Deval Patrick in 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Families & Children:
A child's future should not be defined by their zip code
there are children here in our own Commonwealth whose future is still defined by the zip code in which they were born. I was once one of those kids. And for all my many blessings I have not forgotten. I see the working poor struggling to keep their heads
above water. I see the middle class family one paycheck away from being poor. I see the person who has been out of work for a year and has lost not just her way but her self-confidence.
I see the parents working two and three jobs and sacrificing everything so their kids can go to a school that sometimes doesn't meet their needs. I see those people. And so do you. For too many of our neighbors, the American Dream is in trouble.
And, I refuse to accept that their Dream is out of reach. Government cannot deliver that all on its own, but government--we here in this chamber tonight--have a solemn duty to help all our people help themselves.
Source: 2014 State of the State speech to Massachusetts legislature
Jan 28, 2014
On Free Trade:
New airports open our doors to new markets
Today, our doors are open to new markets around the world through direct flights to Dublin, Madrid, Toronto, the Dominican Republic, Tokyo, Panama City, Istanbul, Dubai and Beijing; Logan saw record numbers of travelers in the last two years; and
Worcester Airport is open for business. I know there is unfinished business. But I also know that we are a more prosperous, more promising and more just Commonwealth for more people today. I know that Massachusetts is back in the leadership business,
and that the state of our Commonwealth is strong.
Economic growth matters--not just because it creates wealth, though that is good; and not just because it expands a given industry or reduces unemployment rates, though that is also good.
Growth matters because it creates opportunity, and opportunity is fundamental to who we are. Every one of us has a stake in that. Creating opportunity, keeping the Dream within reach, is the agenda now, just as it has been for the past seven years.
Source: 2014 State of the State speech to Massachusetts legislature
Jan 28, 2014
On Government Reform:
To be in the leadership business, govern for the long-term
We have produced the results we have [because] we have governed for the long-term. In government, just like in business, there is enormous pressure to manage for the short-term, to lurch from crisis to crisis. I am determined to keep our focus on the
next generation instead of the next news cycle. And more often than not you have shared that discipline.Yet, even as we celebrate that progress tonight, some things have not changed enough.
We lead the country in student achievement but some of our students remain stuck in achievement gaps. We're using better tools to combat youth violence but still lose too many people to a cycle of violence. We are the only state to guarantee emergency
shelter but too many people need it. Our economy is growing, booming in some quarters. But we are leaving some of our neighbors behind. If we are to be in the leadership business, we need to lead in rebuilding the ladder to success, too.
Source: 2014 State of the State speech to Massachusetts legislature
Jan 28, 2014
On Local Issues:
New rail to Assembly Square, Worcester, and the Cape
Let's keep going. Let's keep rebuilding our infrastructure. This year, we will open the Assembly Square station in Somerville and the Yawkey station in Boston; increase commuter rail service to Worcester; resume seasonal service to the Cape;
and launch automated tolling. With your help, Mr. Speaker and Madame President, we can begin construction on the Silver Line to Chelsea, the I-91 viaduct in Springfield, and the last mile of broadband in underserved communities.
We can hire the builder for new Red line and Orange line trains, and start building them right here in Massachusetts. And yes, in this year, we can escalate construction on South Coast Rail.
So, I ask the Legislature to pass the bond bills before you now so that we can put more people to work and deliver the public works worthy of a world class economy. Let's keep going.
Source: 2014 State of the State speech to Massachusetts legislature
Jan 28, 2014
Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018