Governor Charlie Crist's  State of the State speech 2007

OPENING OF FLORIDA'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION

"Thank you. Please sit down. Please. Please sit down. Thank you very much. Thank you all. Good morning. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, chief justice and members of our court, members of the Cabinet, the Legislature, honored guests, my fellow Floridians across our state - good morning to you all.

"It is a privilege to be here this morning for the first time as your new governor. But in many ways, for me, this is a homecoming. It was in the role of a legislator that I began my public service, and I know the enthusiasm and the excitement that you feel today as you start your work.

"As I begin this morning, I would be remiss if I did not first say thank you. Thank you Ken Pruitt, thank you Marco Rubio, thank you Ray Sansom, thank you Daniel Webster, thank you Marty Bowen, thank you Steve Geller, Dan Gelber and Bill Posey, and thank you to every member of the Florida Legislature because you passed meaningful property insurance reform for the people of this state. And God bless you for it.

"I also want to recognize my family seated in the gallery - my mom and dad, my sisters and their families. I love you very much and thank you for your support forever.

"Among those not with us in the chamber, but certainly in our hearts, are the men and women of our armed forces and the Florida National Guard. They are serving our country and our state overseas. We are all very proud of them and grateful to them for their service and sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families in defending our freedom.

"Representing our men and women in uniform today is Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Watson. He is a soldier highly decorated who served as the command sergeant major in charge of all enlisted personnel for Camp Virginia in Kuwait. Let us all rise and thank him for his dedication and service.

"You know, a governor's first State of the State is normally a time to set out an agenda for the year and beyond, and we'll do that. We must also recognize that much has already been accomplished. On my first day in office, just a little more than two months ago, I issued an executive order that holds my administration to higher standards of ethical conduct than ever before. That order also created the Office of Open Government for the purpose of replacing the door, and installing a window - a window into the workings of the people's government. And my friends, the sun shines through that window.

"I also ordered a top-to-bottom review of our customer service operations and the implementation of my Plain Language Initiative. Changes are under way to provide the people with the most ethical, open, and customer-friendly government possible. It is their government after all, and it should serve them well.

"Before the New Year was three weeks old, you were already here in special session seeking solutions to runaway property insurance rates. Thousands of Floridians reached out to tell us they were being forced to choose between paying outrageous insurance premiums or selling their homes. Thousands of Floridians told us soaring insurance premiums were ruining the promise of raising a family in a Florida home. And thousands of Floridians told us that their dream of retiring in our beautiful state was vanishing. Floridians like Stan Whitney.

"You may remember Stan. He wrote to me last November to tell me how sky rocketing insurance premiums were on the brink of forcing him to move back to his home state of Vermont. Let's listen for a moment as Stan tells his story."

"You know, in public service, it is always important to remember that we serve the people - our boss. Stan is our boss and he is with us here today along with his wife, Joan. Stan, please rise and wave to your employees.

"Thank you, sir, thank you. You know, it was with the urging of Stan and thousands of Floridians like him that we were able to pass legislation less than two months ago that will bring much needed relief to our people. To your great credit, you worked as a team. No one person or party claimed to have all of the answers. In the end we all worked together, and the people got what they have long demanded government to do: That is, focus on results, not politics nor process. We will continue to work together, to urge the federal government to create a national catastrophic fund. And I know that if we work together, we can succeed.

"Not two weeks after the special session, the people of central Florida awoke in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 2, to devastation wrought by deadly tornadoes. With winds topping 160 mph, tornadoes, some a quarter of a mile wide, ripped through Lake Mack, Lady Lake, DeLand and other Florida communities. All tolled, 21 lost their lives, victims as young as 7 to as old as 92.

"Within minutes of the tornadoes, with no street lights, downed power lines, fuse boxes exploding, first responders were already moving in. Law enforcement personnel, courageous firefighters, emergency managers, information officers, working together, not just from the four counties affected, but from all over, responding as a region, and as a compassionate, caring state that we are.

"In the Villages, residents signed up, offering bedrooms, even couches to make sure everyone had shelter. The list of those offering help grew so large, that there were more offers than people who actually needed help. Lake County emergency shelters closed their doors just three days after the tornadoes because families, and friends, and strangers stood up, opening their arms and offering their homes. More than 6,500 people volunteering more than 180,000 hours of time in just the first week alone.

"That Sunday after, beside the ruins of Lady Lake Church of God, next to a broken cross, and an American flag, more than a hundred of us, listened to Pastor Lynn, who told us 'Life must go on, we must pull together,' and we gave thanks to God, singing 'Amazing Grace.'

"Pastor Lynn, thank you for your inspiration, know that we are here to help you, and know that our work will not be finished until every home, every office and every church is rebuilt. Pastor Lynn, please stand and be recognized today. Thank you so much.

