Good morning. As your Mayor, I welcome the opportunity to speak to Salinas at this critical time in our city’s history.

I want to thank (the two students) who shared their memory of their visit to Washington. What a privilege to witness the swearing-in of our first African-American president. These students remind us that many things are changing in this country. Old institutions, industries and political orders are falling away. But so are old prejudices, old fears, and old assumptions about what is possible and what is not. Adversity breeds possibility.

I also want to thank Supervisor Armenta for introducing me. I have enjoyed getting to know Supervisor Armenta this past year when he served as Chair of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. I admire his passion, his convictions and his belief that our hometown is special and worth fighting for.

I also want to acknowledge my colleagues on the City Council. They do a terrific job and are devoted to Salinas. I am honored to serve with each of them.

Typically a State of the City address looks back at the previous year and lays out a course of action for the coming year. I will do both briefly but within the context of the urgent moment we now find ourselves enduring as a community.

First, let me say this: I remain certain that we will build the great city we all hope for, work toward, imagine. It will be a city in which every neighborhood is safe and secure. It will be a city that is prosperous with a diversified and expanding economy. It will be an attractive, city that accurately reflects the hard-working character of its residents who came here to raise their families in peace and believe that tomorrow will always be better than today.

I am committed to that vision, to build that reality and I know you are too. But today is a day to focus on those who would challenge that vision.

Salinas has been dealing with the issue of gangs at some level for nearly forty years and more acutely the last twenty. It sometimes seems that it will never improve. The problem is simple, deceptively so: we have too many gang members and associates in Salinas. A subculture that directly participates in, enables or ignores gang activity has taken root in our community. Whether it’s ten percent or twenty percent of families with ties to gang activity, one hundred percent of the city is now affected.

Of course, there are so many positive things in Salinas, so many things to be proud of. I wish I could talk about those things today. But the problem with gang violence is that it allows a relatively small number of individuals to overshadow the good work of an entire community. So today we must focus on how to respond to the immediate threat that concerns us all.

This isn’t just our problem: gang violence is becoming a more serious issue throughout Monterey County. In fact, gang activity has reached crisis proportions throughout much of California.

So why has it gotten so bad in Salinas? Our proximity to Soledad prison is certainly a contributing factor. But Salinas and Monterey County also sit in the middle of California.

We are on the front lines, pushing back against a more aggressive, increasingly expansionist Southern gang element that seeks to push north. We face an internal and external threat simultaneously.

The magnitude of the problem continues to grow rapidly throughout the United States and is viewed by many as a potential national security issue. Because of our location, Salinas is one of the centers of gravity.

There has been a lot of discussion over the past weeks. It’s natural and healthy for us to debate the best way forward. But we must not allow those debates to prevent us from coming together to meet a common challenge. Winston Churchill once said, “If we open a quarrel between past and present we shall see that we have lost the future. It is time now to choose the path towards a successful future. That future will require courage, commitment and support from every member of this community.

The Council has agreed to concentrate on four key areas for the balance of this year. First, we need to use every available resource at our disposal to reduce violence and restore a sense of security. Second, we need to build the foundation for long-term peace by continuing to revitalize our city’s economy. Third, we need to align our available resources and personnel with community priorities. And lastly, we have to do a better job at communicating what we have been doing, what we will do, and how each member of this community can be involved.

I’d like to talk about our number one priority: a SAFE Salinas. Chief Ortega is responsible for that effort.

I want to pause for a moment and comment about Dan Ortega. We are fortunate that Chief Ortega agreed to stay on while we are searching for a new Police Chief.

Because of the high regard the Chief is held in statewide and federal law enforcement circles we likely have more options than other cities might in similar circumstance. So to Salinas and the Chief I say this may be one of your last hours on watch...but I will vouch for you that it will be one of your finest. Thank you for your service.

Under Chief Ortega’s leadership, we are deploying every resource currently at our disposal to meet this threat. Every available officer has been pulled from desk duty back to the streets.

Cooperation continues with the Sheriff’s Office and the Highway Patrol is returning to the streets of Salinas through a Cal Grip grant. So we’ll see even more officers on our streets during the coming months. This is not a guarantee that violence will end, but there is clear evidence that more officers equals less crime.

