Happy New Year!

As we face the dawn of 2006, the future of our borough is extremely bright. Brooklyn continues to undergo what many see as almost quantum changes resulting from economic development initiatives and soaring real estate values. Despite this growth, we must not forget those who struggled through the difficult times when much of the borough was red-lined out of mortgages and investment. Rest assured, I will continue to support those programs and projects that are sensitive to these realities.

Our seniors and youth continue to be the most vulnerable members of our communities and they must also be included in our celebrations of good fortune or those celebrations will be empty and meaningless.
As you look forward to the New Year’s offerings, please take time to reflect on the past year and remember and honor those pathfinders who have passed on: Shirley Chisholm, Rosa Parks, Kenneth Clark, Johnnie Cochran, Jr., Ossie Davis, John H. Johnson, Constance Baker Motley, Luther Vandross, August Wilson, Richard Pryor and others who have enriched our lives.

Similarly, we must be ever-mindful and prayerful of those who protect us and our way of life in their various capacities, regardless of their affiliations and wherever they may be in the world. At the same time, we must be steadfast and vigilant against the erosion of civil rights and the moral values that are the bedrock of being American.

Again, I wish you and your family all the best that the New Year has to offer.