since the predominant noise emanating from the governor's mansion has been the sound of children; charen laughing, sing -- children laughing, sunging, shouting, playing, just being kids. that noise will be a daily reminder for me. and i hope a reminder for each of you as well of the reason we were sent here. montana voters sent us here to make our children's and our grandchildren's future brighter, more hopeful and more prosperous here in the state of montana. [applause] now, if we're genuine in our concern for our children's future, we'll be as careful with the state's money as we teach our children to be with theirs. if we accept that this is more about their generation than ours, we'll enter this building every single day trying to make it so they have even greater opportunities than each and every one of of us had. if we're truly committed to making our children's future brighter, we'll invest in our education system from before they enter kindergarten to the time they leave higher education, we must prepare them to succeed in a 31st sent -- 21st century economy. and if we're sincere