Other police operations are occurring that cannot be discussed publicly, including the important work of the Monterey County Gang Task Force that the County has fortunately been able to find the resources to continue in these difficult financial times. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has just assigned two officers to work directly with the Police Department to help evaluate all firearms cases for possible Federal prosecution.

Earlier this week the City and the Salinas Police Department announced an Exploratory Collaborative with the Naval Postgraduate School. I want to thank Congressman Farr for his continued support of Salinas and for introducing me to the Team Monterey concept. This unique potential partnership will provide an opportunity to develop new approaches to an old problem.

Despite the increased police presence we’ll see in the next year, the violence is likely to continue at some level for the foreseeable future. But the vast majority of residents and visitors are safe and can go about their business as usual. In fact, we must do just that.

We can help end violence by continuing to build this vibrant community – by going out to dinner, joining Mayor Pro Temp Della Rosa’s neighborhood block parties or Council member Sanchez’s neighborhood patrols, taking kids to a Closter Park that is being transformed thanks to the leadership of Council member Tony Barrera, or supporting the Chamber of Commerce’s Buy Local program. We have miles to go but let’s continue to take those first steps. But withdrawing and living in fear will make the problem worse.

For those who have chosen the high-risk lifestyle of gang involvement I have a different message: “We cannot tolerate gang members in our midst any more. We will make Salinas SAFE with the hard work of all. We’ll do it, for our City
and our nation. That means every block and every neighborhood.
Every person of good will in this city deserves freedom from fear.

We cannot end gang violence in Salinas until every family takes responsibility for its own. Parents and siblings must watch out for signs of gang involvement and be willing to come forward with information. I know that many don’t do so because they’re fearful or unfamiliar with the system. But that cycle must be broken. When you protect a gang, that’s not an act of love or friendship. When you protect a gang member, you’re endangering your family and your community.

Starting February 11th Parents can call the new United Way Monterey County 211 line to find out where to get help. An impressive array of service providers are ready, organized and willing to help non-violent gang members looking for a new start. But the days when hardened criminals could live with impunity must end.

Chief Ortega has made it clear there is no substitute for additional police personnel on the streets to suppress the current wave of violence. We face the challenge of needing to keep an increased law enforcement presence on the streets while dealing with a severe financial crisis.

The Council will have to make tough decisions on this matter this year and in my view the public needs to be prepared for a revenue discussion if that response is to be sustained. It is a necessary and unavoidable conversation if we wish to meet the challenge this problem presents today and tomorrow. Simply put, we need more police and that will cost more money. We as a city have to decide if we can and will pay for it.

How to get more officers is today’s challenge. The City is already preparing to meet tomorrow’s challenges brought on by this fiscal crisis. The Common Sense Grant the City secured to introduce a new “deliberative democracy” concept on February 26th at the Firehouse Recreation Center will allow Salinas residents to thoroughly discuss the level of service they desire from the city.

I am pleased to report that there have been significant offers to provide help to Salinas. Part of Commander McMillan’s role as the Community Safety Alliance Director will be to help coordinate the various financial and technical offers that have been offered for the purposes of gaining information and access to new technology.

We are taking action now to confront this threat – through the Community Safety Alliance and with groups such as the Monterey County Children’s Council. Together we have been building our capabilities for the past several months.

Ultimately, we will look to the new Police Chief to develop and implement the law enforcement strategy to turn Salinas into the peaceful City we wish to live in…a city of safe and secure neighborhoods.

We already know that until we have a bigger police department that has the size and capacity to implement a meaningful community policing strategy, our new Chief will need “extra help”.

That means that until city revenues increase, we must organize a “strategic ask” in both Sacramento and Washington to supplant our efforts.

After all, Salinas must now do more than end gang violence. It must break the back of organized crime in this region if all of us are to live in peace. That’s more than medium-sized cities with limited resources are generally asked to do on their own. The legislative committee work of Council members Barnes and Lutes will be of critical importance in the coming months to support this strategy.

