by the end of my second term -- [applause] we will have the first permanent race alone and will be american. by the end of 2020, we will have the first continuous propulsion system in space capable of getting to mars in a remarkably short time because i'm sick of being told we have to be timid and i am sick of being told we have to be limited to technologies that are 50-years-old. >> when the founders said that

the creator had endowed us with certain inalienable rights among them, life and liberty in the pursuit of happiness, they leave out a path for america that was sent to every what was enduring. a pass in that sense in america we can't pursue happiness as we choose. we do not need a government to tell us what kind of car to get our government to tell us what kind of light pole we can have for to tell us what kind of health care we are going to have. >> savitt candidates your posting on the social media along with political reporters and you were is like you at c-span.org/campaign2012. >> next on c-span2 a look at several mayors and governors addresses tonight. we will start with nebraska governor. he addressed the state legislature and the capitol of lincoln and some of the topics addressed during their remarks include changing the state income tax and providing relief to the middle class. this is about 17 minutes.

[applause] >> thank you. [applause] thank you very much. mr. president, mr. speaker, members of the legislature, tribal chairman, distinguished guests, friends and fellow nebraska in some. i'm pleased to be here at the beginning of the 2012 legislative session. and i want to acknowledge and recognize that line of your members will be leading the legislature at the end of this year. they include duralast and speaker, a steady and rock-solid appropriations committee chairman, a superb revenue share, a tenacious transportation committee chair

and effective natural resources committee chairman, an excellent banking committee chairman, a fighter for western nebraska, an advocate for children for fiscal and conservative. senators will come white men, cornet, fisher, how word and foltin, thank you for your service. individually and as a group you've done an outstanding job in nebraska we appreciate your service. [applause] but i'm proud of the legislature and we have accomplished together. i am proud of our citizens for their input, there in sight and their leadership. every day i'm proud to be the governor of this great state. as i enter my eighth year as governor of nebraska i am more determined than ever before to keep nebraska moving forward and to address the key challenges of

today. one of the most important challenges that we face is the safety of children that are a part of the child welfare system. reforming nebraska's child welfare system is complicated and complex with no single simple solution. we didn't get into this situation overnight and we won't get out of it overnight. it was just a few years ago when the number of scans were unhappy with and complaining about the department of health and human services how it was operating the child welfare system. the decision was made to his reform the system and change the culture that was necessary to move forward. hasn't been implemented as well as anyone would like. but i don't want to return to the practices of the past. i want us to do better in the future and my sense is so you.

this is a challenge because no single one end of government is totally in charge of the child welfare system. it involves local law enforcement, county attorneys, parents, guardians, costs of volunteers, foster parents, the department of health and human services, providers, the courts, the legislators and many others. nebraska continues to place children into the child welfare system at approximately two times the national average. we can and must do better than that. your health and human services committee has provided the state a series of recommendations to begin a conversation about how the courts, the legislature and the executive branch can work together to develop a more collaborative, a more coordinated and a more comprehensive approach to protecting nebraska's children. i've read the committee report

several times. i'm working with the leadership of your health and human services committee to develop a common sense plan of action for the future, and i want to thank senator campbell and senator gore for their vast commitment of time on this issue. i want to emphasize what i said previously to be i have no intention of reinstating the agency model in the central, northern or western service areas. the focus must be to provide a more efficient delivery of services that helps our children. i support efforts to streamline the focus of our current child welfare system and i've asked senator ashford and hadley to introduce legislation that transfers the management of the youth rehabilitation and treatment centers at karni and the geneva from the department of health and human services to the department of correctional services. this would create a safer treatment environment that these

facilities for the youth and the staff to read the transfer will also allow the department of health and human services to put a greater focus on children impacted by abuse and neglect. we are all in this together. all of us have a responsibility to produce me to improve the system. the accountability starts with you and me. together we need to bring stability to nebraska's child welfare system. the focus should be on the future and on the measurable results. another key issue that we face is the new federal health care and all that raises taxes, cuts medicare and contains an enormous and funded medicaid funding. because it is the current law, our state is moving forward with a planning and designing of a state health insurance exchange. our state has been working hard for nearly two years to protect nebraska's interest and i want

to share the lead to assure you we and our citizens that nebraska will not default to the federal government regarding the health insurance exchange. however, it is important to recognize that the united states supreme court will decide whether the law is constitutional or not by june 29th of this year. in an unprecedented move, the court will have three days of oral argument on this issue in late march. the simple truth is it would be a costly mistake to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to begin implementing obamacare until the united states supreme court makes its decision. another critical issue is our proposal to merge the departments of labor into the department of economic development to read the opportunity for business, labour and state government to provide a more coordinated and even greater focus on job creation,

worker training and worker retraining. thank you, senator harms and millo for introducing this bill. most importantly, we have worked together to put nebraska and a strong financial position. we've made difficult decisions for the good of our state. nebraska has and always been as well positioned as we are today. when senators flood, heideman and cornett the image from a 2005 and i had a, the state had just experienced very difficult economic times. taxes were too high. to many young people were leaving the state. and nebraska wasn't competitive nationally or globally for jobs. but you and i. but in cooperation with our citizens and our business leaders to dramatically alter nebraska's

economic position. working together we passed the nebraska and vintage, and it has been incredibly successful. approximately 270 businesses have committed to invest more than $5.9 billion in our economy and to create more than 19,500 jobs here in nebraska. working together, we passed the largest tax relief package in nebraska's history that repealed the estate tax, eliminated the marriage penalty and income tax system, a repeal the sales tax on construction labor and lower income taxes. we wisely built up our cash reserve. we worked together to control the growth of state spending and to pass balanced budget without raising taxes. we adopted a businesslike approach to agency budgets encouraging them to save money and keep it, compared to the previous practice of spend it or lose it. state government began tightening its belt just like

nebraska families and businesses were doing. and look at the results. nebraska has the second lowest unemployment rate in america at 4.1%. according to forbes, nebraska is the eighth best state for business and careers. nebraska has the fourth largest agricultural economy in america. msm couriers says nebraska is the third best state for job seekers. according to forbes, lincoln is one of america's safest cities and it is in the best city in america for new jobs while mahalla is the most affordable city america and the fifth best city in america for young professionals. according to cnn money, papillion is the fifth best place in america to live. bloomberg business week identified arlington, nebraska has the second-best place in america to raise kids because it's a midwestern farming community with top-notch

schools. think about it, that's nebraska -- small towns, safe communities, good jobs, great schools, affordable homes, and an unmatched quality-of-life. whether it's arlington, wahoo, auburn, holdgrege, imperial, scottsbluff, gering, valentine, cedar rapids, norfolk, north plate, kearney, grand island, in your court in a burden lincoln tunnel or sarpy county, nebraska communities are the american dream. we have faith and confidence in nebraska, their families and our communities. we believe in freedom from her work and self-sufficiency. we believe in providing every child the opportunity to receive a quality education. let me say it again.

nebraska has a hard working american families want conceive communities, good jobs, great schools, affordable neighborhoods, and an unmatched quality-of-life. america's elite cities are too expensive for middle class families. these cities have contacts this and the burdensome regulations. both of which discourage job creation. today technology connects us like never before. and now, americans can live and work everywhere. this provides nebraska opportunities for growth like we have never before seen. america's middle class families want to live in states like nebraska because we have career opportunities. short commute times for lower cost of living and a sense of community. for the first time ever, nebraska's population growth exceeded the national average for two years in a row. in 2009 and in 2010. and in 2011, nebraska only

narrowly missed a growing as rapidly as the national average. nebraska has economic and education momentum. working with our citizens we've developed a bold innovative and strategic vision to grow our economy and to strengthen our education system. just last year, we invested in the university of lubber rusco's innovation campus. we passed the town of innovation initiative to continue improving nebraska's small business and entrepreneurial environment. we have made exceptional progress during the past few years. but we have more work to do. according to the tax foundation rankings, in 2006, nebraska was one of the top ten highest tax states in america. nebraska was 45 out of 50 states. today we are 29th. since 2006, nebraska has made greater and more significant

improvement in our tax climate than 48 other states. that's good news, but we can do better than 29th. even with our healthy economy, many nebraska middle class families still struggle from paycheck to paycheck. we can help those families by changing nebraska's income tax structure and allowing them to keep more of the money they need. if you're adjusted gross income is more than $54,000, you are taxed at the same marginal rate as warren buffett. that is unfair to the middle class families. our hard-working taxpayers are tired of government taking too much of their paycheck. in 2011, nebraska net tax receipts grew by three ander $49 million. the opportunity to provide tax relief for our tax payers is now. our hard-working, middle class taxpayers need more discretionary income to take care of their families and to provide their kids with a good

education. for the past few months, i have been working with senator cornett to develop a major tax relief initiative for nebraska's hard-working middle class families, and today, senator cornett is introducing that bill. senator cornett, thank you. we are asking you to join us in providing tax relief for nebraska's middle class taxpayers. our proposal lower rates and expand the brackett so that nebraska's hard-working taxpayers can keep more of their income. our proposal eliminates the inheritance tax. you've probably seen the recent headlines and forbes. nebraska is named as a state where not to dhaka and 2012. even high tax states like massachusetts, new york and california don't have an

inheritance tax. nebraska is one of only eight states that has an inheritance tax and we need to change that. i know you will hear from county officials, but this is about good tax policy and completing the elimination of the death tax. our proposal eliminates the inheritance tax. you've probably seen the recent headline in to help small businesses grow. our highest priority should be tax relief for nebraska's hard-working middle class taxpayers. special-interest groups will argue we can't afford tax relief because they want to take that money from our hard-working taxpayers and spend it on their favorite projects. the question is tax relief for the middle class taxpayers for more spending for special-interest groups. the choice for us is clear. i'm going to fight for nebraska's hard-working taxpayers because they need our

help. for example, if you are a young family of four living in south omaha with an adjusted gross income of $30,000 with our proposal, you will receive a 29.5% tax cut. if you're a mom living in northeast lincoln with two kids with an adjusted gross income of $40,000, you will receive a 10.5% tax cut. if you are a hardworking middle class family of four living in bellevue, york, karni, valentine, l.i. answer columbus with an adjusted gross income of $75,000, you will receive a 10.9% tax cut. if you live in norfolk or grand island in your adjusted gross income is $100,000, your tax cut will be 7.2%. however, if you live in central mall and you're adjusted gross income is $1 million coming you

will only receive a 2% tax cut. the focus of this board tax relief plan provides debrowski five hard-working, middle class taxpayers to help the need. nebraska families have had to tighten their belts and learn to do more with less. so should government. this is about our future. this is our time. this is our moment in history. together we can make it happen. let's get to work. thank you. [applause] for their actions during the floods and tornadoes in 2011. this is about 50 minutes.

