Malloy To Emphasize Transportation, Bigger Middle Class

Governor Dan Malloy will deliver his inaugural address today while the General Assembly convenes for a new legislative session including new local faces State Senator Marilyn Moore, State Representative Andre Baker and State Representative Chris Rosario. Excerpts from speech.

Today marks a new chapter. A chapter in a story that began long before any of us were here, and one that will continue on long after our contributions end.

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This past chapter–these four years now behind us-were not easy.

We faced difficult choices, with few simple answers. We had contentious debates, even among friends. We weathered historic storms from which we had to rebuild. We were shaken by unthinkable tragedy in Newtown, and we found consolation within one another.

In the face of adversity, we also made progress.

We helped grow 75,000 jobs … raised the minimum wage … improved working conditions … increased access to pre-kindergarten.
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My fellow citizens, let that be our badge of honor–that during difficult times, while others shied away from hard decisions, we made them. That in the face of fierce obstacles, we did not retreat. That during crises, we banded together.

We chose to believe that there is more that unites us in Connecticut, than divides us.
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Today I say to my fellow citizens–Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike–that no one party or one policy maker holds a monopoly on good ideas. We might not always agree on the details, but we can agree that we want our children to inherit a better Connecticut than we were given.
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Together, let us continue to buck the national trends of obstruction and gridlock. Let us confront hard realities, tackle old problems with renewed vigor, and set aside short-term convenience in favor of long-term prosperity. Let us dismiss petty partisanship that divides us, and focus instead on what binds us to one another.

If we can do that–if we can work together–we can grow our economy and grow more good paying jobs with good benefits.

We can make sure all our children get a great education in a great public school.

We can build a transportation system that better connects us to one another and to the rest of the world.

And we can continue to lift more and more of our neighbors into a bigger, more inclusive middle class …