Live Inauguration Ceremony; Public Affairs

This is in NJ and News Special Report The inauguration of Governor James McGreevey. Hello. I can't Matt ahead. Welcome to NJ yen's continuing coverage of the inauguration of James McGreevey to become New Jersey's 50 first governor. Earlier today the governor elect took part in an interfaith prayer service in Princeton. He now heads to the Trenton War Memorial where he will take the oath of office to become New Jersey's next chief executive. And Jay and senior political correspondent Michael Aaron is standing by at the War Memorial where the pre-inaugural ceremony is taking place. Michael tell us a little bit about the event that we'll be seeing in about a half an hour or so. Well Candy it has been a day of a lot of singing and ceremony and beautiful words so far and that's what we're going to hear more of as this day progresses.

Awful lot of pomp. Ceremonies surrounding the installation of a new governor. Of course the highlight at this event will be the speech by Governor. I guess he'll be then governor no longer governor elect. Jim McGreevey. Right now we have the combined choir of New Jersey on the stage. They were at the. Chapel earlier today at the university where. They got off. To a rousing start with an interfaith prayer service that. Lasted nearly two hours. There's going to be a lot of expectations here for a good speech from Governor McGreevey. And I'm joined now by writer University political science professor David Ravitch who follows all of this as closely as I do. What are your expectations today from McGreevey. Oh my God I wouldn't be surprised if the speech we hear today is more thematic rather than programmatic. The new governor Jim McGreevey will talk about the grave financial situation the state is in the vision he has for New Jersey. However

despite or maybe because of that condition and then he may allude to some policies that he sees as priorities but we're not likely to hear a lot of detail about public policy today. Probably isn't the occasion for it number one and number two with the state no doubt facing a 2 billion dollar deficit. There's not a lot of money to play around with. How do you think McGreevey has done so far he's been governor elect for over two months now and we've all been tracking his every move closely How's he doing. You know I think he's doing very well now although I was concerned three or four weeks ago that Governor McGreevey in an effort to educate the political community and the public about the state's fiscal situation was starting to sound not just serious but almost somber about the state's fiscal situation over the last couple of weeks and to tell you the truth on your show on the record would you and Ken Mandaean interviewed him this past week. I thought McGreevey showed that he felt confident relaxed and had regained some of the enthusiasm and energy which is what are some of the key reasons why people

voted for him in November. Jim McGreevey wants to show that he's serious about the budget crisis but also optimistic about pulling the state out of it and moving the state forward. I agree with you. I think he was. Threatening to sound like a one note leader about three four weeks ago and it. Seems to be ready to play the hand that's been dealt him here in terms of the budget security safety. September 11th is also another overarching theme of the moment and I'm sure he's going to address that here today in some fashion. Now I understand that he he will talk about security. It's interesting I mean the theme of security is a way of pulling New Jerseyans together reminding folks about how well the United States has responded to the crisis and he's likely to draw a parallel between of course the more far more serious threat of terrorism and homeland security with the financial problems the state has and allude to the Unity necessary to keep us together and endure against terrorist threats is the same type of unity that's necessary during these difficult

financial times. It's a long winded way of saying hey look we don't have the money. We have. Let's hang in there let's recognize that it's important for all of us to sacrifice the interfaith prayer service this morning had 32 speakers of all denominations shapes colors nationalities. So does the cabinet have quite a diverse that facade What's your take on the cabinet today. There are still three positions open. What do you think seems like a quality a cabinet and you know there was a point where folks wondered if you or Jim McGreevey who is a political it was a political insider if not a member of the Trenton sort of establishment over the last couple of years might end up looking to appoint cronies as it turns out this has been a sort of a pleasant surprise I think for New Jersey is that he did seek the best and the brightest to put together a very nice very nice group a friendly piece of advice to the new governor is you have a good cabinet. Let's see if you utilize one of the complaints that Cabinet members have had over the years about

governors is that governors appoint them but then tend to forget about them. The word is that Jim McGreevey may want to work closely with this group and it's a talented but she should. Well I don't know if he's going to get that advice. I doubt he's watching us at the moment he's probably backstage getting ready to come out here be sworn in to give his speech. I want to thank David a bitch for being with us and we'll be back. But in the meantime while we wait for the ceremonies. To get underway I'm going to throw it back to you. Thank you Michael. The speech James McGreevey will give today will help set the tone for the next four years. I'm joined now by NJ and two political insiders Republican Roger Bachman and Democrat Rick Thigpen. Thank you both for being with us in our studios here. Rick if I could begin with you. What kind of a tone will we expect to hear set from the incoming governor today in his inaugural speech. Well I think he's going to start with being very businesslike. We have September 11 to kind of get beyond

