Baker: A Steady Hand at The Tiller of Our Ship of State

As we were listening to Gov. Charlie Baker deliver the annual State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the legislature last week, it occurred to us how refreshing it was — and what a sense of relief we felt — to have as our governor an individual who does not engage in the type of mindless and destructive hyperbole and partisanship that is occurring in Washington and other places in our country.

Gov. Baker set out the issues and problems facing our state in his usual straightforward, matter-of-fact manner. His message essentially amounted to this: Our state is in pretty good shape, but we are facing some challenges. So let’s roll up our sleeves, let’s get to work, and let’s solve our problems — together.

Both House Speaker Bob DeLeo and Senate President Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst (who, by the way, is a Revere native and a Revere High graduate) were effusive in their praise of Gov. Baker’s speech, with DeLeo stating to one interviewer, “I thought it was a great speech.”

The speech also served as a touchstone for why Gov. Baker, a Republican, is so popular in a True Blue state where both branches of the legislature are overwhelmingly Democratic: Charlie Baker’s sincerity, integrity, and desire to make Massachusetts the best state in the nation for all of our residents were plainly evident with every word he spoke.

In terms of the political climate in the United States, these are by far the most turbulent times that we as a nation have faced since Watergate and Richard Nixon’s presidency more than 40 years ago. As all of us navigate these stormy seas amidst the hurricane that is blowing in from Washington, D.C., it is comforting to know that on Beacon Hill we have a captain with a steady hand at the tiller, whom we can trust will do his best to guide us safely between the Scylla on our right and the Charybdis on our left.