I am working hard to ensure that working families can continue to afford to live in our city.

Currently, Boston has only nine percent of the state's population - but we provide more than 16 percent of the jobs and 19 percent of the state's revenues.

And for the city's birthday, we will host events in every neighborhood of the city, inviting all of our residents to share in the celebration of Boston's great epic - the story of neighbors who support one another where it matters most.

Tonight, I am pleased to announce that I have secured $1 million from the Convention Host Committee to fund the beautification of Boston's neighborhoods.

In the 1990s, we introduced Boston's community policing strategy. We reversed the tide of violent crime that threatened our city, and we established a national model for preventing and fighting crime.

For every $5 that Boston's economy sends up to Beacon Hill, the state gives only $1 back to us.

Here's what I see all across this great city - people working together to make Boston a better place to live and to raise children, to grow and pursue dreams.