Inside: Video of Corbett’s swearing in and inauguration

Following the Inaugural Mass and swearing in of Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, Tom Corbett was sworn in as the 46th governor of Pennsylvania Tuesday.

“Today we celebrate a long, proud, and sustaining tradition of democracy,” Mr. Corbett said in the freezing air and rain behind the Capitol steps. Addressing members of the Senate, House and Supreme and Commonwealth Courts, Mr. Corbett avoided specific policy points to instead focus on sweeping, dramatic ideals.

“I call upon everyone in state government to summon all of the will and talent within you to advance the promise of our Commonwealth and to perform exceptionally for all Pennsylvanians,” Mr. Corbett said. “This will require creativity and courage, and be assured that where there is creativity and courage we will navigate the pending storms.”

While highlighting policy issues that characterized his campaign – cutting the size of government, revitalizing the economic climate of Pennsylvania and reforming education – Mr. Corbett first argued for time to make the changes, though he stipulated he would never say “impossible.”

“The challenges we face were not created overnight, nor will they be solved in a 24-hour news cycle,” said the new governor, “or an arbitrarily conceived deadline. It is more important to lead with decisive action that is accurate and precise…Our children’s grandchildren deserve our focused attention on doing only what is right to bring about this generational change.”

The inauguration was attended by former Govs. Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker and Dick Thornburgh, and by outgoing Gov. Ed Rendell. Mr. Corbett was sworn into office with William Penn’s bible by Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, currently embroiled in the building of a Family Court in Philadelphia. The project, shadowed by conflict-of-interest between developers and Justice Castille, is currently being held back for lack of approval from the state’s attorney general – and now governor – Tom Corbett.

Across the street from the inauguration, protestors could be heard calling for environmental protections from and a moratorium on Marcellus shale drilling in Pennsylvania. According to MarcellusMoney.org, a project of Democracy Rising PA, Mr. Corbett accepted $835,720 in campaign donations from the Marcellus shale industry.

The new governor also highlighted the “hard workers” of Pennsylvania, speaking of single mothers working to send their children to better schools and third-generation farmers alongside nano- technology researchers. Similarly, Mr. Corbett drew attention to small businesses struggling to hire new employees together with corporations struggling to invest in the economic climate.

Mr. Corbett’s primary message, however, was crystal clear – reducing the size of government and “good government” are his top priorities.

“We need good government,” he said. “We will lead the way toward a government that understands that, just as families have found a way to live within their means, it too must budget in a way that is responsible and honest, a government that has the courage to find fiscal strength in restraint, a government that shows compassion for those most in need and recognizes its citizens’ great investment, a government that must yield them a hopeful, realistic return.”
How exactly he plans to do that, Mr. Corbett did not say in his speech.

Earlier, in Mr. Cawley’s inaugural speech, the lieutenant governor was far more specific and pointed to reducing “job crushing” government regulation of businesses, implementing “serious” pension reform, strengthening the fiscal condition of county and city governments and safeguarding the health and safety of Pennsylvanians in light of the Marcellus shale drilling.

“It is a recognition that it’s business people, entrepreneurs, risk takers, job creators that are going to see us out of this recession,” said Mr. Cawley. “If we provide the proper environment, business and manufacturing in this state will once again be hiring…Make no mistake – jobs are our number one priority.”

Repeatedly referring to the “ingenuity, innovation, independence and endurance” of Pennsylvanians, Mr. Cawley outlined what is likely to be the first priority of the Corbett-Cawley Administration. Echoed in Mr. Corbett’s inaugural speech, Mr. Cawley said it was time to reboot state government and how it operates.

“We have an opportunity to re-examine what it is that we do and how we do it – in effect, reboot the system,” said Mr. Cawley. “That reboot gives us a clean slate to establish meaningful priorities that are effective and productive. [Pennsylvanians are] looking for us to work smarter without calling on them for more funding to do so…thus precluding any call for new taxes.”

Mr. Corbett took a no-tax pledge during his gubernatorial campaign.