[applause] >> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, the governor of the state of missouri, jay nixon. [applause] [applause]

>> thank you to the legislative leaders, judges of our supreme court, lt. governor kinder, state officials, all the members of the general assembly, and members of my cabinet and my fellow missourians, it is an honor to be here this morning joined by missouri's outstanding first lady, gorganne nixon. [applause] we are joined also by members of the family that are throughout the gallery. now over the last year, many of the communities have braved unthinkable hardships. and none more so than joplan,

toughest town on god's green earth. time and again, the people of missouri have met those challenges with unwavering strength and determination. a few months ago on the first day of school in joplin, i met a remarkable young man named quinton anderson. quinton is a senior at joplin high school. he's an excellent student, a science whiz. he hopes someday to create new vaccines. graduation day this year will have a very special meaning for quinton, as it well for so many ayaan joplin. because on graduation day last year, may 22nd at 5:41 p.m., that joplin was hit by the deadliest tornado in modern history. the wind clocked at 200 miles per hour and tore a swath a mile wide and 6 miles long through the heart of their community. when i stood they're surrounded

by the smashed cars and shattered homes, it was nothing but devastation as far as the eye could see. just 19 minutes the twister left thousands of people homeless. more than 7,000 homes and hundreds of businesses were damaged or destroyed. more than a thousand people were injured. 161 lost their lives. the tornado leveled quinton's home. both his parents were killed. quinton was flung through the air and found blocks away face down in a ditch with a fractured skull, shattered spying, his left leg torn to shreds. he spent five and half weeks in hospital. and after he left the hospital, gorganne nixon had to say this: i used to just take each day like it was given to me. but it's not. it's a gift. you've got to pray for the next one. don't give up hope.

always pray to get stronger each day. and if you are in physical therapy, and they told you to walk, always take that extra step. always take that extra step. his parents would be so proud. quinton on your face and fight have shown the world but the spirit of joplin is unreadable. people of missouri, please welcome quinton anderson and his sister, grace. [applause]

[applause] mother nature hit us hard in 2011, starting with tornadoes on new year's eve, a blizzard that shut down a life-70 from st. louis to kansas city, record flooding and drought in the boat heeled and northwest missouri. but some have called the intentional breach of a call the blowing up of the levee at bird's point by the corps of engineers. more tornadoes on good friday, another tornado in sedalia and of course the ef-5 tornado in joplin and the surrounding area. through every natural disaster that they endured, the people of missouri rely on our brave men and women in uniform. our first responders, our law enforcement community, and all who have answered the call to military service.

in the aftermath of joplin alone, men and women from more than 400 public safety agencies rushed to help. certain special people have a spirit that compels them to run toward trouble, not away from it. and missouri state trooper fred guthrie, jr. was one of them. in 2007, trooper guthrie earned our state's highest law enforcement honor, the missouri woman of valor for saving a woman during a violent storm on smith the lake. it was the same selfless spirit that compel the trooper guthrie to brave the swift currents of the missouri river which claimed his life in august. fred guthrie was a hero who died as he lived, protecting others. even as we mourn our loss, we are lifted up by his courage. missouri is a better place for

his service. please join me in the thinking of the family of the trooper fred guthrie, his wife, teresa and their three children come amber, dillinger and cody and all of our men and women in uniform. [applause] >> quinton anderson, fred guthrie, our men and women in

uniform, they have showed us that the face of courage. they have shown us what it means to be strong in the toughest times. what it means to take that extra step. and we've seen our share of tough times these past few years. it began in 2008 when our nation was hit with the most severe economic recession of our lifetime. in the last six months of 2008 we lost more than 55,000 jobs. in december of 2008, misery salles more than 100 mass layoffs, the most ever since we began tracking that number. but we didn't make excuses. we didn't wait around for help. missourians stood up and got to work, showed our strength. ..

or what party we belong to, unlike washington, we have kept a laserlike focus on job creation. unlike washington, we've maintained our strict fiscal discipline in our state budget

and we done it without raising taxes. [applause] now commitment to balancing a budget, holding the line on taxes and are focused on creating jobs is pay enough. the national recession brought sharp job losses in 2008 and 2009, but we've turned a corner. today was reported that our unemployment rates in missouri is now at its lowest level in three years. [applause] missouri farms and businesses there should be murdered ron the globe, generating billions of dollars of economic data and

thousands of jobs here at home. and together, we are putting the american not all industry backed to life right here in the show me state. [applause] that there is more work to do. so tonight, i've only had a specific strategy to create more jobs for our economy. that strategy builds on the granite foundation of fiscal foundation that we have made here in missouri by about the budget, holding the line on taxes, making government mauler, smarter and more efficient. the national recession in the gridlock in washington created tough budget times for other states. some states simply chose to ignore the problem is that more money they had been wracked up huge deficits. not here in missouri. since i'd taken off have cut

government spending by $1.6 billion. but the balanced budget act is on tonight, i will have reduced the government payroll by 4100 positions. the state work force is this ballasted and in 15 years. those decisions first half, but necessary. other states have shown that this will discipline. more than 30 states have raised taxes, including kansas and illinois. but we have not because we know that missouri families can't afford a tax increase. in fact, to help for small business in or out, we have begun to phase out the attacks on thousands of missouri business. that means more money to the bottom line and more jobs for missouri workers. but we haven't just major government smaller, we are also making your government starter.

by 2015, the department of transportation will cut $512 million in overhead and administrative costs and put that money where it belongs, building roads and bridges in the show me state. the consolidated offices, put article services online, including teacher certification come insurance licenses and ged transcripts. it eliminated paperwork because of our focus on fiscal responsibility and efficient we come in missouri is one of the few states of the aaa credit rating from all three rating agencies. kansas can't say that. you can mark, illinois, kentucky, nebraska, tennessee, even new jersey got downgraded by all three credit rating agencies in the last year. and even our federal government got downgraded by standard &

poor's. note that says about us here in missouri? went on to manage our money, better than our neighboring state and much better than washington. [applause] now the aaa credit rating since the tax payers millions of signals that there is a smart place to invest. and while we're talking about government efficiency, let me make it related point. for the past three years, i have called for comprehensive tax credit reform. some of you in this round stood with me on this issue, others did not. the consequences of this inaction are clear. over the past four years, more than $2 billion in state tax credits have been retained.

no effective tax credits are used to create jobs and grow our economy, the tax cut is not parting from the syrians must be retooled and reformed. we have no dollar spent on tax credit for dollars we can't invest in other critical priorities. once again, i ask you to pass comprehensive taxpayer refund to get this bending under control. [applause] so holding the line on taxes, maintaining the aaa credit rating are all signs that missouri is headed in the right direction. the u.s. chamber of commerce recently called mystery of it us as one of the top 10 business and my states and nation because of our low taxes and fiscal discipline. you know we also have a very safe workforce.

it's worth mentioning. it's another reason we are poised for growth. reducing on-the-job injuries as a point of pride for missouri workers and employers. since i became your governor, workers injury claims have gone town every year and are now almost 50% lower than they were two decades ago. that means real cost savings for employers, the cost of workers compensation has come down each year i have been your governor. in fact, businesses are painless now for workers comp coverage than they were back in 1994. here in missouri we are standing to protect worker safety and workers rights. [applause]

you now, we are now a strong and safe workforce makes a strong economy. now, our low track sister a strong workforce is well-positioned to keep job creation. to keep our economy growing, we must build on the strengths. that is utter mystery work strategy will do. so with your help, we will one, grow more auto supplier jobs, too, fell more missouri made good overs he is. really, to prepare my workers for high-tech careers. for, train and hire more veterans. five, jumpstart innovation in science and technology, six target high-growth industries and seven, creates jobs in rural communities. let's start with the automotive industry. missouri has always been an automotive day.

it's who we are. it is in our blood. for decades the american adult industry had been in decline. when i took office in 2009, thousands of job or at risk. we couldn't sit by and watched as jobs go to other states or countries. we didn't give up on the american not all industry. we believed in our heart that american workers would note automobiles that could compete in a world economy, but it is up to us to make sure that they were built right here in the show me state. so i went to detroit. i met with the heads of gm and ford and after those meetings, we took. i called the general assembly into special section. folks from across ours day, urban and rural, business and labor, democrats and republicans came to work with us to pass the missouri manufacturing jobs back. you know some thing, it has paid

off. [applause] last october, ford announced that it will invest $1.1 billion at lake claycomo. [applause] that is billion with a b. to put it in perspective, that's a bigger capital investment in building arrowhead and the stadiums combined. ford is going to produce a transit van to the united states through it until now it's only been produced overseas. because of our work, the vehicle will now be built with pride now in the show me state. no more outsourcing here we are

bringing jobs back to missouri. [cheers and applause] now in addition to the transit for divac second trip to produce more at 450 pickup trucks. on top of the existing dirty hundred jobs resaved. just two weeks after the ford announcement, gm announced it would invest $380 million to build its new chevy colorado that would so. and add a second shift to existing vehicles. that is another 1660 new job right here in missouri.

