On cspan. Former Massachusetts GovernorDuval Patrick spoke at a town hall in laconia, New Hampshire. Topics included Economic Growth and combating the nations opioid epidemic. A pleasure. Nice to meet you. Nice to see you. How are you doing . Hows the family . Im good. Im good. My pleasure. John, nice to see you. I like your tshirt. Im so sorry. Excuse me. Hi. How are you . Its nice to see you. Thats how we knew you were here. Its so nice to see you. Wow. We want to shake your hand. Some old friends of mine up in sandwich. Center harborside. Old friends of mine in sandwich where i spent last night. Family ive been for 40 years. Familyhave an extended here. Youre welcome to stay at my house anytime. Hi, everybody. I am the Laconia Democratic Party chair and delicate delegate at large. My story began in 2007. I moved to the state of New Hampshire as a homeless youth. Life was tough at the time. I came here, graduated from night school. Ran for office at a really young age. I was told i was too young to candidate and a run by 46 votes in a city that was all republican. Only hispanic in the same kstate to be elected until two years ago, while we have a few representatives in our state house. I am going to quote the governor, he said something to me that means a lot. He said it earlier. Being the first is only important if there is a second and a third. Now that we in New Hampshire have a couple of hispanics elected, to me thats when it starts to mean a lot. I just wanted to host all the candidates. That was the idea, to have a conversation in the lakes region about the issues that matter to us. We have some he thinks facing us in our voices matter. I met the governor why was receiving the progressive of the year award last week. I extended an invitation and he happily said lets do it, lets make it happen. Here we are. Devalan honor because patrick was the first africanamerican governor for the state of massachusetts. I love this date, of course. The first africanamerican governor for the state of massachusetts, and only the second in our nation. Still to this day we have only had two. I think when our nation is so diverse, there should be more than one or two. I wanted to have him here to have a conversation with all of us. He has been a huge advocate for climate change. Thatyoung person i believe we can only solve the problems of the future if we focus on the biggest threat that we have to our client crime and today, which is climate change. Thank you for being such a champion in massachusetts. With Health Insurance you were a huge advocate of passing Health Insurance in massachusetts and making sure that 90 of massachusetts was covered. 99. Dont leave out any percentages. That is huge. That is something that i value and i think you for doing that before running for president. So, he has been a governor that has had results. To me, without further a do, its a huge honor to have him here in laconia, New Hampshire. [applause] thearlos, thank you for warm welcome and generous introduction. Thank you for your leadership, which has been so key. It has been an example for all of us. I know a couple of you here, you know i much prefer conversation. I wont do a lot of talking at you. I will say a little bit about why i am in the race and what i think the opportunity of this moment is for all of us. Id i will start there because think democrats often, and i am a proud democrat. Although democrats get on my last nerve, i have to tell you. Laconia, laconia as some of you know, i grew up south side of chicago. Poverty. The time in there were other relatives who came and went in our two bedroom apartment. Mother and i used to share oone of those bedrooms, you wod go from the top bunk to the bunk to the floor. I went from overresourced sometimes violent public schools. I didntemember a time love to read but i dont remember owning a book of my own 14 years old. S i got a breakthrough scholarship through a program called a chance to go to Milton Academy which for me was like a different planet. A lot of things we didnt have we he south side but when did what was incredibly important was a strong sense of community. Childwere days when every was under the jurisdiction of every single adult on the block. Street in up down the front of ms. Jones. The side of your head and call home. What adults were trying to get us, when youre a amber of a community you have stake in your neighbors as well as your own. You are responsible for doing to leave things better for those who come behind. What i have ues is p tried to live tried to livet o law. Ege, i did business i was head of Civil Rights Division in the Justice Clinton nt in the administration. Ive been an executive of two ive helped to grow businesses since then where we can deliver measurable or good. L environmental which is to say, i have lived the American Dream. Being ch by which i mean, not limited by the circumstances of and while grit and determination and personal absolutely ty are a y, so was access to Transportation System so you could get back and forth to a an that was ready for you in economy that was expanding when you were ready for it. Leaving the south side there were come top to cometo, other kids just as creative, just as ambitious, just as as me who didnt get that chance. Years, now that over the the American Dream is becoming for and more out of reach more and more people. I also know it doesnt have to that way. We have pulled back from that of common cause and common responsibility for a long time in a whole lot of ways. Think the short term focus, obsession with the short term frankly, is the reason for from the Climate Crisis to, you know, economic anxiety. Ocial i would say even to the we have in offers right now. The anxiety and the frustration and even anger, that comes from the environment around us, i that i s something recognize from the south side of chicago. When the steel mills left it feeling like we had been kicked to the curb. Opioids came in to fill that void. Just in the neighborhood but in our own home. Issues, ifsues became at all, at election time and nt of between so the lack confidence, i think, in government as a source of solutions or a source of even seeing and hearing people, i think, is at a low. Now, we created all of this, right . We, i mean, all of us, in a democracy, you know, you can argue, we get the government we deserve. And if we want better government, we want more engagement, weve got to go it. Reach for we have to insist on it and stop accepting what is what is on offer, as often as we have. When i think about things like, you know, the cheery we keep indicators being told everything is so know, inflation, inflation is low as long as you dont count the cost of education, housing and healthcare, right . The things that enable you to family. Urself and your unemployment is low as long count. S you do the minimum wage jobs have to survive. You know, we dont have to accept this. That, you