Remarks of Mayor Mark Begich
Swearing-In Ceremony
4 p.m.; July 1, 2003; Anchorage Performing Arts Center

Fellow citizens of Anchorage – thank you for your kindness, and for your unwavering support. You are the reason we are together on this special occasion. Once again, we’ve shown that the Alaskan spirit of persistence and hard work does produce results.

As we prepare to honor our nation’s independence in just three days, we gather today to celebrate another miracle of our democracy – the seamless transition in the leadership of our state’s largest city.

For me, the campaign which closes with today’s ceremony, was a personal odyssey through my hometown. A trek from the snowy slopes of Girdwood to the historic village of Eklutna. From the spectacular views of Stuckagain Heights to the mudflats of Turnagain.

Across our diverse community, you taught me once again that listening and learning are a never-ending part of leadership. Thousands of fellow Anchorage citizens – including you in this room, and many others watching on television outside – tutored this mayor who stands before you today. For that I am humbled, and will be forever grateful.

The journey of limitless possibilities that we begin today can be successful only if we work together and unite for the common purpose of creating a great city.

I would like to introduce someone very special to me - my closest advisor, my best friend, the mother of my son, the love of my life - my wife, Deborah. And of course, our new son, Jacob.

I am also happy to be joined by the extended Begich and Bonito families, who occupy many of the seats in this auditorium. We are close families and their love and support have helped make my journey possible.

One family member I would like to honor individually is a woman who raised six children, who taught hundreds of young Alaskans as a public school teacher, who helped lead her party and state, and who helped me see what public service is all about – my mother, Pegge Begich.

Thanks also to Master Hitchcock, Ki Jung Lee of the Youth Court, Father Medlock, to our MC Bruce Bustamante, and to the many performers for being part of this ceremony.

To my predecessor, Mayor George Wuerch and to his wife Brenda, thank you for your service to this community and to our nation, and for the graceful cooperation of your administration since the election.

I am honored to acknowledge former mayors, including several who join us today. Each have helped shape this great city during their time in and out of office – Jack Roderick, George Sullivan, Tony Knowles, Tom Fink, Rick Mystrom.

An election is more than the selection of new leadership. It is the endorsement of the principles and policies of a new administration that offers a new direction. It is a responsibility I bear with considerable humility; a challenge I face with great enthusiasm.

 My vision for Anchorage is simple: community, security, and prosperity.

 I chose these three words carefully. Community, security, prosperity.

 Community is who we are. Like any relationship, it takes work.

 Security is our most basic need, a foundation that must be strong before we can build.

Prosperity is the dream of the future, the wealth of Alaska in all its many forms, that each of us hopes to pass on to the next generation.

My vision is one of incredible hope and enormous potential. Whose foundation is the values we share with the pioneers who built this tent city on the muddy shores of Ship Creek nearly a century ago: A strong belief in hard work, a reverence for our cultural diversity, a cherished sense of family and community.

Our vision for Anchorage begins with families and individual Alaskans taking pride in their neighborhoods, the fabric of any great community. Doing so isn’t just the job of a mayor, but of every citizen, as we unite to bring out the best in each of us.

This most basic responsibility of our city – to ensure we have great neighborhoods - will be especially challenging in coming years, the result of a “perfect storm.” Enormous state budget cuts, the constraints of our property tax cap, and increased demand for services for a growing city.

Yet, Alaskans muster our courage and work best – together - when the storm is most severe.

Just as we faced up to challenges of the late ‘80s, we will meet the needs of our community with the creativity and hard work of municipal employees and all our citizens.

We must be mindful that as the crossroads for the rest of our state, our responsibilities and opportunities span beyond our municipal borders. We will explore new partnerships with our sister cities and villages, and the corporations and non-profits that operate there.

I am proud that Anchorage is the home of Alaska’s largest Native community!

There has been considerable progress on the second part of our vision – security – thanks to the collective efforts of the Wuerch administration, police and fire fighters, emergency responders, the men and women of our nation’s military who protect us every day.

Despite tight budgets, we will not turn our backs on our responsibility to prevent and prosecute crime, to improve our 9-1-1 emergency response system, and to better protect those least able to protect themselves.

We will have a safe city – a city where you can walk with your kids in your neighborhood, enjoy a summer evening on the coastal trail, visit from a remote village.

When it comes to Anchorage’s prosperity, I believe we stand on the edge of greatness. After decades of sporadic growth, Anchorage is transforming itself into a mature city of cohesive neighborhoods.

Here in downtown, we will build a flourishing shopping and entertainment district, with a new convention center, a world class museum, and a fully utilized Town Square.

In Mountain View, we will contribute to the neighborhood’s special character as we create Anchorage’s arts and cultural district.

In the university-hospital area, we will meet Alaska’s medical needs as we invest in our economic engine of greatest potential – Alaska’s brain power.

In Muldoon, we will transform this neighborhood to one of the future, where commercial, residential and public facilities blend together.

In midtown, we will muster the financial resources of banks, investment firms and real estate companies as we capitalize on our time zone advantages and convert Anchorage into a center of international finance.

At the airport, we will realize the promise, once again, of “air crossroads of the world” as we become a world leader in cargo, light assembly and as the gateway to the Russian Far East.

At the Anchorage port – Alaska’s port, handling 80 percent of our state’s goods – we will expand to accommodate our state’s growth and serve our nation as a strategic port.

In Girdwood, we will resolve land use conflicts to take advantage of the unique opportunities as a year-round, world-class resort for Anchorage residents and visitors alike.

In Eagle River, we will expand downtown economic opportunities as we ensure local roads and other facilities can handle the community’s rapid growth.

As we work together to realize these dreams, we will continue doing what we do best – ensuring that Anchorage remains Alaska’s business headquarters, by expanding our global opportunities and keeping our city culturally and socially attractive.

Community. Security. Prosperity. An ambitious vision rooted deep in our community. A vision we can achieve if we work together. 

Sure, we’ll have some bumps in the road. But if we keep our eye on the future, hold true to our values, and believe in the possibilities of our great city, what we can accomplish together is limitless.

I am proud to be this municipality’s first Anchorage-born mayor.

I am especially grateful to my parents, who ventured to this territory as educators, seeking opportunity and adventure for their young family. After inspiring young Alaskans as a teacher and principal, my dad was elected Alaska’s third United States congressman.

He was inspired to public service by a young president, John Kennedy, who declared upon his inauguration “that the torch has been passed to a new generation.” Today, here in Alaska’s headquarters city, the torch of leadership also has been passed to a new generation.

As your mayor, I’ll work hard to reignite the spirit of public service my parents taught me, so that together, we can realize Anchorage’s enormous potential.

Thank you so much, and may God bless our great city.