[applause] you now, i wish all of you could've been with me when they make those announced that. after all, those workers have been through comment to see the look of most workers size, to know it can put food on the table in clothes on their kids backs, to know they can pay the mortgage and the electric bill, to know that when the collection plate comes past on sunday they can put something in it, folks, what we do here really matters, really matters. we do to people's work and it really matters. we are certainly not going to stop now. last week i is back again in detroit, sitting face-to-face

with senior executives at ford, gm some of the world's largest auto suppliers. i was there for one reason, to give our post players to invest in the show me state whether they're making seats are steering wheels and axles airbags, suppliers to bring more jobs to missouri as part of our work strategy i called on the legislature once again he stand with me and fight for the automotive industry. we must pass legislation to help auto suppliers create new jobs across missouri. [applause] and make no mistake, just like e4, competition is going to be stiff. but to certain taxpayers, let me say this. we want with ford. we want with gm. we are going to win with the auto suppliers and creative in

more jobs. let get it done. [applause] now the next component of mysteries to some more missouri made good overs v. to create more jobs here at home. it is clear the world wants that missouri has god. cotton and chemicals, soybeans and semiconductors, f. 150-cent f-15s. when i talk about selling missouri make his overs he, i don't mean just the fortune 500 that have an established global footprint. competing globally is just as important for small businesses and family farms in every corner of our stay. one company headed the curve is for stealing nursery in a very. 63 years ago in the backyard of

dr. forrest keeling. today the nursery grows more than 250 types of trees, shrubs, grasses and sells products around the world. they have patents pending in more than 50 countries. master had the pleasure of visiting a small hometown business that's winning in the global economy. i advise his wife judy for all missouri exporters and their lovely daughter can to represent what we want to do to sell to the world. [applause] now because of companies like it's coming missouri exports were up by $1.2 billion in the first three quarters of 2011.

and i was on top of our outstanding 35% growth in 2010. so we're going to keep this momentum building by creating a one-stop shop to help missouri businesses and farms find customers and new international market. in this new trade us and so be opening new in southeast asia and south america will take that aid in missouri bred global. [applause] last violetta delegation within 60 missouri agriculture leaders to china where we signed an agreement $4.6 billion worth of missouri products. [applause] because i don't know about you, but i think it is just about time that the guy in beijing

walked into his little store and saw "made in america" stickers on the items he's buying from the show me state. [applause] now, another part of our missouri work strategy is global trading in a global economy with constant evolving technology. training and education can never stop. we've established a higher education programs are caring for missourians, training for tomorrow come under strain initiative to prepare thousands more for reporting careers that exist today. and last year, we'll see increased messieurs as investment or customize training by 50%. that record investment allowed us to train nearly dirty 7000 workers who were on the job

right now at 300 missouri businesses. as part of our work strategy to budget i present tonight continues her record investment for a second year, especially in areas critical to manufacturing. absolutely. [applause] one of the growing companies we felt is meramec electric employees which employs in crawford county. our customized training program held meramec reduce production costs by 30%, but more competitive global market and create 25 new jobs last year on behalf of all of our innovative businesses, please welcome meramec ceo, nick sanazaro and translator eeo, carolyn sanzaro from missouri. [applause]

now let's talk for a second about our military adventures. honoring employ military veterans as a key element of our missouri work strategy. during my last visit to an extent, i was talking with a group of soldiers who were about to go out on patrol. they said we are suiting up. i asked one of the soldiers what he was most worried about. his answer really surprised me. he didn't say he was most worried about facing the enemy that may. he looked me straight in the eyes and said governor, what i am worried about is whether there is going to be a job for me when i get home. folks, our job is to make sure the answer to that question is a resounding yes. [applause]

every veteran who needs a job should be able to get one. 2009 we pass legislation to begin phasing out state taxes on military retirement income. that law is a strong signal that we want military veterans to move to missouri, to work in missouri and make missouri their home. in 2010 we launched show me here is from asking missouri employers for military veterans at the front of the line when they hire for new jobs. more than 1700 employers have signed up to be part of that effort already. tonight i am proud to report their show me here is program has crossed the marker and output than 1000 veterans back to work right here in missouri.

[applause] the missouri work strategy will expand the mission of show me he rose to improve on-the-job train job trevor nasher mccart serving army veterans of the missouri service and will continue to work tirelessly to create job opportunities for every veteran in our state. not th e next pillar of missouri works is to accelerate invest in high-growth industries like science and technology. with more than 1000 agribusiness, missouri is clarity on some of the brightest minds and innovators in the world. but they passed up last year to the missouri science and innovation reinvestment act, we are poised for rapid progress. as part of the missouri works, my budget includes $4 million in

the capital to invest in attracting the very best science talent to missouri. by speeding the flow of innovation out of the lab and into the marketplace, wipro industries today in creating the high-tech jobs that tomorrow. missouri works to create jobs in rural communities. anyone who grew up in a small town like i did knows there's something special about it. folks want their towns to be a place where kids can grow up safe, get a good education, find a job, raise a family. it wasn't all that long ago just a generation or two that folks a decent living selling baseball uniforms are making shoes in piedmont or typewriters in springfield. those jobs may become, but our rural way of life is still strong. our plan will create custom tailored job creation for small business owners in rural

communities. because we want every part of missouri to move forward together. [applause] nowhere off for helping dramatically expand the internet. broadband access is a game changer for commerce, farming, education, law enforcement are extremely competitive, bringing the total investment of $311 million or 18 projects to wire communities across missouri. let me give you a quick example. over in otterville with would hope that the local school partners to show me technologies. this is expand the ability to

provide web-based classes using streaming video. just as the railroad and the interstates changed the face of the fate of missouri communities in decades past, this project will help stave the future from carterville to new london and everywhere in between. rural communities are part proud of missouri's past and they are also a vital part of missouri's future. especially as we all know when it comes to agriculture. mr. farmer speed, fuel and clothe the world. with 108,000 farms generating $12 billion annually, agriculture is truly the back of missouri's economy. [applause]

kind of makes you hungry just thinking about it. we want to keep missouri agriculture growing strong. i think committed to working with farmers open-air markets can improve energy efficiency and use the latest science and technology to make missouri agriculture even more competitive. folks like bob and kay vandiver are a major part of the agriculture. bob's parents raised a few cattle, simply trying to make a living off the land. but he and kerry turned that farming to one of the largest in our state. it is a lasting legacy, one that will be handed down for generations for representing all of our great agricultural community night, please welcome one of the show me state's outstanding find families, the vandivers: bob, kay, gary, dale and jake.

[applause] to compete in a changing global economy, this area forecast public schools. public schools have always been and will always be beacons of hope, opportunity and excellence for all. no one is turned away. some children come to school hungry. some burden poverty and neglect. but when a child of want and a child of wealth walked through her schoolhouse doors, they enter as equals.

[applause] support for public education should not be used as they wish to divide us. here in missouri, public education is an enduring values that unite us. [applause] some states have opted to balance their budgets on the backs of schoolchildren. it's cut by $232 per child. texas slashed $4 billion from its education budget, triggering massive layoffs. south carolina, arizona and california have each reduce spending per pupil by more than

20%. but you know, all across missouri, i have not met one parent or one teacher who thinks we should balance their budget by taking money from her kids classrooms. [applause] for the past three years, even in challenging budget times, we've maintained level funding for a classrooms. bistro take the next after the budget i present tonight provides record funding for k-12 classrooms because it is the right thing to do. [applause] several urgent issues facing public education require our action the session. first we must find a solution that applies the foundation formula fairly unpredictably.

we also know we have more work to do with her urban school districts on both sides of the state. to make sure that every child in every community has equal opportunity to succeed. but just take a look at st. louis. we still have a long way to go, but we are seeing how strong leadership, dedicated teachers and committed parents are making a real difference right now. students have shown academic improvement for years in a row. the district is not operating with the balanced budget. the attendance rate is at 93%. [applause] for my frequent discussions with teachers, administrators and others center work with organizations like teach for america, it's clear that same was schools are finding their footing and moving in the right direction. [applause]

and we need to take steps to improve public education number of other areas including charter schools. missouri has strong charter schools. or inspire teachers with fresh ideas are giving children a top notch education. but let's be frank. we also have charter schools, where children are languishing in the classrooms that aren't up to par academically. and schools that are not well managed. and our students pay the price. i call in the legislature are sitting on my desk a comprehensive charter accountability bill that holds all charter schools and their sponsors to high standards of academic achievement and financial integrity this year. [applause] ..

[applause] our economy is changing and education can't stop at high school because by the next decade will be two-thirds of all jobs of the united states will require some kind of post secondary education. that means markets will need a college degree. but to many families simply can't afford the cost of a college education. so for the past three years,

missouri has tackled college affordable the head on. while universities and the caruthers states were increasing tuition by double digits, we froze tuition in 2009 and 2010 in all of our public colleges and universities i was dhaka which is to continue to hold down tuition and as a result, enrollment in our public colleges has surged. over the past three years, we have had a 31,000 students, that is a new record each fall. that's great news for our students. our schools and the future of our state. now, in another challenging budget year, our top priorities in funding for higher education must continue to be high-quality academic programs and student scholarships. in addition to the record investment in the case resolved classrooms my budget will provide stable funding for the college scholarships including bright light and access missouri and a-plus.

