December 29, 2008
Light Rail is Here
Mayor Phil Gordon
Thank you all very much. What a night!
I was thinking the other day about how many national leaders and big thinkers Arizona has produced over our relatively brief history. People like Ernest McFarland, who rose to the very top of three branches of government: Governor of Arizona, Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, and Majority Leader of the United States Senate. People like Barry Goldwater, Mo Udall, and Bruce Babbitt -- a Senator, Representative and Governor who in addition to their stellar service to Arizona, ran honorable campaigns for the Presidency. And Bruce Babbitt, of course, went on to serve in the President's Cabinet.
People like John Rhodes, who served as Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.
People like Carl Hayden who, twice in our nation's history, was 2 heartbeats away from the Presidency. And not long ago, Arizona boasted 2 of the 9 Justices of the United States Supreme Court -- and the most visible two at that: Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Most recently, of course, we were privileged to see our good friend, John McCain move to the front of the national stage. Senator McCain, I'm proud to point out, will be remembered always -- and with honor -- wherever the history of our country is recorded.
Visionaries, one and all. And they thought big.
Some ideas, as we all know, are bigger than others. And a generation ago, many of our leaders had a VERY big idea. At the time, there were a lot of naysayers. It was called a "Folly". "Pork".
Today of course, there are no naysayers and the Central Arizona Project sends Colorado River water on a 350 mile ride into Central and Southern Arizona. It is the largest aqueduct system in the United States and assures us all that, when we turn on the tap -- now and a century from now -- our drinking glasses will be full.
That wasn't an easy trail to navigate. But Arizona's leadership blazed that trail with distinction. They did what we asked them to do. They led. And we continue to thank those who came before us. Those who saw the future, rolled up their sleeves, and made sure we were prepared to get there.
Today, of course, Arizona is still producing big thinkers -- visionaries who are still looking for ways to prepare us for the future that is surely coming. They, too had a big idea. They too, suffered the chorus of naysayers. Their idea, too, was called "Folly". And "pork".
But as before -- today the chorus of naysayers is now little more than a voice in the distance. And tomorrow, our future begins.
It is easy to look at light rail as just another transportation option in a Valley that is crying out for transportation options. But it's more than that.
And it's easy to think of light rail as a way to keep our air a little cleaner and our freeways a little less congested. But it's more than that, too.
These 20 miles of light rail will move us from the East Valley, to the West Valley connecting people, campuses and communities. And those 20 miles are serving as a new economic engine -- a quiet, non-polluting economic engine igniting investment and development that will be felt from Page to Nogales.
So the question today isn't, "should we have built this"? Today, the question is, "how soon can we build more"?
So let me acknowledge the big thinkers -- this new generation of leadership that is responsible for bringing us all together tonight.
First, the people of Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa and Tempe who shared the vision and offered their support.
This day belongs to you.
My current colleagues on the Phoenix City Council, and former mayors Skip Rimsza and Neil Giuliano -- Mayor Hugh Halman, Mayor Keno Hawker, Mayor Elaine Scruggs, and former Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten. Each of you looked beyond the next election and, for that matter, beyond the next generation.
This day belongs to you.
Senator Jon Kyl, whose advice, counsel and expertise helped us navigate our way through the hard-to-navigate Congress of the United States.
This day belongs to you.
The Bush Administration, and Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. You saw and understood the wisdom of it all -- and made our METRO system the largest "new start" rail system in America.
This day belongs to you.
To my friends Tom Callow, Ed Zuercher, and Maria Hyatt from the City of Phoenix. And to the man who guides them all, City Manager Frank Fairbanks -- you took the ideas and our shared vision and turned it all into steel, stops and stations.
And this day belongs to you.
And finally, to the man who drove this train from the beginning -- this day belongs to you, most of all. If it wasn't called "METRO", it would surely be called, "ED".
Congressman Ed Pastor.
So thank you one and all. It's been quite a ride and, with light rail here at last, that ride only gets better.