o'malley delivered the state of the state address before an audience of lawmakers and ambassadors from ireland, mexico, russia, and south korea in annapolis. he talks about the country and the support for legalizing same-sex marriage. this is half an hour. [applause] >> thank you very much. [applause] thank you, thank you. [applause] thank you. [inaudible conversations]

thank you, all, very, very much. let me begin by thanking god for the goodness of maryland, for her natural beauty, the goodness of her people, for the hope we see in the eyes of our children. let me thank the men and women of maryland who serve in our country's armed forces. [applause] [applause] and i also at the outset here want to thank the parents and the loved ones of our fallen heros for the sacrifice that they have made and that continue

to endure. thank you governor hughes for your continued service on behalf of the people of maryland. thank you president miller and speaker bush for ably and effectively leading your chambers through these very challenges and difficult years of recession. [applause] through these challenges years of recession and now jobs recovery, and thank you, attorney general, thank you treasurer cobb, comptroller fred for your work in preacing the dignity of every individual and advancing the common good, and thank you, my colleagues and county and municipal government, battling on the front lines of the job recovery and in these extremely challenging times. thank you to the men and women of law enforcement, correctional

officers, parole agents, states attorneys whose hard work drove crime down to the lowest levels in 30 years. [applause] thank you, mayor stephanie rollings blake for baltimore's extraordinary leadership in driving crime down to record lows. [applause] thank you and welcome to ambassador of mexico, to ambassador michael collins of ireland, to ambassador from japan and ambassador of korea. thank you katie o'malley and the cabinet for your high competence, your effectiveness,

delivers results, and caring for every citizen that we serve. thank you to the men and women of the assembly for putting the best interests of the families first and making the right decisions no matter how tough and unpopular for the better future our children deserve. my fellow marylanders, we are here because we care about people, all people, every person, every family, and we know that in order to tackle the challenges at hand and to get all of our citizens back to work, we must act as a people. five years ago in the first state of the state together, i declared before you the goals of this administration, to strengthen and grow the middle class and family on businesses and our family farms. this remains the single over arching indicator of progress for the state and the better

future we seek for our children. there is nothing more important for our family's security and future than our job. we are all in this together, and in this important work, the state of our state is strong. [applause] with tough, but fiscally tough responsible choices, we're moving our state out of foreclosure, recession, and job loss and into a new era of job creation and greater opportunity for all. we have not yet recovered all the jobs we lost during the bush recession, but we are moving forward steadily. as president obama stated last week, we must create an economy that is built to last, and in this work, maryland is leading the charge for our country's better future. by improving education and

innovation, opening the port, expanding rural broadband, building new schools, modern classrooms and other infrastructure, making jobs training more affordable for family, we, together, improved the conditions that allowed businesses to create jobs. expanding opportunity to grow our middle class is a choice, and because of your choices, more marylanders are working this year than last. they are working because you chose to make modern investments 234 the economy. after taking the initiative to complete a solar training program by the work force compings and ibew local 26, kevin landed a green job installing solar panels at fed ex field, home of our washington

red skins. [applause] more marylanders are working again because of small business owners like susan aplin who moved her eco-friendly home furnishing company to baltimore with the support of an investment by the maryland venture fund. [applause] last year, susan hired nine new employees, and this year, she plans to hire ten more of our fellow citizens, and susan is with us today. susan, raise your hand. thank you. [applause] marylanders like jack who saved homes because you have taken action to drive down home foreclosures. listen to this. jacquelin runs a day care out of her home, and when the recession

hit because fewer parents can afford sending their kids today care, she fell behind on her mortgage. she tried to work with the company, but she heard an advertisement if the state's hope hot line, and through the hot line, she was connected with chi koa's development program, a non-profit, who had a loan master's degreeification reducing the payments by more than a thousand a month allowing her to save her business and her home. [applause] by investing in the one-stop centers, you help people move from unemployment to re-prelim. he visited the one-stop cementer in carol county, and he also

participated in the weekly study group at the one-stop center, and with hard work and resilience, he landed a cybersecurity job. linda gillis was also able to find a new job with the help the state's one stop centers. linda writes, "i lost my job in the middle of june. being able to use the computers was a real life syver for me as i do not have the internet at home. the staff behind the desk at the one-stop center were always helpful. they read my cover letters, thank you note, and applications always giving good suggestions, but i feel what helped me most though was susan willie's coaching on interview techniques. susan knowing when my interview was called me the day before asked if it would be a help to

me to practice some questions. i got the job. i'm grateful to have had such invaluable resources and assistance, and it's now the reason i have what i call my dream job." her dream job pays more than the one she lost, and she and coach susan from a one-stop center are both with us today. would this dynamic duo please stand. [applause] so while more marylanders are working this year than last, still too many continue to search for work, and you know that. better is not good enough for the mom or dad who continues to search for a job. this is why the most important job we create is the next one. this is why everyone is needed, and this is why i'm asking everyone to do more. over the last six year, i asked

you to make the right decisions and admittedly, oftentimes the very tough decision to create jobs and move maryland into better times. in a period of our nation's history when short sided choices have severely under capitalized the job creating potential of america, you have made better and stronger choices for maryland. because of your wise and balanced decisions about where to cut and your smart decisions about where toin vest, -- where to invest, maryland's businesses are creating jobs. in fact, last year, we created more new jobs than we have in any year since the recession hit and twice the rate of our good neighbors in the commonwealth of virginia. [applause] together, together we have driven down unemployment to a

three year low. by restoring fiscal responsibility, with a balanced approach, you've secured maryland's place as one of only a handful of states that earns an aaaa bond rating from all three bond rating agencies. [applause] because of your decisions and a leaner government that works to deliver results, college is more affordable, health care is more available, and more moms and dads in maryland are working this year than last, and because you have had the courage to make the right investment, maryland schools have been number one in america for an unprecedented four years and in a row. [applause] our high school students are now achieving the best ap test scores in the nation.

our high schools are graduating a record percentage of our students, and our colleges are graduating 21% more students in science, technology, engineering, and math. [applause] this has never happened before. it did not happen by accident. hard working teachers, hard working students, caring parents have all been supported by your strong choices. with the balance approach of cuts and revenues, you've wisely chosen to invest in education even as you made record cuts in almost everything else. likewise, our state's innovation economy is not a product of geography, but a product of the important choices and the important investments that we have made together in initiatives like invest maryland, the biotechnology tax credit, the research and

development tax credit, the healing power of stem cell research, the cyber maryland initiative, and rural broadband. none of these things happened by themselves. progress is a choice. strengthening and growing the middle class is a choice. we can be the victims of circumstance, or we can build a better future. as we discussed last year, there are costs, and there are values. we cannot kid ourselves into thinking that by failing to invest in our future, we are somehow saving resources, that we are somehow being clever and saving money for everything has a cost. failing to make decisions that are consistent with the best interests of the next generation, this, too, has a cost, so without any sugar coating, let me plainly lay out the tough choices, the costs, and the tradeoffs before us. this year's budget is 5 jobs budget.

after cutting the growth rate to 1.9%, it does more for job creation than any budget in recent history. the capital budget alone is projected to support 52,000 jobs building modern schools, modern roads, modern transit, modern clean water infrastructure. to create jobs, a modern economy requires modern investments. investments by all of us, for alls us. now, that's not a democratic or republican idea. that's an economic and a historic truth. it was true for our parents. it was true for our grandparents, and it is a truth that built our state and our country. to expand opportunity and strengthen and grow maryland's middle class, this budget invests to create and save jobs. 78,000 teaching jobs in public schools across mard. 11,650 jobs carrying -- tearing down the temporary

learning shacks replacing them with modern classrooms. 25,000 crime fighting jobs as police officers and others make our neighborhoods safer. 19,000 jobs through record procriewrmt at businesses -- procurement at businesses led by women and minority owners in maryland. several thousands because of your vote supported invest maryland to infuse into maryland's innovation economy. 400 jobs building facilities like the new math and engineering building at cecil community college, and the new nursing and allied health building, the new health sciences building at howard community college. 2,750 jobs building facilities like the new center for communications and technology and the new school for business

complex at morgan state university. 2500 jobs improving drinking water systems and upgrading waste water treatment plants in lexington park, back river, and baltimore city. 1100 jobs building rental units which are in high demand, 2400 jobs in the nation's leading health sector that we support in the work to drive down costs, improve quality, expand access, and reduce health disperties for a healthier and more productive work force. beyond this budget, together, we'll create 1500 jobs installing smart meters in homes all over maryland in the bge and service area to help families save on their electric bills, and when anthony brown, with his leadership and your vote, we can also create thousands more jobs on top of the very successful

public-private partnership at the port of baltimore that created 5700 jobs. we can leverage even more private dollars for public good through public-private partnerships. now, we balance these job investments with cuts, revenue, and with regulatory reform. with 800 million in spending cuts and reductions, this budget brings total cuts and reductions over the life of this administration to $7.5 billion. in fact, 20 achieve balance -- to achieve balance over the last thee year, we have relied almost entirely on cuts. with 84 cents of every dollar that we invest allocated to public education, public safety, and public health, and with one of the smallest state government work forces in the nation, every passing year leaves fewer and fewer responsible choices for

cutting. this budgets, therefore, calls for new revenues in support of two important investments. one is the cost of education and retaining quality teachers in the classrooms, and the second is clean water infrastructure. educating our children is a shared responsibility between states -- between the state and the counties. last year after rebalancing and saving our defined benefit pension system, we are now asking you in this session to bring maryland into closer alignment with how most states share teacher retirement system costs. the proposal balances this responsibility 50/50 between the state and the counties, and it also provides $2 # -- $244 #.5 million to the county, and no proposal prior this issue offered this much help to the counties. we'll partially fund the education cost along with other

