Wyoming Inauguration and Swearing-In Ceremonies
January 2, 2007
Wyoming held the state inauguration and swearing in ceremonies at the Cheyenne Civic Center in Cheyenne on Tuesday, January 2. The five statewide elected officials - Gov. Dave Freudenthal, Secretary of State-elect Max Maxfield, State Auditor-elect Rita Meyer, State Treasurer-elect Joe Meyer and Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jim McBride - were officially sworn into office. After the ceremony, there was a reception at the State Capitol rotunda and then an evening semiformal inaugural gala at the Taco John’s Events Center.
Governor Dave Freudenthal, in his second inaugural, challenged citizens to work together to build a Wyoming that will provide greater opportunities, including pursuit of cleaner and renewable energy technologies and a diversified economy that retains and attracts young families.
"All of the essential ingredients exist for the people of Wyoming to mold a great future. ... We must challenge ourselves to meet the opportunity before us," the governor said Tuesday during inauguration ceremonies at the Cheyenne Civic Center.
Wyomingites need to show faith and confidence and not be concerned about a possible slowdown in the economy, Freudenthal said. That faith must be tied to action, he added.
"With or without our participation, time and history always march forward. But with our active participation, we can affect the direction we march and help create the best possible future for our children and grandchildren," he said. "This nation and this state exist because our forbearers accepted their uncertainties, set a course and took action."
Freudenthal remarked on the changes that had occurred 32 years ago when Ed Herschler was first inaugurated, such as creation of the Permanent Mineral Trust Fund and a ramp-up of coal production. Making sound decisions now can allow more people to share in the state's prosperity in the near future as well as 32 years from now in 2039, he said. He added that despite Wyoming's current prosperity, too many citizens are struggling from paycheck to paycheck.
Amid the state's remarkable ongoing growth, the governor envisioned a series of investments that will enable Wyoming to retain its quality of life, including its open space, abundant wildlife and recreation, while also providing greater economic opportunities.
Prudent investments by the public and private sectors will develop intellectual capital, skilled workers, stronger community infrastructure and improved transportation and healthcare systems, he said.
Investments must also be made in economic development infrastructure, water storage projects, wildlife habitat and environmental protection -- investments that will support a diversified economy that will be more attractive to young people, he said.
Freudenthal asked Wyomingites not to focus solely on their own schools, towns, counties or political parties but to work together on strategies that will build the entire state. He urged adherence to a sound strategy of putting some revenue aside while meeting the current needs of Wyoming citizens, encouraging economic diversification and building the intellectual capital to attract the entrepreneurs and companies who will guide and participate in the next economy.
The key is not being reckless or overly optimistic but not being tentative either, the governor said.
"Relying on tentative investments is like learning to ride a bike by pedaling very slowly - we will not remain upright for long," he said. "We must pedal deliberately and quickly, making smart investments and decisions in areas of our economy and lifestyle that we know will continue to be important for decades to come."
"We have been given an enormous and remarkable opportunity, you and me," Freudenthal said. "I pledge to you my deepest efforts to be a faithful and devout follower of the dream of a better future for Wyoming and to allow that vision to guide my every action. And I ask you all of you, all of you who live in Wyoming, all of you who do business in Wyoming, to join me in these efforts. We have a bright future in Wyoming, should we choose to create it, should we choose to act boldly and should we choose to act with confidence."
Click on this link for the text in entirety of Governor Dave Freudenthal’s inaugural speech:
Text of Governor Dave Freudenthal’s Inaugural Comments
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