Quote

We need to preserve our neighborhoods, our small business, our local economy.

We must renew our efforts to keep our communities safe, from the dangers of terrorists from foreign lands and from common criminals here at home. Let no criminal believe that tough fiscal times will yield an open cell door and a ticket to freedom.

We can't do much about ensuring that the homeland is safe if our local police and sheriffs' departments don't have the personnel they need to keep our streets and neighborhoods secure.

We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer - our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation.

Just as important as our society as a whole are our small communities: our neighborhoods, workplaces and schools.

We can build new housing while preserving the quality and character of adjacent residential districts and ensuring infill development strengthens the surrounding neighborhood.

We have to ensure we are aggressively enforcing existing laws.

Our community is like many around the country that have, as the gentleman from New York referenced, sophisticated planning and zoning regulations. These are elements that are developed as a result of local community pressure to balance interests.

For my part, I plan to work out a fair and adequate redistribution of city services to all city neighborhoods.

I urge the Bush Administration to rethink its priorities. We can't talk about community values without being prepared to invest in those very same communities.