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Deval Patrick on Government ReformDemocrat |
Yet, even as we celebrate that progress tonight, some things have not changed enough. We lead the country in student achievement but some of our students remain stuck in achievement gaps. We're using better tools to combat youth violence but still lose too many people to a cycle of violence. We are the only state to guarantee emergency shelter but too many people need it. Our economy is growing, booming in some quarters. But we are leaving some of our neighbors behind. If we are to be in the leadership business, we need to lead in rebuilding the ladder to success, too.
Midway through my speech I stopped, put away my notes, and just looked at them. "I want to say something else to you," I said. "I want you to know, I see you." The room got so quiet. "I know you work places where people look right past you. I know that." I paused, took in the entire crowd, and spoke slowly. "I. see.you. And I appreciate you."
"The reason I want you to come and vote is that I want your government to see you. And that's not going to happen unless you claim a stake in the government. I want you to come and vote for me. But if you don't come and vote for me, that's okay, I understand. But you have to show up, because this is your claim. So stop leaving it to the pundits and the pollsters to tell us whose turn it is, who's supposed to be next, and who's going to win. It's your turn."
For example, Deval Patrick, the first Democratic to be elected governor of Massachusetts in sixteen years, began his inaugural address in January 2007 with these words: "For a very long time now we have been told that government is bad, that it exists only to serve the powerful and well-connected, that its job is not important enough to be done by anyone competent, let alone committed, and that all of us are on our own. Today we join together in common cause to lay that fallacy to rest, and to extend a great movement based on shared responsibility from the corner office to the corner of your block and back again."
A: Yes
Q: For PAC contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: For Corporate contributions?
A: Yes.
Q: For Political Parties?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts state senators and representatives?
A: No.
