Building a better Hawai’i for generations to come
Posted on Jan 30, 2019 in Capitol Connection, Featured, MainBuilding a better Hawai’i for generations to come
Excerpts of the Governor’s 2019 State of the State Address
“The future has a name, and it is the name of a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter.”
— Governor David Y. Ige
Governor Ige describes the future he envisions for Alekah Garcia.
Like the start of each new year, the State of the State address offers us an opportunity to look back at where we’ve been and forward to where we want to go. The decisions we make today touch all of our lives. They are informed by our past and will affect the lives of many far down the road. . . . About a minute past midnight on January 1, 2019, Alekah Obra Garcia was born to Clarissa and Johnson Garcia of Kona—the first baby of the new year for the state of Hawaii. In 2037, when she and her classmates graduate from high school, some of us will be long gone.
Alekah Garcia
Photo by Linda Berry
How will they view the decisions we make today? How will they view their past and their children’s future? Will they look back with reverence the way we do at our parents’ generation, or will they look back with disappointment and regret? Too often, when we talk about the future we speak in macro-economic terms. But for me, the future is personal. In many ways, it has to be if we want to make wise decisions. The future has a name and it is the name of a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter. Whether you have children or not, I know many of you feel the same way about Hawai‘i. The future is personal because it is about our home.