Edgfielddaily.com: Transcript of Sen. Massey’s remarks at swearing-in ceremony

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Thank you for coming out today … a day we can officially say is the beginning. I’d be remiss if I didn’t begin with a few thank yous.
First, to all of you, I sincerely appreciate the support you showed me during the recent elections. I’m gratified, and I’m humbled.

I thank the faculty and students of Strom Thurmond High School for allowing us to be here today. I am proud to be an alumnus of this school.

I want to thank Judge Keesley for being here today and swearing me in. It’s an honor to have stood up here with such a dedicated public servant.

I can’t thank my family and friends enough for your encouragement and support. Many of you - more than I can single out here today - dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and energy to help spread our message, and I am very grateful.

I especially want to thank my mom and dad, who worked as hard as anyone on the campaign trail… and who have always encouraged and supported me.
To my sister, Kim Dawn, my brother-in-law, Jason, and my nephews, Dawson, Parker, and Peyton -I couldn’t have done it without you.

Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Blair. When I devoted myself to seek this seat, Blair was devoted as well. Some people even told me that once I started the campaigning process … I wouldn’t see my wife for a few months. They were wrong. Blair was with me every step of the way. From being my treasurer and organizing our enormous volunteer effort to making phone calls and traveling door to door in sweltering heat … she was … and is … by my side. Thank you, Blair.
Now, we set our sights on going to Columbia … to start shaking things up!

Listen, I know I’m young - the naysayers reminded me almost daily - but I’m not naive. I know I can’t go to Columbia and single-handedly change the world. But I can do the hard work to build coalitions, spread the message, and get the ball rolling. It’s well past time that we stop doing the same things over and over again, and start doing the hard work it takes to end politics as usual.

It’s simple: Politics begets more politics. I’m more concerned with people.
I want every family in District 25 to know that I’m here to help you. If you have a problem with the state or anything else that you think I can help with, call me. This cell phone will always be in my pocket, and it is now the District 25 Constituent Hotline.

In the State House, we grapple with decisions ranging from the way all of us spend our money … to how we educate our children. Those are critical issues, but to find the solutions best for all … we must move away from political grandstanding for the wrong reasons … to creating an environment where decisions are made by the people for the right reasons.

Toward that end, we should all demand accountability for our tax dollars across the board, but particularly in education.
We are here today in a great public learning institution. This school, along with all the others in this District, has dedicated educators. Our collective future begins right here … in our schools.

We need to build on our educational achievements and shore-up our weak spots … to ensure tomorrow’s graduates are smarter … that they’re better prepared for high-tech jobs … and are productive citizens. Ensuring a quality education lifts everyone up. With it, our communities thrive. Without it, the people perish.

In short, we need more teachers. We need smaller classrooms. We need less bureaucracy. We need more responsible spending.

As you can see, I am serious about education. As a matter of fact, one of the first bills I will introduce in the Senate will be to increase penalties on school workers, daycare workers, or anyone else to whom we entrust our children’s safety when those individuals sexually assault our children. I plan to work with Rep. Bill Clyburn and other members of our local delegations on similar legislation already in the House to see that we crack down on child predators.

But education is just the beginning.

My core principles … which I discussed at length during the campaign … lead me to a number of changes we need in our laws and policies.
To be clear: I support bringing more value to each of you through state government.
We can achieve that goal by restructuring state government to eliminate waste and duplication.

We can spur economic growth and create jobs by cutting the income tax on individuals and small businesses.

We can bring illegal immigration under control by untying the hands of state law enforcement so they can work with federal officials and make arrests when necessary. We also need to punish those who knowingly harbor … or hire … illegal immigrants.
As you can imagine, my to-do list is long. But my passion is high, and I’m ready to work hard for you.

I also want you to know that I’ll never betray your trust in me. I’ll step forward and see that we crack down on unethical or immoral behavior by our elected officials.
Now, it’s time to get started.

Let’s begin that journey together. I can’t do it by myself, but together we can bring better government to all South Carolinians.
Thank you for being a part of this ceremony, and thank you for working for a better future.

Edgefielddaily.com: Transcript of Sen. Massey’s remarks at swearing-in ceremony
November 30, 2007

Posted December 1, 2007