Peter Light, Principal Franklin High School
Tina Leardi, Marushka Waters
A week in London , time at the West End theaters, chaperoned with ratio of 1-8
If 35 students from Franklin go, it will be "our" trip.
75 brochures were handed out so far.
this is on the action items later this evening.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Live reporting - Sidewalk Snow Removal Presentation
2. Guests/Presentations
a. Snow Removal / Sidewalks – Robert A (Brutus) Cantoreggi
The presentation is similar to what was shown to the Town Council reviewed earlier this month. You can view that presentation here
Roy - How are the decisions reached on school cancellations?
Sabolinski - Process starts in October, meeting with DPW to plan for the process, notifications, etc. Decisions on school closings rely on the safety officials (Police, Fire). Timeline is an issue. High school and middle school staff report at 6:45, need to make decision before 5:30 AM to alleviate unnecessary travel. Responsibilities further refined between Facilities and custodians based upon experience. In a town this size, we heard from about 10 people, considering our size, that is good.
Cantoreggi - The Facilities transfer was a good thing, we have learned along the way. The Police call us when the road conditions turn bad. We are prepared and on standby until we get the call. At night we can be ore efficient as no one is on the road, once the day starts, it gets more difficult as our trucks are in with the traffic.
Sabolinski - inclement weather notice sent out, posted on Schools website (PDF) There is a regular practice for the buses to pick up students walking along the road.
Glynn - How do you determne when to stop?
Cantoreggi - After the snow has stopped and after we have cleared the roads, we'll also do the push back to clear the road to the gutters. If another storm came along, the gutters would be blocked, we could get drainage problems. Can't have that so we clear it to the gutter.
Rohrbach - could you go into the process on the sidewalk routes?
Cantoreggi - I did not bring the map, it is on the DPW website, as is this presentation. (Note: The presentations can also be found here)
Rohrbach - You mentioned that you have vacancies, does that mean you use more contractors?
Cantoreggi - We have folks out that we have not backfilled. We do have some Franklin equipment that sits idle during a storm as we don't have manpower to run it. We do use contractors more, it is a more expensive option.
a. Snow Removal / Sidewalks – Robert A (Brutus) Cantoreggi
The presentation is similar to what was shown to the Town Council reviewed earlier this month. You can view that presentation here
Roy - How are the decisions reached on school cancellations?
Sabolinski - Process starts in October, meeting with DPW to plan for the process, notifications, etc. Decisions on school closings rely on the safety officials (Police, Fire). Timeline is an issue. High school and middle school staff report at 6:45, need to make decision before 5:30 AM to alleviate unnecessary travel. Responsibilities further refined between Facilities and custodians based upon experience. In a town this size, we heard from about 10 people, considering our size, that is good.
Cantoreggi - The Facilities transfer was a good thing, we have learned along the way. The Police call us when the road conditions turn bad. We are prepared and on standby until we get the call. At night we can be ore efficient as no one is on the road, once the day starts, it gets more difficult as our trucks are in with the traffic.
Sabolinski - inclement weather notice sent out, posted on Schools website (PDF) There is a regular practice for the buses to pick up students walking along the road.
Glynn - How do you determne when to stop?
Cantoreggi - After the snow has stopped and after we have cleared the roads, we'll also do the push back to clear the road to the gutters. If another storm came along, the gutters would be blocked, we could get drainage problems. Can't have that so we clear it to the gutter.
Rohrbach - could you go into the process on the sidewalk routes?
Cantoreggi - I did not bring the map, it is on the DPW website, as is this presentation. (Note: The presentations can also be found here)
Rohrbach - You mentioned that you have vacancies, does that mean you use more contractors?
Cantoreggi - We have folks out that we have not backfilled. We do have some Franklin equipment that sits idle during a storm as we don't have manpower to run it. We do use contractors more, it is a more expensive option.
Live reporting - School Committee
Attending: Douglas, Cafasso, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments - none
• Review of Agenda - add FHS London Trip to agenda
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the Open Session and Executive Session minutes from the January 12, 2010 School Committee Meeting.
correction on meeting date should be Feb 5th not 4th
page 4 - FY 2011 budget, add a sentence referencing a one page summary
page 6 - should say "fiscal review" instead of "financial audit"
motion to approve, excluding the minutes from the Executive Session, passed 7-0
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn motion to approve, passed 7-0
• Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence: none
Vision Statement
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.
Mission Statement
The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.
The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments - none
• Review of Agenda - add FHS London Trip to agenda
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the Open Session and Executive Session minutes from the January 12, 2010 School Committee Meeting.
correction on meeting date should be Feb 5th not 4th
page 4 - FY 2011 budget, add a sentence referencing a one page summary
page 6 - should say "fiscal review" instead of "financial audit"
motion to approve, excluding the minutes from the Executive Session, passed 7-0
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn motion to approve, passed 7-0
• Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence: none
Franklin, MA: Kindergarten registration
For students entering Kindergarten in September 2010, registration will occur on
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/KInfo/default.htm
- February 2
- February 4
- February 8
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/KInfo/default.htm
In the News - financial discussion
A brief write-up for the budget workshop held on Monday for Town Council, Finance and School Committee members appears in the Milford Daily News
Franklin finances look grim
Additional info from the workshop can be found here and here
The workshop provided extensive details on the finances and budget process. The information gathered will be shared overtime to help us all prepare for Fiscal Year 2011. We are currently operating within Fiscal Year 2010 which ends June 30th.
Franklin finances look grim
Additional info from the workshop can be found here and here
The workshop provided extensive details on the finances and budget process. The information gathered will be shared overtime to help us all prepare for Fiscal Year 2011. We are currently operating within Fiscal Year 2010 which ends June 30th.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Live reporting - budget workshop continued
Part 1 for this meeting can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-special-meeting-budget.html
Jim Dacey covered the debt and interest explanations. Susan and Jeff combined to discuss the stabilization fund, the calculation of "free cash" and its use for capital expenses (one time, not recurring).
The group took a break and then resumed to pick up with the School budget.
Maureen Sabolinski and Miriam Goodman presented the initial overview on the budget and Federal/State mandates.
