This is the prepared text of Governor Carcieri’s final State of the State address, to be delivered at 7:00 PM this evening:
The Honorable Donald L. Carcieri
Governor, State of Rhode Island
State of the State Address – January 26, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Madam President, members of the General Assembly, my fellow General Officers, members of the Judiciary, distinguished guests, and my fellow Rhode Islanders. Before I begin tonight, if you’d indulge me, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the source of my inspiration, my strength, my motivation, and my comfort – and that’s my wife, First Lady Sue Carcieri, our four children and their spouses, and our fourteen grandchildren. Many of them are here tonight. Thank you for all your love and support.
Let us begin tonight by being mindful of the catastrophic earthquake that has ravaged Haiti. We are all in shock and disbelief, and our hearts break as we see the nightly images of the horrific devastation and loss of life. Those of us who have visited Haiti are keenly aware of the extreme poverty and hardship that so many Haitians endure on a daily basis. I know that Rhode Island is home to several thousand Haitians and that many other Rhode Islanders, both young and old, travel there to be of service to the people of Haiti. In fact, just a few days ago, members of the 143rd R.I. Air National Guard flew two of our transport planes to be deployed to assist Haiti. Tonight, we express our prayers and condolences to all those people who have been so profoundly affected. Please join me for a moment of silence in honor of those who have lost their lives so tragically in Haiti.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen. As I stand before you tonight, our state is facing the most severe economic turmoil of the last 30 years, perhaps longer. This challenge cannot be overstated. We have over 73,000 Rhode Islanders out of work, with little sign that employment will improve significantly anytime soon. We all have neighbors who’ve seen their work hours reduced and their income diminished. They’re scrambling to pay their bills, while they watch their home values decline dramatically. They are substantially reducing their spending just to make ends meet.
Every business, both large and small, is reducing costs as they adjust to lower demand for their products and services.
They’re fighting for survival and trying desperately to keep as many of their workers employed as possible. Lay-offs are a last resort for a business because qualified, trained, and high-performing employees are what make a business successful.
In this climate, at this time, they expect their government at every level, federal, state and local — a government they pay for with their hard earned tax dollars—to reduce and control spending as well. As elected leaders, it is our job to deliver on that expectation—and I intend to do so! Continue reading ‘Text of Gov. Carcieri’s ‘State of the State’ Address’
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