what is going to be very positive and uplifting. Jim McGreevey needs to set a tone for his administration. Give people something to look up to and a place to go and some place to follow. He's going to set a direction hopefully New Jersey is going to go with him and he's going to be successful that way. Roger is an inaugural address a time for a governor to lay out an agenda for what lies ahead. Oh absolutely it's the opening act of the administration and it's really really the tone of the administration going for you don't get into the specifics. Their speeches come up. Coming up as you well know the budget address and so forth where you get more of the specifics. The meat if you will. But in this particular circumstance it's really the it's the tone and the agenda and it's the the opening act. What do we know so far about what the speech is likely to include. We've heard just handed it to us a bit of an advance text on what we can expect to hear today. Well it's really themes in three general areas the security the financial condition of the state and then education but also you know Governor McGreevey Governor McGreevey now apparently is a fan of Abraham Lincoln. I understand in his office in Woodbridge He has

photographs or pictures and paintings whatever of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln is liberally quoted in this speech so he gives them some justification and a little bit of a history lesson that I think will guide him well in his future administration. What do you think of what you have seen so far of the advance text of what the governor elect will include in his speech today. I think it's very interesting. He's going to be very concise he's going to set forth some very basic principles for people to follow won't be too tricky. It's not going to go into programs like he talked about and it's going to set a tone for the future. I think the best thing about the McGreevey administration coming is it's going to bring government closer to the people. It's going to be more interactive with the people is going to have more dialogue with the community about what needs to be done and it's going to make people feel more a part of government. And I'm really looking forward to that. We have heard that again and again from Governor elect McGreevey in his one on one interviews for example last week Michael Aaron and I you heard day but even allude to that. But he spoke about a government now giving back to the people and he wants to

include the people so far what we've seen in the inaugural festivities today have included many representing many groups that make up the complection of New Jersey. Do you think that the governor elect has had a major input in the actual words today that he will deliver a speech. Absolutely. I think he worked on it. Again I'll defer to my colleague Mr. Thigpen here and that but knowing what I know of Governor McGreevey I think absolutely. That's why I mentioned the Lincoln reference I made earlier. That clearly is important to him. And I think he wanted to get that that impression across. There's no doubt in my mind that he was a primary author of this speech. He even admits to being a very hands on kind of person so you would expect his signature on this. I was going to say he's definitely a hands on type of guy and I really want to add also Jim has shown a certain brilliance and excellence in politics and grassroots politics. He has created a coalition that no governor has ever been elected with before it's really been more of an election of the people more diverse more inclusive of all different types of New Jerseyans. And I think this

government is going to be the same way. It's going to be a real challenge to succeed that way and it's really going to be great for the state of New Jersey to see the first governor in the 21st century be a governor that once all New Jersey has to participate going back over some of our notes about past inaugurations and speeches by by governors and they have varied down through the years. Of course each giving their own signature. But today we're looking at the advance text and this looks like and we're told it will be about 15 20 minute speech. These inaugural speeches have gotten shorter and shorter. What we read in history were half hour out probably more like an hour to an hour and a half inaugural speeches. But people don't want that today. They want a little taste of what's to come and that's it. This is I'm going to say I bet there will be very few complaints about how short the speech is going to be. That's exactly right. People want to hear it shorter. Now it's a new day. There's more information there's more choices more channels on TV. You just don't want to hear as much talking as they used to you know kept me from my POV. I read in one article there was an 80 year old scholar who had apparently been an observer of

inaugural addresses for many many years I am neither 80 years old nor a scholar but but I've watched a few addresses in my time and this particular individual said there was really nothing memorable in any of these speeches not that there weren't circumstances that were important but nothing not an ask not like President Kennedy gave in 1961 when he was inaugurated as our president. In this particular case I don't expect any grand verbiage or memorable lines that come out of the speech but put it down to earth talk about what the realities are and as you properly point out short and sweet and concise talking about memorable events an inaugural speech though looking at a list of past speeches and some of what has taken place as a reminder in today's Some of today's newspapers so we were reminded back to Governor Whitman's first inauguration when she indicated that she would deliver on a tax break for New Jerseyans earlier than expected challenging the legislature to go along with her and clearly setting out the tone that she was the leader the chief executive of the state.

