Have a Happy and Safe New Year

New Year’s Eve is upon us. Tonight is a time for families and friends to get together and celebrate the year that has passed, and toast the one to come. I will be celebrating this New Year’s with my family and thousands more at Bayfront Park, where the City of Miami will host a huge party featuring concerts by the Spam Allstars and Betty Padgett & Elements of Funk, all before a countdown with Miami’s own “Big Orange.” Remember to have a safe evening, and I invite everyone to join me and my family as we ring in the New Year.

-Manny

Dali Comes to Miami

Salvador Dali is one of the greatest artists of the last century. His work can be seen in buildings and paintings throughout Europe and the Americas. The City of Miami, due to the efforts of Miami Dade College, has been able to bring us Dali’s “Divine Comedy”, on display at the Freedom Tower. The “Divine Comedy” is Dali’s visual interpretation of Dante’s classic piece of literature, and presents the viewer with a combination of jarring and beautiful imagery.

I thoroughly enjoyed viewing Dali’s collection, and encourage the residents of Miami to take this opportunity to experience the work of a truly great and visionary artist. With the holiday season in full swing, and leisure time being made available to families across the city, now is the perfect time for our residents to see great art in one of Miami’s most iconic buildings.

To read more about this exhibition visit MDC's page.

-Manny

Have a Happy and Green Holiday

The City of Miami encourages you to have a "Greener" Holiday Season this year. Please consider the following three simple steps to help conserve our natural resources.


1. Save Energy, Save Money! Make sure to select energy saving LED lights for holiday decorating. LEDs have a lower wattage and generate much less heat than traditional strands. Set all holiday lights on a timer for increased energy efficiency.

2. Rethink the Gift Wrap. When wrapping your gifts, select gift wrap made of recycled paper, old newspapers, magazines, or pictures. Reusing gift boxes, bags & ribbons can also help reduce waste. Finish off your present with a recycled card to add just the perfect green touch!

3. Recycle Your Tree! This holiday season, prolong the usefulness of your Christmas tree by turning it into mulch and using it for gardening or landscaping. You can also have it picked up and recycled through the City of Miami's curbside recycling collection up until Februadry 4th. To find out more information, contact the City of Miami Solid Waste Department at 305.960.2801.


Happy Holidays and a Happy (and Greener) New Year!


-Manny

USCM Releases Third Report of Main Street Recovery Plan

The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently released the third installment of their Ready-to-Go Jobs Report that inventories infrastructure projects from cities around the country that could be started and completed in just two calendar years to create over a million jobs with help from federal dollars.

This report contains examples of the kinds of projects that, if funded through existing channels, would contribute significantly to the President-elect's stated goal of creating 2.5 million jobs to spur the national economy.

The USCM, an organization that I preside, represents over 1,300 mayors and their cities. The organization invited its members to submit what projects they could start right away and put people to work.

Investing in MainStreet metropolitan economies, which comprise 90% of our gross domestic product and drive the national economy, is the most direct path to creating jobs and stimulating the business that can begin to reverse the current economic downturn. Additionally, metro infrastructure projects can start quickly because the funding for them can come directly to their cities through existing funding channels such as the Community Development Block Grant.

The mayors of 641 cities of all sizes in all regions of the country reported a total of 15,221 local infrastructure projects are "ready to go." These projects represent an infrastructure investment of $96,638,419,313 that would be capable of producing an estimated 1,221,677 jobs in calendar years 2009 and 2010.

The USCM accepted each city’s project submittal, and each Mayor and City is responsible for its justification for putting these projects forward.

However, Mayors recognize that this list must go through a review process through which Congress and the new Administration will identify projects eligible for funding. During this process, the new Administration and Congress must create a selection criteria to decide which projects are feasible and would be of most benefit to the community.

To view the entire report and individual city results, please go to http://www.usmayors.org/.

- Manny

Bike Miami Days 2009 Launching Sunday, January 18th

I am happy to announce the Bike Miami Days continues to be a successful, free & family community event here in the City of Miami. I am dedicated to making sure that the City of Miami hosts this event every month - our next Bike Miami Day will take place Sunday, January 18th in Downtown Miami. The street closures will extend down West Flagler Street, opening up access to bicyclists and pedestrians to the Cultural Center, the Miami River Greenway and Lummus Park. The schedule of free events will be posted soon at Bike-Miami.com, but I can tell you now that there will be a Riverfront Rally, tours of the City of Miami Police Stables, and bicycle rentals, all new to Bike Miami Days.

Thank you to everyone who supports this initiative to promote cycling, livable streets and Miami's growing urban community. Save the date!

-Manny

We Must Continue the Port of Miami Tunnel Project

The Port of Miami Tunnel project, part of the Global Agreement, has been a dream of City of Miami planners for decades, with the ultimate aim of its construction being the relief from congestion that currently clogs our downtown streets near the entrance of Miami’s port. It has been our goal to get this important infrastructure project approved and finished, in the hopes that its construction will make our downtown more livable.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s decision not to close the deal on the Port of Miami Tunnel project is unacceptable. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and I held a press conference yesterday urging Governor Charlie Crist to reconsider FDOT's decision.
The $457.5 million dollar investment will bring an immediate influx of cash into our economy. The construction of the tunnel will create an estimated 600 jobs, jobs that will go to our residents and will help protect Florida’s largest economy from the recession we are currently facing. The tunnel, recommended by FDOT as a means of improving the flow of traffic and relieving congestion, is vital to the future of Miami as a major player in the world economy.
During this time of ever increasing economic hardship we, as a city, county and state, need to have projects in place that not only create jobs, but improve our competitiveness and invest in our future.

The port, Miami’s second most important economic engine, employs 17,000 people, generates over two-billion dollars in business and has an immediate economic impact worth well over half-a-billion dollars. With increasing competition from Port Everglades, Jacksonville, Panama and a slew of ports in the Caribbean, can the state really allow Miami’s port, the state’s most important to lose its position as a global player? The answer is no, and we implore Governor Crist to do his part and provide the assistance that we need to improve the sustainability, resident friendly and competitive position that downtown Miami has developed over the last ten years.

Please read the letter sent to Governor Crist HERE

- Manny

Listen in on NPR Interview

Listen to Mayor Manny Diaz’s December 15 interview in National Public Radio’s Tell Me More with Michel Martin. Some of the subjects discussed include the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Homelessness and Hunger report as well as its Main Street Recovery Plan and the current economic situation in Miami.

Listen HERE