Latest / The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi / 2025 Inauguration Ceremony: Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Inauguration Speech

Transcript

2025 Inauguration Ceremony: Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Inauguration Speech · The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi

0:15
Happy New Year and welcome to the One Oahu podcast.
0:18
On January 2nd, 2025, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and his cabinet took part
0:22
in a moving inauguration ceremony in the Mission Memorial Auditorium.
0:26
It was complete with music by the Royal Hawaiian Band Glee Club,
0:30
a procession by the Celtic Pipes and Drums of Hawaii.
0:33
The presentation of colors by the Royal Guard of the Hawaii
0:36
National Guard, and the National Anthem, and Hawaii Ponoi performed
0:39
by Kalai Stern. Oli and mele by Halau hiiaka i na maka lehua.
0:43
a Hawaiian blessing by Kahu Cordell Keiko.
0:47
Musical performance by Henry Kapono and remarks by Nainoa Thompson.
0:51
Billy V served
0:52
as the night's Master of ceremonies, and for those who weren't able to tune in
0:56
for the mayor's inaugural address, we wanted to replay that for you now.
1:00
Thank you.
1:02
Okay.
1:03
I gotta say that, right now
1:06
I'm going to loss is to express what I'm.
1:09
What I'm feeling.
1:10
Except to say that it seems as if all roads in my life
1:15
have led to this moment.
1:18
I feel so blessed to know in my heart that there is no other challenge,
1:22
no other place I would rather be than here in this room.
1:27
Tonight, with this incredible team and all of our loved ones
1:32
having the rare privilege to continue serving
1:36
as the mayor of the city and county of one of the.
1:41
Exceptional.
1:42
First to my wife, Karen.
1:45
You are the source of my strength and inspiration.
1:49
And I truly love you.
1:51
Thank you baby.
1:52
And to my daughter Laura, who surprised me, who I didn't know until I came down.
1:56
Not even had a chance to have a conversation with her.
1:59
Thank you. Honey.
2:00
Coming all the way from Seattle for kids and everything.
2:03
I don't know how you did it, but thank you for being here.
2:05
It means a lot
2:08
to Governor Green,
2:10
who I don't love as much as my wife. But.
2:14
I see that.
2:17
But to Governor
2:18
Green, first lady green, lieutenant governor.
2:21
Look, our destinies are the link together.
2:25
By the possibility of what we can, we can create together
2:29
in partnership and commitment.
2:32
So thank you for your friendship.
2:33
And thank you for being here tonight.
2:36
To Governor Lingle,
2:39
if not for you,
2:40
I would not be standing here tonight.
2:43
You know, you mentorship has been invaluable to me.
2:46
I just cannot thank you enough for being here, being in my life.
2:51
To Mayor Kawakami,
2:53
it's always a pleasure and a blessing to be in your presence.
2:56
I've loved working with you and I've learned so much from you.
2:59
Thank you for coming from Kauai tonight.
3:02
Atlanta mayor Bissen
3:04
and Mayor Oliveira were not able to join us tonight.
3:08
It's an honor to serve with you.
3:11
Prosecutor and deputy prosecutor Tom Brady.
3:15
Congratulations on your reelection.
3:17
We have much work in front of us.
3:19
You know that.
3:20
We talked about it today.
3:21
I sincerely appreciate you being here.
3:25
And to the many other distinguished guests here this evening.
3:28
Thank you for sharing this significant milestone with us.
3:33
I'm very grateful that you're all here.
3:35
I'm even more grateful for your contributions to Hawaii,
3:39
to our great city, and what you do for all of our people.
3:44
To chair waters and our friends and partners at the Honolulu City Council,
3:49
who have already been introduced this evening.
3:52
I was honored today to witness your swearing in earlier this afternoon.
3:56
And I'm deeply honored that you're here tonight to celebrate this with us
4:00
and to our newest council member, Scott Nishimoto.
4:03
On behalf of our entire administration, congratulations and welcome.
4:10
You know,
4:11
all four of the incumbent council members
4:14
who are up for reelection this year
4:17
joined us in winning their races in the primary.
4:21
Now, that is more than just a statement.
4:23
I believe that is the strongest endorsement possible from the voters,
4:27
our residents, about their level of confidence in our ability
4:33
to work together, to work collaboratively
4:35
to unlock all of our potential
4:38
and to tackle our city's wicked problems.
4:42
You know, with such little turnover on the city council, we're really excited
4:46
about what this continuity affords us
4:50
in terms of execution.
4:52
We've already shown a commitment to working
4:54
hand in hand to improve the lives of our residents.
4:58
So on behalf of our entire team,
5:01
I want to tell you that we cannot wait to tackle these next four years together.