She surely did. And I think in that particular instance she was establishing herself as I am the leader I am the governor I am the boss and telling the boys in the legislature that she's a person that be dealt with. You know this is sort of out with the Republicans if you will in Trenton and in with the Democrats and they've waited for smiling here. So I'm going to smile and you are not Roger not at. What. What is the challenge that lies ahead. Given that the Democrats are now in control of course it's a 20 20 split in the state Senate but they control the lower house in the Assembly and the chief executive officer has several challenges the first challenge is to succeed. We want to change the direction that the Republicans were taking us and we want to clean up some of the financial mess that they've left us with. And we want to move forward and show New Jersey that a new direction is in fact a good direction for the state of New Jersey. And like I said before we want to show in New Jersey that involving everybody in government being committed to helping all the people in New Jersey move forward together it's really what's going to make New Jersey a great place in the 21st century and that's going to be a big challenge for the Democrat.

We want to take a moment to bring up some shots from the inaugural festivities as they are still taking place and getting underway with about 17 or so minutes to go at the Trenton War Memorial where the 50 first governor of New Jersey governor elect James McGreevey will take the oath of office as members of the the assembly and Senate all 120 legislators there. Alex the crows coming in talked about as the possible transportation commissioner and the McGreevey administration one of the posts that the incoming governor has not yet designated in his cabinet. But pulling out there we can see as the choir sings there before the crowd gathered for the inaugural festivities. Members of the legislature are filling in their seats up on the stage. Of course they are they are present as the governor elect takes the oath of office to be delivered by the Supreme Court

chief justice of New Jersey reports. Who will who will deliver the oath to the incoming governor as his wife pulls the Bible understand two Bibles will be held today a family Bible. From the McGreevey family and also the bible of one of the families. Whose relative was a victim in the September 11 terrorist attack. A victim from the Woodbridge area. So two bibles being held today as the governor takes his oath of office as the 50 first governor of the state of New Jersey. And those continue those people continue to fill into the Trenton War Memorial to take their seats. We are about 15 minutes away. And of course that oath must be delivered. At precisely 12:00. The governor will raise his hand and say the words to become the next governor of the state of New Jersey. Of course we've had several governors in the last two weeks in New Jersey.

Because former Governor Christie Whitman. Who left about a year or so ago to take a position in Washington to head up the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington we understand she is actually traveling today to India to meet with environmental officials. They of course will not be present today for the inaugural ceremonies there will be some former governors who will be there today. BRENDAN BYRNE will be present as well as Jim McGreevey. And also a former acting governor Don DiFrancesco. But again we said we've had five governors in New Jersey in the in the past week. Quite an extraordinary set of circumstances maybe 15 minutes of fame as they say. We've certainly had we've had five in fact from grome acting Governor DiFrancesco to an hour or so and Attorney General John Farmer to John Bennett to Dick Cody into a real governor the first time for the respect of those gentlemen since Christie Whitman was in office one elected by the people.

Of course this set off by the fact that as we said Christie Whitman did leave office a year early making the senate president Don DiFrancesco the acting governor he had to resign at the end of the legislature's session had to give up his acting governorship then to turn it over very briefly as you said to the attorney general Don Farmer for about an hour and a half or so and then because of the 20 20 split in the state senate that post in the acting capacity was shared by John Bennett first and then Dick Codey who is still the acting governor at this point in time. But of course that the change of power about to take place at the Trenton War Memorial where my colleague Mike Aaron is standing by on site there as we await the last few minutes to pass before the new governor takes his oath of office. Michael like you can't the whole does seem to be filling up even the balcony is starting to fill up. And I have with me a member of Jim McGreevey his cabinet Al Croll is the labor commissioner McGreevey named them about 10 12 days ago perhaps and he

was. Approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday and tells me he was sworn in this morning after not being sworn in you'll be sworn in this afternoon. So technically you're the labor commissioner nominee. At this point yes until the actual swearing in takes place. You're a law partner of John Lynch. Senator former Senator Lynch and you're a long time. Attorney for the AFL CIO is that correct correct. How do you feel about. Entering government service after years as a labor attorney. Number one I'm honored by the governor's selection of me as the labor commissioner is a great great honor for myself and I'm looking forward to serving him in that capacity. What's the mood among Cabinet members on a day like today. Very buoyant and excited that we're looking forward to it. You're taking office at a difficult time revenue wise. Does that dampen enthusiasm.

