Today, I will deliver my State of the City address. This speech will break slightly from tradition of previous speeches where I've discussed everything we've accomplished and our ambitious, policy-driven agenda. This year, I will stay confined to one subject: our City budget and how we can put Los Angeles back on a path to fiscal health.
Throughout the 229 year history of our diverse, thriving city, Los Angeles has weathered numerous economic challenges. Now, in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, we must make difficult choices to solve our $485 million deficit while protecting the City's core services: public safety, transportation and street services. The budget I will present today does this.
Any government's first obligation is public safety, and this budget stays true to the commitments we made to the people of Los Angeles to create a 21st century police department that is held to the highest ethical standards, is equipped to safeguard Angelenos and their communities, maintains the current force at current deployment levels, and funds the hiring of additional personnel to speed the processing of DNA kits.
This budget also funds the backbone of our transportation infrastructure. We will continue to build off the success of Measure R, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2008 to finance new transportation projects and programs. Construction projects related to Measure R could create annually almost 17,000 jobs with $746 million in annual earnings.
And since well-maintained streets are critical to the success of our transportation system, this budget provides for 735 miles of street resurfacing and crack sealing along some of this City's busiest roadways and for 300,000 small asphalt repairs to ensure that our streets are safe to travel.
And while we have funded these essential City services, there are others that we were unable to fund due to the economic situation with which we are faced. Balancing this budget required painful sacrifices and difficult cuts and I would be the first to point out that this budget does not reflect why I ran for office, it is far from perfect and there are many things that it does not do. For example, while we opened new libraries just this year, we are now asking our branch libraries to reduce their service from six days a week...to five. While we are keeping pools open this summer, we are asking many parks to reduce the programs they offer. And while we are paving streets at a fast pace, we are cutting the funding to repair potholes, pave alleys and trim trees.
I know it may be strange that I am criticizing my own budget, but I do so because I know we can do better. If we all share in the sacrifice to stop the cuts in services and prevent lay-offs; if we all consider taking cuts in our pay and contribute more to our benefits plans, we can avoid these cuts and protect our fiscal health and balance our budget. I know we can do this because I believe people of strong will and good faith can come together and find the common ground needed to secure a more sustainable future for Los Angeles. I encourage all of us to commit ourselves to this goal, share in the sacrifice and work together to create a better budget that will bring brighter days to the City of Los Angeles.
I hope you will be able to watch my speech today where I will elaborate on this and outline how we will keep Los Angeles solvent while also protecting our core priorities. This is not the first, nor will it be the last, economic crisis this great City will face. And I am confident that by working together, we will rise to the challenge before us and emerge a stronger and greater city.
Cross-posted at mayor.lacity.org