I stand before you tonight, with many emotions, to deliver my final State of the Commonwealth address. While the quick passage of four years has its bittersweet aspects, the most significant feelings I have are gratitude for those who have supported me during my time in public life and pride in what we have accomplished during this Administration. Let me reflect on what we have done together before I conclude with the most important part of my comments, my expressions of thanks.
When I was inaugurated Governor in Williamsburg four years ago, I chose a simple motto for my Administration: "Virginia Leading the Way." Ever since moving to Richmond in 1984, I have believed in our city and our Commonwealth and wondered why we were not seen more clearly as national leaders in the same way we were in the early years of the American Republic.
The historian Susan Dunn wrestled with the same question in her 2007 book "Dominion of Memories," contrasting Virginia's intellectual, political, and economic leadership in the first 50 years of the nation's history to its decline in influence thereafter. Deep into the 20th Century, Virginia's insular and often backward-focused leadership -- evidenced by the ill-fated Massive Resistance to racial equality -- consigned Virginia to a position of far less significance than that reached by our founders. What better place than Williamsburg, where Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were inaugurated, to declare that Virginia was once again ready to claim the mantle of national leadership?
As I leave office, I can say with confidence: Virginia has achieved that goal. No state in America has enjoyed the success we have seen in recent years. Some of the remarkable forward movement in Virginia has been obscured by the national recession that we saw starting in the Spring of 2007. But, Virginia is well positioned going forward because of our economic, educational, and political leadership.
The Virginia economy today is one of the nation's most vibrant. We are in the top ten states in median income and have one of the ten lowest unemployment rates in the country. Only one other state -- New Hampshire -- can claim that distinction. Contrast this to the Virginia of 50 years ago, when personal income was in the bottom third of the nation.
In the past four years, we have recruited five Fortune 500 companies to move their headquarters from other states to Virginia -- two of them this past year alone -- as well as announced more than $13 billion in new investment during the longest recession since the 1930's. These economic development opportunities have been achieved in all parts of the Commonwealth; Volkswagen, Hilton, SAIC and CSC in Northern Virginia; MeadWestvaco in Richmond; Ikea in Danville; SRI in Harrisonburg; Alpha Natural Resources in Bristol; Areva/Northrop Grumman in Newport News; Rolls Royce in Prince George; and Orbital on the Eastern Shore; among others.
During my brief time as Governor, we have achieved the unparalleled honor of being recognized eight times as the best state for business in America by business organizations like Forbes.com and CNBC. With international economic assets like the Port of Virginia and Dulles Airport, a newly retooled workforce development system, and the nation's largest percentage of technology workers, there is no reason why we cannot hold onto our position of economic dominance for many years to come.
Fifty years ago, the Virginia education system was no model, despite the fact that Jefferson was the first American to systematically place public education at the center of public policy. Our local schools fought to keep students separated by race -- with direct or tacit encouragement from the Governor's office -- and our higher education system offered only limited opportunities to minorities and women.
Because of great strides in recent decades, Education Week now ranks Virginia as one of the top five states in overall educational quality, most notably recognizing the Commonwealth in 2007 as "the place where a child born today is most likely to have a successful life." Our high schools rank third in the nation in students passing Advanced Placement examinations, and our Latino students lead the country in elementary school performance.
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