I think it makes it a challenge. It is a city as it is there is a bigger challenge for each one. Each one of us will do it. What's. The first thing that you're going to face when you. Assume office when you walk into the office. The first thing we're going to be confronted with is obviously the budget challenge and the Department of Labor. From my viewpoint fortunately is finance to a great extent by the federal government. So we are not as effective as the other departments will be but it still be a challenge. You have to be concerned for all of labor as well as just the state workforce. Unemployment is creeping up in New Jersey isn't it. Unemployment is creeping up. You saw the announcement yesterday. We lost 30 300 jobs last month. And. There's some tough times ahead of us. Do you anticipate layoffs at the state government level. That's not my call. That's up to the governor and the Treasurer to take a look at it. But as I said everything is on the table. I assume you're tight with Charles while the head of the AFL CIO who was a prominent supporter of McGreevey. Mr. Kanika myself have been friends for 25 years in addition to having represented him

as a counsel to the state AFLCIO one of the top items on Labor's agenda for the past year has been to try to get paid family leave in the state we have family leave where a person is guaranteed their job if they have to leave for the birth of a child or the onus of a family member. Labor has been trying to get it so that people would get paid family leave. In this climate. Do you think that Labor will still be pushing for this. I think Labor will be pushing for it but I think it's also important to note that the Governor McGreevey has said during the campaign that he wants to sit down and talk to business before he does anything on this issue and he wants to build a consensus before he does anything at all. He's very concerned about sitting down with business. All right. Labor Commissioner Alfred thanks very much for talking to us. Good luck in your new coach. All right. We. We have the Woodbridge High School Choir I believe on stage right now. Let's. Let's hear them from Jim McGreevey hometown.

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Well.

Go. To the inaugural ceremonies or the honorable James McGreevey as governor of the state of New Jersey. On behalf of Senator differences go Senator Bennett and

myself all three of us want to thank the residents of this state for the honor and the privilege of serving you. Thank you ever so much. Would everyone please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the singing of our national anthem by Diana Segura. At this time I'd like to introduce to you a fine American and the father of our next governor Jack McGreevey. Jack. Thank you for. Calling God Captain advanced and colos. Please join in with the pledge. I pledge allegiance.

So the flight of the United States of America and to the republic for which is one nation under God indivisible with liberty. Oh I see. Can you see. Why. Don't you. So Paul. We have a book. Twilight's Last Gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through. You. Although. Elsewhere. Well it's so.

Nice to be. Around. Stay. With. Us. Oh say does that Star-Spangled the. Way for a. No. Oh. A.

The. Joint Session of the legislature will please come to order will everyone please remain standing while Rabbi minhagim neck of Orthodox Union offers the invocation. Almighty God we acknowledge you and we praise your splendiferous name your name alone is exalted for you may the heavens and the hosts the land and all that is upon the seas and all that is in them and you sustain all

Lord we thank you for the celebration of freedom which this inaugural represents and for the peaceful transfer of power that we witness today. So common here and so on. Comment elsewhere in the world our communities treasure is not only material possessions wealth but moral values and our belief in the Indian human worth of every individual. America's capital is the sacred ideas enshrined in our charter documents the Declaration the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Woodrow Wilson the then governor of New Jersey observed. America is not to be a body of traitors is a body of free men. Our greatness built upon freedom is moral not material. We have a great order for Graeme but we have a deep passion for the rights of man and so we ask that too

deep in our citizens the love of liberty devotion to democracy and commitment to community. Today we inaugurate Governor James McGreevey who you have entrusted as governor of New Jersey. We pray that you send your light and truth to our new governor put into his heart and to the heart of his counselors compassion to do good. Will and to do right and you Middleby which tempers power we play to for Dina Matos McGreevey as she begins this journey as the first lady of our state at this critical moment in our national history. We feel the need for God go gently and we feel his presence powerfully. So we pray that you the creator of us all shield us and the wings of your love and spread over us your canopy of peace. We embrace the words of the Psalmist except the Lord

