Mayors Weekly Message 80

Dear Moreno Valley residents, Someone once said that the moral test of government is how it treats those in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the disabled. As your Mayor, I am proud that measured against that moral standard, our city passes the test with flying colors. MoVal does an outstanding job responding to the needs of our community’s children, from providing safe and engaging after-school and summertime activities to working with our local K-12 and college partners to provide crucial job-experience opportunities and help completing college. Moreno Valley is a great place to be young and start a family, and it’s also becoming an attractive place to retire and stay active, thanks to new senior-living options, expanded local health services, and the City’s Senior Community Center and the many activities specifically designed for seniors by our Parks & Community Services team. And when it comes to caring for those in “the shadows of life,” Moreno Valley residents’ compassion always shows through. For example, we could have done as many cities do and forced people who are homeless just to keep moving along. Instead, we said, “There but for the grace of God go I,” and reached out to our neighbors in need by helping them find jobs, housing and medical care. We saved lives when we reduced the number of people who were homeless, and set an example of compassion for our children in the process. Government is more than a provider of services. Especially at the local level, government is an expression of our priorities as neighbors within a community. And Moreno Valley’s priorities measure up well against the moral test of government.