Sally Winslow and Beth Fitzmaurice are now covering Special Education and its requirements.
I am taking good notes but will spend some time to write them up before sharing them here.
Franklin belongs to two collaboratives to provide enhanced purchasing options to provide special education requirements at a reasonable expense.
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-special-meeting-budget.html
Jim Dacey covered the debt and interest explanations. Susan and Jeff combined to discuss the stabilization fund, the calculation of "free cash" and its use for capital expenses (one time, not recurring).
The group took a break and then resumed to pick up with the School budget.
Maureen Sabolinski and Miriam Goodman presented the initial overview on the budget and Federal/State mandates.
Sally Winslow and Beth Fitzmaurice are now covering Special Education and its requirements.
I am taking good notes but will spend some time to write them up before sharing them here.
Franklin belongs to two collaboratives to provide enhanced purchasing options to provide special education requirements at a reasonable expense.
Live reporting: Special Meeting - budget workshop
Town Council:
Scott Mason, Tina Powderly, Glenn Jones
School Committee:
Bill Glynn, Cindy Douglas, Sue Rohrbach
Finance Committee:
Jim Roche, Linda Huempfner, Pat Goldsmith, Phyllis Meserve, Jaun Rivera, Mark Cataldo, Rebecca Cameron, Craig Maire, Robert Texiera
Town administration
Jeff Nutting, Susan Gagner, Jim Dacey
School Administration
Maureen Sabolinski, Miriam Goodman, Sally Winslow, Beth Fitzmaurice
There is good information in this session. We are hearing from Susan Gagner, Town Comptroller. She is covering the town financial history from 2005 through FY 2010.
Part 2 for this meeting continues here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-budget-workshop.html
Scott Mason, Tina Powderly, Glenn Jones
School Committee:
Bill Glynn, Cindy Douglas, Sue Rohrbach
Finance Committee:
Jim Roche, Linda Huempfner, Pat Goldsmith, Phyllis Meserve, Jaun Rivera, Mark Cataldo, Rebecca Cameron, Craig Maire, Robert Texiera
Town administration
Jeff Nutting, Susan Gagner, Jim Dacey
School Administration
Maureen Sabolinski, Miriam Goodman, Sally Winslow, Beth Fitzmaurice
There is good information in this session. We are hearing from Susan Gagner, Town Comptroller. She is covering the town financial history from 2005 through FY 2010.
- revenue components
- property tax
- state aid
- local estimated receipts
- other available funds
Part 2 for this meeting continues here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-budget-workshop.html
FM #55 - Week ending 1/24/10
This is #55 in the series on what matters in Frankin, MA. In this session, I cover the Town Council meeting of 1/20/10 and take a look ahead at the FY 2011 budget preparations.
Time: 8 minutes, 20 seconds
MP3 File
Session notes:
This internet radio show or podcast is number 55 in the series for Franklin Matters.
Take about ten minutes to keep current with what matters in Franklin, MA as the week ends January 24, 2010
In this session I’ll cover the Town Council meeting of Wednesday, January 20, 2010
1 – The proposed charter revisions were brought back before this Council by Councilors Whalen and Zollo, no additional changes were made to the discussions held last Sep.
There will be open forum and public hearings to solicit input from the citizens before the final package is assembled for Legislative review. Assuming the changes proposed are accepted, then they would still come back to be voted on by the Franklin voters before being effective.
2 – The latest update on the Downtown Improvement project was presented to the Town Council on Weds and to the Downtown Partnership on Thursday morning. Additional sessions will be scheduled to allow for input from Franklin residents.
A copy of the presentation is available on Franklin MAtters
3 – The DPW presented a proposed rate change, actually a reduction from 244 per year to 220 per year. The change is dependent upon approval of a new contract to implement a “single stream” collection system. Single stream is still a misnomer in that there would be separate trash and recycle bins. The recycled items can all be mingled in the one barrel. We'd no longer need to separate the cardboard from the cans, bottles, etc.
A picture of the new bins is available on Franklin MAtters
Looking ahead to this week, there are two meetings of note:
1 - This Monday evening is a special meeting of the Town Council. The purpose of the meeting will be a budget workshop to review terminology and process steps for the 2011 budget. The workshop is intended to bring the new members of the Town Council, Finance Committee, and School Committee up to speed. It is also open to the public and this will be a great time to get in on the ground floor of the budget discussion.
Note the actual 2011 budget is not scheduled for discussion. Gov Patrick is scheduled to release his budget later this week. The House and Senate will release theirs some time and then all three will be reconciled or negotiated to produce one budget sometime before June 30th. That budget is key to what Franklin does. Currently 30% of our revenue comes from State Aid. Separately the Franklin departments will be coming up with their budget, review it with Jeff Nutting who makes his recommendation and brings both to the Finance Committee for review and approval be for the Town Council gets their final review and approval.
2 - The School committee starts their budget process on Tuesday the 26th. We'll get the first look at what a level service and level funded budget for 2011 could look like with options on what programs would be on the table for discussion. The teacher contract is up for renewal this year (as are all the other Franklin municipal employee contracts) what those will look like when an agreement is reached is open for speculation at this time.
In summary, the next several months can be very interactive. Franklin citizens can provide their input to the charter, the downtown project, and ultimately the Franklin budget. If you were waiting for a good time to get involved, the time is now.
As I close this session this week, let me remind you that
For additional information, please visit FranklinMAtters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission
I hope you enjoy!
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to the website to listen to the audio version.
Time: 8 minutes, 20 seconds
MP3 File
Session notes:
This internet radio show or podcast is number 55 in the series for Franklin Matters.
Take about ten minutes to keep current with what matters in Franklin, MA as the week ends January 24, 2010
In this session I’ll cover the Town Council meeting of Wednesday, January 20, 2010
- proposed Charter revision
- Downtown improvement project
- New trash/recycle bins to lower cost of solid waste by $24
1 – The proposed charter revisions were brought back before this Council by Councilors Whalen and Zollo, no additional changes were made to the discussions held last Sep.
There will be open forum and public hearings to solicit input from the citizens before the final package is assembled for Legislative review. Assuming the changes proposed are accepted, then they would still come back to be voted on by the Franklin voters before being effective.