priorities by capping income tax deductions and phasingous some exemptions for the 20% of us who earn more than others. asking our fellow citizens to do more will not be popular. without anger, without fear, without any meanness, and the course of this discussion, let's ask one another how much less education do you think would be good for our children's future? how much less education do we want? how much less public safety? how many fewer jobs? there are costs, and there are values. along these line, my republican predecessor calledded the flush tax one of the most important accomplishments while in office. by making upgrades to clean water treatment plants, together, we reduced the pollution flowing into our bay, but the fee, however, was never sufficient to cover the work

that has to be done. while others have suggested tripling the flush tax, i believe that the fairest way forward is to double the yield by switching most households to a fee structure based on consumption. in other words, the less you use, the less you pay doubling the amount of work that we are able to do for the bay. in the next few days, i'll be submitting a sprit bill for -- separate bill for your consideration on transportation funding. you do not have to be a traffic engineer to know that maryland has some of the worst traffic in america, and we pay a heavy price in terms of the time that we spend idling in bump-to-bumper traffic when we could be at home with our families. with the growing population and aging infrastructure, we might soon pay a steeper price because bridges are not like trees growing stronger with age. with gas at $3 a gallon, our

primary source of revenue for transportation is the same flat 23 cents that it was during governor schaffer's second term when gas was $1.08. now it costs more to paint the bay bridge than it did to build the first span. as the "baltimore sun" said yesterday, if they were to embrace the 1992 tax rate, they have to settle for 1992 infrastructure. through the years, as you know, there have been many recommendations on funding options, but no one has wanted to ask people to do more. the best remaining option, in my view, is to repeal the current sales tax exemption on a gallon of gasoline, phasing out at 2% a year with a breaking mechanism to protect consumers in the event that the price of gas spikes.

we should also inhains protections in the law to better safeguard the new investments in the trust fund. enhanced investment on this scale allows us not only to start getting our way out of traffic congestion and all the time we waste in traffic, but it allows us to create 75,000 new jobs building needed roads, bridge, and public transit throughout the state. now, look, i know that every family is still feeling the effects of this recession. the people i serve are the people that you serve. i know this is a very, very difficult ask, but nobody else is going to do this for us except for us. beyond these issues, our work to e rad cat childhood hunger continues, our work to reduce infant mortality continues, our

work on drugs continues, and there's work we could do and should do to expand opportunity this session. with your vote, we can forge a historic partnership with johns hopkins, maryland state university, and your state government with the goal of transferring 40 new technologies, new ideas out of the labs and into the economy to create jobs within a year. now, maryland is already number one, number one in research among the 50 states. therefore, it is absolutely unacceptable that we should rank 37th when it comes to technology transfer, commercialization, taking those new ideas, and getting them into the economic vains of our state where they can create jobs and employee their people. we should be number one in technology transfer and commercialization of new ideas and designs. [applause]

because too much paperwork means less time putting marylanders back to work, through maryland made easy and fast track, we're reducing the administrative burdens on businesses and streamlining permit applications in this session. we're going to be submitting 750 pages of regulations for you to reform, reduce, and remove from the books, and i welcome your ideas and support in finding even more pages to cut. in our pursuit of cleaner, more reliable energy future for maryland, this administration has entered into a settlement with exlon energy and positive results for maryland families. will not only rate payers in need of assistance receive immediate benefits, but they also agreed to build a new gas fired powerplant in maryland, the first to be built in maryland in more than a decade. under the settlement, exlon agreed to create 6,000 new

maryland jobs with investments -- [applause] 6,000 new maryland jobs with investments 234 solar, on shore wind, and in the first stages of at lin tick -- atlantic offshore wind. chairman middleton and their committees have done work on developing a consensus approach for maryland offshore wind. i greatly appreciate the hard work, it's not simp, and i look forward to signing legislation that their committee puts forward this session. i appreciate the tremendous amount of time and consideration that so many of you have given over the intrerm to curving the problem of septic solution from large scale housing developments. large scale housing developments that threaten the bay and also

the very future of maryland agriculture. septic causes six to ten times the amount of pollution to the bay compared to the house on suer. the amounts of nitrogen into the bay, none grows faster than septic pollution. the moderate approach that the task force crafted is based on what several rural counties do to protect farmland and protect the waters of the bay. along with president miller's propose to exempt working farms from the estate tax, this measure will much better protect the agricultural lands upon which family farming depends and better protect the waters of the bay, and it will save all of us a huge amount of money in remediation costs down the road. [applause]

i'd like to talk with you now about a quality of civil marriage rights for all marylanders. the very reason our state was founded was for religious freedom, and at the heart of religious freedom is respect for the freedom of individual conscious. the way forward, the way to sustain and enhance our common life together is equal respect for the freedom of all. we all want the same thing for our children. we want our children to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home protected equally under the law, and it is not right, and it is not just that the children of gay couples should have lesser protections than the children of other families in our state. [applause]

nor would it be right to force religious institutions to conduct marriages that conflict with their own religious beliefs and teaching. in maryland, we already recognize civil marriages performed in other states, and just over the border in the district of columbia. it is time to join with clergy, faith-based organizations, civil rights organizations, community leaders and individuals across our state to pass a civil marriage law that protects religious freedom and civil marriage rightings equally under the law. [applause]

i leave you with these final thoughts. each of you here has responded to a noble calling in your hearts to serve others, and history has determined that you should serve your neighbors, the people of our state, and a decision making role, a decision making role for all in the time of difficult tradeoffs and difficult choices for all. you are each an integral and indispensable part of our people's progress and consciousness, our people's progress in caring, of our people's progress in freedom, of our people's progress in our shared sense of what is right and what is just under the law

for all. where there are no easy solutions or simple answers, the greatest counsel that we have is the truth in our own arts. for at a personal level, far deeper than any party, there is something that stirs deeply in each of us. when we talk with a mom or dad who because of our choices has found a job at long last to provide for their family's future, there is something that stirs deep in our beings when we speak with a mom or dad who managed to save their home from this terrible wave of home foreclosures in part because of the choices and the actions that we have taken together here in this place of decision. it is the same feeling that so many of us experienced just a

few short days ago, that the hope we saw in the eyes of little girls and boys gathered in this historic building with their parents and with their grandparents. when maryland recognized the native people of this place, our place, for the first time in 380 years. [applause] i am sure that there are many who at the hindsight of history will say why did it take them so long? if there is a common thread running through our efforts together, it is the thread of human dignity, the dignity of work, the dignity of a child's

home, the dignity of every individual. a great man once wrote, "there is an absolute direction of growth. life advances in that direction. life is never mistaken either about its road or about its destination. it tells us what part of the horizon we must fear if we are to see the dawn light grow more intense." may the choices we make on behalf of the people of maryland, the choices for job creation, the choices for human dignity, the choice for a better future, be the right choices for the generations counting on ours. thank you very, very much. [applause] >> now, to agus that, maine, where paul le general page delivered his state of the state address.

this is just under an hour. [applause] >> thank you, thank you. [applause] thank you. [applause] thank you so much. [applause] thank you. president, speaker, justice, members of the 125th legislature, distinguished

guests, my fellow citizens, i am here tonight to update the legislature on the condition of our great state; however, before i begin, i would like to recognize a few very important people. first and foremost, a surprise to me, she arrived at one o'clock in the morning, my lovely wife, anne, would you please stand, anne? [cheers and applause] to my family, thank you for all the support that you have given me and standing by my side every

day for the last three years. master sergeant chad e. smith, the military herald this evening, thank you for your courageous service to our great state in our country. i would also like to recognize and thank major mark stephens. major stephens, please stand. [applause]

next, major stephens will be leaving -- leading his soldiers to kuwait in support of operation enduring freedom for the third time. in the middle east, supporting our great country. not only is mark, major mark stephens the commander of a unite, but he's also the marketing manager of a company in southern maine. major stephens is a true citizen soldier. major, thank you. thank you for your service. thank you for your leadership. we wish you and your unit godspeed. [applause]

i would also like to thank maine public broadcasting for being here tonight, but i will not promise you a free tote bag or more funding after my speech. [laughter] i am pleased to report that in the last year, we have taken a right turn on the road to economic recovery. in a bipartisan effort, we passed the largest tax cut in state history. hard work in maine. [applause]

not only do we cut the top rate for individuals, but we are supporting working, low income maine people by ensuring that 70,000 maine families will no longer pay income tax until they earn higher wages. [applause] that is a helping hand to put them on a road to self-sufficiency and prosperity. our tax cuts for the rich. in maine, the top income tax rate kicks in at an income of under $20,000 per person. let me tell you this. no matter what anybody says to

you or to me, $20,000 is not rich. [applause] two-thirds of maine, hard working taxpayers, will receive tax relief next year. maine families will have more money for heating, oil, groceries, and gas for their vehicles. this was not an easy task. i thank the entire legislature for their efforts on focusing our state a more prosperous home for all mainers, helping us put maine people ahead of our politics.

