Governor Steve Beshear summed up the impact of his eight years as Kentucky's chief executive today with a single phrase: A stronger core.
"Generations from now, Kentucky will be more competitive economically and our people will have a higher quality of life because of the hard work we've been doing to strengthen Kentucky's core," Gov. Beshear said.
Then the global recession hit, and like governors across the nation, Gov. Beshear said his top priority became helping Kentucky families and businesses "survive."
"But survival wasn't enough," the Governor said. "I wanted Kentucky to emerge from the recession not shell-shocked and shattered but able and ambitious, poised to do great things. And so we also took aim at fundamental weaknesses that have held this state back for generations."
To address those weaknesses, Gov. Beshear built numerous partnerships that focused on building a more competitive workforce; getting children off to a better start in their lives and their educational careers; improving the health of Kentucky's people; attracting new businesses to the Commonwealth and helping existing businesses expand; improving Kentucky's education system, from preschool to college; and investing in infrastructure that would pay off, years from now.
"These efforts weren't quick fixes but were part of a long-term, multifaceted strategy that has helped Kentucky gain incredible momentum," the Governor said.