build the house they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep with the city the watchman wake if but in vain. Lord you renew the world each day we pray that you grant Governor McGreevey vision to build a more virtuous society a society where no one will be left behind. We pray that you help create a society in which baby Jacquelin along with all of the newly born born into this world will find a brighter and more secure tomorrow. The journey ahead will not be easy but the Bible tells us those who saw with tears will weep with joy. If we all join together united with God's help we will surely reap a plentiful harvest of prosperity and peace progress and yet unimagined possibilities. We pray

that our leaders will in the words of the town with the boldest Lepard swift as an eagle fleet as a deer and strongest A lion to do the will of our Father in heaven. For it is our faith in God and belief in man created in the image of God that transforms despair into hope and fate into exalted destiny. Thank you Rabbi connect everyone. Please be seated. The American Boy Choir will now sing the Hallelujah Chorus accompanied by the greater Symphony Orchestra. Is.

Going. On. 9. 9.

9. 9. 9. 9.

Get. On. With the honorable holds you back. First Assistant Attorney General for the state of New Jersey.

Please come forward and read the certificate of election of the honorable James McGreevey. This is to certify that at a general election held on the sixth day of November 2001 James McGreevey was duly chosen and elected by the people of New Jersey to serve him or serve a term of four years as governor of the state of New Jersey. The results of this election were certified by the State Board of Canvassers pursue went to law on the sixth day of December 2000 and won. Thank you Mr. Zubair. The oath of office will now be administered to the honorable

James McGreevey by Chief Justice. Debra is followed by the salute of 19 guns. I James McGreevey do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of New Jersey and the Constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and

allegiance to the same that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and to the governments established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully that I will faithfully impartially. Impartially unjustly and justly perform the duties perform the duties of the governor of the state of New Jersey of governor of the state of New Jersey according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God. See.

Everyone please be seated. Would Major General Paul Glaeser please come forward. Governor on behalf of the 10000 Men and women that serve our great state and nation in the form of the New Jersey National Guard Army Air Naval Militia and state guard. We would like to present to you this round expanded round the represents the 19 gun salute that was just fired. But more importantly need to certify to you our of Allegiance our fidelity and our readiness to you as the new commander in chief of the New Jersey National Guard. Congratulations sir.

We would now like to remember the victims and their families. The September 11th attacks. Please welcome poet Pablo Medina to honor the victims of the September 11th attacks. Remember that. There is a poetry of light. The sparrow on the branch flicking up and down and behind it in the garden. A girl just now picking a daisy. There is a poetry of the night the moon spilling on the snow

and the mountains glowing. But the poetry of the city the ruins the smell of death the burning bodies and the poetry of civilization. Men who think the world is theirs. Stern admonishing words like acid. Remember the meadow by the river. Remember the sunlight how it warmed you. And the tall grass blazing in the afternoon and an eagle thermal into the silence. Remember that. Please welcome back our bagpipers to perform amazing grace and the Marine

anthem. As. You. You.

Do you. What everyone please remain standing.

Reverend Henry Hildebrand formerly of Mt. Zion AME Church in New Brunswick will now offer a prayer. Reverend. All my head's and unite our hearts and pray God of our weary years God of our silent tears. Now who has brought us thus far on our way thou who has by my aunt brought us into my life. All. Keep us now for ever. We prayed less style feet stray from the places all God where we first met the and last all hearts drunk with the wine of the world we forget the shadow beneath thy

hand. Or may we for ever stand true to the og God and true to our native land. It is with Thanksgiving in our hearts and expressions of joy and prayers on our lips that we come before the last day or God. On this very special and extraordinary day in the life of our state and nation. But we stand now at this moment on the threshold of a new day and a new beginning and a new era. In the life and the affairs of the citizens of the state. And yet as we prepare our hearts and our minds enter and to embrace this new era we are also reminded today that except the Lord

indeed gel built this house we labor bought in vain in our feeble attempts to build it and except it is a law that keeps the city the watchman wake of. But in vain. Oh how happy happy and blessed we are to be here at this place in this moment. Stay its ancient and illustrious history ready to offer under the and to our fellow citizens our lives our resources and our sacred honor preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the governments of our state and our nation. We see that now mite's look with special sambhar upon by Sir James McGreevey whom we the people

of this state have chosen to be the chief magistrate and a pilot now of our ship of state. And it is with great fame that we now commit and commend him and those whom he has chosen to share with him that challenges and the responsibilities of governance in your Special Care and Keeping would be CC to our minds. Grant them wisdom grant them courage while the facing of this hour grant them wisdom and grant them courage for the living of these days we make these prayers and petitions in the name of him who is our Father and our God. Even Jesus Christ our Lord Amen and Amen. Please be seated.