[applause] just one year ago, our administration faced a $1.4 billion short fall in the pension system. together, we eliminated $1.7 billion of pension debt on the books, 45% of the existing short fall. while protecting retirees' future pensions through sensible reform. we cannot, as a state, pay pensions on ious. [applause] in other areas, government has a new attitude. with the leadership of senator garret mason, maine became the

41st state in the union to adopt driver schools. [applause] in addition to legislation, my first biannual budget increased general purpose to k-12 education by $63 million. [applause] as promised, throughout my campaign, a five year cap was placed on welfare benefits. workers compensation insurance premiums are down by 7%. [applause]

unemployment is down, and considerably below the national average. the main department of transportation under the superb leadership of commissioner david saved more than $100 million without sacrificing any infrastructure improvements. red tape was reduced. we are not here to tell maine job creators what they can't do. we are here to help them find out what they can do. [applause] providing superior customer service to all mainers is the first job of good government. we are changing the culture of

state agencies from no to can do. [applause] together, these things add up to one reality. [applause]

>> we have not reopened it, but we have brought back american jobs from overseas. this shows how per sis tent in working hard in reducing red tape can pay off. what was once a shattered business is now here once again. [applause] another example is compromise. compromise relocated the service operation from india to maine.

according to ceo, david, our efforts set to accelerate the regulatory process in maine was a primary reason that we're able to bring 10 -- 153 jobs home. [applause] even as we mark a few successes, we continue to think ongoing system challenges. when i took office january 5, 2011, i found two distinct dispositions clearly threatening the future of maine's financial state. first was the pension fund liability which we addressed.

second, the unsteanble spending. my administration did not create this problem and did not -- many did not create this problem. this problem exists, and we are here to fix it. [applause] i want to thank commissioner for the leadership and dedication in

these difficult challenges. [applause] the commissioner is a true friend of the maine people. today, we must confront 221 million short fall. the overly generous welfare program -- [inaudible] overred decade, this --

overred decade, this has lowered we have encouraged people to rely -- year after year, our state government has used one time federal funding. this use, not paying a hospital, but we have to pay back money from the federal government to be who we are supposed to be. we are now forced to make tough, but necessary decisions. many of these tough choices were proposed last week. here we are again. if we get in a jam again this time, i guarantee we'll be back

again next year, and the program will be worse. it's growing exponentially. this is not political rhetoric. we must stop promising people to a free lunch. when those working at maine are earning below the national average, it is unfair to promise people that they can get things free from the resulting bills not being paid. [applause] [applause] now, we, as elected officials, must decide how to protect the most vulnerable among us.

my administration has made that commitment to save maine's safety net. [applause] but saving the safety net means we must restructure our welfare program and address spending. we also must begin to reestablish the priorities to the welfare programs if we don't, the system will fair everyone. my plan stabilizes the safety net that is moes as a -- most vulnerable and preserves benefits for over 285,000 mainers.

as a state, we must move closer to the national average in terms of our welfare program. my plan protects benefits for over 285,000 mainers, a number that will still have maine 15% above the national average, much closer to it. as you well know, i have a unique understanding of what it means to need help. we no longer can be all things to all people. maine's welfare program as it stands today will run out of money in early april. also services will be lost. the clock is ticking. we must act quickly. i encourage the legislature to

act now, to move this budget forward, and to save this system like we saved the pension. [applause] as we move forward, and if we look to our neighbors, to new hampshire, you will find that the average median household income in new hampshire is $60734. in massachusetts, it is $64,057. here in maine, our annual median household income is $45,708.

18% below the national average. it is sad. it's really, really sad. this is one of the single greatest issues that affects families in maine, and we should be ashamed that our state is in this position. the -- i ask all of you, where is the outrage? why should mainers live in poverty while our neighbors, who live on the other side of the line drawn on a map earn a far better income and lead much more prosperous lives? my friends and the legislature, it is time to be outraged. it is time to create a climate of the private sector in maine

where job creators can succeed where maine people can prosper. [applause] [applause] the high cost of business is a common theme. therefore, my legislative agenda will focus on maine job creators. we need more jobs.

we need more careers to pull us out of poverty. we need good paying jobs with benefits, security, and good job satisfaction. [applause] [applause] to do this, we'll focus on lowering the cost of energy. creating an educational system that can help us complete globally, boost efforts to strengthen the local economy in each and every maine community. i am convinced that reform to

these three areas will improve maine and affect today maine people. energy, energy in the state of maine is one of the largest inhibitors if not the biggest obstacle to creating jobs. maine's high energy costs must be addressed immediately. we must address the issue of high price of electricity and energy in total. if we want economic prosperity. last thursday, 500-some odd audi workers with another 16 management workers. this is what they told us.

to grow and compete for capital against three other u.s. companies. [inaudible] energy costs in these three other plans range from 4.2 and 5.6 cents delivered a kilowatt hour. that's the importance of competing with a plan in oklahoma. oklahoma plant, 7.5 cents kilowatt hour. maine plant, 12.5 cents kilowatt hour. folks, 67% higher energy costs in maine than oklahoma. unacceptable.

[applause] electricity prices in maine are the 12th highest in the country. we pay 42% above the national average. as a result, maine pays approximately $4 # 00 million per -- $400 million per year more than the national average. think about it. $400 million out of maine people's pockets. for electricity. when i asked you to be outraged, that should make you all very outraged. maine no longer competes just in new england. you just heard oklahoma,

pennsylvania, other states where these large corporations have claimed. we must compete now back east and globally; however, there are some who think abolition mandate types of energy regardless of how expensive it is. i do not support agusta being in the business of increasing costs on hard working maine families to pad the pockets of special interest groups. [applause] ..

[applause] ranging from natural gas providers oil dealers, electric utilities, biomass. to gather input regarding what can we do it immediately. two over maine's overall energy costs. my energy policy will focus on all forms of energy and case mainers the energy to choose whether or not they buy from renewable sources.

for example, hydropower is a green energy. but certainly at the 100 megawatts restriction on renewable, efficient hydropower. [applause] i support let the free market decide what energy sources are sustainable funding people. energy conservation is an important goal. however, we must make sure our government -- our government

programs that use taxpayer dollars for energy efficiency is ours possible and cost effect gives. [applause] let's make sure that when people give us all these energy conservation 18, that we have the nerve to ask questions and challenge their formulas. folks, we are being sold a bill of goods. [applause] look back 15 years ago. did every household have a laptop, a cell phone, an ipod,

a tree into? [laughter] we have to recognize that with technologies comes the reality that we will consume more and more electricity as we go into the future. we need to empower the main people to take control of their own energy save. [applause] businesses have repeatedly told us over the past year that there are jobs available. but lack of qualified workforce to fill them. this is not unique to me. at all. i have met with students, teachers, principals, education

experts. i have learned to many of our students trapped out of high school and to many that complete high school are not ready for college or career. we must reform education. [applause] we cannot afford to follow. this summer, this past summer, commissioner stephen bowen and i studied educational systems around the world. for much of the 20th century, the united states led the world in quality education and in driving economic prosperity. sadly, our country no longer the

period in fact, we study to follow. most international assessments of student performance placed the united states had passed as average. average is not leadership. average will not create prosperity. average to me means we are as close to the bottom as we are the top. we can and must lead the nation in education. [applause]

improving education in maine starts with one simple step. putting our students first. that is not a slogan. it's not a cliché. we all must ask ourselves, what is best for her students? not special interests, not union offices, not superintendence, not school boards, students must be first. [applause]

teacher effect that mess is critical to student learning. we will soon introduce a series of reforms related to maine's teacher effectiveness policies. main must have the best teachers educating our children. [applause] further, children's educational needs should be determined by families, not by the street address. last year, this legislator to decorate thing by passing school

legislation. but it's a start. i suppose students first, we must recognize that students learn best, some students learn best working with their hands. my hobby is making furniture. working with furniture requires a strong working knowledge of geometry. some kids are not going to pick a geometry from a textbook. but they will in the context of the trade, such as woodworking, welding, machining, and the job environment, they will learn these skills. we must ensure that every student has access to a wide

array of educational opportunities. therefore, i want to increase access to and improve upon maine's career technical education system. [applause] and thanks to the hello foundation we got a step up on that with a wonderful grant to the community college and the high school of natural science is. and i think we need to continue

that and we need to focus on it. as we consider education reform, i ask you to simply keep one question in mind. what is best for the student? [applause] my four year career i spent a business, much in manufacturing, some in retail, but about a third of it i spent doing business turnarounds in the year. i have said it many times. as governor, i cannot create private or jobs. however, as governor with the help of the legislature, we can

develop policies that will encourage businesses to expand and create opportunities here in maine. [applause] if we truly want to claim that while open for business, we must work further to reduce the high cost of doing business. last week, "wall street journal" reported in 2009, maine had the ninth highest tax burden in the country. new hampshire, our neighbor was

the sixth lowest in the treachery. even taxachusetts was lower than maine. last year we passed the largest tax cut in the state's history. [cheers and applause] that's the good news. the bad news, it wasn't enough. i will return. i will return to the legislature with further proposals to reduce our tax burdens.

[applause] we will focus on keeping our retirees here at home. [applause] spending money that are small businesses, investing in our state, mentoring our children and grandchildren. we must break the cycle. every tired neighbors, living in florida six months and a day to avoid all the taxes. it is one thing to go south for some beach weather in january and february. it is an entirely different thing if you're doing it to escape attack.

