s Fair of art and ideas bringing together the brightest and most talented” people from the Americas.   

Youth And Education

He then went on to consider momentarily the achievement of “3,000 kids and 800 providers serving low income 4-year-olds” in the city’s new preschool program. Next year, he projected the number of 4-year-olds served to rise to 5,500. 

He emphasized the program, 5 by 5, which supplements Head Start. This innovative program exposes preschool children to 80,000 visits to 12 cultural venues. 

The mayor next explained that $16 million has been secured in scholarships due to the Denver Scholarship Foundation for students continuing in higher education. He also emphasized the Citywide Youth Strategic Plan in the coming year. 

Social Services, Poverty And Safety

Then, the Mayor turned to people who are living in poverty, mentioning the strides in health care that are national models for the Obama administration through Denver Health. He mentioned the work of Denver’s Road Home as a national mode” in raise money and awareness and the faith initiative, helping, “1,300 families into homes, and keeping them in them.” He initiated this part of his address by speaking about the 900 families who through counseling, “fended off the threat of eviction.” 

In the final chorus of the address, the mayor emphasized the increase in the amount of crime and the corresponding drop in crimes against individuals. The number of crimes against property has risen, which he said, “is no surprise that often in down economic times we tend to see a corresponding rise in crime.”

The mayor repeatedly praised individuals such as Sergeant Wiley who was awarded the Life Saving Award, for saving a 2-year-old child’s life. These moments elicited the most visible responses from the audience. 

A Time For Change And Work

In his closing remarks, the mayor emphasized this “time of transformation.” He thanked Gov. Ritter for his efforts in the “New Energy Economy,” and said, “The new American economy that is only yet beginning to emerge will invest and grow in places that embrace change, celebrate innovation and where people work toward a common good.” 

Then, the Mayor concluded, “Let’s get to work.” 

Author’s Footnote: Concern About The Untold Message

With unemployment continuing to rise and Department of Human Services budget continuing to shrink, the people who are marginalized were scarcely a footnote in the mayor’s address, whereas in previous performances there were great expectations for solving poverty and homelessness.

What those of us who work and effect policy change at the state legislature quickly discern is that America is growing weary of the burden of shouldering the responsibility for the poor. As the burden of the poor swells and mushrooms, there is a tendency to shun them from Union Station and the corridors of the multi-modal transportation system. There is a tendency to displace them from Downtown Denver.

New plans at City Park will drive away the vagrants. The city is failing to live up to its own solutions for the low-income housing crisis which projected in September 2008 that 30,000 units of low-income housing were necessary for the years 2008 to 2018 in Denver. Only 3,500 units of housing were projected to be built, and none of them is being developed. 

The limits of the public will to embrace homelessness and solve the persistent and deep rooted issues of poverty is at the heart of what is wrong with America as is expressed in the “People’s History of Poverty in America,” published in 2008. We cannot afford to allow economic hardship to dictate cuts in spending of the Department of Human Services, and we cannot afford to turn our backs on the marginalized families. The efforts of the faith community are staggering and insufficient to stem the tide of long-term neglect and the unintended consequences of more and more children facing a life of hardship and incarceration. One determining factor of the number of jail cells is the number of 4th graders who do not read at grade level. 

If America is to show true grit and innovation, then the Pope is right that there must be a redistribution of the wealth of America, not to favor business interests. The quality of life of all citizens must be subjected to the litmus test of, “What is enough for you to have to live well?” America must reconstruct the character and scope of community for us to survive, whether these are hard times or the best of times.