[applause] let me talk for a moment about that a plus program. the scholarships cover tuition and fees at any public two-year college in the state for students who are willing to work hard, play by rules, get back to their communities. since i've become your governor, we have worked to add 110 new a-plus schools. in a number of students on the program have risen 30%. this year 12,500 missouri students will take advantage of our scholarships. next year we anticipate closer to 14,000 students will be scholars. we will continue to expand access to a-plus scholarships to students all across our state. now, investigating kawlija

portability is critical for the continued economic growth. but we have to balance the budget. we all know that means you to cut in other areas. for the balance of the budget in a wave of attacks or scholarships and academic programs in calling on our colleges and universities to continue to look for more ways to cut overhead and administrative costs and run smarter and more efficient operations. while lehman and more efficient operations are ent operations are essentials, - education while lehman and moret operations are essentials, - education must continue to adapt for the modern economy. public colleges and universities would change the business models but to give you an exciting example of what one colleges doing. this month the central missouri unveiled a new model called the innovation campus. and it has the potential to transform how we educate students. innovation campus students will enroll in college courses while still in high school and participate in a high impact

apprentice ships throughout the college curriculum. the corporate partners will underwrite tuition scholarships and faculty and employers will partner to buy each student the expected results. students get a running start on the college requirements. they were in the practical skills necessary for excellent careers. they can earn a degree in three years or less. business partners will recruit and build their work force for the future at cost for students are dramatically reduced. i encourage all of our universities to take the lessons of the innovation campus to heart and develop similar programs. [applause] so when we come together, and we take that extra step, we are proving that there is no limit to what they can accomplish. working together we pass landmark legislation to ensure

that children with autism get the therapy they need. for too long insurance companies weren't required to cover the most authentic autism therapies but that changed last year and now 1.6 million missourians have plans that cover all to some of treatment. [applause] so this year i called the general assembly to pass legislation to increase access to care by expanding the number of licensed professionals working with children on autism and misery. that's what we can accomplish when we take that extra step. working together for the permission of folk is changing the lives with disabilities and their families. before the compassionate program is in place some folks waited

years for services to help their loved ones with more independently. help with things like getting dressed, cooking meals, taking the bus to work but now our partnership includes 91 counties in the city of st. louis and serves 1300 people with developmental disabilities this year we will expand the persian improving lives and saving money over the long run that's what we can accomplish when we take that extra step to the [applause] last year we realized it program that cuts the cost of prescription drugs for 215,000 missouri seniors and people with disabilities. and that lifeline was in jeopardy last year folks across the state came together to protect these laudable citizens and my budget continues full funding for that program.

that is what we can accomplish when we take the extra step. [applause] working together a to get that extra step we achieved a lot for our state at the polis to become partisan gridlock hasn't taken hold and misery. but we have more work to do. it certainly includes the lives in the budget and holding the line on taxes and putting the work strategy in place to create jobs and keep our economy growing. that includes record investment k-12 classrooms, keegan college affordable and helping all children achieve their dreams. and it also includes passing a strict campaign contribution limits. [applause] [applause]

i'm going to keep doing it until we get the law changed. when one person with an ax to grind can make an unlimited contribution to advance a narrow agenda, when the lobbyists for the public interest can tip the balance of an election, the very foundation of our democracy are at risk. unlimited contributions are overriding the will of the people come and undermining the principal of the free and fair elections. misery need strict limits on campaign contributions and this is the year to get that done. [applause] i've grown up in the soda and learned a lot about public service of the kitchen table my parents were committed to our community at the public service. my dad was the mayor, mom serve on the school board and our town when folks needed help they

would call the house. usually at suppertime and we didn't have the no call list back then. whatever the complete or the request, i don't ever recall hearing my parents asked. are you a democrat or republican. did you vote for me? that's not what public service is about. when you hold public office, you represent everyone. we saw the best of the public service and action in every corner of missouri last year. but one man stands out as a shining example. his name is cj. dr. houk is the superintendent of the joplin schools. the tornado damaged or destroyed ten of their buildings. joplin was left in ruins. c.j. died at the schools didn't open on families with start to

lose count. it wasn't about to let that happen. so, c.j. rallied his forces, parents and teachers, students and teachers come carpenters and plumbers and an army of volunteers. in at just 54 days the turned and and the department store at a shopping mall into a high-tech high school. not only did all of the joplin schools open on time, nearly 95% of the students showed up on the first day. folks, that was simply amazing to see. please stand and welcome c.j.. [applause]

[applause] public service matters. what we do here matters. but in the world of term limits, skeptics say we can't get much accomplished. in the world of tighter partisanship, cynics say we can't find common ground. to them i say just watch us. whether you are from a big city or small-town, whether you make your living on the farm or in the lab, whether you are a democrat or republican or independent or none of the above, we are all missourians first. [applause]

kuran missouri we are not defined by our differences. we are defined by our shared values to the values that gives us the strength to face whatever tomorrow brings. with faith and optimism. there is a love of uncertainty in this life. we can't control the weather, we can't always see what tomorrow will bring. but one thing is clear. to the storms and floods in harm time comes the people have never given up. even in our darkest hour, this bid will prevail. and when people of good faith and good will work together, nothing can stop us.

so together, we will continue to balanced budget without raising taxes. together we will continue to create more jobs, better schools, and more compassionate communities. and quinton, i pledge to you that we will continue to work together to take that extra step and keep our state moving forward. [applause] it's an honor to serve as your governor. i'm grateful for the opportunity that you've given me and for the trust that you have placed in me with your help and god's grace we will continue to show the strong leadership to missouri to

brighter days ahead. it to each and every one of you and all missourians, thank you and god bless. [applause]

>> by the end of my second term we will have the first permanent base on the moon, and it will be american. and by the end of 2020 we will have the first continuous propulsion system in space capable of getting to mars in a remarkably short time because i'm sick of being told we have to be timid and i am sick of being told we have to be limited to the technologies that 50-years-old. when the founders said the creator had endowed us with certain unalienable rights among them life and liberty and the

pursuit of happiness, the lead of a path for america that wasn't tendered rebut enduring. half that says america we can pursue happiness as we choose we do not need a government to tell us what kind of car to get. we do not need a government to tell us what kind of light bulb we can have or a government to tell us what kind of health care we can have. stomachs to the candidates opposing a social media along with political reporters and viewers like you at c-span.org c-span.org/campaign2012. >> now look at the state of the city address by oklahoma mayor mick cornett. he talked about creating a culture and entrepreneurship, diversity in the cities. he also talked about creating health and fitness programs for the community. his speeches about 30 minutes. >> thank you. it's good to see all of you. lunch must have been good. everyone is smiling.

the number of people attending this event has increased every single year, and i am told today that we have 1,340 people here. give yourselves a round of applause. this is fantastic. [applause] i am wondering how we managed to squeeze at least a few more people in every single year, and then i remembered we lost a million pounds. we are smaller. we can fit more people in the room. the benefits of a healthier community only continue to multiplied. we also have a lot of new faces in the audience this year and the census bureau can explain why we have people moving to oklahoma city from all over the country. so welcome. we have for people moving here from texas than are moving to texas. [applause]

and the number of californians moving in here is quite refreshing if that includes you we are glad you are here. i don't know why you felt like you needed to bring your earthquake with you. but what ever. [laughter] and i also know that many of you are here as long time and residents of oklahoma city and you have seen the improvements, you share my pride, you share my enthusiasm. so to everyone, welcome to the state of the city address for 2012. [applause] one thing i enjoyed about this event is getting to properly think some people who do so much throughout the rest of the year to help drive our economy and help improve the quality-of-life in oklahoma city. this is a chamber of commerce event, and what everyone who works on the staff of the chamber please come stand so we can show our appreciation. [applause]

lilly and carl and everyone standing, thank you very much for everything you do for us and we have the best city council in the united states with us here today. eight individuals who give generously with their time and their expertise and members of the city council will call your name if you please stand and i called a total of them are here but i think most of them are and hold your applause until the end gary marrs representing the world won. ed, ward to, larry mcentee, ward 3, pete, ward 4. meg representing board six. scaap kelly, ward seven and pat ryan, ward 8. kolevar city employees that are here today also stand okay.

now, anyone who serves on a city commission and advisory board and oversight board, and a match three subcommittee or one of our trusts, if that fits any of your categories, please come stand and now let's give our council and city staff and committee volunteers a round of applause. [applause] an amazing a group of people. you may recall last year i spent quite a bit of time talking about all the national acclamation that we were receiving. we were receiving honors on so many best of list this seemed like a good idea to take stock and mentioned as many of them as we could. this year i want to mention just one list and then i want to drill down and kind of explore what it might mean. last month, the urban institute took a look at the 100 largest metro areas in the country and

ranked them for economic security. now, economic security takes them into consideration and for factors, unemployment, the trend in your housing prices, the overall price of your housing, and the share of homeowners in your communities that are having trouble making payments. they call it economic security. it's kind of an indicator of your community peace of mind. well, we did pretty well. in fact, we were ranked number one in the country in economic security. [applause] we were the only city in the united states to receive straight a's in all for categories. as a congratulations. this past week the new national data on home sales released for oklahoma city and tulsa are on the list of top housing markets in the country. we are highlighted both for

affordability and increased sales. in other words, it doesn't matter if you owned a home or if you need a home, oklahoma city is a good place to be. i feel one way that economic security in tracks with our current economy is that it helps create consumer confidence. and i remember back in august i was reading a national business magazine and said that consumer confidence was at some level of a historical low. people throughout the country reluctant to spend money and it makes sense if you were concerned about your finances, if you don't have economic security, it's hard to write a check for a discretionary purpose. that very same week that the u.s. was experiencing a low point in consumer confidence, we in oklahoma city opened a new outlet mall. do you remember what happened?

