Speeches

Department of Neighborhood Services
During the campaign for the Mayor’s office, we talked a lot about “Nurturing the Neighborhoods” – and that’s just what we plan to do. The heart of this effort will be the staff and resources of the Department of Neighborhood Services. The department’s new administrator, Beverly Johnson, is a seasoned professional with a reputation for efficient organization and effective execution of assigned tasks.
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Mortgage Brokers Association Speech
I have been involved in Chattanooga not just in politics but in development for a long time. I hope you all being in the mortgage banking business will appreciate the fact that you can live in Chattanooga or near Chattanooga and do business here.
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Wuxi Sister Cities Speech
We have a saying in my country – in my community.  We say “The best friends are old friends.”  Old friends are comfortable in the presence of one another. Old friends have no need to go through all those initial rituals and extravagant introductions and explanations that newness often requires.  Old friends – as we say – “have history.”
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Inaugural Remarks
It was a long and contentious election and campaign and now we are engaged in a whirlwind transition.  Instead of six weeks to prepare my cabinet, we’ve got less than six days.  There has been little time to reflect.  But one thing I have been thinking about is that it is time to repair relationships and it is time to move on.
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