[applause] as your governor, i am determined to make state government accountable. we need to work with our job creators, not against them. read tape or procrastination are just the tracking is no longer accept the ball in the state of maine. [cheers and applause] however, encouraging businesses to expand takes a partnership with local communities and the state.

therefore, my administration is developing a certified business in my community program. this is the skating community is to partner, to reduce the red tape and promote job creation throughout the state. the goal is simple. we want our local communities to partner with job creators. let's identify those communities that exhibit pro-job creating attitudes on go the extra mile and create jobs and wealth right here in maine. [applause] these communities will be designated and recognized by the state as communities that are open for business.

i believe maine is the most beautiful states in the nation. [applause] born, raised and earned my living here in maine and raised my family here in maine. it is important that we do not lose sight of our route and we work to improve our home and our economy. the choice between our environment and our business climate is not either or. it should always be both. [applause]

so much for history, fishing, farming and forestry have been maimed economic engine. mame can be prosperous and still be a great vacation. i am committed to reviving these industries, to get to a point where maine people can enjoy in maine as if they vacation there. i call on the legislature to support our plan to create the department of agriculture, conservation and forestry. [applause] with renewed strength and collaboration, this department was not only be a good story, that have the force to protect

our natural resources-based economy and growth for generations to come. the last issue i want to rest tonight is one that is very personal to me. i am sad to say that my childhood memory is our ravaged with massive violence. those memories are not pleasant, but i will share my past to find domestic abuse today and going forward. [cheers and applause]

every year, nearly half of maine's homicide are related to domestic violence. in 2011, 23 people were murdered. 11 involving domestic violence. these are real lives. mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, and. and yes, children. we all feel very horrific effects of domestic violence.

this tragic loss of life is an accept the ball. i have zero tolerance for domestic abuse and a nature help. [applause] [applause] more than 80% of domestic assaults are committed by men. it is time that man stand at, speak up stambaugh domestic violence. [applause]

as men, we need to stand together as one and say no to domestic violence. tonight, i am very proud for knowledge and domestic awareness advocate who has a personal connection to the effects of this brutal abuse. after the murder of his two grandsons, arthur jette -- arthur please stand. are they became involved in the maine chapter of parents of murdered children. cards and i believe that it is time we ship domestic violence from being a woman's issue to a

men's issue. [applause] it will take a much tougher justice is done to stop the silence. i end up with chief justice attorney general schneider, commissioner morris, district attorney vic duns and the maine coalition to end domestic violence. in an effort to strengthen maine's domestic violence related laws.

our system must focus on protect the women and children. there is more to justice than winning or losing a court case. we must close loopholes in our current rail system. it is important that the last assure the most dangerous offenders are put in front of a judge before they receive bill. ending domestic violence is not a partisan issue. i'd like to thank house minority leader, emily kane has expressed an interest in sponsoring this bill. now emily, this might tell my? [laughter]

ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake, maine is at a crossroads in the road to economic recovery and prosperity is the challenge. in order to succeed, we messed up politics and gridlock aside. [applause] it is time to roll up our

sleeves, get to work and fight the maine people. thank you, all for the opportunity to share my thoughts and vision for maine. god bless maine, god bless america and let's get to work. thank you. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause]

[applause] [applause]

[cheers and applause]

>> in a state of the state address, pat quinn addressed and in the gas tax and created a tax credit for parents. he also called for extending tax cuts for companies that hire

veterans. for the state capitol in springfield, this is half an hour. [inaudible conversations] >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. please be seated. mr. governor. >> thank you. president cullerton, speaker madigan, leaders radogno and cross, attorney general madigan, secretary white, comptroller topinka, treasurer rutherford, members of the general assembly, distinguished guests and fellow citizens of illinois, i'm here today to report to you on the

state of our state. but before i begin, i know i speak for all of illinois in wishing our senator mark kirk a speedy recovery. [applause] we're all pulling for you, mark. and i also know i speak for all of illinois and all of america in thanking our servicemembers in every branch of service who have volunteered to protect our democracy. we're here today because of you. we are especially proud of the servicemembers of our illinois national guard. in the early morning last december 18, a convoy of the illinois national guard's 1644th transportation company led by their commander captain michael barton, crossed the desert of

southern iraq into kuwait. their unit had made 73 dangerous convoy trips between kuwait and iraq. they drove nearly 4 million miles. their convoy was one of the very last to leave iraq. the war was over. and today, captain barton's wife kelli, and their daughter myleigh are with us. on behalf of a grateful nation and a grateful state, thank you kelli, thank you myleigh, thank you captain barton and thank you servicemembers of the illinois national guard. you are our heroes. [applause]

[applause] i'm very proud to be the commander in chief of the illinois national guard and i'm proud to be governor of our state illinois. almost exactly three years ago to this day, i took the oath of office at this podium during one of the darkest moments in illinois' history. one former governor was in jail. another was under arrest, impeached and removed from office. both my predecessors had disgraced themselves and brought profound embarrassment to the people of our state. at the same time, our entire nation was in the throes of a massive economic crisis, caused by disgraceful conduct and greed on wall street. our large and small businesses were reeling. our automakers were in dire straits.

across illinois, families were losing their jobs, losing their homes, watching their savings disappear. we were off course and adrift, lacking leadership, and weighed down by a culture of corruption. on the day i became governor three years ago, i promised to restore integrity to illinois government. and we have. through tough new ethics laws, campaign finance reform, and establishing the ability to recall a corrupt governor, we have made illinois a more ethical state. but we didn't stop there. by legalizing civil unions, by raising the standards of nursing home care, by abolishing the death penalty and by protecting the funerals of our military men and women who gave their last full measure of devotion to our democracy, we have made illinois a better state.

we have never forgotten we had to help everyday people by building and growing illinois. we have invested in our state, making it a better place to do business. and we have invested in the people of illinois, helping our working families and improving education. the results are in from major export growth and the largest public works construction program in state history to solid gains in education. we're back on course - illinois is moving forward. [applause] now we all know that the economic storm is far from over. while we have downsized illinois government more than ever before, we continue to face very difficult decisions to restore financial stability to our state.

suffice it to say, we must have medicaid reform and public pension reform in the coming year. [applause] we must have. [applause] we took the first step on pension reform in 2010 when we enacted landmark changes that will save taxpayers billions of dollars. but there's much more to do. fixing the pension problem will not be easy, but we have no choice. we must do it together in a way that is meaningful, constitutional, and fair to the employees who have faithfully contributed to the system. that's why i've assembled a pension working group to propose a solution that can be enacted this year. i will have more to say about these serious matters during my budget address three weeks from today. but we must always remember that

strong economic growth is essential to resolving our financial challenges. cuts alone will not get us to a better budget. we must build and grow our illinois economy like never before to keep illinois moving forward. [applause] in the past three years, we've worked together to strengthen our economy and make illinois a better place to do business. we've reformed our workers' compensation system. the reforms we put in place will protect the safety of our workers and save illinois businesses at least a half billion dollars every year. we've also reformed our unemployment insurance system. we've preserved benefits for unemployed workers while saving businesses $400 million. we've cut red tape for employers that need environmental permits.

and we've worked with our union partners to overhaul workplace rules at mccormick place to lower the cost of conventions. already, new conventions are picking illinois and putting our people to work. each of these landmark reforms shows the power of bringing everyone to the table to repair broken systems. that's moving forward. [applause] but we've just begun -- [applause] but we've not just made illinois a better place to do business, we've also invested in our public works our highways, our bridges, our railroads and our schools to make illinois stronger. we've created good-paying jobs while laying the foundation for future growth. thanks to our illinois jobs now! plan, illinois has the largest capital construction program in our history. over the past three years, we

have been building, repairing, and modernizing. every day, you see the fruits of our labor. all across illinois. we have improved 5,948 miles of highways and 842 bridges. in southern illinois, we're building new lanes on route 13. in rockford, we're building a new morgan street bridge. and in east peoria, we're building technology boulevard. we've also built and renovated more than 400 schools from from western wind noise newberger for campus in moline to the new transportation education center at siu in carbondale and from the repurposed cole hall at northern illinois university in dekalb to the new electrical and computer engineering building at the university of illinois in urbana-champaign. we've also invested in more than 40 public transportation projects.

we're working with chicago mayor rahm emanuel to rebuild the cta's red line. we're working with rockford mayor larry morrissey to build new passenger rail from chicago to rockford. we're working with elected officials in the south suburbs and will county to build a new airport. [applause] and we're building high-speed rail from chicago to st. louis and a new bridge across the mississippi river. [applause] all these projects and many more have created thousands of jobs. i want to stay thank you to the men and women of illinois who are doing this hard work. here in illinois, unlike other states in the midwest, we believe in the right of working people to organize.

[applause] your hard work is why illinois is moving forward. speaking of hard work, i would like to salute secretary of state jesse white. for the first time in history, we kept fatalities on illinois highways below 1,000 for three consecutive years. [applause] thank you, secretary white. [applause] there's a passage in scripture.

i want to thank secretary white for his commitment to highway safety and saving lives. we all know that automobiles are essential to the success of the illinois economy. our automakers and their suppliers are thriving today because state government has rose to the occasion and helped meet their needs. three years ago, the ford plant on the south side of chicago had only one shift. in 2010, ford added a second shift and now they have started to hire for a third shift. thank you, ford. [applause] tomorrow i'm traveling to the chrysler plant in belvidere to announce the creation of hundreds of new jobs to manufacture the new, 21st century dodge dart. thank you, chrysler.