Thank you Reverend Hildebrand I now call upon the honorable DeForest Soaries to deliver the Great Seal of the state of New Jersey Governor James McGreevey. As New Jersey's 30th secretary of state. It is with great pride and deep humility that I participate in this presentation to the 50 first governor of the greatest state of the most powerful country anyplace in the world to you. Governor McGreevey. I. Give you the seal as a part of this celebration of our democracy. I present you this seal as a demonstration of your authority. I give you this see which

by the words liberty and prosperity knowing that your oath has committed you to the task of being the governor of all people as I give you this seal. We sent a message to the world that Tara may win a battle but freedom wins the war. I give you the seat. I. Give you the seal knowing that the prayers of New Jersey are with you. May God bless you and your administration as you bear this seal as a symbol of your authority as leader of our state. God bless you. Governor you please step forward.

Members of the Senate. And the General Assembly. It is my pleasure to present to you the governor of the state of New Jersey. Ladies and gentlemen it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the governor of the state of New Jersey James Dean.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Let's sit down and we'll get through this. Thank you. Reverend clergy governors past acting and temporary. My dear friend John Sweeney who does me a great honor to be here today. My. Wonderful understanding and very patient wife Dina Matos McGreevey.

That two people told me the difference between right and wrong. One of them at the end of a belt. My parents wanted Jack McGreevy. My sister is. Deryni Carolyn. Our daughter Jacqueline. Most importantly. To all of us fellow New Jerseyans. Today we are facing a moment unlike any other in the history of our state or nation. We have witnessed in real time an attack that shattered our domestic tranquility and threatened us all. Our neighbors died

our buildings fell and perhaps not since the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy some 38 years ago. Have we mourn so collectively as a nation as a people but in the wake of that horrendous attack we have revealed our better angels police and emergency workers waded into ground zero searching for survivors. Families lit candles and prayed for neighbors. They had never met nor would ever know. Farman climbed blazing stairwells and emerged at heaven's gate and out of this terrible catastrophe. We have come together. From ground zero. We have found common ground. We were reminded that what we do together as a community is as important as what we do. One by one or family by family. Our shared

loss became our shared resolve. Today our state faces a new set of challenges the challenge of keeping our families and streets safe from further acts of terror and violence. The challenge of living within our means in the face of a national recession and our most important challenge making our schools work so that we prepare our children for their future for their challenges. These are difficult tasks but we have already witnessed the key to their solution. If we come together as Americans we come together as New Jerseyans in the same way we came together in the aftermath of September 11th. There is no challenge we cannot meet. There is no problem we cannot solve.

We need only to draw upon that same spirit of community upon that same sense of passion and resolve. So this is my call to action. In the days ahead each citizen of New Jersey should demand more of me. That is your right but you also must ask more of yourselves for that is your responsibility. In the winter of 1861 on his way to his first inauguration Abraham Lincoln came to New Jersey at a time when our nation was on the verge of its greatest crisis. Lincoln stopped here in Trenton and in his speech before the State Senate he talked about the struggle for liberty during the Revolutionary War. Lincoln remembered as a boy reading of the Battle of Trenton the

crossing of the Delaware Washington's Battle with the Hessians and the great hardships endured by the Continental Army here in New Jersey as Lincoln said there must have been something more than common that those men struggled for something that held out a great promise to all the people for all the time to come. Lincoln knew well America had confronted obstacles and had endured because our nation rests on a few basic principles. Liberty democracy community responsibility. These ideas were extraordinarily powerful then and they will fortify us again here today. I have promised my administration will change the way Trenton does business and working with the state legislature. We will.