2 – The latest update on the Downtown Improvement project was presented to the Town Council on Weds and to the Downtown Partnership on Thursday morning. Additional sessions will be scheduled to allow for input from Franklin residents.
A copy of the presentation is available on Franklin MAtters
3 – The DPW presented a proposed rate change, actually a reduction from 244 per year to 220 per year. The change is dependent upon approval of a new contract to implement a “single stream” collection system. Single stream is still a misnomer in that there would be separate trash and recycle bins. The recycled items can all be mingled in the one barrel. We'd no longer need to separate the cardboard from the cans, bottles, etc.
A picture of the new bins is available on Franklin MAtters
Looking ahead to this week, there are two meetings of note:
1 - This Monday evening is a special meeting of the Town Council. The purpose of the meeting will be a budget workshop to review terminology and process steps for the 2011 budget. The workshop is intended to bring the new members of the Town Council, Finance Committee, and School Committee up to speed. It is also open to the public and this will be a great time to get in on the ground floor of the budget discussion.
Note the actual 2011 budget is not scheduled for discussion. Gov Patrick is scheduled to release his budget later this week. The House and Senate will release theirs some time and then all three will be reconciled or negotiated to produce one budget sometime before June 30th. That budget is key to what Franklin does. Currently 30% of our revenue comes from State Aid. Separately the Franklin departments will be coming up with their budget, review it with Jeff Nutting who makes his recommendation and brings both to the Finance Committee for review and approval be for the Town Council gets their final review and approval.
2 - The School committee starts their budget process on Tuesday the 26th. We'll get the first look at what a level service and level funded budget for 2011 could look like with options on what programs would be on the table for discussion. The teacher contract is up for renewal this year (as are all the other Franklin municipal employee contracts) what those will look like when an agreement is reached is open for speculation at this time.
In summary, the next several months can be very interactive. Franklin citizens can provide their input to the charter, the downtown project, and ultimately the Franklin budget. If you were waiting for a good time to get involved, the time is now.
As I close this session this week, let me remind you that
- If you like what I am doing, please tell your neighbors
- If you don’t like something, please tell me
For additional information, please visit FranklinMAtters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission
I hope you enjoy!
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to the website to listen to the audio version.
School Committee - Agenda - 1/26/10
Vision Statement
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.
Mission Statement
The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.
The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments
• Review of Agenda
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the Open Session and Executive Session minutes from the January 12, 2010 School Committee Meeting.
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn
• Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence: none
2. Guests/Presentations
a. Snow Removal / Sidewalks – Brutus Cantoreggi / Jeff Nutting
b. Preliminary Budget Discussion
3. Discussion Only Items
• Budget to Actual
• Second Reading:
Policy ADA – School District Goals & Objectives
Policy ACE – Non-Discrimination on the basis of Disability
4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of the donation of 5 digital cameras and one camcorder from Mr. Robert Salzberg of Resh, Inc. for the Davis Thayer Elementary School.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1148.00 from the Oak St. PCC for a Gr. 2 field trip to Stony Brook in May as detailed.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1000.00 from the Panther Lacrosse Association to be used towards the fitness center at FHS.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $500.00 from the Singleton Family Foundation for the FHS Special Education Department.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $3000.00 from the Davis Thayer PCC for field trips as detailed.
f. I recommend acceptance of the donation of a Visual Presenter from Mr. Robert Salzberg of Resh, Inc. for the Davis Thayer Elementary School.
g. I recommend approval of the request of Ms. Leardi & Mrs. Waters of the FHS for a trip to London, England on June 25, 2010 as detailed.
h. I recommend adoption of Policy ADA – School District Goals & Objectives.
i. I recommend approval of the request of Peter Light for an additional Assistant Track coach at a cost of $1,467.00 to be funded from the Athletic Revolving Account to assist with increased student participation.
j. I recommend adoption of Policy ACE – Non-Discrimination on the basis of Disability.
5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
a. Finance Workshop TrainingSchool Committee Sub-Committee Reports
b. MSBA/FHS Project
c. Kindergarten Registration
d. MASBO Compensation Study
e. Data Team
School Committee Liaison Reports
6. New Business
• To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.
7. Executive Session
• Contractual Negotiations
8. Adjourn
Franklin, MA: At a glance
In advance of the special budget workshop Monday evening, here is a report from the MA Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services:
You can view the same report on the MA DOR website here.
The workshop this evening is open to the public and intended to bring the new members of the Town Council, Finance and School Committees up to speed on the budget terminology and process.
The fiscal policies that previous Town Councils have used for guidance, this Council also accepted and it posted on the Town Council section of their webpage:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/fiscal.pdf
Note: The 2011 budget is NOT scheduled for discussion. The Governor is scheduled to announce his view of the budget this week. Both bodies of the State legislature will announce their own versions of the State budget and then all three will be negotiated to produce one budget sometime before June 30th.
Last year was an exception in that Franklin did not find out their final numbers until July. The Town Council voted on the final 2010 budget on Sep 16th with some adjustments to the one passed in June.
You can view the same report on the MA DOR website here.
The workshop this evening is open to the public and intended to bring the new members of the Town Council, Finance and School Committees up to speed on the budget terminology and process.
The fiscal policies that previous Town Councils have used for guidance, this Council also accepted and it posted on the Town Council section of their webpage:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/fiscal.pdf
Note: The 2011 budget is NOT scheduled for discussion. The Governor is scheduled to announce his view of the budget this week. Both bodies of the State legislature will announce their own versions of the State budget and then all three will be negotiated to produce one budget sometime before June 30th.
Last year was an exception in that Franklin did not find out their final numbers until July. The Town Council voted on the final 2010 budget on Sep 16th with some adjustments to the one passed in June.
Franklin, MA: budget workshop
Whalen said the budget workshop will delve into the town's state and local revenue sources and unfunded mandates like special education funding.
School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy urges the public to attend.
"People are typically surprised when they learn about the scope and number of state and federal mandates applicable to school budgets," he said.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News by clicking on the link below:
Franklin officials to strategize on town budgets
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Pulaski Blvd project update
Yes, Pulaski Blvd is in Bellingham but it changes name to Washington and then to King St for those traveling north to come to the i495 intersection. The i495 intersection is under construction to improve, widen and add traffic lights.