5:06
You know, when we get
5:07
sworn in at the start of our first term,
5:10
as Covid raged around us, our inauguration ceremony
5:15
was reflective of our lives at the state at the time.
5:19
Isolated and greatly subdued.
5:23
With that in mind, and after the incredible program we all just watched.
5:28
I'm compelled to thank the friends who have helped us
5:32
make tonight so unbelievably special.
5:36
So, first of all, retired Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Steve Levinson,
5:41
Justice.
5:43
You know, I just can't see.
5:44
I can't thank you enough.
5:46
I can't thank you enough for, you know, for making this moment so very special.
5:52
You know, having you swear.
5:54
Since office is very powerful for all of us and certainly for me
5:58
and my wife,
6:00
Jen, I know Thompson.
6:02
I don't by you telling us you don't know about leadership, man.
6:05
You're one of the greatest leaders our state has ever known.
6:08
You're truly one of a kind.
6:11
And I want to thank you for your man now
6:13
and for sharing your wisdom with us so much.
6:16
Thank you.
6:22
To Henry Kapono.
6:24
Ever since I can remember, you and Leslie have been more than friends
6:28
to me.
6:29
You are pure inspiration.
6:32
You're an inspiration to all of us.
6:33
And it's such an honor to have you here tonight.
6:36
Thank you.
6:40
And to,
6:42
Kahu Cordell Kekoa
6:46
having you bless us tonight is
6:47
just, it just it makes it perfect.
6:50
Makes it perfect, sir.
6:51
Thank you so much. Thank you.
6:54
And here we go into our into our Royal Hawaiian Band,
6:58
as well as the talented musicians, dancers and performers.
7:01
Mahalo for helping us set the stage for what I believe
7:05
will be the most important, and perhaps the defining four years of my life.
7:12
So Mike Formby, our managing director,
7:17
I could not have made a better decision in my initial ask of you, Mike,
7:21
to take on this tremendous responsibility.
7:25
And there is no one, and I mean no one more directly involved
7:28
in creating the successes and accomplishments of our administration
7:32
over these last four years than you.
7:36
I we could not have done this
7:40
without you.
7:50
And finally, to our team,
7:52
we truly share a great responsibility together.
7:55
And I'm so proud of each and every one of you.
7:58
Because of you, I have great confidence
8:02
for the many challenges that await us on the road ahead.
8:06
That confidence is rooted in your passion
8:10
and your unwavering dedication
8:13
to lead and serve.
8:15
And I'm so very proud and grateful, by the way.
8:17
All of you work together to solve problems and to help each other succeed
8:22
without seeking credit.
8:24
And in that, in my book, is the essence of great teamwork.
8:30
You know, our greatest
8:30
power lies in each other.
8:34
In 1894, Rudyard Kipling
8:37
published a poem called The Law of the jungle
8:41
Poem, which simply reads
8:44
for the strength of the pack is the wolf
8:49
and the strength of the wolf is the pack
8:53
alone?
8:54
Each of us are strong, but together
8:58
we are unbreakable.
9:01
For all that I ask of you and all that the city ask of you,
9:06
I hold the responsibility very close to do anything
9:10
and everything in my power to help and support you along the way.
9:15
And I promise you, I will not let you down.
9:21
You know, within the last 40 hour,
9:23
48 hours, we've suffered a needless and senseless tragedy
9:27
resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to dozens more.
9:33
So tonight, I want to thank the first responders
9:36
who rendered aid during this awful incident.
9:39
Their response was everything you hoped it would be.
9:43
They worked tirelessly throughout the night,
9:45
and they worked together to control a devastating event,
9:50
one that left all of us in shock and dismay
9:54
for the loss of life and the suffering that happened during those horrific hours.
9:59
I can only describe their work as heroic,
10:02
and they deserve our utmost gratitude
10:06
and respect.
10:18
Bravo, bravo!
10:20
Our first four years together have been defined by a shared
10:24
and unrelenting commitment to overcome obstacles
10:28
that once seemed impossible to overcome.
10:32
But the burden of that commitment,
10:34
the burden of creating success for the good of our island,
10:38
where previously could not be found, is shared by more
10:42
than just the members of our cabinet and our city workforce.
10:46
The burden of that commitment is shared by our families.
10:50
It's shared by my wife, Karen.
10:53
It is shared by Mike Flynn with husband Peter.
10:56
Our commitment to Oahu is shared by our children,
10:59
grandchildren, spouses, and even the parents
11:02
and siblings of the men and women who raised their right hands.
11:05
Earlier tonight.
11:08
And so to you,
11:10
to the ones we love, to the members of our families
11:13
without whom we would not and could not accomplish the impossible.
11:18
Would all of you please stand and share in this moment with us?
11:22
Please.
11:27
Whoa!
11:28
There you go.