160,000 people showed up. the turnout shattered oil industry records for an opening weekend. when people have economic security, they are willing to invest in new products and services. and the people that build those products and services are likely to expand their business and higher new people. let me tell you about another illustration of a driving economy. it's a dynamic factor in consumer confidence, and that's construction. when large public companies are investing in their infrastructure like devin and chesapeake foothill action con entel entel resources, all the lobby to name a few, when people see the bulldozer and grain necessary to build a new interstate highway, went downtown seems like a series of orange cones -- [laughter] when you are constructing new

libraries and schools, when there is construction at the zoo and the river, when the dirt is, people realize that the local businesses and their local governments are investing in their future, and there may be no better way to visually fuel consumer confidence than construction. from a revenue perspective, our cities and a very envious position. most cities in the united states are still trying to get back to the pre-recession levels. we have been above our pre-recession levels for over two years. we are still reporting record revenue. tourism is getting better and better. the brand continues to grow. the performing arts community is attracting visitors, our museums are getting national attention. in 2011, exhibits like passages brought tens of thousands of people to oklahoma city.

new hotels are opening, and i am especially encouraged by the progress made on the funding aspects of the american indian cultural center. and i look forward to the day when that opens and helps us a history of our proud heritage. outside of tourism, don't look now, but the aviation sector and biomedical center are thriving. higher-paying jobs are coming by the thousands. and in the last eight years, over 80,000 new jobs have been created in our metro economy. [applause] our position relative to the world economy is much similar to last year. we should not and we cannot ignore the fact that many of the world's financial markets are weak. and as good as our local economy is, our economy would be doing even better if the national

economy and the world economies are doing better. so, here's my take on our local economy. knowing what we know, and knowing that you can't ever be sure of what calamity might be just around the corner, we have every reason to be optimistic. we are attracting talent, banks are gaining confidence in the ability to support new projects, or population growth and our per-capita income are going about rates that exceed the national average. on the flip side, we need to continue to diversify our economy, because as much time as we spend investing resources on creating jobs in mediation and the biomedical field and manufacturing, the energy sector continues to multiply and is getting larger and larger. is a really good problem to

have. but we must make sure our economy looks at and encourages other market sectors. also, remember that we have three fundamental advantages compared to most other major cities that we inherited from past generations. one, we have a large air force base that gets great respect from the pentagon. number two, we have three interstate highways attached to our city, and number three, we are the state capital. now, these three factors were great accomplishments by leaders long gone. tinker air force base was born as a great example of the ongoing relationship between the city hall and a local business leaders. the fact that we give to the interstate highways going all through our city is not an accident. our leadership of nearly 100 years ago worked hard to ensure that major roads lead to oklahoma city.

and as for being the state capital, we had to steal that in the middle of the night. [laughter] and we are not going to give that back. then there are the elements that we in this generation have created. the factors that have started to set our city apart from others to get one, investments in infrastructure that are unparalleled. number two, a thriving arts and sports community. and number three, a general culture of the entrepreneurship, face and diversity. so in the coming years, held are we likely to fare in our ever-growing competition with other cities. how are we likely to compare with our peers for jobs in the quality-of-life? i can tell you sincerely i

wouldn't want to be them. wellness centers for seniors, the city county board of health is building an entire campus of health-related services.

overall, it is a lot attitude to prioritize health and design our infrastructure to interact with people at the same time it interacts with cars. and three, we are doing better on the awareness that. our website, and the city is going on a diet.com attract a 47,116 people to sign up and pledge to lose weight and you may have noticed last week we reached our goal of 1 million pounds. and over that for years, we've been able to make giant stride in getting the word out about the dangers of obesity. as you can imagine a 47,000 people averaging over 20 pounds apiece we have a member success stories stories from the campaign. i want to draw your attention to the story of twin brothers, and dan and on evidence, oklahoma city police officers in the past year, the pastor dan lost 120 more pounds and don lost 130.

[applause] that's. between them, they last over 250 pounds and they are sitting right down here. could you guys please stand quite [applause] great examples of taking control of their lives. and i'm sure was not easy, but when we made the announcement at the zoo about the million pounds, they stood up and spoke and said it is that age-old combination of diet and exercise. it is not tricky and we are proud of you to run multiple levels. congratulations. and two days ago i received an e-mail. it says, dear mr. mayor, congratulations on the city hitting the 1 million-pound mark. it takes a lot of hard work to lose weight. i do miss nathan carter harvey from guthrie. i want to sign up on the website but couldn't because i'm only

12. just one year ago i was 206 pounds in the sixth grade. i was so tired of being picked on and tired of in myself the time i played some xbox 36 t. and started playing more outside, playing sports and riding my bike. i stop drinking pop. i stopped eating as many chips and candy and took a course at the ymca and i started losing weight. in the morning last, the better i thought. but i thought, the hday i am 12. i have lost 85 pounds. i was the center for my junior high football team this year and best of all now i have lots of friends and feel really good. have a fun day, mason carter harvey. and mason is here with us today. it may sound, which stand? [applause]

annie got out of school. to come here the mayor talk. [laughter] what a day. overall, there are three fact years that should make us up domestic about improving our health statistics. rising income, improve infrastructure and better information. what at the end of the day, it's still going to come out to us. it's still going to come out to action in our schools have improved menus. there are signs that grocery stores with fresh fruits and nationals are more likely to move into underserved areas, but better access on is not going to be enough. we need a better attitude. and when you think about it, there is no reason we can't do better. we have placed higher and higher standards on this community time and time again. we must continue to place higher and higher standards on ourselves. our procedure with wellness from

the groundbreaking work at the city county board of health chewer infrastructure changes is drawing national attention as a model to other communities to consider. a round of applause as they continue to prioritize health in this community. [applause] one advantage of the city's progression is that we are better able now to keep and attract the most talented young people in the next generation. young people with choices about where they are going to live. many of them are choosing to live here. and speaking of the next generation, we pride ourselves in oklahoma by providing athletes. most of us if we gave much thought at all could name local athletes that have come from oklahoma and gone on to produce great things at the college level or professional level where the olympic level. but what our young people are

producing right now is historically unprecedented. you can start at the college level for granted and we do not high school ayn rand wrote that oklahoma both for my metro, both among the top college at rates in the country. at the professional level in the last two years, we have watched sam bradford become the number one pick in the nfl draft, blake griffin the number one pick in the nba draft and this year in baseball, not canned became argue with the best player national league. a descendent eight-year contract for $160 million. having three of the best young stars in pro baseball, football and basketball simultaneously is more than just remarkable. in the last few years, all we have emerged from our playground to the greatest stages of the world of professional sports has to offer.

meanwhile, the kids that are using our playgrounds today are getting new schools, new classrooms, new gymnasiums, new technologies, all because of your investment in maps for kids. 2011 was a big year for maps for kids. 2012 will be an even bigger year for maps for kids any think about it. the school severity been completed. there is currently construction taking place at 29 more schools and all of those 29 will be completed by the end of the year. there are seven schools in the design phase that will go to business spring. the downtown elementary school is in design. so it could be under construction a year from now and in the final project will be the administration building. more and that will unfold as time passed. let me show you a picture that i

think speaks loudly to the quality and integrity of the program. this is the auditorium at capitol hill high school with maps for kids dollars as turned the building to its former glory. now let's switch over to maps three. we have seven citizen must subcommittees passed with providing direction on the project. they are making recommendation to the maps three advisory board and those recommendations go to the city council. now it's most of you know, with the maps model we pay for these projects with cash so it takes a while to collect a penny until the project, but it should be interesting to watch over the next two years to say the least. here's a status report of most start with the senior health and wellness centers to expect poorer facilities to be built. the first centers in the process to be developed right now. in 2012, this year look for the first site to be selected in the first building to be designed. construction on the first owner

should take pace in 2013. the jogging and biking trail committee has been very busy. i've been concentrating their work on a trail that will connect the oklahoma river. construction they will begin in 2013. the sidewalks that come with maps we will be in two phases. subcommittees working on a master plan right now. construction on the sidewalk should begin no later than 2014. in the meantime you'll see lots of other sidewalk being constructed around the city, but most came from the bond issue we passed in 2007 and not for maps. the convention center is the biggest of the projects. the site has been somewhat. i would expect the land to be acquired sometime later this year. the streetcar subcommittee has been very busy. the santa fe station has been selected as the site to the multimodal hub and this year will begin the process of acquiring that size.

2012 should be a year a year and missed a lot of the engineering work considering the streetcar is accomplished. the subcommittee is working on a downtown park are making good progress, planned acquisition is going well. this year expect some steps towards developing a master plan. we are also going to be bringing in the environmental engineer to start working on the upper part. the subcommittee looking after the river improvement is on three different bases. the lighting, wind streams in the whitewater facility in a lot of design work should be completed this year. finally the fairground, the consultants hired to refine the master plan. i expect some of that work will start to emerge before the end of the year. as for project 180, i assume i don't have to tell this group all about it. you couldn't have gotten into this building without seeing. it involves parks and was downtown. over 10 miles of new roads have hardy been completed.

557 trees have been planted. 11 new intersections upon the traffic signals and crosswalks have been completed. over 200 bytes have been added for pedestrian traffic in over 100 new flights have been sold for vehicles. 2011 was in fact a big year for completing or nearly completing several big projects. the myriad botanical gardens has reopened and is living up to all the expectations. raise your hand if you a chance to visit the myriad botanical gardens in seattle at the improvements? is quite amazing. the entire city is very proud of it. the improvement of chesapeake energy arena continues. the sections on the arena completed our significant upgrade over what had originally. large expansion on the south with site content is under construction and will be ready by next season. the oklahoma city sky dance bridge is virtually complete.

it is a truly iconic piece of art will be visible to over 100,000 visitors a day. and of course, the new section of i. 40 itself is in the final stages of completion. reality ribbon-cutting for the eastbound lanes earlier this month. how about another show of hands. how many of you have already been on the new highway? okay, virtually everyone here. it looks fantastic and i know kerry ripley is here today. thank you for you in your stats are come on this. we appreciate the department of transportation. westbound lanes will be opening soon and then we will start to work on the boulevard that is going to replace the old alignment. the boulevard is under engineering right now. all told, this project is the largest civil engineering investment in state history and once again, let me think the state department transportation and please show your appreciation to our friends.