Pulaski Blvd starts construction this spring. For folks in Franklin heading south to Bellingham, Woonsocket and points beyond, you might want to consider exploring an alternate route.
This article in the Milford Daily News provides an update on the bids just received to begin work this spring.
Pulaski Blvd starts construction this spring. For folks in Franklin heading south to Bellingham, Woonsocket and points beyond, you might want to consider exploring an alternate route.
This article in the Milford Daily News provides an update on the bids just received to begin work this spring.
Pulaski project on target in Bellingham
In the News - downtown project
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here"We want to continue to get public input and allow that input to direct the design," he said.
A major proposed improvement is to create two-way traffic on Emmons, Main and West Central streets.
View the presentation on this project that was made to the Town Council on Wednesday Jan 20th
Diversity in the state legislature?
------Despite an executive branch headed by the state's first black governor, no one keeps track of the racial makeup of the Legislature's work force - not the state Human Resources Division nor any central office in the House or Senate.
Lawmakers can hire whomever they want, however they want, and since they exempted themselves from the public record law years ago, they don't have to tell anyone.
Only 18 of 200 elected officials agreed to provide information on their staffers' race, age and gender to The Patriot Ledger.
Reached last week, no MetroWest legislator, with the exception of state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, responded to the Daily News' request for information regarding staff demographics. Some offices did not return calls. Other offices referred the News directly to the House Speaker's office. Other offices referred the News to the Legislature's human resources department, which then referred a reporter to the House Speaker's office.
Affirmative action - a hiring policy that encourages minorities to apply for jobs where they are underrepresented - was a phrase first used by President John F. Kennedy nearly 50 years ago. In the years that followed, it was the basis for federal equal opportunity hiring regulations that states, cities and towns had to follow, or risk losing federal aid.
But the same rules affecting all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts and more than 50,000 state employees don't apply to lawmakers, their employees or committee staffs.
Read the full and rather interesting report on this disconnect created by the legislature in the Milford Daily News here
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Express Line
The new Express Line was just sent out via email.
If you are not receiving you own copy, you can sign up on the Franklin website here: http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/subscriber-news
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to read the document.
If you are not receiving you own copy, you can sign up on the Franklin website here: http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/subscriber-news
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
Save File: converted-FranklinMA_ExpressLine_100122-converted.pdf Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to read the document.
Friday, January 22, 2010
More from Gov Patrick of interest to Franklin Matters
Friday, Governor Patrick attended the Massachusetts Municipal Association Annual Meeting and outlined proposals including municipal pension relief, a limited early retirement incentive program and a new Green Communities grant program to encourage development of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to relieve local budgets “The Lieutenant Governor and I value the partnership we have built with local officials across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “This relationship has allowed us to work collaboratively to bring real change to the way local government provides for the residents of the Commonwealth. The tools we introduce today, coupled with the changes we have already made, will allow us to provide key services in communities today, while reducing local pressure on the property tax.” Learn more here.
- Read more in the Boston Globe. Watch more on NECN.
What matters for Franklin
Having listened to the Governor's State of the Commonwealth, these sections I think are what matters most for Franklin.
The full text of the speech is available here and here
....In a time of dwindling state revenue, we funded public schools at the highest level in history. In the budget I file next week, I will propose to do it again by fully funding the education budget through Chapter 70 next year, so that no school will see a cut in state support. But because schools need innovation as well as money in order to be great, we made law and history this week by signing an education reform bill that will put a great school within reach of every child in every corner of this Commonwealth. We made it personal. Thank you.
....We, all of us, have worked together to give local communities new tools to cut costs and raise revenues, to regionalize more municipal services. But I will not be satisfied until we find a way to bring property taxes down.
... these young people did not sit around wondering and worrying what to do and who was going to do it. They didn’t accept that they were powerless. They saw a need and met it, and found power in service itself. And through that not only have they inspired me and many others, but they have built a better, stronger Commonwealth.
Brick by brick. Block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Town by town. That is what each of us must do. That is who each of us must be. That is the opportunity this crisis presents. If we seize it, I am certain our best days lie ahead.
The full text of the speech is available here and here
Downtown Improvement Project
This is the Downtown Improvement Project presentation that was made to the Town Council on Wednesday, Jan 20th and Thursday, Jan 21st to the Downtown Partnership.
There will be other times scheduled for review and discussion of the plan details. As soon as I am aware of them, they will be posted here.
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the presentation.
There will be other times scheduled for review and discussion of the plan details. As soon as I am aware of them, they will be posted here.
Downtown Improvement Project 1/20/2010
View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the presentation.
Dean College: Business Series
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports on 1/21/10
Dean College will host professionals from ESPN this Monday to kick of its annual business lecture series, "Speaking of Business."
ESPN cameraman Joshua Walsh and producer Jennifer Hayes, both Dean alumni, will speak at the Campus Center Atrium Jan. 25 from 4-5 p.m., followed by a reception.
The lecture is the first of five, and will run every Monday except President's Day on Feb. 15.
Future speakers include Patriot Place manager Brian Farley, National Grid director of U.S. climate change policy Alexander G. Taft, CEO of Hockomock Area YMCA Edwin Hurley and Dan Foley, CEO of Campus Care and D. Foley Landscaping.
Programs are free and open to the public. Lectures will be held on 135 Emmons St. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 888-711-3326 or emailing alumni@dean.edu.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to The Milford Daily News News RSS using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The text of Gov Deval Patrick's State of the Commonwealth
Address as delivered
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Madame President – there we go – Mr. Speaker, and all of the Members of the House and Senate, Lieutenant Governor, Fellow Constitutional Officers, and Members of the Cabinet, to the Members of the Honorable Judiciary, Congressman and Mrs. Capuano, Mayor Menino and other municipal leaders, Reverend Clergy, Distinguished Guests, and above all, to the People of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
I want to first acknowledge and thank my First Lady and yours, Diane Patrick. You should all know that Diane has done marvelous work around the Commonwealth on domestic violence issues. And Diane, I think people have come to be almost as grateful to have you in their lives as I am to have you in mine.
