Gov. Patrick sworn-in for second term

Gov. Patrick sworn-in for second term
By Hillary Chabot  |   Thursday, January 6, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics

Gov. Deval Patrick is administered the oath of office as his wife First Lady Diane Patrick, right, holds the Mendi Bible during ceremonies in the House Chamber at the Statehouse today.
Photo by Ted Fitzgerald

In a muted address reflecting gloomy fiscal times, Gov. Deval Patrick urged Bay State residents today to work together through the Commonwealth’s rough patch at his second inauguration.

“Generational responsibility belongs to all of us, “ Patrick said to a packed House chamber that gave him a three-minute standing ovation.

“To meet these responsibilities, I challenge us all to turn to each other, not on each other. Let us bring our passion not to scoring political points but to finding real solutions,” he said.

Patrick’s noontime inauguration is a reflection of the financial climate — and it was a more subdued day from four years ago when the crowd covered the Boston Common and Patrick held seven galas. He’ll hold only one this year at the Boston Public Library tonight.

In his address, Patrick detailed his second-term agenda, promising to reduce the cost of health care saying he’ll file legislation to do so in the coming weeks. He also vowed to push for job growth —traveling the world to pull it off — make schools stronger and make neighborhoods safer.

“The work of the second term looms before us,” he said. “That means jobs to create, schools to strengthen, health care costs to reduce, and urban violence to end.”

To help address health care costs, Patrick said he’s directing the state’s main health care programs — including MassHealth, the Health Care Connector and the Group Insurance Commission — to launch pilot programs aimed at reducing spending.

Patrick also vowed to be the state’s “jobs advocate” in his second term, leading more trade missions both in the country and abroad to drum up business.

He pledged to help the state create a more robust entrepreneurial environment by removing outdated regulations, reining in escalating health insurance premiums, and easing limits on capital access for small businesses.

“We will compete for every job, in every industry, in every corner of the commonwealth, and the world,” he said.

Patrick again promised to work to close the state’s persistent racial and ethnic achievement gap in schools and to combat youth violence in the state’s cities.

He also said that more changes are needed to reduce abuses in the state pension system, overhaul the probation and parole system, create sentencing laws that are more coherent, and build a tax code that is simpler and fairer.

“We cannot be satisfied, and I will not be satisfied, until we have done all we can in each of these areas,” Patrick said.

Moments before delivering his speech, Patrick was sworn in by Senate President Therese Murray, the first time in state history that a woman has presided over the swearing-in of a governor.

Patrick placed his hand on the Mendi Bible, presented to John Quincy Adams by the African captives he helped free in the Amistad 1841 Supreme Court case. Patrick used the same Bible during his first inaugural.

Associated Press contributed.

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