To have equal upportunity to make a decision for this very important race, I asked Henry for his similar platform which follows.
The following are excerpts from my announcement speech. In it, I spell out why I am ready to be Mayor of Pawtucket and what my plans are for the city. To find out more about my vision for Pawtucket and the issues that I feel are important, please visit www.kinchformayor2010.org.
Thank you,
Henry S. Kinch Jr.
I am ready on “Day One” to make Pawtucket a better place to live and work. I have a proven record of getting results. Simply put, when I say, “I’ll do it”, it gets done. That’s what Pawtucket needs, action not words.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a time for on-the-job training or taking a chance that the job won’t get done. We need a Mayor who follows through on ideas, especially during this time of historic economic uncertainty. Pawtucket needs a strong leader with the education, experience, and drive for excellence to move us forward. I will be that mayor on “Day One.”
Tonight, I am applying for a job and here is the resume that has prepared me for “Day One.”
As Parks Commission Chairman, I personally led the effort to equip every one of our athletic fields with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machines to treat Sudden Cardiac Arrest, which I hope will help avoid the tragedies that have occurred in neighboring towns.
As a candidate for city council, while others championed a Charter amendment to create a third municipal court judge with the associated costs to the taxpayers, I vehemently opposed it and lead the opposition to defeat its adoption. Guess what? We won!
In a community that pays more than its share of taxes, I was offended, like many other residents, when trash disposal rules were changed without notice or public input; therefore, I wrote the “Kinch Public Input” ordinance that guarantees all Pawtucket residents time to speak at all board and commission meetings. This ordinance showed Pawtucket as a leader in public policy once again.
The Providence Journal credited Pawtucket with doing, “what few cities have done, but should”, and “elevating citizens sense of their…right to free speech.” Most importantly to me, it sent the message to our residents that we care about their ideas to improve their government.
In the spirit of open government, as City Councilman, I held community meetings I entitled “Neighborhood Night Out” to hear the thoughts and proposals of the people I represent. As Mayor, I will continue city-wide “Mayor’s Night Out” for the same purpose.
I wrote the ordinance that scaled back fees on bulk items to reduce the amount of dumping in our city and to give the taxpayers a bang for their buck.
When it was clear that city vehicles were being abused for personal use, and in a recession no less, I wrote the ordinance that cut the take home fleet by half and put responsibility back into the use of city cars. That law has saved taxpayers thousands of dollars in fuel costs alone.
I resurrected the dialogue regarding the placement of School Resource Officers (SRO) in our high schools. Through a combination of grant money and personnel savings, police presence in our high schools is now a reality.
I wrote the Fiscal Note law that assures the Council is informed of the budget impact of municipal contracts before they are ratified.
Speaking of contracts, I worked with the Administration, my fellow city councilors, and the labor unions to ratify multi-year contracts that will save over 2 million dollars over the life of the agreements. These agreements have begun to make the structural changes that are imperative in a new economy. To the men and women who make up our city’s workforce, I say Thank You for doing your part.
That’s where I have been; now, where are we going?
. . .
Let me give you a preview of where I want to take our city:
I am going to focus on economic development like a laser beam. I will adopt what I will call a “North to South Strategy.” The river that flows north to south through the middle of downtown Pawtucket is the same body of water that flows through the City of Providence. We must use it to its maximum potential.
Therefore, as one of the first orders of business as Mayor, I will direct the Planning Department to do a parcel by parcel assessment of the waterfront. I want to know which land is buildable and which is not, what is polluted and what is not, and who owns what. Once that is done, we will develop an aggressive marketing plan and strategy in conjunction with the Pawtucket Foundation, Pawtucket’s business leaders, and the Riverfront Commission
Stabilizing property taxes will rest in large part with economic development success, but it will take a tough Mayor with experience and a plan, a Mayor who will hold developers to their word and a Mayor who, if a plan fails, will take responsibility and start again, and will not blame others. I will be that Mayor on “Day One.”
. . .
I understand the tax burden that we bear. If we keep on the road we are on, nothing will change. I speak with people every day who have trouble making ends meet. I understand how it feels when things get tight at the end of the month.
To my fellow citizens of Pawtucket, I know that it is my job to provide the basic services that you expect, and deserve, at the lowest cost possible. I will look to reorganize city departments and reduce spending to save money; in fact, I have testified before the Charter Review Commission and have suggested language changes that will give the Mayor the tools needed to do just that.
I will look for any and all ways to reduce spending before I ask the taxpayers of Pawtucket for another penny.
There is real promise in the area of consolidating water distribution. Some have suggested selling our new water plant to a private entity. That is the wrong approach. But merging with other communities will lead to higher consumption and therefore, lower rates. It is time to put regionalization and consolidation of services at the top of the public policy agenda and I will lead the way.
. . .
No President of the United States is quoted more often by my generation than John F. Kennedy. There are some quotes that we all know by heart and we know where we were when we first heard them.
However, the one that has always resonated with me is from a speech he made in 1963 where he declared in part, “Our problems are man-made, therefore they can be solved by man.”
My friends, our problems are solvable. We all have to do our part, but there must be a leader to chart the course out of the woods and into the clearing as we seek solutions and make our plan for the future. I am ready to be that leader the second I take the oath of office on “Day One”.
