Today, I was sworn-in for a new term at the legislature. I am very grateful to the people of New Britain and Newington for the honor to serve them. Thank you.
This is Opening Day at the State Capitol. It is a day of pomp and ceremony. But it is also a day for very serious work - especially this year. We are facing a serious economic and budget crisis and the people of the state will need the state government to show leadership. The last thing the people of our state need is a state government that sticks its head in the sand and ignores the need for real solutions.
The current economic crisis did not happen overnight. And it is not a short term problem. The crisis began because of the poor economic choices made on Wall Street and in Washington DC that destroyed the once great industrial economy of New Britain and so many places like New Britain. Those bad decisions undercut our core industrial economy and created a make-believe economy built on borrowing. It was a bubble that was going to burst at some point. And that point was 2008.
There will be a great temptation among many politicians to think that we are faced with temporary problems and that all that is needed is to balance budgets in short run. But that would be shortsighted. That would be sticking our heads in the sand.
We need real solutions that will rebuild our economy and create jobs. We need public policies that truly meet the needs of our state's people for job creation, health care, education, transportation, stable communities and so much more. And, with so many families and senior citizens struggling in these tough times because of unfair policies - especially property taxes - now is exactly the time when we need to correct these unfairnesses.
Connecticut is known as the "land of steady habits", in no small part because change comes slowly when people who benefit from keeping unfairnesses from being reformed keep our state on its steady habits.
There will be tough budget choices in state government this year, to be sure. But the real tough decision that will be needed from the Governor on down will be the choice to provide the real leadership to move our state forward - for a real economy with more, better paying jobs for average, everyday people and for a future where the unfairnesses of the present are swept away.
And that is something to look forward to on this Opening Day.
This is Opening Day at the State Capitol. It is a day of pomp and ceremony. But it is also a day for very serious work - especially this year. We are facing a serious economic and budget crisis and the people of the state will need the state government to show leadership. The last thing the people of our state need is a state government that sticks its head in the sand and ignores the need for real solutions.
The current economic crisis did not happen overnight. And it is not a short term problem. The crisis began because of the poor economic choices made on Wall Street and in Washington DC that destroyed the once great industrial economy of New Britain and so many places like New Britain. Those bad decisions undercut our core industrial economy and created a make-believe economy built on borrowing. It was a bubble that was going to burst at some point. And that point was 2008.
There will be a great temptation among many politicians to think that we are faced with temporary problems and that all that is needed is to balance budgets in short run. But that would be shortsighted. That would be sticking our heads in the sand.
We need real solutions that will rebuild our economy and create jobs. We need public policies that truly meet the needs of our state's people for job creation, health care, education, transportation, stable communities and so much more. And, with so many families and senior citizens struggling in these tough times because of unfair policies - especially property taxes - now is exactly the time when we need to correct these unfairnesses.
Connecticut is known as the "land of steady habits", in no small part because change comes slowly when people who benefit from keeping unfairnesses from being reformed keep our state on its steady habits.
There will be tough budget choices in state government this year, to be sure. But the real tough decision that will be needed from the Governor on down will be the choice to provide the real leadership to move our state forward - for a real economy with more, better paying jobs for average, everyday people and for a future where the unfairnesses of the present are swept away.
And that is something to look forward to on this Opening Day.