[applause] the reason that ford and chrysler are creating new jobs here is because of our skilled workforce. illinois is not only a land of skilled workers. it's also a land of creative entrepreneurs. people like karrie gibson and her company, vintage tech recyclers in romeoville. our investment helped karrie grow her recycling technology business from 1 person to 77 employees. thank you, karrie. [applause] illinois is also a land of technology. we're in the process of laying 4,100 miles of new broadband fiber optic cable to light up 5,000 of our schools, libraries, businesses and hospitals with world-class information

networks. we started illinois' first venture fund to encourage investors to jump into cutting-edge technologies. we've renewed the research and development tax credit, which helps businesses bring new ideas to market. and our innovation council launched an open data initiative which has made more than 5,200 illinois data sets available online. we're going to lead the nation in putting more public data online in one place from communities and universities across the state. already, young innovators like tourmcclusky and elizabeth park have designed smart phone apps using our data to help everyday people. in both of them here today. i want to thank torre and also bit for their creation and

ability. please stand up. [applause] we're going to continue to think big in illinois. today, i'm announcing a $2.3 million dollar investment in ,a new technology center at the merchandise mart in chicago to foster and launch digital start-ups. today, i'm also announcing a $6 million dollar statewide competition to build ultra-high speed broadband in neighborhoods across illinois. through this challenge, we want our neighborhoods to become gigabit communities with internet connections more than 100 times faster than today! our goal is to build smart communities that will foster the job engines of the future. illinois is already a leader in green technology.

we lead the nation in operating wind turbines with 404 and growing. we believe in wind. [applause] we're also working with argonne national laboratory, the university of illinois, the university of chicago and northwestern university, to develop the next generation of energy efficient batteries. even as we've fostered innovation and the industries of the future, we've also increased export opportunities for illinois businesses to move their goods to new global markets. the illinois economy is the 18th largest in the world and our state has tremendous potential to grow a whole lot more. we have aggressively pursued export opportunities, from our mighty agriculture to our mighty manufacturing.

a quarter of our soybean crop is sold to just one country china. illinois farmers are feeding china's new middle class. thank you, i burkhalter. thank you, illinois farmers. [applause] our manufacturers like john deere in the quad cities and caterpillar in peoria had outstanding years. caterpillar's increase in sales and revenue last year was record-breaking, the largest percentage increase in the last 64 years. and a lot of it was driven by foreign demand for caterpillar products made by illinois workers. we want to thank caterpillar and think those workers. thank you.

[applause] more exports to more foreign markets means more jobs for more illinois workers. our exports have jumped 30% this year almost double the national average. and today, to strengthen that growth, we are announcing an export advisory council made up of private sector leaders and chaired by navistar ceo dan ustian. this council will help us reach our goal of doubling our exports by 2014. navistar has recently added more than 500 new jobs and it employed more than 2,000 union construction workers to renovate its new corporate headquarters in lisle. since 2010, employers like navistar have added almost 100,000 jobs to our economy. illinois businesses have created almost 20,000 manufacturing jobs during this time.

us news & world report placed illinois in the top 5 business friendlystates that are gaining businesses. that's good. [applause] careerbuilder ranked illinois as one of the top ten states to find a job. and last year money magazine rated illinois as the top state for making a living. now that is moving forward. .good. we want to keep it going. [applause] and definitely, in an age of big bureaucracy, big corporations and big money, we can't overlook the millions of illinois consumers who need advocates to look out for them. i want to thank attorney general lisa madigan for joining me in our never-ending battle to protect illinois consumers. thank you, lisa.

[applause] we all believe in fighting for the moms and dads and children of illinois. that's why for the first time in a decade, we significantly increased tax relief for working families. thank you representative barbara flynn currie, representative john bradley, representative david harris and senator toi hutchinson. you help get the job done with your colleagues. [applause] by doubling the illinois earned income tax credit and improving the personal exemption, we are providing targeted tax relief to a million working families and their children. people like rhonda jones. rhonda is a single mom who is raising five children on the south side of chicago. she works as a public high school counselor for a modest salary.

she knows what it's like to live from paycheck to paycheck. year after year, the federal and state earned income tax credit has been her saving grace. she uses that extra money to help pay bills and support her kids through school. three of her children are now in college and two more are on the way. thank you, rhonda. thank you for being a great person. [applause] from the moment i took office, my goal has been to advance education for everyone. so we passed landmark education laws that are a model for the nation. laws that improve school report cards so that parents have more information about the schools that educate their kids. laws that set clear benchmarks for teacher evaluation and put

performance above tenure. and laws that lay the groundwork for a longer school day and a longer school year. our education reforms put the children of illinois first. that's moving forward. so, thank you to senator kim lightford, representative linda chapa la via, and the many others who helped lead this effort. [applause] we also took a big step forward by passing the illinois dream act to help high school graduates from immigrant families. in the years to come, more kids will go to college. more kids will chase their dreams. more kids will grow up to be illinois residents who work hard and contribute to society because of the dream act. i think it's very important that we understand that we all have a stake in the future of illinois.

indeed, we are custodians of that future. we owe it to the next generation to continue our progress of the past three years. to create jobs and grow our economy, we must continue to invest in illinois and help everyday people. with this in mind, i am proposing the illinois jobs agenda for 2012 so we can build and grow our economy today and tomorrow. the illinois jobs agenda includes three targeted tax cuts that will build and grow our economy by helping our employers, our working families, and our veterans. first, i propose that we permanently abolish the natural gas utility tax in illinois. this tax is an unfair, regressive tax that is not based on the ability to pay. regardless of income or whether or not you're making a profit,

you pay this tax. by abolishing it entirely, we can provide targeted tax relief to both consumers and businesses. the elimination of this tax will save money for households and cut costs for employers across illinois. illinois will be the only state in the midwest without a natural gas utility tax on manufacturers, retailers and everyday families. in addition, we need to establish a child tax credit in illinois for parents raising children. there's no more important mission in life than raising a child. investing in our families is good for illinois. the illinois child tax credit will provide $100 of direct tax relief every year to the typical family of four.

this targeted tax relief will stimulate consumer demand, which is 70 percent of our economy. and it will create jobs for our local merchants. finally, we must adopt a tax credit that helps our veterans find employment. unemployment for young returning veterans in our country is 30%. that's shameful. our military men and women are heroes who have served our country and they deserve our everlasting gratitude. veterans are committed, disciplined, and experienced. they know leadership, and how to accomplish a mission. we need these heroes in our workplaces! so today i propose a hiring veterans tax credit. we will provide a significant tax credit for every unemployed veteran of iraq and afghanistan that a company hires. this tax credit will help businesses create jobs.

and it will give those jobs to the veterans who have sacrificed so much in serving our state and our country. [applause] the illinois jobs agenda for 2012 will also move illinois forward by investing in education. the best economic tool a state can have is a strong, innovative education system. jobs follow brainpower. so i want to thank lieutenant governor sheila simon for doing an outstanding job on her community colleges report. having visited all of illinois' 48 community colleges, sheila has proposed many good reforms that need to be implemented in the coming year. sheila and i have a mission in illinois by 2025, we want at

least 60% of adults in our state to have a college degree, an associate degree or a career certificate. right now, we're at 43% - better than the national average, but not good enough. if we want 60% of illinois adults to have a meaningful career certificate or degree by 2025, we must invest in our students from birth to higher education. that starts with investing more dollars in early childhood education. [applause] learning begins at birth and those first years of a child's life are the most important. our youngest and most vulnerable citizens need our strongest support. research has shown that without an early learning foundation,

children fall behind in school. illinois, we can't leave our youngest behind. that's why i'm calling for a major investment in early childhood education this year. we've got to do it. clap my last week, president obama called for states to raise the minimum attendance age of students in schools to 18. president obama, we hear you in illinois. we know how important it is to do everything possible to keep our kids in school to earn that diploma. and that's why we must answer the president's call. we must raise the minimum school attendance age to 18 and we must work together this session to do it. we can do it. [applause] now, at a time when student loan

dad in our country is more than credit card debt, too many deserving students don't have access to higher education. while nearly 150,000 illinois students received state map scholarships last year to attend college, just as many qualified applicants were denied because of lack of funding. so today i ask the members of the general assembly to invest invest -- in our students. i urge you to act in the coming year to make a significant investment in more state map scholarships to help our bright young students attend college. [applause] ..

which is vital our economic recovery. while we have helped thousands of families stay in their homes and find affordable housing, we must do more. so today we're launching the illinois foreclosure prevention network, to connect struggling

home owners with every resource available. from counseling to legal assistance and mortgage relief. in the coming weeks i'll get with cook county to announce a major housing initiative that will help return vacant properties to good use. that will move us forward. finally, we have to move forward on clean water. clean water is the life bread of our people and our communities. illinois is blessed with abundant water, from lake michigan to the illinois river to the mighty mississippi, but many illinois residents are living with aging water mains that are nearly 100 years old. and scores of wastewater treatment facilities are in dire need of repair. the illinois jobs agenda for 2012 will put thousands of people to work, replacing broken water mains. building treatment plans,

upgrading sewers, and cleaning up environmental threats. we're going to be working with mayors from chicago and the suburbs, to everybody part of downstate. we believe in clean water. it's very important we understand we work together for something as important as clean water. members of the general assembly, the illinois jobs agenda is a comprehensive jobs initiative for the people of our state, to create jobs and grow the economy, we must enact targeted tax relief for illinois employers, for illinois families and for our veterans. we must invest in college scholarships and early childhood education and 21st century schools. we must invest in affordable housing for our residents and clean water for our communities. and i look forward to working with you to find the proper funding to meet these urgent

needs. by investing in illinois, and investing in our people. we are building and growing our economy. we are moving illinois forward. i know that no reform is easy. reforming our medicaid and reforming our public pension systems will require political courage. by the same token, no major investment is easy. moving forward on the vision that i have laid out today will require true partnership. we have real challenges to tackle, and like all of you, i recognize the severity of our financial situation. but cuts alone will not resolve this situation. we must build and grow our economy. now is the not the time to pull back. to abandon our children. to abandon our parents, and to abandon the unemployed among us.