I want you all to please join Diane and me in thanking the men and women of Massachusetts who serve in the United States military – and their families. We are every one of us in their debt.
Special thanks to Pastor Laguerre, who joins us tonight for the invocation. We pray with you for the rescue of the Haitian people, for comfort for their families and friends here in the Commonwealth, for strength for the relief workers from Massachusetts who are on the ground now in Haiti, and for blessings for all of the good people of this Commonwealth who have offered support to the victims.
I want to commend all three candidates in the special election for a spirited campaign – Attorney General, thank you for being here tonight. And I want to congratulate United States Senator-elect Scott Brown. I spoke to Scott on election night and again this afternoon, and we pledged to work together, as I do with the whole delegation, on behalf of the best interests of the people of the Commonwealth. The best news is that – even on a cold, snowy day in January, for an out-of-cycle election – the voters came out in force and engaged in their democracy. At a time when many feel powerless, people reminded themselves and us that they have all the power they need to make all the change they want. That’s good news.
Three years ago when I took the oath of office on the steps just outside this building, I described a vision for a better, stronger Commonwealth. I talked about good jobs at good wages all across the state, a great school in every neighborhood, and citizens with a renewed sense of community, where each of us sees the stake we have in each other's dreams and struggles.
I knew the challenges before us, and acknowledged them. Young people were leaving our state. There was no real plan for job growth. Our public schools were too often failing poor children. Our roads and bridges were broken. Health care reform had passed, but had not been implemented. And the culture of Beacon Hill, with due respect, was famously resistant to outsiders and to change.
We chose to confront these challenges, not because it was politically expedient or popular, and certainly not because it was easy. But because we understood the stake we each have in each other; because people need not big or small government, for its own sake, but good government; and because confronting these challenges was the only way to build a better, stronger Commonwealth.
Our task was made harder by bumps along the road - some of my own making I acknowledge, others left behind by predecessors, but most the result of a global economic collapse that no one foresaw and few living have ever experienced. The economic meltdown produced $9 billion in budget gaps, cuts to worthy programs, and elimination of thousands of state jobs. Just like in household after household, and business after business, we in state government have had to make do with less, to improvise and innovate, to work harder. But because we made it personal, because we understood that a better, stronger Commonwealth would lift us all up, we kept going.
The toll this global economic crisis has taken on people here at home has only served to make me even more determined. I meet people every day, and I see the anxiety in their faces. I hear their stories of lost jobs or lost homes, of lost retirement accounts or lost hope. I know they are stressed not just for themselves, but because there are still kids to be educated and parents to be cared for. I met a grandmother at the Career Center in Lynn this month who told me about moving her son and daughter and their kids, 9 of them strong, into her home because they're out of work and strapped for cash. Now she has lost her job. She's not asking for much, just a chance to work to provide for her family, and a little help holding on until she can make her own way. Meanwhile, like so many other citizens, she is feeling powerless against forces beyond her control. This is not the American Dream she counted on. And it is not the American Dream we will accept.
So for her, for every other striver who aches for a better, stronger Commonwealth, we kept faith with our vision and kept going. Too fast for some, not fast enough for others, learning from our mistakes as well as from our triumphs, but always forward. Without ever losing sight of who we are working for.
And so, working together, we closed that $9 billion budget gap and delivered a third consecutive budget that was responsible, balanced and on time – which is not something that many other states can say. But we also worked to understand and address the impact that each cut would have on the people who depended on the program, and to deliver the service in better and more efficient ways. We made it personal.
To create jobs, we leveraged our world-class universities and health care institutions, making investments in biotech, life sciences and green technology so that the people of Massachusetts would have opportunities in the innovation economy of tomorrow. But we also went to work every day calling individual business leaders about locating or expanding here, working out ways to help them prosper and create jobs - 10, 50, 200 at a time, making sure the workforce was trained, and extending unemployment and health care benefits to help families hold it together in the short run. We made it personal.
We did the hard work – the hard work – of implementing health care reform so that now nearly every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth has reliable health insurance, and we are a model for the Nation. But because we know many families and small businesses are struggling to afford the premiums they pay, we went to work to drive down costs, hauling insurance companies into public hearings to explain why premiums keep going up when everything else is coming down. We made it personal.
In a time of dwindling state revenue, we funded public schools at the highest level in history. In the budget I file next week, I will propose to do it again by fully funding the education budget through Chapter 70 next year, so that no school will see a cut in state support. But because schools need innovation as well as money in order to be great, we made law and history this week by signing an education reform bill that will put a great school within reach of every child in every corner of this Commonwealth. We made it personal. Thank you.
We did all of that and more this past year. And I want to thank you. I want to thank President Murray, Speaker DeLeo and each member of this Senate and House, for their willingness to work with us, frequently across Party lines, and take the tough votes that will make a better, stronger Commonwealth.
I also want to thank the members of the Cabinet and their teams for your creativity and tenacity, and the state workers who – despite furloughs and contract concessions, pay freezes and increased health care contributions – go to work every day trying to do right by the people we serve.
Change is never easy and rarely quick. Woodrow Wilson once said, "If you want to make enemies, try to change something." And Lord knows he was right! But it is worthy. It’s worthy. Because we are together building the foundation for a better, stronger Commonwealth.
And I ask you, don't just take my word for it. Here are some facts:
For the first time in twenty years, more people are moving into our state than are moving out.
Business confidence has improved 9 of the last 10 months, which means more investment and more jobs ahead.
Home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month - 59% in the month of November alone.
All three national rating agencies have affirmed the state's AA credit rating and stable outlook for the future, expressly citing our successful management of this fiscal crisis.
Massachusetts is one of the few states in the country able to access the bond markets to fund our student loan program.
We are first in the Nation in student achievement for the third straight year and first in the Nation in health care coverage for our residents, with over 97 percent insured.
Our clean and alternative energy initiatives set national standards. We will increase wind power 10-fold and solar power 15-fold by next year, and in the solar industry we have already more than doubled the number of jobs and quadrupled the number of companies.
