[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 30 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2146-S2147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MAYOR DENNIS ARCHER

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I have the honor of paying tribute 
to my friend, Mayor Dennis Archer of Detroit, who will be recognized by 
the Hartford Optimists Club of Detroit as 1997 Optimist of the Year. 
Mayor Archer is being

[[Page S2147]]

honored for his efforts to ``optimistically build a renaissance in 
Detroit for the 21st century.''
  Since he was elected mayor in 1993, Dennis Archer's energy and 
efforts have infused the people of Detroit with a new spirit of hope. 
While Detroit faces many challenges, Mayor Archer's work is convincing 
people from Michigan to Washington, DC that Detroit is in the midst of 
a great comeback.
  Mayor Archer has worked to build partnerships with community and 
civic groups, businesses, and the State and Federal Governments. These 
partnerships have led to success in creating jobs, improving public 
safety, and raising the standard of living for many of Detroit's 
residents. In fact, Detroit's unemployment rate has been cut in half 
since Mayor Archer took office.
  Under Mayor Archer's stewardship, residential and business 
development is moving forward at a dynamic pace. In November, taxpayers 
approved a plan to build new baseball and football stadiums in the 
city. Twenty-five new residential developments are under construction, 
as are new retail developments. General Motors recently decided to keep 
its world headquarters in Detroit, purchasing and moving to the 
Renaissance Center. And Detroit's empowerment zone leads those in all 
other cities in job creation.
  Dennis Archer has always had confidence in the city of Detroit and in 
its people, and the results of his first 3 years are proving his 
optimism to be well-founded. While no one expects Detroit's problems to 
be solved overnight, the city's progress under the Mayor's leadership 
is undeniable.
  Mr. President, I hope my colleagues will join me in saluting Mayor 
Dennis Archer of Detroit, who truly deserves to be honored as 1997 
Optimist of the Year.

                          ____________________