Mayor's Management Report, 2006

Mayor Bloomberg released the 2006 Fiscal Year Mayor's Management Report yesterday. The MMR is the Mayor's way of being accountable for city initiatives and agencies, and during the press conference, the Mayor felt that there was still work to be done, saying, "Two-thirds of the things are going in the right direction. A third aren't going as fast as I'd like, or in the right direction.": Like what? The quality of streets has declined (which the Department of Transportation says is due to construction projects), the Civilian Complaint Review Board received 16% more complaints about police officers, structural fire response times increased and pest control exterminations dropped by 39%.

Some other highlights:

- Major felony crime decreased by 5% (including in subways and public housing); homicides increased, but are below 600 (there were 527 homicides in 2005, 564 in 2006)
- Street cleanliness is at an all time high [NY Post]
- The homeless population seems to have declined by 13%
- Health issues: Infant mortality declined, less children with asthma were hospitalized, and lead poisoning case declined
- Unemployment decreased and the commercial occupancy increased
- 311 calls increased by 14% to 14 milliom (one factor: transit strike) [NY Daily News]
- Summons for driving and talking on the cell phones increased by 19% [NYDN]

Recycling has declined, but we liked the possible explanation Department of Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty gave the NY Times:

The department collects recyclable material from city agencies as well as from households, and the supply of material from those agencies has been falling, he said. Households have been recycling less paper, Mr. Doherty said, partly because newspaper circulation is falling and some people, fearful of identity theft, put sensitive documents in garbage cans rather than in recycling bins. Finally, he said, food and beverage makers are selling more products packaged in plastic rather than glass, which is heavier.

You can read the whole 192 page report yourself here. Gothamist on the 2005 and 2004 reports. And on the cover? One of the Alexander Calder sculptures at City Hall Park - the Mayor loves art.

Oh, and the Mayor claims he doesn't want to be President, saying it would be "a tough commute from 79th Street."