Does Gov. Romney's Address Matter?

Governor Mitt Romney gave his State of the State address last night, which was loaded with ideas, programs and initiatives. Does any of that matter, however?

Without party support in the state legislature, Romney is reduced to proposals that will carry weight with Democrats on Beacon Hill. That usually means more spending and bigger government, which is what a lot of the speech contained.

An unfunded low-cost health plan and longer school day for underperforming schools were some of the more far-fetched ideas. What are kids going to learn in extended hours that they aren't willing to absorb during the normal school day? When does quantity equal quality?

Governor Romney is a superb leader in a tough situation. His best hope in a hostile legislature is to get somewhere with his plan to merge MassHighway with the Turnpike Authority, saving residents millions in tolls and taxes.


(Boston Herald)

Gov. Mitt Romney [related, bio] unveiled his plan to fix education in Massachusetts cities last night, touting longer school days for failing schools and pay incentives to attract top-notch math and science teachers.
``Kids in our urban schools, most of them minorities, are not succeeding anywhere near the rate of their counterparts in the suburbs,'' Romney said in his State of the State address.

``The failure of our urban schools to prepare our children today for the challenges of tomorrow is the civil rights issue of our generation.''
Romney called for legislative support of a bill that would, in addition to extending school days at underperforming schools and offering bonuses for better math and science teachers, make passing MCAS science exams a graduation requirement, lift the cap of charter schools, and require mandatory parental participation courses in failing school districts.
In remarks televised from the House chamber at the State House, the governor also pushed his ``Commonwealth Care'' plan to provide low-cost health insurance for the uninsured and small businesses - but didn't specify how the program would be funded.