their well-being is our common cause. [applause] and our commitment to them requires that we join as partners to invest in our state, and invest in our people. i'm proud of what we have accomplished together over these last three years. abraham lincoln once said, i like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. abraham lincoln said, i like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. so after three years of hard work, and tough decisions, illinois is back on course. illinois is moving forward. and illinois is a place that we can be proud to claim as our own. i look forward to working with you in the coming year to make the people of illinois even prouder of our state. together, we can make the will

of the people the law of the land. thank you very much. [applause] [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> now to utah governor gary herbert. governor herbert is a republican who assumed office in august august 2009 after jon huntsman resigned to become u.s. ambassador to china. this is half an hour. [applause]

on behalf of the legislate, i welcome governor herbert, first lady. welcome. >> are we ready? lieutenant governor and mrs. bell, president waddoups, speaker lockhart, member office the utah legislature, member office my cabinet, justices of the utah supreme court, utah's first lady, my beautiful wife, jeannette, and my fellow utahns. it's an honor and a privilege to address you this evening. as we assemble in this beautiful and historic chamber, let us take time to acknowledge those who protect our freedoms and keep our homeland safe. this past august, i traveled to iraq and afghan to meet with some of our deployed utah service men and women. it was a humbling experience. our by, the free exercise of our god-given wrights -- is preserved by the men and women of our armed forces who

willingly put themselves in harm's way for god, family, and country. this past year, in the span of just over a month, we lost six utah soldiers, sailors, and marines in afghanistan. these brave servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this nation, and the ideals which make it great. we also acknowledge the loss of agent jarred francom, track include killed in the ogden shooting incident few short weeks ago. tonight we have as honored guests in the gallery, family members of those who have lost lives broad. as they stand, please join with me to acknowledge them and thank them for their loved ones service and sacrifice. [applause]

[applause] >> as governor of the great state of utah, i am pleased to report that the state of our state is strong, and growing stronger. i want you to know that i am very optimistic about utah's future. while our national economy continues to struggle, the economy in utah surges ahead. our unemployment rate continues to steadily fall. we currently have the second fastest rate of job creation in the nation. every sector of our economy is

growing again, except one, and i'm proud to say the sector that is not growing is state government. [applause] utah's success is not only consistently recognized, it is increasingly praised by those outside off borders. now, some people have said that i talk about our rankings a little too much. and it may be a fair observation. but i hope you are as proud of utah as i am. we have a great state, we have a great message, and we're making great progress. i believe utah's governor should be the state's chief advocate and champion, and i am simply not going to stop touting utah's accomplishments. i should point out that our accolades have less to do with me and everything to do with we.

indeed, they reflect the efforts of individuals here in this room and many others across the state. some of our recent recognitions including being named the state with the best economic outlook, and the most dynamic economy. and for the second consecutive year, utah has been named the best state for business by forbes magazine. [applause] these rankings speak to utah's economic strength. but this is not just about rankings. it's about economic recovery for the people of utah. my focus is on growing economy, because i know a strong economy fosters healthy communities and pros suppress -- prosperous families. while recognition is nice, the underlying reasons for the recognition is what is most

important. forbes wrote, and i quote, no state can match the consistent performance of utah. it is the only state that ranks among the top 15 states in each of the six main categories on which we rate states, close quote. those six categories are, economic climate, growth prospects, labor supply, business costs, regulatory environment, and quality of life. tonight, i will use the criteria of those economic experts to highlight or prospects. let's start with our current economic climate in 2011, we added more than 36,000 jobs to our economy. our up employment rate has dropped from 7.5 to 6.0. a full 2-1/2% lower than the national average. gross domestic product, personal income, and business income continue to steadily rise.

and utah still leads the nation in export growth. you might remember that last year's state of the state, i challenged our business community to further increase our export growth. and they have responded with vigor. in 2008, we saw a 41% increase in exports. breaking records we set in 2009 and 2010. utah's economic climate is healthy. but we must not relent in our efforts to improve. i recognize there are people who are still hurting financially. i have meat with many of you throughout the state. i want you to know i am committed to working for all of you. there are in fact approximately 80,000 utahns who are looking for work, and i will not rest, and i know that you, the legislature, will not rest, until every utahan who wants a job can find a job!

[applause] >> my goal is to accelerate private sector job creation of 100,000 jobs in 1,000 days. i emphasize private sector because it is the private sector, not government, that creates wealth, creates jobs, and creates opportunities for utah's citizens. government must create an environment where free enterprise can succeed and then get out of the way. [applause] let me give you just one of many examples where business is thriving in utah's fertile field. started 25 years ago in a garage, lifetime products now employed more than 1,300 people in utah, and was recently court

by many other domestic and international locations for a planed expansion. ultimately, lifetime determined that its home state of utah was the best place to invest. this story is repeating itself hundreds of times across our state, and utah's steady job growth reaches far beyond just the wasatch front. last year, i visited 28 of utah's 29 counties, and don't worry. daggett county, i'm headed your way. in my travels i have been amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of our rural employers. for example, in the tiny town of grouse creek, i met heather warr, who is here with her family tonight in order to supplement her family's ranching economy, heather started an ecommerce business, selling western apparel and foot wear online. her company, standup

ranchers.com, now employs seven people, making heather a major employer in a community of 100 residents. [applause] from fiberoptic communications providers to hay exporters to composite manufacturers to online retailers, people are fining unique opportunities and advantages in rural utah. and heather warr exemplifies the innovation and initiative inherent in utah's people. the second cite tieron is growth prospects. utah is a fertile field in which to grow a new company or to relocate or expand an existing company. this past september, i went to new york to meet with executives from l-3 commune indications,

$16 billion high-tech company with locations in 30 states and 20 countries. the purpose of my visit was to convince them to expand their utah operations. and i've got to admit, it wasn't much of a hard sell. l-3 told me they love doing business in utah. in fact their salt lake city unit is one of their most successful and profitable divisions. not by coincidence, just last month, l-3 announced it will be concentrating its growth here in utah, building new office space and hiring hundreds of new employees. [applause] and in the past year expansions of new jobs have been announced not only l-3 but by poo ooh intern national companies like ebay, boeing, morgan stanley, and pepperridge farms just to

name a few. i can say something not many governors can say, our state is growing now, today, and as we look to the horizon, utah's growth prospects are truly bright. anyone who understands the free market knows that there are few things that hinder growth more than onerous taxation. as i did last year, and the year before that, in order for us to sustain our successful economic recovery, i say to you today, and to the people of utah, no new taxes. [applause] and in fact, i want too go one step further. due to our wise trust fund management and our nation-leading record of helping people move from unemployment

back into the work force, utah is in a position to reduce our unemployment insurance tax rates. i call upon you, the legislature to support senate bill 129, sponsored by center curt bramble and representative jeremy peterson to provide this timely tax cut to all of utah's 85,000 employers and allow them to create more jobs and to hire more people. [applause] the tried cite tieron is labor supply, or more aptly put, a skilled and educated work force. i have said before, utah is the best state for business because we have the best people for business. utah has natural advantages with ourdown, fast-growing tech-savvy, highly educated, bilingual and industrious work force. utah is a proud right to work

state and we are going to keep it that way. [applause] in today's global marketplace, educating and graduating job-ready students is an economic imperative. with the help of representative mel brown and senator lyle hilliard, we have expanded earlly intervention programs for at, risk programs to help reach our critical goal of reading proficiency byes of the the third grade. we'll soon introduce additional online courses providing another avenue for high school students to away college credits before graduation, and we're expanding utah futures.org which provides students with career counseling to ensure the education they receive today will get the them a job tomorrow. my message to students is

simple. if you want want a good job, gea good education. now, it is up to us, assembled here, to make sure that they can. [applause] my top legislative priority is to fund the growth and continued innovation in our education system. my budget calls for maintaining base funding and for $111 million in new money for our public schools, including a modest, but well-deserved pay increase for our teachers. [applause] postsecondary education is increasingly become agnesty in today's global marketplace so i have set a goal that 66% of utah

adults will have a degree or professional certification by the year 2020. this is an ambitious goal. but an essential one. remember the goal, 66 by 2020. and i believe working together, we will reach it. the fourth cite tieran is the coast of doing business, particularly the cost of energy, but utah electricity costs are an impressive 31% below the national average we have a competitive advantage over other states. in order to protect that advantage we must secure utah's supply of stable low-cost energy, and we must do it now. with utah's first 10-year strategic energy plan i put in place last year, we are creating the framework to secure our energy independence. my administration is

aggressively promoting responsible energy development in utah. we have demonstrated, in the basin and elsewhere, that developing our energy resources and being good stewards of the environment are not mutually exclusive propositions. [applause] one of the major challenges for energy development is that many of utah's natural resources must be distracted from federally managed public lands. while we have made progress in persuading the federal government to site and permit oil and gas wells, there remains great challenges still ahead. we cannot and we will not let the federal government halt responsible energy development in utah. [applause]