But today is the time and this is the place to begin a new era of responsibility a new era of community and a common purpose to face the three immediate challenges before us. First our nation's borders are no longer as safe as we once thought they were. For the first time in memory. We are vulnerable here at home to strengthen our security we must be proactive. We must support our law enforcement and work to improve cooperation between agencies. We must do more to ensure that our ports are inviolable and our communities and home safe. And if God forbid our emergency response forces should be called upon again they will once again be short tough and ready to go. Our second challenge is simply to live within our means. The days of irresponsible borrowing and runaway spending

are over. We will. And waste and mismanagement. Beginning today here in Trenton. Just as a family cannot live beyond its means. New Jersey cannot continue to borrow and spend without any regard for the consequences. Like any family we have to tighten our belts not hard in our hearts but tighten our belts and live within our means. And the third challenge and I leave it for last only because it is the most important is the education of our children. Through. Education we transmit our American values and we prepare our

children to be responsible citizens for our great democracy to flourish. We require an educated citizenry. That is why it is intolerable that 30 percent of third grade students and literally hundreds of grammar schools all across New Jersey are not reading at grade level. We must provide schools where every third grader knows how to read. So each child has the fundamental skills to learn. It is intolerable. It is intolerable that certain schools fail to establish basic standards basic discipline and clear levels of accountability. Our schools must also provide a compass to help our youngsters navigate between right and wrong between fact and fiction and between faithful and false. For as Dr. Martin Luther King whose birthday it is today reflected it

ought to be the content of one's character. That is the yardstick by which we are measured. So let's be clear. So. Let's be clear. We as citizens of this community must know that the education of our children is not someone else's task nor is it simply a burden which only falls upon teachers and parents. The responsibility for educating our children and developing their character rests with us all for the education of our children is about our future our passing of knowledge and values from one generation to the next. Ultimately it's about building a community based on the same principles cited in the Declaration of Independence the principles of sharing our faiths and our fortunes. And to achieve this common good we have no other choice but to work to

ensure the excellence of our children's education. Those are immediate challenges. They can't be ignored. Yet we also have other tasks. Today we see a rapidly changing New Jersey. The manufacturing economy is replaced by an innovation and information driven marketplace. The new economy demands highly skilled educated workers while those without education are increasingly in danger of being left behind. Labor and business universities the state we must all work together to teach the skills necessary for our children to compete in this new economy. Now New Jersey can prosper in this changing economy with some of the greatest research scientists and engineers in the nation thriving ports a

strategic location and no shortage of ideas and entrepreneurs. But I ask you today to join with me in forging a new paradigm creating partnerships within and outside of government bringing new voices to bear on old challenges. We need to change the way we think about our problems and change the way we solve them. We need our universities actively engage in the priorities of the state. We need public private partnerships that transcend old barriers. We need cooperation between labor and business. Republicans and Democrats between suburbs and cities. And we must commit ourselves to preserving our quality of life open space reinvesting in our cities making sure that in the state that invents the world's medicine our citizens have access to affordable quality health care. In a tender beautiful poem written six years

before the Civil War. It was the American poet Longfellow who wrote all your strength is in your union all your danger in your discord in the years ahead we must come together and find the strength in our vision and in our union just as we did after that terrible attack upon our native soil. We must persuade our citizens to participate in this our state and our democracy and accept responsibility to answer our collective challenges in the years ahead we must build our community from common values. We must draw our strength from our diversity and we must forge our future from common aspirations. Together we must commit in our hearts and our minds to recapture that spirit of Trenton of which Lincoln observed if we can do that no terrorist will prevail

against us no challenge will discourage us no legitimate disagreement will cause us to be disagreeable and no citizen however humble will be ignored. And as for me and my family I ask for your prayers as he concluded his address and trenching on that winter day of 1861. Lincoln said I shall be most happy indeed if I shall be the humble servant in the hands of the Almighty and of this his almost chosen people for perpetuating the object of that great struggle. I too pray that I will be given the strength and the wisdom by the Almighty to do what needs to be done for the citizens of New Jersey. Always remember the admonition of the Prophet Micah to do justice to love kindness and to walk humbly

with your God. My friend I thank you for this joyful burden. Together let us take these first steps towards a new era of community and meet our challenges. Comforted by the convictions of our forefathers and the promise of freedom strengthened by the commitment of our people to accept responsibility for one another and inspired by a belief in our future a determination that has triumphed in America for more than 200 years. My friends I thank you for joining with me and answering these challenges. May God bless this great nation. May God bless New Jersey and her people. Now my friends let's get to work. Thank you. That. Everyone please be seated.

Once again please welcome the new york boys choir. The Southern Regional select choir the Shiloh Baptist Church Choir Woodbridge High School Choir and the American boys choir has a greater trend. Symphony Orchestra plays the battle hymn of the republic. In.

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