Governor prospect
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AuH2O
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« on: February 05, 2005, 02:12:42 AM »
« edited: February 05, 2005, 02:14:37 AM by AuH2O »

This is large excerpt from a "State of the State" address. I posted this in the 2008 area with reason. If you have time, read it (no googling!!!!) and then ask yourself this:

Is this someone thinking about taking a step towards national politics?

I just thought it was interesting and would like to hear other opinions.

--------------------------------


It’s an honor to be with you tonight to deliver my view of the state of our state, and if I were to boil it down, I would boil it down to a situation that is improving, but one in which we are not yet out of the woods.

The fact that our state economy and budget have been in the woods over the past few years is well known. And whether we agreed or not on each step taken to bring us through this financial storm is irrelevant to the larger fact that each of you in this chamber deserves a degree of credit for your part in bringing us through this storm.

It is my hope that that we will walk away from this experience and take steps over the next year to avoid repeating what we have just been through. Toward that end, tonight I will lay out why I believe our economy is still at risk, and why I believe it is essential we carefully prioritize what we spend – and, in fact, limit what we spend – so that we can begin to get our state finances in order. I’ll then walk through five steps, two in great detail, that I think are key to strengthening our economy and raising incomes. In each choice I lay out, I think tonight is a time for choosing.

Reforms, versus the way things have always been. Spend whatever comes in, or limit our spending so that we can first pay back money borrowed in rough times. Bold steps built around changes in things that help us compete, or just more money at the problem.

There are many categories of our state government that need further reform beyond the five I will discuss tonight: higher education, highway funding, domestic violence and adoption policy are just a few. But I believe this list of five requires our most immediate effort this year. I’ll readily admit I don’t have all the answers, no one does, but these five propositions have proven to be answers in other states, so I think they are worthy of your action.

I do know if we work together not as Republicans and Democrats, but as [edited], we can make a real difference in more than the budget and the economy – but actually in people’s lives. In each of the choices I’ll outline, I ask that we take the road less traveled in politics, and make changes and reforms in the way things have been done for too long in our state.

Let’s first look at our economy, and I think if you look beyond our borders to the national and international landscape, there are substantial threats looming that necessitate change.

One, we’re at war.

I don’t know how the situation in Iraq sorts itself out, but I do know the war spreads a gray cloud over what happens next in any economy until it is settled. Wars are expensive, both to the soldier and the taxpayer. On the taxpayer front, we’re now spending $6 billion per month in Iraq, this state’s budget for the entire year, and for the soldiers in the field, the costs are far greater. Twenty-nine [edited-- no disrespect meant to the servicepeople that gave their lives] have now been killed in the fighting overseas.

I’ve asked Staff Sgt. Charles K. Boone to join us for the State of the State. He returned from Iraq in December and was awarded the Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained as he was fired upon while pulling fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle that had been hit in their convoy. I ask that he stand and be recognized for his valor and that you applaud his service, along with the service of every soldier, sailor, airman and marine.

Two, our federal government seems to have lost its ability to simply set priorities.

The federal deficit was $422 billion this year. Add to that, the United States’ current account deficit is on its way to more than $650 billion this year – about six percent of the country’s GDP and that’s relevant because a five percent reading for any third-world nation normally is enough to trigger an IMF intervention.

Our net international debt is approaching 300 percent of annual exports. Again relevant because countries like Brazil and Argentina saw their net indebtedness rise to only
slightly more, around 400 percent of their national exports, at the height of their financial crisis.

As a consequence of all of this, we’re seeing a dollar that’s on increasingly shaky ground.

Those are just the current events facing our national economy. More disturbing, frankly, are the longer trends. Robert Samuelson of the Washington Post recently wrote a fascinating column talking about four long-term trends, all of which negatively impact the driver of our national economy, consumer spending. His points were the following:

One, the economy is bound to lose the stimulus of rising consumer debt.

Household debt, which ranges from home mortgages to credit cards, now totals about $10 trillion, or roughly 115 percent of personal income. In 1945, debt was about 20 percent of disposable income. For six decades consumer debt and spending have risen faster than income. Debt, as we all know, can’t permanently rise faster than income, and given their age, baby boomers must at some point soon begin to repay mortgages and save for retirement, which will mean less consumer spending.

Second, the benefits of defeating double-digit inflation are fading.

In 1979, inflation peaked at 13 percent. Now it’s 1 to 3 percent, depending on the measure. The steep decline led to big drops in interest rates and big increases in stock prices. Stocks are now 12 times higher than their 1982 level, and with that some people felt wealthier and spent – others were able to borrow and spend – but mortgage rates can’t fall again from 15 percent, which means once again, lower consumer spending.

Third, the welfare state, what I call government transfer payments, at the federal level is growing costlier. It’s been covered in the past by defense shrinking as a share of the federal budget, but now as baby boomers retire and we look at higher defense spending based on global engagements, paying for future benefits will require higher taxes, bigger budget deficits or deeper cuts in other programs, all of which could hurt economic growth and consumer spending.

Four, the global trading system has become less cohesive, and, in many ways, more threatening.

Let me just make this point: the end of the Cold War – and the addition of the former Soviet Union, India and China into the trading system – has effectively doubled the global labor force from 1.5 billion to 3 billion.

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Rob
Bob
Junior Chimp
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« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2005, 02:19:14 AM »

It's a good speech, and it does sound like someone who's testing the waters for a national race. He makes a lot of good points, whoever he is.
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12th Doctor
supersoulty
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« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2005, 02:40:48 AM »

I muat admit, I Googled.  Very interesting, though.  Your right, he is possitioning himself.  Whether he can be credable is another issue.
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Sam Spade
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« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2005, 02:52:05 AM »

Yep, I know who it is.  He's probably one of the five best governors out there right now and I would hope he would run for President.  Geography could be a problem.  Oh well.
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AuH2O
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« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2005, 01:33:39 PM »

They could always stick him with a VP like Romney or Pawlenty to balance it out.
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Moooooo
nickshepDEM
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« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2005, 01:42:25 PM »

He will be a strong candidate.  One of 3 or so potential candidates I would rather not see get the Republican nomination.
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A18
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« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2005, 08:53:28 PM »

If he runs, I'll probably vote for him in the primary.
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AuH2O
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« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2005, 02:42:32 AM »

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/10829713.htm

OK, props please. I wrote my post before this article was written and without having heard a word about the "buzz" around Sanford's speech.
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Rob
Bob
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« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2005, 02:46:09 AM »

Sanford would be a great candidate. He's a much better Republican than Bush, too.  I really hope the race is Bayh vs. Sanford- both would be good presidents.
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