But still, still, people sometimes ask: What does all this mean for them?
Well, a good credit rating means that we can do construction projects like Assembly Square in Somerville, or the Appleton Mills redevelopment in Lowell, or the Route 7 improvements in Pittsfield, or the Route 24 ramp in Fall River, and on and on and on. Projects that put people to work now, create other jobs shortly, and improve the quality of life for years. It means people like R. Evans Stewart can get a state-subsidized student loan to help his grandson pursue his dreams at Western New England College. That’s what it means.
Implementing health reform well means peace of mind for people like Jaclyn Michalos from Norwell, who would not have had her breast cancer diagnosed and successfully treated without access to affordable care. It means finding a cost effective way to cover over 26,000 immigrants who live and work here legally and pay taxes into the system.
Simplifying the transportation network and abolishing the Turnpike Authority means we saved taxpayers a quarter billion dollars and can put toll and T fare hikes off a little while, while we focus on better service for commuters.
Holding the line on funding for schools or passing the ed reform bill means the kids I meet in Arlington or East Boston High Schools, or the South Middle School in Brockton, or the University Park Campus School in Worcester, or the Walsh School in Framingham, or the poor and special needs kids I carry around in my heart, will get the chance I got to make a better life for themselves and their families.
Let me tell you what it means.
Investing in clean and alternative energy, or the life sciences and biotech, means Dan Leary, an Iraq War vet, can hire more people at his solar installation company in North Andover (I think he's up to 45 so far); and Randy Moquin can get trained, get off unemployment and go to work as an energy auditor out in Springfield; and Josh Hamilton can build a Center for Regenerative Medicine in Woods Hole and start to transform the future of human health.
Investing in infrastructure means that, now and even moreso in the coming spring construction season, new bridges will be built; exit ramps and roads are being restored; broadband cable is being laid under 1-91; stations, office parks, medical research buildings, parking garages are all going up – investments that put people to work today and become the economic enabler of tomorrow.
And ending the abuse in the state pension system and tightening the ethics and lobbying rules means that people can trust that state government is focused again on their business and not personal gain.
Governing for people, the ways your government can help you help yourselves, is why we come to work every day. By investing in people, by making it personal, we are building a better, stronger Commonwealth for all of us.
I know there's much more work to do. And I will not be satisfied until it's done.
Unemployment, even with the disappointing numbers released today, is not as high here as the national average, but I will not be satisfied until we have put all our people back to work.
More people than ever are insured, but I will not be satisfied until the cost of health insurance is lower, especially for small businesses and working families.
I will not be satisfied until CORl and sentencing reform are enacted into law and we start getting as smart on crime as we are tough.
We, all of us, have worked together to give local communities new tools to cut costs and raise revenues, to regionalize more municipal services. But I will not be satisfied until we find a way to bring property taxes down.
I will not be satisfied until we have reshaped and reinvented state government itself, consolidated more agencies and wrung out of them every inefficiency.
That must be our agenda and I will not be satisfied until it's finished. And neither should you.
These are each of them tough issues, I know that. But you ought to know by now – friends one and all – you should know, my friends, not to doubt my resolve or my determination. I hear the detractors who fiercely or passively defend the status quo. I hear the challengers pressing to return to old, familiar ways, even policies that failed us in the past. But I also hear a public deeply frustrated with the pace of change, who need a little help from us right now so they can help themselves. Our job is to be leaders for them. To stand up and make the hard decisions that are necessary to build a better, stronger Commonwealth. We must make it personal.
To the people of the Commonwealth, above all, especially those whose lives have been turned upside down by this economy, you are not powerless. And you are not alone.
If we here work together and creatively, we can make a difference where it matters, not on our resumes but in your lives. We have shown we can do this with historic reforms already, and we must redouble our efforts.
We will do our part. Now you must also do yours.
Be angry - but channel it in a positive direction. It's easy to be against things. It takes tough-mindedness and courage to be for something.
In Massachusetts, at our best, we are for each other, we are about seeing our stake in our neighbors' dreams and struggles as well as our own.
And I know some kids who understand this especially well.
The high school in Brockton, Massachusetts is the largest in our Commonwealth. 4,100 young people go to that school. Sixty-four percent are on the free lunch program. For nearly half of them, English is a second language. I visited the school last spring to announce some of the federal stimulus funding for education and arranged to meet beforehand with parents of special needs students.
I sat with about a dozen of these parents in the school library, surrounded by members of the student council who had come to observe. And at first we talked about programs and policies and information, but the conversation got personal, when one mother asked me, she said: “Governor, imagine what it is like to have a child in school who has no friends.”
And as a parent, the comment was searing. Her child's learning issues were so profound that other kids just shunned him.
And at that point, one of the student council members raised her hand and said, "I want to be your child's buddy, right here in the high school." It was a beautiful and spontaneous thing.
Another parent then said her child had similar issues but wasn’t in that school. Which prompted another student to raise her hand and say, "Why don't we have a program where high school students can be buddies for special needs kids in whatever Brockton school they attend?"
The superintendent was there and had a natural reaction in these times: he began to worry aloud about how, in these times of scarce resources, he could possibly pay for such a program. To which another student replied, "We don't have to be paid. This is our community." His message was plain and powerful: "If there is a need, send me."
That program now has a name, the Boxer Buddies, it’s going strong, and I want to acknowledge the Buddies who are here tonight. I am so proud of you.
The point is this. In a city as hard hit as any by the economic crisis, these young people did not sit around wondering and worrying what to do and who was going to do it. They didn’t accept that they were powerless. They saw a need and met it, and found power in service itself. And through that not only have they inspired me and many others, but they have built a better, stronger Commonwealth.
Brick by brick. Block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Town by town. That is what each of us must do. That is who each of us must be. That is the opportunity this crisis presents. If we seize it, I am certain our best days lie ahead.
