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Gov. Tom Wolf's inaugural address

I am an unconventional governor. I may be the first governor of Pennsylvania who operated a forklift . . . managed a hardware store . . . volunteered for the Peace Corps . . . and ran a business.

I am an unconventional governor.

I may be the first governor of Pennsylvania who operated a forklift . . . managed a hardware store . . . volunteered for the Peace Corps . . . and ran a business.

I am not a product of our political system.

During my campaign, I pledged to be a different kind of governor, and I will keep that promise.

We need leaders today who are willing to listen to each other . . . and learn from each other . . . and work together to give all Pennsylvanians a shot at a great life.

This age - and this time - demands nothing less.

I ran for governor because I refuse to be part of the first generation of Pennsylvanians forced to tell their kids that they need to go somewhere else to succeed.

I ran for governor because I believe with all my heart that we can rebuild the middle class and get this state back on track.

After all, let's remember who we are.

Like all of you, I have been proud to be many things in my life.

But above all else, I am proud to be a Pennsylvanian - proud that I was born here, proud that I was raised here, and proud to call this state my home.

And that is why I want to restore the belief that Pennsylvania is not just another state.

Pennsylvania is something bigger, and something better.

It's an idea.

Pennsylvania is an idea that all things are possible.

How do we get Pennsylvania back on track for ordinary Pennsylvanians?

How do we help the people of our state make their lives better?

As you know, I laid out a plan during the campaign to give Pennsylvania a Fresh Start.

And we will debate those ideas in the days to come.

But I want you to know that for the next four years, my administration will be dedicated to three simple goals:

Jobs that pay.

Schools that teach.

And government that works - one that is worthy of our trust.

That is what a Wolf administration is going to be all about.

First, getting Pennsylvania back on track means we are going to start with jobs that pay.

As a business owner, I know that the free market requires a constructive partner in government.

That means our government should not do everything, but it cannot do nothing, either.

One thing that it can do to create more economic opportunity is make smart, strategic investments in public goods-investments in education, health, transportation, and infrastructure that set the table for robust private sector growth.

Another thing it can do is create the conditions necessary to bring manufacturing jobs back to our state - and that's exactly what I plan to do.

In Pennsylvania, we are also blessed with an abundance of natural resources: gas, timber, coal, sun, wind, fresh water, open spaces, agricultural land, beautiful scenery, and an opportune location that made us the Keystone State.

To fulfill our potential, we must take full and responsible advantage of these resources.

To the protesters here today, I say: Help me develop these opportunities in a way that is clean, safe, and sustainable.

If we want to be a state where the next generation can envision a bright future, Pennsylvania has to offer a level playing field where entrepreneurs can be confident their risks will be fairly rewarded.

The companies and countries that are thriving in today's global economy are those that are committed to diversity, inclusiveness, and fairness.

All of Pennsylvania's families deserve those same opportunities, no matter what their race, sexual orientation, where they started life, or who they are.

Second, getting Pennsylvania back on track also means we need schools that teach and provide all of our young people with the skills they need to find good jobs and compete in the global economy.

In this limited-government, free-market system, our collective future depends on the next generation.

Our state will never be as strong as it needs to be if some schools have all the resources they need and other schools are cutting band and football just to keep the lights on.

That is why nothing is more essential than working together to make sure that every child in Pennsylvania has access to a great education, and that all teachers have the resources they need to deliver a great education.

From early childhood to college and apprenticeships and training, we must strive to provide our kids an education that is both affordable and second to none.

Our schools must be our highest priority.

And finally, getting Pennsylvania back on track means creating a government that works - one that is worthy of your trust.

We have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars-and we have to be stewards of a grand democratic tradition.

We need a government that is more efficient and less wasteful.

But we also need a government that is responsive to the concerns and needs of the people it serves.

By all means, let's get rid of things that make no sense - outdated laws, silly regulation.

But let's focus on leveling the playing field, making sure all businesses, all Pennsylvanians, have a chance to get ahead.

Let's work to put the interests of our hardworking families ahead of the special interests.

That is the kind of government I intend to lead.

I understand the indifference that some people feel.

I understand why fewer than 42 percent of Pennsylvanians turned out in the last election.

Our experience has made us cynical, but we cannot allow that cynicism to deflate our democratic spirit or destroy our capacity for effective self-governance.

Over the last three centuries, every generation has been called upon to write a new chapter to carry the idea of Pennsylvania forward.

Now is our time.