and because we owe it to our children and their children, we must also innovate safer and cleaner ways to distract natural resources and to utilize energy. as governor, i am calling on the private sector and our major universities to lead out. our goal is to create an energy research triangle that launches utah into a new era of energy technology innovation. i firmly believe that all solutions and all opportunities must be based upon principles of free markets and free enterprises. therefore, we will partner with industry and caring citizens to tackle one of the greatest challenges we have with energy development in our state, the issue of air quality. [applause] we cannot control the weather,

but neither can we ignore the human and economic consequences of poor air quality. i am taking the lead on this issue by building partnerships with utah industries and households to set achievable and vital air quality goals. i will be announcing the details of my plan in the coming weeks. i can promise you this. the solutions to our unique utah challenges with air quality will come from utah. [applause] i do believe that together we can all do something to improve utah's air. insure insure now, the fifth category is state regulatory environment. before they invest precious capital, entrepreneurs want a stable and predictable environment and a responsible government. utah boasts a long history of

fiscally prudent governance. in contrast to the federal government, utah has made the tough decisions to keep our fiscal house in order. we balance our budget and we save taxpayers millions each year by protecting our aaa credit rating inch addition, my budget proposal eliminates our remaining structural imbalance and calls for no additional borrowing, those decisions provide the stable and steady environment that the marketplace seeks and needs in order to thrive. in my travels around the state, one of the most common concerns business owners share with me is the cost, the complexity, and the uncertainty created by excessive government regulation. and last year's state of the state you'll remember i ordered a review of all of utah's business rules and regulations. it resulted in 368 proposed rule changes to improve utah's already laudable regulatory environment. and we will work with you, the

legislature, to modify or repeal those rules that no longer serve a compelling public interest. [applause] now, frankly, the vast majority of regulations causing the most harm to utah businesses come from washington, dc. part of that regulatory colossus created by an overreaching out of control and out of touch federal government. i am determined to work with our congressional delegation and my fell gores to tell the washington bureaucrats to get out of the way of utah's economic recovery and stop the senseless flow of owner rouse and misguided regulations from our nation's capital. [applause]

the last category by which forbes judged utah the best state for business is our quality of life. we truly blessed to live in the beehive state. not only are we surrounded by unsenior passed natural beauty. we also enjoy the beauty of strong communities, strong families, and a culture of caring and service. two months ago, a devastating wind storm tore through two counties, leaving tons office debris and millions of dollars of damage in its wake. with the second storm threatening, local leaders were concerned debris could become airborne and cause further damage. tens of thousands of citizens sprang into action and fanned

out across neighborhoods to assist in cleanup efforts. volunteer crews accomplished in days what it would have taken city and county crews months to do. it was a stunning and moving example of the spirit of volunteerism and love of neighbor which permeates utah and which creates so greatly to utah's outstanding quality of life. it is also an impressive example of another utah trait. our self-sufficiency si. in utah, we do not expect others to solve our problems. as a sovereign state, we know that we have an obligation to find utah's solution to utah problems but we have a right to do so. [applause] ...

[applause]

last start tober, in a one-room schoolhouse in grass creek utah, i met a young boy named heston. he'd been taking piano lessons for one year and too much and he would play something for me at it we had lunch. i asked heston if he was named after. one of his classmates piped up and said no, he was named after the track here. [laughter] after lunch heston made his way to the keynote and frankly i was expecting a simple ditty like chopsticks, but instead i got beethoven, dynamic and intricate music emanating from the old upright piano at the talent that for two hours from the nearest stoplight. after young heston finished his piece diaphanous classmates, are you sure he's only been playing for one year and two months?

she assured me that was the case, adding, he's what they call a prodigy. [laughter] by the way, this young prodigy will be playing with us in the rotunda after my address. you can hear him. utah is a state full of gems like heston, gems that when polished and made to sparkle through hard work and the desire to succeed at brilliance to a landscape. in every corner of our state, utah's source of richness and strength is its people. i'm optimistic about utah's future because i believe in utah's people. utah's best days still lie ahead because utah's are willing to put in the hard work necessary to be architects of our destiny. utah is leading the way and setting examples for the rest of the nation to follow. in the darkest days that the economic crisis, utah's state

church of the principles of our great nation and we now see the fruits of that determination. i've spoken to some of my goals and plans for the state. having these goals and plans is important, but frankly, writing things down the paper is the easy part. making it work, implementation and the execution, that is what counts. hard work demands dedication, determination and discipline. everything i do as governor is examined through whether it helps grow the economy and create opportunity for utah's citizens. that continues to be my commitment to you. i will keep my eye on the ball and i will fight for the sound principles of fiscal prudence, limited government, individual liberty covered with personal responsibility. [applause]

whether preparing a household budget for a state budget, whether you are the governor or a small business owner and i have read about, i can say the principles are the same. by hearing the sound principles now, we will build a bright future for tomorrow. not only will utah be the best day for business, we will continue to be a place for communities and families will thrive and prosper. the state of our state is strong. i am committed to making it stronger. i'm honored to service your governor. may god continue to bless you, our great nation and the great state of utah. thank you. [applause]

[applause] [applause] >> oregon governor delivered his state of the state address at the portland city club where he discussed reforms happening in the states health care and education systems. following his remarks, the governor took questions from the audience. this is 55 minutes.

[applause] >> thank you. [applause] thank you very much. thank you. thank you. thank you very much for that warm introduction. if i might, i'd like to just take a moment and ask you to join me in acknowledging our friend, gayle ackermann and the tremendous contribution she is made to the city club and to our state. she is not obviously able to be with us today. i hope she's the name out there. i guess i do think the upcoming thank you for all you've given to the state of oregon. [applause]

when i was working on my remarks i sat at home, apparently i was talking out loud in my son apparently overheard me and logan wonders man. he's taking shakespeare and he said to have got this quote i think you should put in your speech. so here it is. it is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. and you know, that's pretty good. [laughter] if i had to summarize the message that i want to leave you today, i probably couldn't do it any better than that. i'm very proud of what we've all accomplish together this past year and i'm proud that we have not shied away from different challenges in education and health care in the budget and i'm very proud and deeply grateful that we have such tremendous bipartisan leadership in ceylon that is chosen to the problem-solving ahead of

partisanship. other things are tremendous and i am committed to continuing the spirit of collaboration going forward because we still have a long, long way to go. for example, i am stuck on this image from an oregonian article that came out last october with an image of an extension cord, an extension cord that runs from the house of one cook county resident to her neighbor and provides her power because she has been without heat for six months after losing her job and exhausting unemployment benefit in getting pushed to the edge. the extension cord is a fragile lifeline for her, but also a very harsh reminder that we are at a high point or near the high point if you may in our state and we are at or near the low point to provide these vital services. the extension cord is also a symbol. it's a symbol of our interconnectedness is oregonian, a symbol we are all in this

together and together we will weather this economic uncertainty and emerge stronger and more united than when we began. because this story is all about the women's landlord that has cut her rent and not to keep her from going homeless and also about her neighbor who is sharing her power and might of the fact that she is two months behind in her mortgage payment because she too has lost her job. so my optimism about oregon's future hazard in places like cook county where despite double-digit unemployment and 80% unemployment, the words of trying to ring true that oregon is a citadel of this. and it is. and we this together. it's also true that extension cords and good neighbors can only go so far. the more and more oregon's are pushed to, the more we can pay the price. urgency of everything we've undertaken over this past year is rooted in my belief and i

hope the shared belief embedded in this recession is a profound opportunity for change. the kind of change absolutely essential to secure a future and change based on are spirit and the state and our shared commitment to one another. i'm here to tell you that that vision still stands and oregon's best days still ahead of us and many of the things we need to move forward are already underway. but i spoke to the last time i think tenement ago. i focused on two things. the first was trying to ensure we get the private sector economy going again in the second was the importance of transforming the way we provide public services starting with health care and education and we've made significant progress on both of those friends. when i spoke to the oregon business summit last month, i focused on what the states trying to do to be a good partner to get the economy moving again for large businesses and small entrepreneurs as well.

and while we still have a long way to go, we are definitely making progress on that front. treasurer ted guida was here talking about the mess or cannot come a proposal for the legislature next february but i think is very important to hope sure if the fiscal health of our state by providing access to capital to our business community. the point i want to make today is all of our efforts to job creation and economic development will be futile in the long-term unless we can fundamentally transform our system of public education in our care system. public education because none of us should be willing to accept a high school graduation rate is 65% of the fact that 40% of kids to private schools not ready to learn for the fact that this generation of oregon children may be the first in history to be less well-educated than their parents were tears around the united states. health care because we can no longer simply stand by and pay more and more and more to

hyperinflationary system that's not making us healthier as the population. dollars that businesses could otherwise be using to create jobs and families could use to feed on mortgages and out of debt mistake could use to invest in education and children. last session, with strong leadership, the legislature set the stage for fundamental changes in both our system of public education and health care system. changes i think are absolutely crucial to follow through on to secure our long-term economic future. in education the creation of uric and education investment board penrith education that promotes professional development for teachers and more learning opportunities for children, the legislature to a first step to create a unified p. 20 education system that shifts the focus on funding institutions based on enrollment to funding students based on success. for the first time, funding and

governance will be aligned across the entire continuum of early childhood to post secondary education for social and economic object is. the legislature created in early learning council focused on changing and restructuring the fragmented and inefficient system we use to provide early childhood service is learning. each two years he spent almost a hundred million dollars on programs for children zero to five or six state agencies and dozens of local programs come up with these programs not coordinated. in many cases they don't measure outcomes and they are disconnected in many cases from the k-12 system and health care services. the average cost for a trial is $15,000 every two years, but less than half of the average children services are getting. only 25%, maybe 30% capacity at risk ezell made untrue meet

benchmarks. there's programs out there, headstart been one of them. to continue to support a system that spends that much money and produces these kinds of outcomes should simply no longer be except one oregon. and health care related foundation for the state's first health insurance exchange will provide easy to compare information to individuals and small businesses about affordability and quality of various health insurance products. the public corporation has been appointed and confirmed a meeting on a monthly basis. the bipartisan leadership in legislature committed to reforming the model through which we deliver health care services to reduce your after your cost increases while improving health outcomes for oregonians. the business plan for a new coordinated care organizations, the primary tool through which this transformation will take place shifts the focus on financial incentives from the emergency room and after-the-fact to wellness and

prevention and early intervention and community-based management of chronic conditions like diabetes and congestive heart failure. the potential savings of this plan are enormous. $3 billion over the next five years. that will allow us to ensure most vulnerable citizens continue to have coverage, that we have more resources to invest in either area seek education and we can provide a model for the private commercial health insurance market. but in both education and health care, success to date is based on setting the stage for change. now comes the hard work of implementation. ongoing success depends on working together in the next year in the same way worked with each other in the last year and bring into the legislature next month tools to implement to move forward the work we party started. before trying to specific legislative matters, i would term a new change is.

