"My main point here is simply to thank on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth this
company for taking a chance on Massachusetts. for expanding your presence here, for investing
over $400 million and engaging another over 600 people in the next 8 years. If I heard
that correctly.I appreciate your putting it in terms of eight years because since I’ve
had this job I tend to tell time in units of four. So I- and if you can improve on that
600 we will be happy to help you do so.And we appreciate all of the family of Shire for
helping to grow the knowledge based economy here in the Commonwealth you know this - our
economy here in the Commonwealth is stronger relatively than the national economy. While
the national economy has been softening and has lost nearly a quarter million jobs in
the last four or five months, we have added over 5,000 jobs. Many of them, indeed most
of them from the sector in which you operate from the Life Sciences from the health sciences.
And it is incumbent on us not just to celebrate the extraordinary strength of this international
super cluster of talent and research facilities and venture capital and innovative tradition
but to sure it up and to build it, to assure that that talent pools grows that it is here
for you, for your growth tomorrow and for companies that have not yet even been conceived.
Because our future economically and the future of healing depends on our getting this right,
which is what the life sciences initiative is all about.That 10-year, $1 billion investment
that we as a government have committed to make in partnership with private industry
and with universities and colleges and with venture capitalists and the whole of the industry
to strengthen what we have right now and extend our lead – Pennsylvania not withstanding
– and it is in that spirit that I particularly want to acknowledge the members of the legislature
who are here and the Speaker and the Senate President who could not be here today, because
we have all worked in partnership to pass this bill. Particularly Chairman Bosley who
is here, to whom the bill was assigned, and who is a member of the conference committee
now to reconcile the differences between the Senate and the House version – 2 weeks,
2 weeks from yesterday, alright, I’ve said it on the record now Dan – But I want to
thank Jay and Peter and Mike who’ve also been champions of this initiative and great
partners in this and in so many, so many things and I’d just wish you’d all stand up because
I want people to see the partners who make this, no no come on, you don’t like standing
next to Peter, I know." (Applause) "A lot is, a lot is made and reported on about purported
conflicts between the executive branch and the legislative branch, let me tell you, you
don’t get a breakthrough piece of legislation unless there is an active, working, constructive
partnership with the legislature and with these legislators and their leadership. And
I thank you for that I just want to acknowledge it. The life sciences initiative is enormously
important both in substance but also in symbol. What we are trying to convey is our interest
in you and how we make this environment as vibrant, as productive, as promising, as exciting
as this moment is in your lives and in the life in this company right now and we do not
pretend at the level of state government to have all the answers. But we are listening
closely and we hope that you will keep the lines of communication open with us and that
you will show us the ways in which we can help you help yourselves. We look forward
to working closely with you on this and projects to come and when we come to cut the ribbon
on the opening lets announce the expansion as well. Thank you for having me today; I
appreciate it."
