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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 349-07
September 30, 2007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG DISCUSSES TRIP TO FRANCE AND ENGLAND AND CHALLENGES FACING CITIES IN WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS

The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg’s weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, September 30, 2007

"Good morning. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg - greeting you all from Merry Olde England! Why have I traveled 3,000 miles across the ocean - especially in the middle of an exciting baseball pennant race in both leagues? Well, in today's world, great cities like London and New York must not only compete with one another; we also must learn from one another.

"That's why I'm going to be meeting with the mayor of London to learn about that city's congestion pricing system, which is similar to what we hope to implement on a trial basis in parts of Manhattan. We are also going to look at what they are doing to protect their financial district, since we're always striving to do everything possible to make our city safer from terrorism.

"And just yesterday, I was in France and met with the mayor of Paris who has introduced a very innovative public bicycle rental program to reduce auto traffic. We were eager to look at what they are doing because we're trying to make cycling in New York safer and more attractive, too.

"Modern cities face many of the same big challenges - from reducing crime to improving education to confronting climate change. If we can share strategies - if we can learn from each other's mistakes and successes - then we have a better chance of solving our common problems - no matter how complex or entrenched they may seem to be. A great example of that is our ever-growing, bi-partisan coalition of mayors from across the United States who have come together in the fight against illegal guns. But it's not the only example.

"In recent months, New York has welcomed the mayors of Baltimore and Los Angeles, who came to the City to learn about our efforts in turning our public schools around. We've taken the mayor of Washington D.C. on a tour of the open-floor bullpen at City Hall - and he's implemented the same set-up to improve transparency in his own offices. And the mayor of Houston has come to town to see our success in revitalizing neighborhoods and building affordable housing.

"These mayors come from different parties, different backgrounds, and different schools of thought. But we all have the same job: we're responsible for coming up with solutions - and then implementing them. We can't afford to be partisan or ideological. As the great Mayor LaGuardia once said, there's no Republican or Democratic way of picking up the garbage. We've got to solve real world problems in a realistic way.

"And I think the way that we've governed New York these past five years is in keeping with that spirit. We've put aside ideology, adopted the best ideas from both parties and from cities around the world and worked together on the issues that matter most. And because we have, we've got a City government where innovation thrives and results count.

"This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening - and I'll see you tomorrow back in the Big Apple."







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