Thank you everybody. God bless you all and God bless the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
You can also view this on the Gov's website here
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Madame President – there we go – Mr. Speaker, and all of the Members of the House and Senate, Lieutenant Governor, Fellow Constitutional Officers, and Members of the Cabinet, to the Members of the Honorable Judiciary, Congressman and Mrs. Capuano, Mayor Menino and other municipal leaders, Reverend Clergy, Distinguished Guests, and above all, to the People of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
I want to first acknowledge and thank my First Lady and yours, Diane Patrick. You should all know that Diane has done marvelous work around the Commonwealth on domestic violence issues. And Diane, I think people have come to be almost as grateful to have you in their lives as I am to have you in mine.
I want you all to please join Diane and me in thanking the men and women of Massachusetts who serve in the United States military – and their families. We are every one of us in their debt.
Special thanks to Pastor Laguerre, who joins us tonight for the invocation. We pray with you for the rescue of the Haitian people, for comfort for their families and friends here in the Commonwealth, for strength for the relief workers from Massachusetts who are on the ground now in Haiti, and for blessings for all of the good people of this Commonwealth who have offered support to the victims.
I want to commend all three candidates in the special election for a spirited campaign – Attorney General, thank you for being here tonight. And I want to congratulate United States Senator-elect Scott Brown. I spoke to Scott on election night and again this afternoon, and we pledged to work together, as I do with the whole delegation, on behalf of the best interests of the people of the Commonwealth. The best news is that – even on a cold, snowy day in January, for an out-of-cycle election – the voters came out in force and engaged in their democracy. At a time when many feel powerless, people reminded themselves and us that they have all the power they need to make all the change they want. That’s good news.
Three years ago when I took the oath of office on the steps just outside this building, I described a vision for a better, stronger Commonwealth. I talked about good jobs at good wages all across the state, a great school in every neighborhood, and citizens with a renewed sense of community, where each of us sees the stake we have in each other's dreams and struggles.
I knew the challenges before us, and acknowledged them. Young people were leaving our state. There was no real plan for job growth. Our public schools were too often failing poor children. Our roads and bridges were broken. Health care reform had passed, but had not been implemented. And the culture of Beacon Hill, with due respect, was famously resistant to outsiders and to change.
We chose to confront these challenges, not because it was politically expedient or popular, and certainly not because it was easy. But because we understood the stake we each have in each other; because people need not big or small government, for its own sake, but good government; and because confronting these challenges was the only way to build a better, stronger Commonwealth.
Our task was made harder by bumps along the road - some of my own making I acknowledge, others left behind by predecessors, but most the result of a global economic collapse that no one foresaw and few living have ever experienced. The economic meltdown produced $9 billion in budget gaps, cuts to worthy programs, and elimination of thousands of state jobs. Just like in household after household, and business after business, we in state government have had to make do with less, to improvise and innovate, to work harder. But because we made it personal, because we understood that a better, stronger Commonwealth would lift us all up, we kept going.
The toll this global economic crisis has taken on people here at home has only served to make me even more determined. I meet people every day, and I see the anxiety in their faces. I hear their stories of lost jobs or lost homes, of lost retirement accounts or lost hope. I know they are stressed not just for themselves, but because there are still kids to be educated and parents to be cared for. I met a grandmother at the Career Center in Lynn this month who told me about moving her son and daughter and their kids, 9 of them strong, into her home because they're out of work and strapped for cash. Now she has lost her job. She's not asking for much, just a chance to work to provide for her family, and a little help holding on until she can make her own way. Meanwhile, like so many other citizens, she is feeling powerless against forces beyond her control. This is not the American Dream she counted on. And it is not the American Dream we will accept.
So for her, for every other striver who aches for a better, stronger Commonwealth, we kept faith with our vision and kept going. Too fast for some, not fast enough for others, learning from our mistakes as well as from our triumphs, but always forward. Without ever losing sight of who we are working for.
And so, working together, we closed that $9 billion budget gap and delivered a third consecutive budget that was responsible, balanced and on time – which is not something that many other states can say. But we also worked to understand and address the impact that each cut would have on the people who depended on the program, and to deliver the service in better and more efficient ways. We made it personal.
To create jobs, we leveraged our world-class universities and health care institutions, making investments in biotech, life sciences and green technology so that the people of Massachusetts would have opportunities in the innovation economy of tomorrow. But we also went to work every day calling individual business leaders about locating or expanding here, working out ways to help them prosper and create jobs - 10, 50, 200 at a time, making sure the workforce was trained, and extending unemployment and health care benefits to help families hold it together in the short run. We made it personal.
We did the hard work – the hard work – of implementing health care reform so that now nearly every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth has reliable health insurance, and we are a model for the Nation. But because we know many families and small businesses are struggling to afford the premiums they pay, we went to work to drive down costs, hauling insurance companies into public hearings to explain why premiums keep going up when everything else is coming down. We made it personal.
In a time of dwindling state revenue, we funded public schools at the highest level in history. In the budget I file next week, I will propose to do it again by fully funding the education budget through Chapter 70 next year, so that no school will see a cut in state support. But because schools need innovation as well as money in order to be great, we made law and history this week by signing an education reform bill that will put a great school within reach of every child in every corner of this Commonwealth. We made it personal. Thank you.
We did all of that and more this past year. And I want to thank you. I want to thank President Murray, Speaker DeLeo and each member of this Senate and House, for their willingness to work with us, frequently across Party lines, and take the tough votes that will make a better, stronger Commonwealth.
I also want to thank the members of the Cabinet and their teams for your creativity and tenacity, and the state workers who – despite furloughs and contract concessions, pay freezes and increased health care contributions – go to work every day trying to do right by the people we serve.
Change is never easy and rarely quick. Woodrow Wilson once said, "If you want to make enemies, try to change something." And Lord knows he was right! But it is worthy. It’s worthy. Because we are together building the foundation for a better, stronger Commonwealth.
And I ask you, don't just take my word for it. Here are some facts:
For the first time in twenty years, more people are moving into our state than are moving out.
Business confidence has improved 9 of the last 10 months, which means more investment and more jobs ahead.
Home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month - 59% in the month of November alone.
All three national rating agencies have affirmed the state's AA credit rating and stable outlook for the future, expressly citing our successful management of this fiscal crisis.
Massachusetts is one of the few states in the country able to access the bond markets to fund our student loan program.
We are first in the Nation in student achievement for the third straight year and first in the Nation in health care coverage for our residents, with over 97 percent insured.