[applause] on the oklahoma river come the chesapeake finish line power is completed. former elements of what is becoming the finest venue in the world for the sports of growing, canoe and kayak. at the fairgrounds, more investment in the porsche business. we remain the horseshoe capital of the world. 2011 was probably the biggest year we've had for retail in a long, long time. the other shops of oklahoma city upon august the here sunflower market open in august and whole foods opened a 35,000 square-foot store n-november appears to officials with whole foods tell us it was one of the top launches in their chains history. and as for event, well, it doesn't get much bigger than the nba playoffs. that better advanced all the way to the western conference finals

in 2011. [applause] simply put, nothing puts our city's brand under the worldwide stage in a positive manner better than our basketball team. soon after we departed the nba playoffs, espn is back in town for another one-week run at the women's college girls. millions are now watching these answer hall of fame stadium in last year once again we set another attendance record. and finally mentioned at the beginning we had a lot of new people arriving in oklahoma city. not all of them are people. at the zoo, train to come our first-ever baby elephant was born on april 15. she waved 304 pounds at birth and she eventually caught up and has been eating nonstop ever

since. she now weighs nearly a thousand pounds. malee is doing quite well. our new house and exhibit overall is quite incredible and there is rex. rex is our new african oliphant. he is 43 years old. he has just moved here from canada. i tend to think he is quite handsome. i like his rugged good looks. it doesn't matter what i think. we are hoping that malee's mother and aunt think he is equally as handsome because he would like to see them have a brother or sister or cousin real soon. sosa eight to keep supporting one of the world's greatest news. i mentioned earlier that we have created a 80 or have a talented twentysomethings adoptions about where to live are choosing to live in oklahoma city.

while you're eating lunch today, the oklahoma city under an ounce russell westbrook ascended new long-term contract oklahoma city. [applause] so congratulations. we appreciate everything you do for us. thank you. godspeed. >> our coverage of the state of the state address continues but michigan governor rick snyder. he outlined his plan for 2012 and talked about the economy, education tax refund. in the capital mincing, this is about an hour. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you very much. please be seated.

thank you. appreciate it. please have a seat. thank you. well, thank you. it is an honor to be here tonight and i would like to start by thanking several individuals and groups. first off, i want to thank the speaker of the house. bolger. second i would like to thank my partner in this endeavor, lieutenant governor calley. [applause] he is still speaking to me tonight after last night. i'd also like to think another key part of our team's success, senate majority leader

richardville. [applause] like to think senate majority leader whitmer, minority leader. [applause] sorry about that. i'd like to thank house democratic leader richardville and who is feeling better. the members of the supreme court, welcome. [applause] attorney general schuette. [applause] secretary of state, johnson. i'd like to thank all members of my cabinet. thank you for being with us.

and ladies and gentlemen of the legislature can't thank you for being here and thank you so much. [applause] like to thank all of my fellow public service. thank you for your service to our state. [applause] and i am happy to see several representatives here tonight, but to give special thanks to the men and women of michigan serving in our armed services. [applause] thank you for your service.

this is truly something special. i want to thank all the citizens of michigan. last but not least i want to give special thanks to my family. [applause] in my first state of the state address he spoke about the need to reinvent michigan with job wine themed jobs. tonight is a continuation of that journey. in the 1800s, we have the natural resources area. chicken 1.0. and the 1900s, we had the industrial area. michigan 2.0. this century, it is time for the era of innovation, michigan 3.0. [applause] we are on that path. we are getting it right and we are getting it done.

[applause] to reaffirm the need to reinvest michigan, let's look at the past. michigan had been in decline for several decades of the last decade been particularly difficult. we were essentially tired and broken. in 2011, we made large strides to make michigan a great state again. we came together and worked with relentless positive action at a dodgier space. while we should be proud of the progress, much remains to be done. so with that, but they get started. first, let's review a number of key measures on our statewide dashboard. there are 21 measures in five different areas you don't panic. i'm not doing all 21. but i did want to highlight five of them. for this at home, find the entire dashboard at

www.michigan.gov/dashboard. number one is an exciting one. our unemployment in the last 12 months has strapped from 11.1% to 9.3%. [cheers and applause] in november we dropped below 10% for the first time in three years. in fact, added nearly 80,000 privacy or jobs during 2011. we've shown improvement in the united states averaged and in particular has mentioned the travesty that it it has been higher-paying than the average for the rest of the united states.

[applause] at number two is finally have it done as well. obesity in our state has increase one percentage point to 32% of our population. this is a disturbing trend. everyone knows that health care costs are exploding and unsustainable in addition to the human obesity. the key to the solution is not government, the personal responsibility. we need to work together to do a better job on obesity. [applause] number three, college readiness increased from 16% to 17% while the 1% increases than accept the vote. we need to be 100% college and career ready for our young people. [applause]

number four, our bond rating. our actual ratings didn't change, but we are moving in a positive direction. the agencies has increased other from neutral to positive from a good thing we are heading in the right direction. [applause] number five, our crime statistics, statewide have improved. while this is good, we have four of the top 10 cities on the most violent crime list for the united states. flint, saginaw, pontiac and and a straight and in 2012 we are going to focus on this resolve this issue. [applause]

i'd also like to mention some non-dashboard indicators of batters they. first, the automotive industry has made a major comeback. last week is that the north american auto show and i was proud to say that detroit is still the undisputed auto capital of the world. [cheers and applause] the next group i am going to mention has been to us to not talk about and forgotten, but they are critically important. they have been the unsung heroes of our economy and that the people in agriculture. over the last decade, they've been one of the shining lights for our state. we need to remember, we're the second most diverse agricultural

state in the nation will continue to grow into better. i want is a thank you to everyone in the agriculture industry. [applause] finally, tourism is on a positive path. your michigan is working well. now we just need more snow. [laughter] as an extra now, i'm very excited about dropping a flag on the 500 couple weeks and one of the premier winter events in the entire nation. [applause] [inaudible conversations] and now i'd like to give special recognition. i am pleased to say can muster

is with us today in the audience. dan, stand up. [applause] most of us know dan is representing the grand hotel on mackinac island of the tuition happy birthday. 125 years and going strong. [applause] i also want to mention our team has been working with fatter caspersen and representative tukey among others on exciting opportunities and 99 the european timber industry in northern michigan. [applause] we are rebuilding michigan's image is a great place to do

business. we had a very successful trade mission to asia were delivered on substance now so it is time to spread the message and that is why i'll be making trips to europe in a shed to talk why michigan is the place to do business in the world. [applause] i want to mention one other index that doesn't get mentioned often. for the past six years, with more people moving out of michigan then we had moving in. in 2011, we stop at track. [applause] now tonight i am excited to count captain john james said the united states army's people

among us who have chosen to call michigan home because they see a bright future here. captain james, where are you? stand up, please. [applause] now while captain james has traveled the world and been recently station in michigan, his military service this year he has chosen to shanties a teacher in the family business, a 40-year-old business the chance group international and detroit. the chance group international is a very successful organization authority without the detroit wayne county port authority to be part of the revitalization plan. because of the partnership, the company estimates 15 new jobs this year, so we are pleased to

captain james is here tonight along with his dad, john and his brother loren. thank you and the gentlemen for being with us. [applause] so now let's discuss 2011. both in terms of accomplishment, initiative started we need to finish and challenges. 2011 was the year to attack two attacker legacy problems and change course for downward to operate. the key targets were to agree to an environment that encourages job creation and create a financially sound state government. i truly want to think you partners in the state legislature. through partnership, we accomplished a lot. we had 323 public tax in 2011, but more important than quantity with quality. thank you so much.

working together we passed a financially stalling budget. [applause] we had to address a billion and a half dollar deficit is demanded tough decisions and i appreciate all good sacrifices that people made. michigan is just like a family. in tough times we have to find ways to live within our means. working together though, we stop the practices of using budget gimmicks were taking short-term actions that harm us long-term. [applause] even in these difficult times, we make payments towards michigan's long-term liability costs. in addition, may the first deposit of michigan's rainy day fund since 2004. the fun had run onto a balance that only operate state

government for 30 minutes. the last thing as this is the fastest budget process in the last 30 years, which is a tremendous help to her local government schools. the thank you so much for the hard work. [applause] i really appreciate the extra support of our appropriation shares. senator cron and representative maas, thank you. next was tax reform. if the tax system has three basic elements. simple, fair and efficient. our systems failed on all three of these principles for both business and individuals. so working together, we eliminated the michigan business tax. [applause]

as many of you have heard me say, the michigan business tax was just plain. in addition to feeling all through principles, it was a job killer to impose an unfair double tax burden on our best job creators for small and medium-size business people. although it didn't disappear until the end of 2011, many businesspeople already gained confidence in our future and have taken action. i want to recognize one example. one example is in the mainstream america's space and a peanut, which is a nighttime district and how niemann is with us tonight. al, standup, please. [applause]

the party added five employees and expect to hire 100 more because of these reforms. thank you. [applause] been on the michigan business tax want to give one of the special recognition. and that is lieutenant governor transfer who worked tirelessly on the tax reform issue. [applause] we also completed a major reform of individual income tax system. we changed the personal taxes into one defined by fairness, one that doesn't treat anyone at it than anyone else. we've leveled the playing field to give all michiganders a fair shake to the long-term. [applause] remained major improvements with local government reforms that

encourage more accountability and transparency i'm a better cost management of health care costs and service sharing between communities. for example, we now 435 just jurisdictions doing dashboards. we created a $5 million pool to create innovative collaborations between governments. the first word westergren wrapped its length integer processor income tax returns. the $550,000 awards they received will result in over $2 million in savings over the next nine years. [applause] this exercise and best practices due to the great partnership with the legislature and especially like to thank represented or clement for effort on the. [applause] we completed much of her education reform package.

