DE LUCA SWORN IN TO NEW TERM

Mayor Vic De Luca today was sworn in to another three-year term on the Township Committee and a fourth straight year as mayor.


In his remarks, below, he discussed his long and difficult career winning and losing races, but ultimately bringing him to his most powerful position to date:

REMARKS OF VICTOR DE LUCA

January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

The 2011 election was very important to me. My first campaign for political office was thirty years ago, in 1982 when I ran for Newark Councilman-at-large. I lost. I ran again in 1986 and 1990 and lost both times.

           

In 1994, Janey and I became new homeowners in Maplewood. I got very involved in the community and low and behold became a candidate for Township Committee in 1997. I won. I ran again in 2000 – won; 2003 – lost; 2005, 2008 and 2011 – won, won and won.

So thanks to some many of you here today, I now have a winning political record, 5 wins and 4 loses. I’m finally legitimate.

You may be wondering why I have spent half my life playing politics. Well there’s the thrill of winning and the belief that the losses build character. But what’s really important is the service to the community. Each one of us up here has sought this position because we believe we can make a difference, to make the place where we live the best it can be. I think my time in public service has made a positive difference in your lives and our community.

My enthusiasm for serving my community has never waivered. Government is not the enemy. Government can and should be a powerful, positive force in our society to work toward common goals and seek shared solutions to the challenges before us.

So I have much to be thankful for as I stand before you. First and foremost, I want to thank Janey, my wife and best friend. She is my sounding board, campaigning partner, and chief critic and truth teller. Thank you for your support, love and understanding.

Thanks to my family and friends for your encouragement and support. Although my mom is no longer with us, I want to thank her and my father for raising a kid who pretty much turned out to be okay.

I had the chance to campaign with a terrific running mate, India Larrier. I look forward to serving with India. I know she will bring much to the position and her positive contributions to our decision making will make us a better Township Committee.

India and I want to thank the Maplewood voters. Capturing nearly eight of every ten votes this November was a very special win for us and I know that we will not disappoint you.

We have a great group of public servants on the Township Committee. I am excited about continuing to work with Kathy, Jerry and Marlon over the next year and know that we will accomplish a great deal. And I want to thank Fred Profeta for his nine years of service on the Township Committee.

I also want to thank the Maplewood Democratic Party and our district leaders for your support and assistance. Ian Grodman, Party Chair, and Garnet Hall, Vice-Chair, have kept us focused and together for the sake of the party and the community. I thank you for the work you have done.

My primary focus in 2012 will continue to be on local issues like controlling spending and taxes, sharing more services with other towns, keeping our neighborhoods safe, preserving our quality of life, and promoting responsible economic development.

I want to work with you to think through the different ideas we will come up with and find real and practical solutions to our common problems. We may not always agree but I am willing to listen and make the best decision I can for our community.

I also plan to spend time building a First Suburbs Network in the state, building off my visit to the White House last July. Working with Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, we will seek to develop a set of policy proposals that recognize the special challenges that inner ring suburbs face on educational funding, tax equity, transportation, affordable housing and sustainable development. We need to lobby in Trenton and D.C. to make sure our needs are fully understood and addressed.

And all of you know that 2012 is a presidential election year. I intend to be fully involved in the debate about the future of our country. The middle class and poor families have been hit hard by this recession. Median household incomes are at 1990 levels. Twenty-five million people are unemployed or can’t get full time work. More Americans are falling into poverty than at any time in the past 50 years. Meanwhile the share of income for the top 1 percent is at its highest levels in 30 years.     

In 1980 the average income for the very rich was 12.5 times the median household income. That gap has increased by nearly 300 percent to 36 times the median income. The top 5 percent hold over 60 percent of all private wealth in this country.

In Maplewood and across the state and nation, we need to discuss how we will address declining incomes, the increasing disparity in wealth, and the growing financial, housing and health insecurity of American families. I hope you too will be active in this election in which the stakes are so, so very high.

My friends, I am very happy to be embarking on another 1,096 days in office. I’m excited, energized and ready to go.  As partners, let’s continue to move Maplewood forward.

Thank you.