The governor next door

BOSTON – Gov. Charles D. Baker yanked a crowd packed into the Massachusetts House chamber to its feet for a sustained standing ovation Thursday when he promised in his inaugural speech to combat opiate drug addiction.?As governor, I intend to tackle this problem head-on. Too many families have gone through grief and pain,” Baker told the audience minutes after being sworn in as the Commonwealth?s 72nd governor.With his wife, Lauren, their children, AJ, Charlie and Caroline, and Baker?s father, Charles Sr., watching from front-row seats, Baker mapped out his vision for improving Massachusetts.He credited predecessor Deval Patrick with identifying opiate addiction last year as a state public health crisis but ignored a heckler who urged Baker to blame state budget problems on Patrick.He pledged to “hold the line” on taxes and made it clear he won?t forget nuts-and-bolts problems confronting Massachusetts? residents, including rising utility rates and poor job prospects.Baker rattled off examples of where state government has fallen short in serving Massachusetts? residents, ranging from failing to reduce long Registry of Motor Vehicle lines to getting 1,500 homeless families out of hotels paid for with tax dollars to confronting a 45,000-student charter school waiting list.?We need more high-performing public charter schools,” he said.Baker let actions speak louder than words when, within hours after finishing his speech, he ordered the release of $100 million in transportation money to pay for city and town projects.Following the governor?s speech, Swampscott resident Charles Patsios and Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett praised Baker?s focus on battling drug addiction.?I think it resonated with everyone in the hall,” Patsios said.The Lynn developer called Baker?s inauguration “a turning point” for Massachusetts and an opportunity for elected state officials to take “practical instead of ideological” approaches to problems.Blodgett said Baker?s speech underscored the governor?s sincerity.?He?s a regular guy – the kind of guy you?d have a beer in the backyard with,” he said.State Rep. Robert Fennell said Republican Baker struck a tone in his speech refreshingly different from the contentious rhetoric defining Washington, D.C., politics?It?s exciting: He understands that by working together you can accomplish more than if you don?t,” Fennell, a Lynn Democrat, said.Newly sworn-in state Rep. Brendan Crighton agreed and said he is happy to hear Baker will continue a state effort to help cities like Lynn improve their waterfronts and downtowns. Baker is off to a good start as governor, said Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo.?I have a very high level of confidence that he is going to serve the Commonwealth in a way we all will be proud of. He understands we all want the same things for our state and our communities,” Rizzo said.Baker made a point during his speech to ask listeners to keep France in mind a day after gunmen killed a dozen people in Paris and he briefly addressed national protests over police-involved deaths in Missouri and New York.?When people lose hope, bad things happen. I want every neighborhood to be a place where people believe tomorrow is going to be better than today,” Baker said.