InaugurationRemarksPublicAdvocateLetitiaJames IAMDEEPLYhonoredandhumbledtotakethisoathfortheOfficeofNewYorkCityPublic Advocate.Wordscannotexpressmygratitudetoallofthosewhogavetheirtimeandprayedfor thisdaytohappen.Individualsdedicatedtheirpreciousmomentstomakeadreamcomealive. Theyrepresentthebridgethatcarriedmeover. LikesomanyNewYorkers,mineisanunlikelystory.Aroadtraveledincrementallybymany beforeme,whichmadeitpossibleformetobeherebeforeyoutoday.TothemIdedicatethis day. Ineverexpectedtobeacitywideelectedofficialortomakehistoryasthefirstwomanofcolorto holdcitywideoffice. AsIstandhereinthisspacefilledwithanticipation,anchoredbythestrength,andwillofparents smilingdownfromheavenparentswithoutcredentialshumbledindividualsmoreaccustomedto backbreakingworkthandinnerparties.Theytaughtmetosetanexampleandserveasan inspirationtootherstofightforsomethinggreaterthanonesself.

Thatsenseofpurposewas sharpenedthroughoutmypublicschoolandlateratHowardUniversitySchoolofLawwhichset inmotionapublicservicecareer. IjoinedpublicservicebecauseIfeltitwasthesinglemosteffectivewaytochangetheoutlookof exclusionandmarginalizationthathasleftamarkonsomanyNewYorkersatonetimeor another. Thewaveofprogressivevictoriesourcityhasrecentlyenjoyedwas,insomeways,inevitable Thefabricofourcity,ofournationismadestrongbytheuntoldsacrificesofsomanywhoare leftdefenseless,unrepresented,unspokenfor,butatsomepointinhistorythetidemustturn thepoliciesthatmadethemvoicelessmustgivewaytoagovernmentthatworksforthemthat speaksforthemthatcaresmoreaboutachildgoinghungrythananewstadiumoranewtax creditforaluxurydevelopmentthatamajorityofNewYorkerscantafford.Toliveuptothat challengeandtobecenteredinourdecisionsisthetaskbeforethoseofuswhothinkof ourselvesastheprogressivewingofourcity. Evenasthetideturnstowardsprogress,wedonothavetheluxurytorestouroars. Thegrowinggapbetweenthehavesandthehavenotsundermineourcityandtearsthefabricof ourdemocracy. Weliveinagildedageofinequalitywheredecrepithomelesssheltersandhousingdevelopments standintheneglectedshadowofgleamingmultimilliondollarcondoswherelongtimeresidents arepricedoutoftheirownneighborhoodsbyrisingrentsandstagnantincomeswherestopand friskabusesandwarrantlesssurveillancehavebeentoutedassuccessstoriesasifcrimecan

onlybereducedbyinfringingonthecivillibertiesofpeopleofcolorwherewhatshouldbethe racetothetopforhighqualityeducationhasturnedintoaracetothebottomforstandardized testscoresandwherehospitalclosuresserveasanexistentialthreattothehealthofour communitiesandlibraryprivatizationmovesarelittlemorethanlandgrabsformoreluxury condos. Mostdisturbingly,weliveinanagewhereaNewYorkCityworkercanworkfulltimeandstill needfoodstampstofeedherfamilywheremoreandmorejobspaylowerandlowerwages untilwefindourselvesinaplacewherehalfofallNewYorkersarelivingatornearthepoverty line. Iveheardthestoriesfromfastfoodworkerswhoareworkingtwoorthreejobsandhelplessly sinkingintothepovertyabyss.Overthepastyearofcampaigningandorganizing,Ihavemet withindividualswhohavemadeascienceoutofstretchingapaltry$7.25anhouranactof magic,Icallitwhiletryingtosurviveinoneofthemostexpensivecitiesintheworld.Ihave joinedthematwalkoutsandpicketsandseenintheireyestheconstantfearoflosingtheirlast economiclifelines. Butinthoseeyes,Ihavealsoseenhopeenduringhopetheeternaloptimismthatkeepsaflame thelightintheireyes.LikethesparkinDasani'seyesthismorning. Inthefaceofaseeminglyendlessrecessionandanunsparingeconomicsystem,working peopleinourcitydontgiveup.Theirspiritshavenotbeenbroken.NewYorkersgetupeachday andfightandwhentheyreknockeddowntheygetupagainandfightsomemore. Thisisthespiritofourcity. Thisisthetenacityitwilltakeforourgovernmenttostrikeablowagainstinequalityandinjustice andmakeourcityworkforworkingpeopleagain.Itswhythoseofustakingtheoathofoffice todaywereelectedtoservebecausewitheachendingcomesanewbeginning. ThoughwemustrecognizethechallengesIlaidout,wemustalsocapitalizeontheunique opportunitiesonlyacityasamazingasNewYorkcanoffer.Westillhaveoneofthemost diverseandtalentedworkforcesintheworldnewindustriescontinuetoarriveandthriveinNew Yorkandourcityremainstheunquestionedhubofcreativity,commerce,andhuman advancementinourregion,andmaybetheworld. Thesechallengesandopportunitiescanonlybemeteffectivelyifweworktogether.Letthisbe ourlastingresolutiononthisnewday. IcongratulateMayorBilldeBlasioandComptrollerScottStringeraswecometogetherto celebratethishistoricdayandlaunchajourneythatwillmoveourentirecityforward.Allofus shareaprogressivevisionforthiscitysfuture. Ipledgetoworkcooperativelywithallofmycolleaguesandbuildrealconsensus.Indeed,moving NewYorkforwardwilltakehardworkandajointdetermination.

Ofcourse,ifworkingpeoplearentgettingtheirfairshare,ifourgovernmentisntsecuringthe reformsNewYorkerswerepromised,youbetterbelievethatDasaniandIwillstandupthatall ofuswillstandupandcalloutanyoneandanythingthatstandsinthewayofprogress. Electionsarenevertheculminationofcreatingchange,butsimplyafirststep.NewYorkers shouldjudgetheirgovernmentbywhetherwemakeimprovementsintheeducationsystemour childrenrelyon,whetherweimprovehealthcareaccessforourpatients,whetherwehelpcreate jobsthatpaymorethantheminimumwage,whetherwemakeourcityonethatissaferevenas werespectthecivilrightsofallNewYorkers,andwhetherwefocusmoreonbuildingsports arenasoraffordablehousing. Aboveall,ourgovernmentmustmaintainanunflinchingfocusonthespiritofthesebenchmarks. SotodaywecelebrateandgettoworktofulfillthepromiseswehavemadetoNewYorkers motivatedbythechallengesbeforeusandinspiredbythegreatnessofourcause. IthankyouforyourtrustandIammoredeterminedthanevertorollupmysleevesandseizethe opportunitiespresentedbythedawnofanewday. Onecity,together. GodblessyouallandGodblessourgreatcity.