If we are to sustain our suppression efforts and break the perpetually starting and stopping cycle of violence, we’ll need cooperation and coordination at both the state and federal level. Regional support is also important.

I am pleased to acknowledge a close personal friend and advisor former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery who is here with us today. I have asked for Tom’s help because of his contacts and concern for Salinas. He knows full well that even his beloved San Jose has a stake in the outcome of this battle. And I have asked him to help assemble the resources we need and he has agreed.

Tom also shares my vision that creating an economic connection with the Silicon Valley will offer better alternatives than gangs members currently believe they might have. It is no coincidence that one of America’s safest large cities sits in the center of the world’s most dynamic economic engine. The Salinas Valley is uniquely situated to become the “Fresh Extension” of the Silicon Valley by tying together such elements as Ag Research, plant biotech and green/sustainable science to name just a few.

The Salinas Valley has the resources, production know-how, and entrepreneurial spirit. These things, combined with the Venture Capital resources of the Silicon Valley could lead to the Valley’s 2nd Green Gold Rush. That’s why the Salinas Renaissance Downtown Initiative and Alisal Marketplace are so important, so that we will be in position to capture opportunity. Combined with the scheduled arrival of Cal Train to our railroad station in 2012, we will be ready to succeed.

With that in mind, supporting economic development is the second critical initiative this year. I believe we can revitalize our economy, even in the midst of this national downturn, by providing incentives for new businesses to relocate to the Salinas Valley. And providing economic opportunity, of course, will help build long-term peace.

I am pleased to announce that our conditional state approval of the new Salinas Valley Enterprise Zone has just been made official. This is great news for Salinas, the four Valley cities and could not have come at a better time. Jeff Weir is to be commended for his tenacity to see this process through the State bureaucracy.

We have a lot of challenges ahead of us. In order for the City to perform effectively and meet community expectations priorities will have to be set, identified and communicated to the organization, Council and Community. Hard choices will need to be made. The Council has agreed at its recent goal setting session to create a plan that will guide daily activity and will be directed by City Manager Artie Fields.

The plan’s priorities will be reflected in the budget that is passed for the next fiscal year in June. One critical key is to continue to work closely with the County on an agreed upon set of priorities that will support key social and economic opportunities.

I know that there remain many unanswered questions, and concerns about the right way forward. Many people in this city are looking for a way to help. That’s why I want to thank Buckley Broadcasting for coming forward with their inspiring Enough social marketing initiative. Besides, this unique sponsor paid advertising effort they are teaming with the City for an important Town hall meeting hosted by Barry Brown on February 18th at Sherwood Hall.

It will be an opportunity for the community to hear answered frequently asked questions, ask questions and meet with city leaders and learn about opportunities to get involved. More meetings will be scheduled in the coming months.

I want to assure Salinas of one thing: across local government, in City Hall, at the Police Station, in neighborhood centers and churches and schools, people are working to bring security, safety and prosperity back to Salinas.

That may be of small comfort when violence strikes, as it has – at unacceptable levels – over the past few months. I understand the feeling of anger, of powerlessness, that can hit when Salinas falls victim to this kind of violence. But the truth is that we are not powerless. The violence comes in part from our own community. And it will be stopped by our own community.

Part of the solution, a very large part, lies with local government and law enforcement. The initiatives we have in place will go a long way towards reducing violence and bringing back the city we deserve. But we can’t legislate or even arrest our way to peace. Every member of this community must do his part to build peace – from the student who decides to go to class instead of skipping, to the business owner who gives a job to an at-risk teen, to the mother who convinces her son to stay off the streets.

I grew up in Salinas, as you know, and I’ve seen us go through hard times before. I’ve seen this community come together in difficult hours and forge a path forward, together. There is no question that this is a serious moment in the life of this city. But I do believe even more strongly now that our best days lie ahead of us.

As I prepared to speak to you, I was glancing at Tom McEnery’s book the New City-State. He talks about inspiration to serve, how much of it came from the people of his city. He was right. It is an honor to serve as Mayor, and to imagine the future of Salinas. Because as his good friend Luis Valdez said, the Future still belongs to those who can imagine it.