it always makes somebody uncomfortable. if you recall the last time i was here, i offered you an analogy by comparing the development of a successful business to the systems through which we provide public education and health care. if you recall we had an art exercise around that. i may just refresh you. a successful business results from a climate in which investment producers gross and not the circumstances, the business climate in which the business operates changes if the business doesn't design a new business plan to reflect circumstances rather than old ones that flattens often begins to decline. a successful business when it sees the world changing redesigns its business model to take advantage of new circumstances rather than the old and builds a new growth curve. for a period of time the old growth model and in that area between them has been called the area of paradox and the area

attorney and anxiety and a lot of concern because people know what you're doing isn't working but they don't know what the alternative is so they continue to cling to the status quo even though it takes them over the edge. i believe now more than ever that is exactly what we find ourselves in oregon today, particularly with health care and education in this area of paradox that we are well down the road to creating transformational change, to build new business models for both of these services based on today's realities, not realities of the 20th century. we've reached a critical moment in time. some have suggested we've come too far too fast. what i hear for oregonians as we have not come far enough. we're not going to lose our nerve at this critical moment in time. we will forge ahead together with reform efforts with urgency driven by precarious situations that say citizens in communities throughout the state.

21 oregon county sees double-digit unemployment. one out of every four children in the state of ours goes hungry. half of african-american are living in poverty. imagine a six-year-old showing up for the first day of kindergarten unable to match any spoken or written words, not aware that print is written from left to right and unable to sound out words. imagine not. imagine the incredible disadvantage that child has an imagine trying to do all of that when they're hungry and not getting enough to eat. you may not know any of those children personally, but you see them every time you drive past an elementary school in the state of oregon. you are looking to hunger poverty, dozens of kids just trying to make it. so the first time we had the opportunity to do something

profoundly important about it, all the research demonstrates that children who are ready to learn a kindergarten, ready to read in first grade and read at a level in a third-grader much more likely to graduate from high school and fine social and economic six s. the fact is early childhood success is the foundation for every one of our economic and educational object gives. five years ago in 2006 the city club issued a report called early care and education, which noted and this is a quote, multiple programs across multiple state agencies with no clearer, and be. that report called on state officials to strengthen oregon's effort to coordinate disparate early childhood programs. that is exactly what early learning bill will do the legislature. it implements recommendations of the council which you find on their website to streamliner system, to ensure coordination and accountability in their

programs focused on outcomes for children and families. every day we delay, every year, 46,000 kids are born in the state in 40%, over 18,000 are at risk. risk we will pay for down the road or school failure, school dropout, social dependency, involved in the criminal justice system, wasted human capital. yet you hear people say, these changes are happening too fast. for who? certainly not for the 18,000 at risk kids. for those kids commit these changes can happen fast enough. [applause] serve local and committed support next month for legislation to implement the recommendations will allow us to move from diagnosing the problem to actually beginning to solve

it and give every child in the states a chance they deserve to be successful and set our state and citizens up for prosperity in the future. the second education bill will introduce is necessary to achieve ambitious subject is the 100% high school graduation. next year's class of kindergarten students as a benchmark. they are the class of 2025. 2025 is the year we've said to have 100% high school graduation in the state of oregon. that is a tall order 13 years from now. just yesterday education we ranked oregon 46 out of 50 states in its k-12 treatment. our choice for the class of 2025 is very clear. we can continue our decade-long experiment with the no child left behind law and its one-size-fits-all approach to school accountability or we can adopt their own tailored approach to improve student

outcomes. we can stick with federal control and an oregon high school graduation rate stuck stubbornly at 65% or we can take responsibility upon ourselves as a state to work together with teachers, parents, district administrators, students legislators and nurture community to devise a system that allows more flexibility while pushing every district in every school to better suit now come. we can continue to label schools and teachers in districts as failures and overland standardized testing as a single measure student achievement or we can recognize there is no single formula for school improvement and instead be concise and meaningful goals on a small number of outcome focused measures like third grade reading at high school graduation and closing the achievement gap we know it's not to accelerate learning and free up resources for comprehensive education. choice is clear in the time is

now. we have the opportunity to seek a waiver in the punitive aspects of the no child left behind law if we can create our own home-grown alternative that provides my accountability and better paths for student success. so the second bill we will submit will establish educational achievement compaqs, which are essential to winning the waiver and also essential to achieving our goal of 100% high school graduation rates by 2025. so the achievement compaqs will replace the federal compliance-based approach and create partnership agreements between the state and educational institution school districts, universities and 20 colleges to express a common commitment to approve certain outcome to the unique circumstances of each school district for educational institution. it will also allow us to compare progress and outcomes between districts that are comparable

and begin to connect funding to outcomes so over time the state can be a smarter investor in education. so if we fail to adapt these achievement compaqs in february, we will be left under the no child left behind long and i think everyone agrees is not a good outcome. if we fail to make the shift, we'll have fun in debates a context, debating a big number with no real information about the relative difference between funding levels in student outcomes. i want to pause a moment and make comments about funding. we need to be very cognizant of the fact that we will not achieve our long-term ambitious education attainment goals without additional resources. as i said before, system of public education is underfunded at all levels. the capacity of our public universities is going after and dramatically to absorb tens of thousands of new graduates.

class sizes and k-12 need to calm down, particularly in the lower levels. classes like vocational and technical training, art, music and p.e. need added that, but we can't allow the debate about funding to be the only debate we have and we can't allow the lack of adequate resources to get anywhere the real discussion about how we can be more effective at the resources we do have. for me to focus on key leverage points like early learning and third-grade reading reading and college completion we know who drive down costs and increase performance. regarding health care, action next month's legislature is equally important to fully implement and build out our new health insurance exchange and allow us to move forward by establishing coordinated care organizations across the state. there are those who are understandably concerned about how this is all going to work out and if and whether we can

realize the savings in our budget. i want to pause again and put this concern into a larger context. the context is what is going on in the capital regarding national debt and implications it has other health upper health care in the state of oregon. caius of all of you have a personal credit card. your credit card has a credit limit. and if you don't pay your bill from your credit limit is reduced for your card is eventually canceled. the federal government also has a credit limit called the debt ceiling set by congress and congress has to reset periodically so we can continue to borrow. at the congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling, his credit card is canceled and we default on our national debt and that is playing out today in greece and italy and other countries in europe and that is something we really want to invite here in our country. your credit limit is based on what your bank thinks he can repay.

unfortunately the debt ceiling is not based on apple discussion or rather increasingly on the politics of trying to maintain current programs by raising taxes necessary to pay for them because it is deemed politically risky to cut things like medicare and medicaid in defense spending in the election year, so we wrote those under his credit card. that is exactly the political dynamic we saw playing out last august in a high-stakes game of chicken about whether or not to raise the u.s. debt ceiling to keep us from defaulting on the national debt. in the end, congress kicked the can down the road to 2013, just past the election by the way babies in the debt ceiling $2.1 trillion. but they did almost nothing to address the underlying driver of the u.s. national debt which is the intersection of an aging population hyperinflationary system. they did create a super committee which utterly failed in charge and triggered

$1.2 trillion of debt reduction over a decade. $1.2 trillion is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need. think about it at $1.2 trillion in debt reduction will be accrued over 10 years. we are going to increase national debt by two times almost that much by next january. meanwhile, a year ago this month, the first to 70 baby boomers came on the medicaid program and came at a rate of 10,000 a day every day for the next 20 years. by 2020 average medicare recipient will take $3 out of medicare for every dollar they pay him during their lifetime. my point is regardless of who wins the presidential election and by this part is in a year from now, there is no way to get our arms around the national debt unless they take on medicare and medicaid. absent any rational pathway to the delivery model, congress will turn off the tap and that

is really bad news for a health care industry built on a business model that assumes that the public sector and private employers will continue to finance an inflation rate several hine higher than the cpi. those days are gone forever. that brings us back to her again, where people are concerned about whether we actually realized these cost savings. but think about the shortfall in the billions of dollars, which is exactly what will face if we continue to cling to the status quo. people are still in denial. people who think if we can just tell that this health care reform the problem will go away. it won't. because health care reform is not just about politics. it's about economics. the laws of economics are just as immutable as laws of physics. the reaction time is just a little blogger. the fact is we are rapidly approaching the end of the runway for health care