as i said earlier, our current standing of only having 17% of students being college ready is unacceptable. our children are our future and we need to make sure they are not just college ready, but korea ready. we need to start early childhood in spanish with lifelong learning, whether it is college or vocational training. we launched the office of great start to focus on our youngest children. i want to thank the foundation committee for helping championship early childhood education. [applause] teacher tenure reform is accomplished. now we have a better system to support our teachers come to recognize their critical role in create an that supports their success. [applause] we provide our students and parents with more school choice

by removing the cap on charter schools. clap not now we need to make sure we are raising the performance bar on all schools. [applause] we have worked to complete. i encourage the legislature to complete dual enrollment and cyberlearning. i also appreciate her support of legislation for the educational achievement authority, which is our initiative to turn around our poorest performing schools. our goal is to educational achievement authority educating children by this september. [applause] in september i gave a special message on health and wellness. as i mentioned in the dashboard, again the most important item would be taking personal responsibility for her own

wellness. as you know, i signed up for my own personal commitment. in six pounds towards my goal of losing 10 pounds, but still have some work to go. i ask all michiganders to join in this effort. this isn't about who's the biggest loser. this is how we can all live together. i asked the legislature to continue their work on autism and the michigan health marketplace. there is no medically proven. 27 states have evidence these therapies. the human and financial costs of autism are too high to address this important topic. [applause]

the michigan health marketplace and our effort to get people the tools they need to make informed decisions when selecting high-quality and affordable care is to have a health care equivalent of travelocity. burma is the last time you called by their lands to book an airplane ticket? if we fail to act in a timely basis, we are in a path to a federally imposed system defined by people who don't live or work in our state. i urge the legislature to seize the opportunity for michigan the distance. [applause] i am pleased to announce a new program. pure michigan partnership

between kerber, mission or association health and hospital associates to address childhood obesity. it is a nutrition-based program to give parents and caregivers the information to raise happy healthy kids. we also took great strides this year to protect the most horrible citizens. it reduces the fastest growing crimes in michigan. he gives from her volatile special witness users, laugh advocates to speak on their behalf when they are unable to establish a senior alert program. i urge the house to the package of bills. [applause]

michigan is on tonight at 700,000 men and women who have served this country. many of access to va health care but are unaware or choose not to use it because of a cumbersome process. today only 19% of our veterans use va health care. we will continue to work with veterans groups and the federal government to ensure our veterans get the benefit they earned and deserved you like to thank the legislature for their support in this area, especially representative zoran and callback. thank you. [applause] just as individuals cannot neglect their own health, the state cannot afford to not click

the help of our physical infrastructure. a bipartisan act of bills will introduce to create a system of roads and bridges for the 21st century economy. one illustration of our system is a road funding formula in 1951, over 60 years ago. even more important, studies have shown we are under investing transportation by upwards of $1.4 billion a year. almost no one in michigan like the rosetta stone. let's solve this problem. irish legislature to begin hearings on this important issue. [applause] now another persistent problem that we face is their lack of a

truly regional transit system for south michigan. we are working on partnership with the city of detroit with the four surrounding counties in the u.s. department of transportation to develop a new rapid transit system, a bart to service the entire system. it is 40 years overdue. i encourage or support. [applause] now the final rashers on talent. this is truly the last but not least. our greatest asset is our talent. our people. tradition in the public sector has focused on talent for workforce development. this is a good mouse. we can minimize waste and that real results for people that are

lamer careers are and will be with our people and their skills that they have and that they need. we started this process in the fall of your michigan allen cannot. i encourage young people and anyone looking for a job or career to go to my talent to work. this new portal is to get our citizens better connect it. you're nearly 70,000 jobs on this site. if we filled all these positions, our unemployment rate would drop by another 2% almost. [applause] and many of these are very good jobs by the way, such as balder account or nurse. again, this is more concerned the job site. it has tools for letting a look at their skills for various careers. please check it out.

i talented jen also emphasized the unemployment in michigan is far too high for veterans, for veterans of iraq and afghanistan, iran played a rate was approximately 29%. this is the right and we need to act. i encourage all employees to place a priority on hiring our veterans. [applause] we need help from our federal partners to create integration opportunities. having individuals both diseases in michigan with create new jobs for citizens. in michigan we need to remember immigrants were the founders of

doubt and masco. we are going to be working on a separate with support for michigan university and michigan reseller council is trying to engineers union and the teamsters. i appreciate all of their support and hope others will join us in this effort. [applause] in addition to the special messages to attack other important actions. first they begin a dialogue on reducing taxes on industrial equipment which needs to continue. michigan has been a world leader in manufacturing and we want good job growth to happen in this important economic there. now this conversation needs to be done in partnership with our local jurisdictions. since it's a critical part of the revenue. let's look for a long-term solution that generates more and

better jobs while properly supporting our communities. [applause] we accomplish major reforms of our state pension and retiree medical system. these reforms moved or benefit structure to better align with the yours so we weren't many good place to work but the same time reducing our long-term liabilities by more than $5 billion. client we have also committed to help them the most inane.

government always needs to consider human side effects. all children need a strong loving opera, especially those in daycare. so we strengthen our commitment to children's services in michigan. other children secant apt to say my last year, department of human services is able to play 70% or more than 2500 of these children at a permanent family. [applause] the more children become available every day for adoption. then i'd like to recognize one family. the moral and family of canton is a wonderful example of the joys of adoption are if the moreland family could stand up, please.

[applause] let me tell you about the moreland family. lamar and holly moreland ardea to beautiful biological children, derek and hunter. but through their work in the judicial and legal system, lamar and holly did they wanted to expand their family through adoption. last fall, they're a match of the michigan exchange and had 12-year-old dexter and 7-year-old haley. everything worked out. dexter and haley had made the adjustment and are doing well and cool. they have found a pair for every family. clap back thank you.

[applause] [applause] [applause] which struck a special which struck a special chord in my heart. one was the extension of foster care services to age 21 and set of h. 18 for young adults who would otherwise age out of foster care. this change will make a big difference in their young lives. they are ready of providing for special support for 141 young adults in this age group in the scholarly program. [applause]

the second public act that is going to match it was probably among the most emotional moments for me personally at the bill signing and notice the passage of the anti-bullying law. there is no excuse for bowling. after 10 years of effort, we take legislative action. as a person who is bullied when i was young, i say thank you. [applause] now, not all went well or smoothly in 2011 and i would mention to areas in particular. first, we did not succeed in moving ahead with the new

international trade. we need to continue our efforts on this topic since it is not a bridge issue. it's a jobs issue. [applause] one third of the north american economy can be found by circling chicago to montréal are right in the middle. let's not let the special interests hold back a great opportunity for job creation, especially since the project can be done without any michigan taxpayer dollars. [applause] second, numbers of our cities and schools are suffering nature of financial distress. this problem is not a new one, but it's an important topic we

should fully addressing 2012. when i came into office, with six cities or school districts under emergency financial management. last year when my join the list. now there is a lot of speculation as to why jurisdictions got in trouble. the overriding common feature is that they lost population without a corresponding class structure. but the long-term answer is not simply about cutting costs. it is how to create a financially solid foundation said that growth can occur again. [applause] the state's role is still jurisdictions sought their own problems and in that regard we pass the fiscal accountability act, often known as pa for. address two main issues missed by his predecessors reapers helps communities identify and

solve problems as soon as possible and prior to a financial emergency. second, when there is a financial emergent date, it is intended to quickly and effectively solve problems of the community can get back on a positive path. [applause] some people may wonder what we are talking about with the term financial emergency is used. think about a situation where employees are not going to get their paychecks. suppliers are not getting paid. bond payments are being menaced for financial statements cannot be completed. these are critical problems. the new one is helping. [applause] and tonight, i want to let any jurisdiction that struggling with finances to know we are committed at the state level to be a supportive partner to help them resolve their challenges.

and tonight i would like to recognize mayor dean for being with us. would you stand up? [applause] it is important for all michiganders to understand having a thriving, growing detroit is critical to all of us. [applause] detroit has many exciting

developments going on in resolving the city's financial challenges would clear a path to a bright future. [applause] i want to thank the foundation community for their support of our office of urban initiatives are this office is serving as their key resource interfacing with goodies. the last time i want to attack about regarding tony levin is offered for regulatory reinvention. it's underway will be continuing into 2012. so far, we've descended nearly 400 obsolete computers and burdensome regulations. [applause] native regulatory environment that's conducive to business growth and job creation while making sure we're properly protect our citizens. [applause] at this year we'll continue our regulatory reinvention by

eliminating most of them plato makes sense. i was going to share three simple examples with you. first, we have a rule mandating the size of a barbarous wastebasket and how many times it must be empty. i just got a haircut. my barber wasn't aware of this particular rule. i can't, we have a rule requiring child care providers to smile. finally, in the shouldn't be a surprise and i appreciate their leadership today, but the department of environmental quality has 28 separate requirements for outposts, including a requirement that the seat not be left out. [applause]

i don't know about you, but i have a higher authority at home. i don't need the state telling me that. [applause] is going to be an interesting evening. [laughter] ..

operates and the jobs component. it will focus on the places of the greatest need. second, in the fall i will give a special message on the energy and environment we need to be more strategic by focusing on the intersection of job

creation, of portability, science and sustainability we to continue michigan's leadership in protecting the great lakes, one of the world's greatest natural assets. [applause] third i would like to work with the legislature how to improve the law was related lobbying, campaign finance and ethics for both state and local government. for example, we should have more frequent and better disclosure of campaign contributions and we should have stronger rules governing employment people who negotiate state contracts while in government service. [applause]

on the implementation of the government we will have two levels. one track will be focused on state government itself and how it operates. the second track will be as a supporting part more to our local jurisdictions. the four principles of good government will be how we operate in this way. and let me share those principles which you. first, we need to deliver outstanding customer service to our citizens. we need to do this by creating an environment for job creation, create a great quality-of-life, and provide a safety net for those most in need. second, we need to deliver real results for real people and there are three components to this principle. we need to show you our citizens measurable results. the - porter spoke of tonight is

just the summary. we are instituting a comprehensive system that includes dashboard's which are extra measures and scorecards which our internal measures. we need to continue to work on being effective and efficient. we need to eliminate government waste. and we need to be thoughtful in all of our actions. we are here to serve the people. and on this topic and pleased to say we were successful in the collective bargaining with our union employees to read became a winning solution together. [applause] in particular are looking forward to our joint effort to better in power our hard-working state employees of delivering better customer service to our citizens. [applause]

third, we need to continue to deliver on both short and long term financial responsibility. this year we began a positive role model for the rest of the country on this topic. we closed the deficit and started paying down our long-term liabilities. we were a clear contrast to the federal government and a debt ceiling crisis. i encourage them to look to michigan as the place for answers. [applause] i encourage the legislature to work together on a repeat performance of sound budgeting. we don't face a deficit this year which is great. but let us show real leadership and how to strategically invest and save for the future and not

