January 24, 2008 Mass. State of the State: Uncut, pt.4 Play video

(NECN) - Mass. Governor Deval Patrick delivers his first State of the State address Thursday night. Patrick says the key to reviving the state's economy is strengthening education, creating more jobs and inspiring the public to become more engaged in civic life.

Just as every new life sciences job creates 3 to 4 others in related fields, every lost life sciences job costs us in similar measure. The cost of inaction is too high. When high tech and clean energy firms leave, or gaming firms shun this market, because we are unwilling to play to our strengths and address barriers to growth, they take thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of investment elsewhere. The cost of inaction is too high.

Failure to support cities and towns has led to both cuts in services and hikes in local property taxes. When our communities decline, our economy declines. The cost of inaction is too high.

Failure to maintain our roads, rails and bridges has left us with a $15 to $20 billion tab over the next 20 years. The cost of inaction is too high.

The people don't expect us to agree on everything. But they do expect us to engage. They expect us to work together toward the best solution. They expect action. And they deserve it.
CONCLUSION - IMPATIENT MAN
I admit that I am an impatient man. People say it is because I am from the business world, where things tend to move more quickly once a course is set. Others
say it is because I am a newcomer to Beacon

No, my impatience has nothing to do with any of that. It has to do with the fact that for every one of us from the South Side of Chicago or Worcester or from the North End of Boston, Mr. Speaker, or from Plymouth, Madame President, or from Mattapan or Southie or Springfield or Holyoke or New Bedford or Brockton or Haverhill -- for every one of us who has had the blessing of living that American Story, that "one generation" transformation -- countless others still wait for their chance. My impatience comes from knowing all the other eager, ambitious, capable and idealistic young boys and girls just like me and you left behind in the places you and I come from. My impatience comes from knowing up close the costs of inaction.

I went out to visit the Holland School in Dorchester last spring. A few weeks before, a young woman who was visiting her family from out of town was shot and
killed. And a couple of weeks after that, an 11-year-old boy found a .44 caliber pistol in the neighborhood and brought it into his classroom. The neighborhood was understandably in an uproar. And so we called a meeting of adults, so that Mayor Menino and I could listen to some of their ideas about ways we could help, and share some of our own.

The meeting convened at the end of the school day, as the kids were leaving the building, heading to their buses or the walk home. I had a minute or two alone in the principal's office to look over my notes and collect my thoughts before the meeting began. You know sometimes you get that feeling that you're being watched? When I looked up, there outside the window were a dozen or more little Black boys and girls, about this size, backpacks on, beaming, waving, excited.

When I look into their eyes, the excitement I see is not for the history we made last year, but for the history they have yet to make; not my chance, but theirs. And I see that look - of anticipation and hope - in the eyes of kids in communities all across this Commonwealth.

There is a whole generation watching and waiting -- like some tonight perhaps -- to see whether we see our stake in their future - and will act on that. I say let them look to us - to you and to me - and let us affirm their hope for tomorrow in the actions we take today.