11:47
The sacrifices of many for our team and our loved ones.
11:50
Tonight's inauguration ceremony is as much about the road ahead
11:54
as it is about acknowledging the sacrifice
11:57
of those who worked so hard for the good of our home.
12:01
This is a shared destiny for all of us.
12:05
Today we took an oath.
12:06
And what we want at the end of our term is a promise fulfilled.
12:11
The significance of that responsibility cannot
12:15
be any greater.
12:17
Scripture tells us from the one
12:20
who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
12:25
Our team at the city knows that
12:27
this is not about our residents demanding more of us.
12:31
This is about us demanding more of ourselves.
12:34
This is about our cabinet picking up the pace, about our team,
12:38
increasing our focus, about our ability to create change.
12:43
This is about me standing here tonight after an unprecedented vote of confidence
12:48
in what our team was able to accomplish in just four years.
12:52
Telling all of you we are just getting started.
13:02
Thank you.
13:04
You know, after the election, I had a simple message for our team.
13:07
I ran.
13:09
We won.
13:10
I ran.
13:12
We won.
13:14
The historic manner in which we did
13:16
it allowed us to keep our eye on the ball and our momentum.
13:19
Focus on problem solving.
13:21
Consequently, as our second term begins,
13:24
we are setting the bar as high as can reasonably be expected.
13:28
Knowing full well what is at stake.
13:33
You know, it's been said that
13:35
politics is part philosophy,
13:39
part performance, and part practicality.
13:43
Now, for many, that last one practicality may seem less interesting
13:48
than the others, but that is the one which makes all the difference.
13:53
You know, by definition, practicality involves the actual doing
13:56
or experiencing of something, rather than just theories or ideas.
14:01
I want practicality to be one of the hallmarks of our administration.
14:07
I want it to be part of our legacy.
14:10
I want it remembered that
14:12
we were sensible and deliberate in making our decisions and in dealing
14:17
with problems, albeit the wicked problems that Island Home faces.
14:22
You know, we studied solutions and put significant plans in place
14:25
during our first term to address our homeless crisis,
14:29
to create housing that our residents can afford to live in,
14:33
and most certainly to keep our people safe.
14:37
Those plans reflect our priorities.
14:41
Our priorities will define our success
14:45
or our failure as an administration.
14:49
We have.
14:49
We don't have any time to waste.
14:51
Simply put, this second term will be about execution,
14:55
about delivering on the promises we made
14:59
to everyone.
15:01
Now, throughout our leadership campaign and even our campaign for reelection,
15:05
we'll use the slogan it's about you.
15:09
That slogan
15:11
is the embodiment of our leadership challenge,
15:14
the creed with which we approach each and every day.
15:19
It's a simple way of saying that the work we do is about the people
15:24
we are committed to serving, the people we are committed
15:27
to delivering results for, and the people who are counting on us
15:31
to bring positive change to their communities.
15:36
Now, as it was said earlier, I strongly believe
15:38
it takes courage to lead and do what is right
15:42
and not what is easy.
15:45
True leaders are change makers
15:47
and as we have all learned together in our first four years of governing,
15:51
change is the hardest challenge in politics.
15:56
Change is resisted
15:59
and there is no guarantee that you will succeed.
16:01
In fact,
16:03
many have failed.
16:06
True leadership requires
16:09
true courage, and I firmly believe that we've assembled
16:12
a team of courageous leaders who are up to that task.
16:16
You know, leadership is always a journey,
16:20
one that demands resilience, vision,
16:23
and a relentless commitment to helping others unleash their power to grow.
16:28
And to thrive.
16:30
So together, we will continue to face the challenges
16:33
head on, knowing that every step forward brings us closer to the Wahoo
16:38
we envision for our families and for each other.
16:44
And so we begin
16:46
together with the knowledge of each other
16:50
and a shared commitment to our city for our island.
16:54
That which we have promised these next four years will not.
16:59
Will not be easy.
17:01
Despite the unknown and unexpected challenges that most certainly lie ahead.
17:05
We are comforted not only by our collective capabilities,
17:10
but also by knowing that
17:14
this team, at this moment in time,
17:18
there's no challenge too big, no task too
17:21
small, and obstacles that we cannot overcome together.
17:26
And to the people of Oahu, on every single day over the next four years,
17:31
we pledge to serve you with unwavering dedication,
17:35
with integrity, with compassion,
17:37
and with determination
17:41
on every single day over the next four years.
17:43
We will work to build a future that is worthy
17:47
of the most incredible place on earth.
17:50
And you can count on this team to deliver.
17:55
Thank you all for being here tonight.
17:57
God bless you.
17:59
God bless.
18:00
What?
18:03
A God bless the United States of America.
18:05
Mahalo.