simply spend money because it's there. [applause] the fourth principal of the good government is to recognize the state government role is to be a team player and not a solution on our own. we need to continue to serve as catalysts for success having all of us work together and win together. as i've often said, our role is not to create jobs but to create an environment that encourages job creation. [applause] now live outlined these philosophies for good government i would like to share one example that we actually saw in 2011. the michigan state police got rid of their old service

delivery model the was based on bricks and mortar and geographic boundaries and instead focused on where the crime occurs. they reduce the total number of state police from 62 to 29 making the patrol vehicle easily mobile command post and putting nearly 150 sergeants back into the field protecting and serving you, our citizens. thank you. [applause] triet now i want to share the two most frequent pieces of advice. i received before i took office. the first one was to be bold. simply fixing michigan wasn't good enough. the second often came moments after the first which was don't

set expectations too high. i accepted the first and rejected the second. [applause] we are being bold and reinventing michigan but it requires setting high expectations. you can only build a brighter future by setting a higher standard. in 2011, we set that standard and accomplished many things that many thought were impossible. 2011 was the year of building the foundation for good government. 2012 needs to be the year of implementing good government. [applause] i want to conclude tonight with

a topic i've been talking about for years. it's our greatest opportunity. it's more important than any law or regulation. it's fundamental to the reinvention of michigan and it's become a great state again. simply put, we must reinvent our culture. we are still too negative, many believe the best days are behind us. we need to be positive, inclusive and competent michigan holds a bright future for our children and their children. [applause] it's great to look back at last year and take pride in all of the things they were done. even these things conventional

wisdom said we couldn't do. it's great to have our unemployment dropped to 9.3%. it's great that the auto company shared with me last week they will be high hearing in michigan in 2012. but we cannot afford to slow down. [applause] we must maintain the sense of urgency that we share all of last year. we must finish what we started. [applause] i believe the greatest key to our success and michigan this last year was due to a philosophy of relentless positive action. no blame, no credit, just

finding common ground and solving problems. i ask that all michigander join me in this effort together we will move michigan forward and become a great state. god bless you and the great state of michigan. [applause]

new mexico governor susanna martinez delivered her second sip of the state address in santa fe. the governor talked about three dillinger the law that allows illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. she also talked about tax credits for small business owners who hire veterans or soldiers coming home from the war. this comes courtesy of mexico knme. it's 40 minutes. >> thank you. amol global conversations [inaudible chanting]

[inaudible chanting] [inaudible conversations] [applause] >> i want to welcome you. [applause]

[cheering] thank you. lt. governor, senate president pro tem, mr. speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones, and new mexico is pulling for you. [applause] democratic and republican leaders, esteemed members of the new mexico legislature, representative netz, chairman of

the independent caucus. [applause] honorable members of the judiciary, tribal governors and the lieutenant governors, former governors, members of mexico's congressional delegation, distinguished guests, the state's first gentlemen, my husband common chuck franco. [applause] my cousins are here today from el paso who told me they didn't fully realize was governor and they said it jokingly until they saw it on the view. [laughter] and to all of my fellow new mexicans, thank you for the honor of addressing you this afternoon. last year when gathered at this

time, mexico was facing the largest structural budget deficit in state history. for years governments have overspent on the federal stimulus dollars dry up we had holes throughout the budget. the state of our state was one of financial crisis. we faced a tremendous challenge. many said we couldn't get it done. the we couldn't both balance the budget and still protect our priorities. we had a of vigorous debate. some felt we should have raised taxes, despite the jobs that would have been lost. others felt we needed deep cuts in education and medicaid. i am proud of the fact that we were able to work together, the legislature and the governor. democrats, republicans we came

together and found a better way. we protected class from spending and medicaid, and we did not raise taxes. [applause] public officials must never forget that we served the public not the other way around. that's why in a time of shared sacrifice, i felt it important to lead by example. we eliminated from the governor's residence, cut salaries there by 55%. it worked out well. chuck evin learn how to make more than just bologna sandwiches. [laughter] and i kept my promise to get rid of the ultimate symbol of waste and access.

we sold the state's luxury jet. [applause] we cut waste across the state government, we cut cell phones, got rid of them on essentials the cards, and the governor's office we slashed or budget and reverted over half a million dollars back into the savings account. cabinet secretary salaries were cut by 10%, and we dramatically reduced the number of political appointees. and together, the governor and the legislature hammered out a budget compromise that reduced spending while protecting prairies and balance the state budget to the [applause] mexicans can be confident that we didn't lose sight of our

priority along the way. over the past year, school districts throughout the state had to do more with less. but they did this by cutting administrative waste. and increasing the percentage of their funding that goes directly into the classroom. we protected health care for the most vulnerable, expanded child-care for working moms, food stamps for the elderly and disabled. school clothes for kids most in need. thinking about the state of the state last year, it gives me great pleasure to report to you today that the mexico's financial house is back in order. [applause] we are no longer running a budget deficit. in fact, our historic deficit has now become projected

250 million-dollar surplus in one year. [applause] but a great deal of economic uncertainty persists across the country, across the globe. and too many people are still hurting we must move cautiously. we cannot go back to the credit card spending that contributed to the financial crisis in the first place that's why i propose keeping budgets flat for most state agencies rather than using a surplus to growth governor i propose safeguarding at by using it to make targeted reforms for investments in our future to help struggling students to make mexico more competitive with job-creating tax reform. and maintain a safety net for our most vulnerable.

my focus on the sprees' increasing state spending by only 3.6%. a population and inflation and growth in this state. as we continue to do more with less, we must never forget that our budget is a statement about our values. that's why my budget invests $45 million more in medicaid. providing health care for the poor and the disabled. federal medicare cuts are threatening to close nursing homes, leading a patient some parents and grandparents with nowhere to go. we promise to be there and that's why my budget includes $8 million to keep that promise and keep those nursing homes

open to the [applause] and exactly half of the new spending, $97 million is targeted for improving our local schools. [applause] but it's not just throwing more money if the status quo. it is an investment in reform. an investment initiative designed to get results yet improve student performance. we took some very important first steps in education reform, just last week we announced the grade for the mexico schools that will continue to be fine-tuned and we work with the school district to finalize the results. by this summer every school will receive an official letter in a,

b, c, d or f. finally, a school rating system that is uniquely our own. not a one-size-fits-all federal system, but rather an honest assessment of how our children are learning and improving. a way to identify struggling schools so we can get them the help that they need. i was encouraged last week to hear teachers, principals and parents say things like our school is so close we are almost there. we can get a higher grade. now we must take the next step and take on the status quo once again. we know how essentials learning to read is for our kids. children have learned to read by the third grade, and then they

read to learn the rest of their lives. when we consider this we must consider the kids whose lives it impacts. and what will happen to them if we fail to act. consider the child who just can't learn to read. think about him. his parents left him but maybe they are working long hours to make ends meet. so they can't read to him much at home. maybe his teacher knows he needs more one-on-one instruction but there is no after-school tutoring. so the little boy doesn't get the help. but we keep passing him on from one grade to the next. imagine that child being forced in fifth grade and on to middle school. now he can read the word but it doesn't really understand it. so he struggles to learn of history, geography and science. when he can't meet the standard

we don't offer him a hand up. we just lower the bar. sending him to the next grade, and sending him a toxic message that he is not capable of making the cut he is ashamed. he's frustrated, angry, and eventually he drops out. i encountered many of these kids as a prosecutor law when they were kids but when they were living a life of crime as adults. we know the children who can't read by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out. and 80 per cent of all fourth graders, eda% cannot read proficient lee. as president obama's education secretary directs this issue talks about the mexico status quo, he says if you're students keep being allowed to leave the third grade and fourth grade

without being able to read, you are not doing him any favors the if he's right, passing children who can't read from one great to the next is not compassion at. it is morally wrong. [applause] or we going to turn a blind eye to the fact that 80% of our fourth graders cannot read proficiently? are we going to allow this? if i say the answer is no, then let's do something about it. why are we passing our children on when they cannot read? [applause] holding children back is not the goal. the goal is for every child to learn the basics and to identify and help those who struggle before the third grade.

our obligation is to teach our kids to shoot for the stars. we build a child's self-esteem not by convincing them that failure is okay but by showing them that they can reach any goal. bye offering a helping hand when they struggle so they learn to never give up. to preserve your and to ultimately triumphed and succeed. because every child can learn regardless of circumstances. and frankly, is up to us to help them. and here is how we will do it. [applause] here is how we will do it. my plan this year called for a 17 million-dollar investment in reading reform. teachers will assess the children early on, a kindergarten, first grade and second grade, and those students who are struggling will get

immediate help in these early years. more tutoring, more individual attention. we will put more reading coaches in elementary schools and while we are on the subject of reading, let me say that helping our children learn is a responsibility that we all share. as governor i've read books to kids in over a dozen classroom's the past year. truth be told, as much as i love hanging out with all of you, reading to these kids has been my favorite thing to do as governor. [applause] i've gotten really good at sitting crisscross applesauce on the floor with little ones. teachers need parents and families, family members and friends, all of us to be engaged. we must all accept the response of the. today i am encouraging parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles to

read to their children and to help his special announcement. that luxury jet cost the state nearly half a million dollars a year to operate. now that we sold its, we can use that money on something else. i am proposing that we take that same amount of money and by every new mexico first grader a reading book of their very own. [applause] every child will get this book when they leave kindergarten so that every family will have the opportunity to teach their children. every child will have a great book to read over the summer as they prepare for the first grade. as i mentioned, i am proud of the fact that our education reforms have been embraced only by democrats in the mexico but also by the obama administration. at the top of a lot list a say

reform to reward our best teachers with higher pay. in evaluating teachers, we must measure the progress. there are students that began mastering the basics. that doesn't mean teachers with the most students get a bonus. means we must measure and reword progress. it's the progress that counts. the teacher who takes the kids three grades behind and get them out to greet level has arguably accomplished more than the teacher who has a class full of overachievers. that is why i am urging you to support the teacher evaluation system that will identify these great heroes in our schools and reward them accordingly. [applause]