Jan Brewer Inaugural Address

Jan Brewer Inaugural Address

Honorable Governor Castro, Governor Mofford, Governor
Symington, Governor Hull.

Mr. Speaker and Mr. President, Madame Chief Justice and
associate justices, Incoming Secretary Bennett, General
Goddard, Superintendent Horne, Treasurer Martin, Mine
Inspector Hart, Commissioner Pierce, Commissioner Stump, and
Commissioner Kennedy, members of the Legislature, and
honored guests . . .

I'm grateful for your presence and your lasting support over so
many years. Among your faces I see not only the colleagues of
countless political seasons, but the friendships of a lifetime.
Let me also thank Pastor Spicer for your uplifting words and for
being a constant source of inspiration for me and my family.

And of course, let me thank my wonderful supportive family…
o Dr. John Brewer - a true pillar of strength - he
continues to stand side-by-side with me as we walk
down life's path together. My children, John (may
god bless his soul), Ron, and Michael - your love
and constant support help sustain me through
everything we confront in life.

o And to my brother…and rest of my family,…it means
a great deal to me that you traveled here for this
event, thank you for being here as well.

I also must extend a sincere thanks to Secretary Napolitano --
see, we've traded titles -- for her service to the state; and offer
prayers and good will in her vitally important position with our
new president.

One reason life is such a delightful adventure is that we never
know exactly what it will bring. No one ever knew it would bring
me here. But one thing is certain: there's no place I would rather
be.

Of course this turn of events has not been cause for universal
celebration. In some quarters this inauguration feels a good deal
more like an interruption. And in a few ways -- good ways, we
can hope -- it will be. But I pledge today to be a governor for all
of Arizona, and to lead our state to better times. Together, we
will do what we have to do, without pettiness or melodrama or
misplaced regard to party, and we will succeed.

At a government's new hour we normally find ourselves uplifted
by possibility. But today, we find ourselves weighed down with
obligation -- overdue obligation. We are gathered amid uncertain
times, with a difficult work before us.

In some ways this feels like you've just shown up for a party --
but the guests have all gone, only the caterer is left and she
immediately hands you the bill.

But let's be clear about one thing. Authentic public service --
rendered so faithfully by so many here today -- does not return
barren. Even in hard times, we must do good work, in honest
trust with those we serve, and the people will thank us for it.

For decades, the abundance generated by free, hard-working
Americans has allowed government to remain in the habit of
growing, and in recent years to grow even more rapidly. But
today, neither prudence nor our Constitution will allow this to
continue in our state. We have all been seated to preside over
that rarest of political happenings: our government is going to
get smaller.

We know this, and so do the people we serve.

Here is the situation. Essentially, for this and the next fiscal
year, the people who do the work, provide the tax dollars and
count on our performance were told we would have about $21
billion dollars to spend on their government.

In reality, we aren't going to have that at all. We are going to be a
little short -- somewhere on the order of $4 billion short.

That's a lot of money, but there will be no time for gloom or
further denial. We know the necessary reductions in state
spending will not occur without impact to people's lives and
livelihoods. Our task is to minimize that impact as much as we
can, even as we keep our state moving toward a brighter future.

I'm a gardener at heart, and over the years I've noticed a few
things that gardening and governing share in common. To grow
beautiful things, you must have good seeds and provide water
and sunshine; and then you have to control the weeds, spray the
pests and run off the rabbits. Having served there, doesn't that
sound a bit like the legislature to you?
But every gardener also knows that some pruning from time to
time leads to greater fruit.

Building a budget is a zero-sum game. We must make an honest
accounting of the expected revenues, set priorities for
expenditures and retain a prudent ending balance and cash
reserve.

But building an economy that supports that spending is
absolutely not a zero-sum game. Even while we focus on the
process of two budgets, we must act with bold determination to
put Arizona's economy back on its feet, increase opportunity,
and secure the futures of our people.

My fellow Arizonans, it is important to remember that we cannot
budget our way to prosperity, and still less, we will not attain
prosperity by taxing our way there either. Our first calling at this
capitol is to generate capital -- to call forth the creativity,
determination and entrepreneurial spirit that made these United
States the most prosperous great power in the history of the
world.

I'm therefore pleased to report that the legislative leadership, my
transition team and I are not sitting idle while the new
government in Washington plans another trillion dollars in
deficit spending. No, we are planning a massive stimulus
package of our own, to make Arizona the most economically
vibrant place in the world. And just like the clever folks in
Washington, we have a catchy name for it: It's called "freedom."

Yes, we must keep our tax and regulatory burdens low,
something I have stood for throughout my 26 years in public life.

We must make sure that beleaguered businesses in California
and other such overtaxed places hear the music of our
commerce and our culture and see brighter prospects in the
cities and towns across Arizona.

But that is not nearly enough. In every way we can, we must
make our people free.

Free to work and earn a living, to build a business, to build a life.
Free to find and speak the truth about their government, and
those who would lead it. Free from crime and violence and
lawlessness of all kinds.

Free to move from place to place, across town or across the
world, without gridlock and endless frustration. Free to choose

the schools their children will attend, and to find a safe and
sound learning environment in every public institution.

Free to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and to
contemplate the hand of God in the forms and colors of our
breathtakingly beautiful state, and upon the hearts of its diverse
people.

Free to pursue an authentic higher education in our great
research universities and our community colleges, at a cost that
will not leave them under a crushing debt.

These freedoms, no less than others enumerated in our nation's
founding documents, are what made this land great across
nearly two-and-a-half centuries. Freedom is not a mere word, but
the purpose and calling of mankind. It ennobles us. It has been
the inspiration of a nation, the animation of a great and
distinguished people called Americans, and the hope of
cherished youth who have fought and died in distant places, so
that we might keep it and know its blessings.

And so surely we who labor at this capitol can do our part to
protect freedom, too.

Like so many Americans I am a sports fan. I long for the thrill of
the game, and I love the courage and competitive intelligence of
great athletes. What a wonderful example our very own Super
Bowl bound Arizona Cardinals have been, in that regard.
One thing many great athletes can tell you is this: When you are
struggling, return to the fundamentals. Get the fundamentals
right, and the strong performance follows.

In America our fundamental value, our lodestar and our true
north,… is freedom. Our greatest struggles, and gravest sins,
have come when we have valued freedom too little, or coldly
denied its promise to others. Consider the symmetry in the
present crisis -- a struggling nation, with a haunting chapter in

Source