2015 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Principles & Values

Tom Wolf: Schools that teach; jobs that pay; government that works

1. Schools that teach: because for our children to succeed tomorrow, every child must have access to a great education, and teachers must have the resources they need to deliver a great education;
2. Jobs that pay: because for our economy to begin humming again, we need to be good partners with the private sector, enabling it to grow and create good jobs that will strengthen our middle-class families; and
3. Government that works: because for our state to be great again, we need a government that is more efficient and less wasteful. One that restores faith in the fundamental notion that our democracy still works.

Bruce Rauner: Moral duty to serve long-term interest of people of Illinois

All of us were elected to do a job; to deliver real results; to serve the people of Illinois to the best of our ability. The good Lord didn't make us Republicans or Democrats. He made us in His image to do His work, to help each other, to make the world a better place. We all have a moral duty to serve the long-term interests of the people of Illinois--to focus on the next generation, not the next election.

Together, we will do great things for the people of Illinois. We will once again make Illinois the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth.

Bill Walker: Don't panic when times are tough; make a plan

To financially survive, we seized the opportunity and the Walker family became janitors. Our hard work paid off! When the new town-site was ready some years later, we were able to invest and buy houses in the Old Town, have them moved onto foundations in the new town and resold. We became house movers!

This is what I learned from my parents: Don't panic when times are tough. Make a plan. Stick to it. Stay focused. Stay positive. And get to work. Now is not the time to sound the alarm, my fellow Alaskans. Now is the time to pull together, to make a plan, sharpen our focus and get to work. We have the tools. We have the ingenuity. We have the team. We will work our way out and build an even stronger Alaska.

John Kitzhaber: 36 years in government: state House; state Senate; Governor