"While I have been your governor for just 64 days, because of the work to make our government more ethical, more open, and more focused on serving our people; because of the service of our first responders, our emergency management team, and thousands of volunteers during this time of disaster; and because of your accomplishments in January, working together to reduce the sky rocketing cost of property insurance, I can proudly report to you today that the state of our state today is strong and promising.

"But you know our work is not done. As oppressive as the spiraling costs of property insurance, are out-of control property taxes. Rather than hear me describe the problem, let's listen to David and Jeanette Raulerson from Panama City."

"Like the Raulersons, thousands of other Floridians are trapped in their homes, or worse still, cannot afford a home at all. The American dream of homeownership is being crushed under the weight of property taxes. It will require bold and decisive leadership to reverse this trend and make the Florida dream more affordable. Leadership that must come from this room - from each and every one of us. Our families cannot be secure if their homes are at risk. Our people cannot be productive if they are consumed with worry. Our state cannot be a place of opportunity if we cannot fulfill the American promise of home ownership.

"I have set forth a plan to reduce property taxes by doubling your homestead exemption, making the save our homes protection portable and extending that protection to business and rental properties as well.

"But whatever form of property tax relief you decide upon, it must be comprehensive, it must bring real relief to our people, and it must be put before the voters this year. Our people deserve real relief, and with your leadership, I know they will get it.

"Just as affordable home ownership should be an American birthright, so should the promise of an excellent public education. Education is not just an obligation, it is a civil right - it is the equal opportunity provider, and it ensures that all of our children have an equal opportunity to participate in the American dream. And let me say this - civil rights is simply a matter of doing what is right. And we will always pursue that.

"Central to the success of public education are Florida's teachers. They are the bedrock upon which we build our children's future. We all remember that special teacher that made a difference in our lives. For me, it was Ms. Bolling, my fifth-grade teacher. As a state, we owe more to these fine people of whom we have asked so much. But have we lived up to our responsibilities? Let's hear from Stephen Anderson, a former elementary school teacher in Volusia County."

"Stephen, please stand and be recognized. Because we are losing fine teachers like this man, this session I have proposed that we spend almost $300 million to increase the pay for our teachers. Under our proposal, we would increase teacher pay by 10 percent for the top 25 percent of our teachers. This represents a doubling of the current program and will go a long way toward keeping and retaining Florida's best teachers. And it will not be based on a test alone.

"But we should do more. I have proposed in my budget $3.8 billion to meet the constitutional mandate of the class size amendment. This is a 19 percent increase over the current budget level and would bring state funding for the last five years to $10.7 billion. Smaller classes provide a better environment for learning and we must fulfill our obligation to provide that funding to reduce class sizes.

"We must do all that we can to help every child read at grade level. Florida currently employs more than 2,000 reading coaches to help students increase their reading and comprehension skills. I ask the Legislature to approve another $26 million to recruit and employ an additional 400 reading coaches statewide. By bringing the number of coaches up to 2,400, we will be able to provide one reading coach for every 20 teachers. I am confident that the ability of our students to read will continue to rise as a result.

"Our budget proposal also includes $10 million to Pathways to Success - a virtual tutoring program. This tool will provide a way for every student to have access to teaching at a time that is convenient for them.

"I also propose an increase in funding for our state universities and community colleges - without raising tuition.

"We must raise the profile of all children's issues, from education to health. As stewards of this state, our greatest obligation is to our children. But often it is their voice that may go unheard, or even overlooked. Our children need a voice. They need to be at the table because soon, it will be their table. That is why I support the creation of a 'Children's Cabinet' to coordinate state services and oversee child welfare issues. From a Children's Cabinet, to increasing the emphasis on physical education in our schools, to providing financial incentives for adoption, our children must be our first priority.

"And as we care about our children, we must think of the Florida they will inherit. Florida's beauty is the reason why so many of us are here. We have an obligation to protect the land and the water, and the air for generations to come. To that end, I am proposing that we continue the state's commitment to restoring Everglades by appropriating $100 million for that purpose, as well as $40 million to clean up the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers and $50 million to help clean up Lake Okeechobee.

"It is worth noting that the dramatic rise in our insurance premiums did not occur without cause. It occurred in large part because of an equally dramatic rise in the number and intensity of hurricanes that battered our state in recent years. This simple fact reflects a challenge that we ignore at our own peril. I am persuaded that global climate change is one of the most important issues that we will face this century

"With almost 1,200 miles of coastline and the majority of our citizens living near that coastline, Florida is more vulnerable to rising ocean levels and violent weather patterns than any other state. Yet, we have done little to understand and address the root causes of this problem, or frankly, even acknowledge that the problem exists.