Our clean and alternative energy initiatives set national standards. We will increase wind power 10-fold and solar power 15-fold by next year, and in the solar industry we have already more than doubled the number of jobs and quadrupled the number of companies.
But still, still, people sometimes ask: What does all this mean for them?
Well, a good credit rating means that we can do construction projects like Assembly Square in Somerville, or the Appleton Mills redevelopment in Lowell, or the Route 7 improvements in Pittsfield, or the Route 24 ramp in Fall River, and on and on and on. Projects that put people to work now, create other jobs shortly, and improve the quality of life for years. It means people like R. Evans Stewart can get a state-subsidized student loan to help his grandson pursue his dreams at Western New England College. That’s what it means.
Implementing health reform well means peace of mind for people like Jaclyn Michalos from Norwell, who would not have had her breast cancer diagnosed and successfully treated without access to affordable care. It means finding a cost effective way to cover over 26,000 immigrants who live and work here legally and pay taxes into the system.
Simplifying the transportation network and abolishing the Turnpike Authority means we saved taxpayers a quarter billion dollars and can put toll and T fare hikes off a little while, while we focus on better service for commuters.
Holding the line on funding for schools or passing the ed reform bill means the kids I meet in Arlington or East Boston High Schools, or the South Middle School in Brockton, or the University Park Campus School in Worcester, or the Walsh School in Framingham, or the poor and special needs kids I carry around in my heart, will get the chance I got to make a better life for themselves and their families.
Let me tell you what it means.
Investing in clean and alternative energy, or the life sciences and biotech, means Dan Leary, an Iraq War vet, can hire more people at his solar installation company in North Andover (I think he's up to 45 so far); and Randy Moquin can get trained, get off unemployment and go to work as an energy auditor out in Springfield; and Josh Hamilton can build a Center for Regenerative Medicine in Woods Hole and start to transform the future of human health.
Investing in infrastructure means that, now and even moreso in the coming spring construction season, new bridges will be built; exit ramps and roads are being restored; broadband cable is being laid under 1-91; stations, office parks, medical research buildings, parking garages are all going up – investments that put people to work today and become the economic enabler of tomorrow.
And ending the abuse in the state pension system and tightening the ethics and lobbying rules means that people can trust that state government is focused again on their business and not personal gain.
Governing for people, the ways your government can help you help yourselves, is why we come to work every day. By investing in people, by making it personal, we are building a better, stronger Commonwealth for all of us.
I know there's much more work to do. And I will not be satisfied until it's done.
Unemployment, even with the disappointing numbers released today, is not as high here as the national average, but I will not be satisfied until we have put all our people back to work.
More people than ever are insured, but I will not be satisfied until the cost of health insurance is lower, especially for small businesses and working families.
I will not be satisfied until CORl and sentencing reform are enacted into law and we start getting as smart on crime as we are tough.
We, all of us, have worked together to give local communities new tools to cut costs and raise revenues, to regionalize more municipal services. But I will not be satisfied until we find a way to bring property taxes down.
I will not be satisfied until we have reshaped and reinvented state government itself, consolidated more agencies and wrung out of them every inefficiency.
That must be our agenda and I will not be satisfied until it's finished. And neither should you.
These are each of them tough issues, I know that. But you ought to know by now – friends one and all – you should know, my friends, not to doubt my resolve or my determination. I hear the detractors who fiercely or passively defend the status quo. I hear the challengers pressing to return to old, familiar ways, even policies that failed us in the past. But I also hear a public deeply frustrated with the pace of change, who need a little help from us right now so they can help themselves. Our job is to be leaders for them. To stand up and make the hard decisions that are necessary to build a better, stronger Commonwealth. We must make it personal.
To the people of the Commonwealth, above all, especially those whose lives have been turned upside down by this economy, you are not powerless. And you are not alone.
If we here work together and creatively, we can make a difference where it matters, not on our resumes but in your lives. We have shown we can do this with historic reforms already, and we must redouble our efforts.
We will do our part. Now you must also do yours.
Be angry - but channel it in a positive direction. It's easy to be against things. It takes tough-mindedness and courage to be for something.
In Massachusetts, at our best, we are for each other, we are about seeing our stake in our neighbors' dreams and struggles as well as our own.
And I know some kids who understand this especially well.
The high school in Brockton, Massachusetts is the largest in our Commonwealth. 4,100 young people go to that school. Sixty-four percent are on the free lunch program. For nearly half of them, English is a second language. I visited the school last spring to announce some of the federal stimulus funding for education and arranged to meet beforehand with parents of special needs students.
I sat with about a dozen of these parents in the school library, surrounded by members of the student council who had come to observe. And at first we talked about programs and policies and information, but the conversation got personal, when one mother asked me, she said: “Governor, imagine what it is like to have a child in school who has no friends.”
And as a parent, the comment was searing. Her child's learning issues were so profound that other kids just shunned him.
And at that point, one of the student council members raised her hand and said, "I want to be your child's buddy, right here in the high school." It was a beautiful and spontaneous thing.
Another parent then said her child had similar issues but wasn’t in that school. Which prompted another student to raise her hand and say, "Why don't we have a program where high school students can be buddies for special needs kids in whatever Brockton school they attend?"
The superintendent was there and had a natural reaction in these times: he began to worry aloud about how, in these times of scarce resources, he could possibly pay for such a program. To which another student replied, "We don't have to be paid. This is our community." His message was plain and powerful: "If there is a need, send me."
That program now has a name, the Boxer Buddies, it’s going strong, and I want to acknowledge the Buddies who are here tonight. I am so proud of you.
The point is this. In a city as hard hit as any by the economic crisis, these young people did not sit around wondering and worrying what to do and who was going to do it. They didn’t accept that they were powerless. They saw a need and met it, and found power in service itself. And through that not only have they inspired me and many others, but they have built a better, stronger Commonwealth.
Brick by brick. Block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Town by town. That is what each of us must do. That is who each of us must be. That is the opportunity this crisis presents. If we seize it, I am certain our best days lie ahead.
Thank you everybody. God bless you all and God bless the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
You can also view this on the Gov's website here
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