"No longer. Following this legislative session, I will bring together the brightest minds to begin working on a plan for Florida to explore groundbreaking technologies and strategies that will place our state at the forefront of a growing worldwide movement to reduce greenhouse gases. Florida will provide not only the policy and technological advances, but the moral leadership, to allow us to overcome this monumental challenge.

"But during this session, we can take the first bold steps in moving toward alternative fuels and alternative sources of energy. I have proposed almost $70 million in my budget to foster the development and use of alternative energy sources and fuels in our state, including ethanol and biodiesel fuels for our cars and solar power for our homes. There is no reason why, as Commissioner Bronson has pointed out, that the Sunshine State cannot be the national leader in a production of alternative energy. With these measured steps, we can begin to achieve three important goals: Addressing global climate change, promoting Florida agriculture, and weaning our country from reliance on foreign oil.

"We can improve schools, we can lower taxes and insurance premiums, and we can protect our environment, but if we fail to afford our most vulnerable citizens basic safety and security, we will not have discharged our duty to the people who elected us. That is why I have proposed the Anti-Murder Act. I can tell you a thousand reasons why we must pass this legislation this year, but it comes down to this: I have witnessed firsthand the unimaginable limits of human grief, when a parent loses a child to violent crime. Until you have witnessed and listened to a father or mother who have seen the light of their lives extinguished by a monstrous assault of a violent felon, you cannot know the enormity of the threat we face.

"We owe our parents the simple assurance that we have done everything within our power to prevent these atrocities from ever happening again. I have sent to the House and the Senate the Anti-Murder Bill. I would ask that you continue your good work by taking up the bill this week, passing it, and sending it to my desk so that I may sign it as the first law of this session. Let us send a clear message to violent criminals - if they violate probation, they are going back to jail and they can do no further harm to our people and, most importantly, to our children.

"Let the lives of Sarah Lunde, Jessica Lunsford, Carlie Brucia and the Deltona Six be honored with the passage of this act that will help prevent future children from becoming victims.

"These are just some of the issues that are worthy of your talent and your attention. I hope you will also consider our initiative to build upon the progress already made to restore confidence in our voting process by funding voting machines that provide a tangible record of every vote cast - a paper trail. We will end this controversy for once and for all.

"I also ask for your support of my proposal to establish $20 million to make Florida a national leader in the research of adult, amniotic and umbilical cord stem cells. Stem cell research holds the promise of unlocking the secrets to cure diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and many others, and Florida should champion this research.

"Finally, I ask that you give us the tools to spur economic development for the film and space industries. In my budget I have proposed $75 million of tax credits to enhance Florida film making - a clean and vital industry which creates high paying jobs while spotlighting our beautiful state. You know, Florida is the place where America literally reaches for the stars, so we must also continue to incentivize the private space industry to retain our pre-eminence in this field.

"My friends, our time in public service is truly a gift, and it is a precious gift. It is also a fleeting gift. It is a gift to bring real change now and help our people in profound ways for generations to come. Will we take this gift of public service and use our time here together to bring about meaningful reform for Florida? Or will we waste it through neglect or partisan divide? You know I am an optimist. I believe we will not waste this gift, this trust. I believe we will work together with a sense of urgency that we should, as we did on insurance reform. We will work together not as Republicans or Democrats, but the label we all share - Floridians - to make our neighborhoods more safe, to improve our children's education, and protect the beauty that is Florida.

"I am fond of a quote from Robert Kennedy that he gave in his run for the presidency. We can tailor his words and think of them as this: Some people see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I dream of a better Florida and say, 'Why not?'

"Can Florida be the best state in America in educating its children? Why not?

"Can Florida lead the nation in job growth in high paying jobs? Why not?

"Can we ensure that Florida remains affordable by cutting taxes and returning to the people more of the people's money to them? Why not?

"Can Florida be the safest place in America to live and raise a family and retire? Why not?

"And can we keep our state beautiful, protect her natural resources and lead the nation in protecting our environment? Of course we can - we're Floridians.

"Who among us would say that we cannot achieve these goals. Who here would say that we cannot make this Florida's greatest century? As long as we remember that we serve the people, and we work together to do what is right, all of these goals can be achieved.

"We are in this room only because of the people of Florida allow us to be here. It is they, and not we, who possess this power. It is we, and not they, who are the servants. So let us serve them well. And if we do, I believe that those who may gather in this room, or stand in this place 10, 20 or 100 years from now will be able to say that this truly was a special time when good men and good women came together to truly do what's right for the people of our great state, to truly make Florida the brightest star in the American sky.

"I look forward to working with each and every one of you. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless our beautiful Florida."