know, in my experience, in life and in that lasts change requires setting big, broad and then bringing others in. Elected governor, which was the first thing i ever for, 15 minutes after that, as some of you know, the botto of the global economy. Eight years of real focus and people to turn to rather ththan o than on each other, a in achusetts is number one student achievement in healthcare coverage, in veteran in energy and efficiency, i can go on. 25year employment high. We didnt get everything right. Nobody does. Nobody does. Bbut we got as much done as we because we were results focussed. We are about everyone, just the folks who were well connected and knew their way to and around the statehouse. And because the agenda that we had, we kept listening, make ing, listening, to sure it was the agenda that actually married to people at point where policy turns people. When i think about the range of experience dership that ive had, there are some stick. Sons that oone is that we have to we to reject false choices and were offered them all the time. Lilike i say, im a democrat. I dont think you have to hate republicans to be a good democrat. I dont think you have to hate business to be a good social warrior. Ice i dont think you have to hate police to believe black lives matter. Being know why we keep offered these false choices. The other side is brilliant at these little, you know, tradeoffs, socalled. Through that and put that down if we actually want to make change that matters. The other thing, the other lesson that ive learned is that, the way you get change that you share the victory. Again, its about bringing goal, but e in, setting a otheothers may have a smarter, more rent, or just effective way of achieving that goal. Person, any k any party, has a corner on all the best ideas. Lasts is the ange only thing that saves our democracy right now. It itits why what were focusi is an opportunity agenda, a reforming agenda and democratic agenda, because it is so broken, about those. I guess were getting around and listening to people and checking agenda we think is tthe right one is, in fact, on matters. Ow we assure that you are, and whwhen when i say you, i mean thisbody, understands that isnt just a style of campaigning but its a style of we should expect, time, in ability and between campaigns and not just during campaigns. You know, ifou want, youwant leadership that is, know, just about plans and not results, just about being mad, mad, too, by the way, but ust about being mad and not about how we use the opportunity of chang of change to heal us nation. Thats what you want, im not your guy. You want is someone who understands that lasting and is not just ange necessary but is an opportunity i am your , i think guy. Your would love to earn support and your vote. Why dont we start with earning support and have some conversation. So the way were going to do everybody, uld like you speak, just say your first name, where youre here in New Hampshire, and whats important for you as an issue. Call on people, too. My oldest friends name [inaudible] stone house [inaudible] there need to be more that will help people n early recovery, to sustain these solar houses. For longer periods of time. Do you have a limit on how have in a ou can sober house . No. Sociohouse, i had a job lined up. I was in a good position. A lot of people arent lucky enough to be in that position. Coming out of a time where they are disjointed in their lives. Finding a job is difficult, you for, if you havent done it a while. And there have to be more rograms to help, you know, their n them in transition. Yep. If this is too personal just to stop, but when time . Ou decide it was i hit rock bottom basically. I think everybody has to hit they do tom before decide its time. And nobody is going to get help want it. Dont you cant force it on someone. Were you caught up at all in the criminal Justice System . Yes. Do you have a drug course here . Yes. Diversion to sober houses i [inaudible] whenever they get issues that just because i have to work in the program and i of partner with a couple sober house heres sober housen ober house heres in la sobes , we have the biggest death rate. Es at this time of year. People are falling into disparity. They cant afford to continue to go to work because they dont have a license because they lost it. In a state where there is no public transportation, having these things are important. Or death. Ife so one of the things that hes touching on, one of the biggest keep hearing, i they get out of the sober house which normally, they have that,re or Something Like insurance that covers their sobriety for a few months, they 28 days and now they hahave to go find a job, find lace to live, the average rent arouaround here is about 200 week minimum. Being nice. You dont have a job to begn with. So now youre going back to circles that you knew because thats all you know. So i think we need to do a a society on how do we help them continue, you being sober after youve destroyed your life is expensive and thats the only as a nation t it from here on. P soso i find a lot of, esp men, system has forgotten about them so there is luckily reat people in the community that have been working hard but where there are 140 people lost overdoses, to drug its insane, especially under age of 30. So thats education is mportant but at the same time if were going to keep people socioand out of the system, this is another problem that we find. They go to jail and with you come out and you have all of these fines to pay. Out . Ow do you get how do you use it . Y you just go deeper and deeper. You know, one of the rollingwhy were, were out policies in packages instead f in sigh lows is because most people, they dont live in policy silos. About just talk more sober houses or longer houses without talking about how you get wraparound services, how you independent housing, how you get training for the job thats actually available and hoping. T training and how we as a Community Act like we hawe have a stake in you, ta point where you can stand on your own. And by the way, when i say stands on your own, thats not i dont hear that as disrespectful. All need a hand. We all need a hand. So i can tell you some of the tried to do in massachusetts. We did not get this just so. Ts interesting, because i thithink we began to realize, on 5 1 2 e coming years ago, i think, is that right . We began to see what was coming has since come. Adult much in the in dcf. N community but you hear what im saying . We had a family first strategy. Kids would come in because they had been they were in state finding and we were that getting them back to mom aand dad quickly was harder an harder to do because no, maam dad, one or both, were dealing with their own addiction we were beginning to its at was coming and since been a huge wave. Largest d the stateoftheart Treatment Recovery treatment and facility, i think in massachusetts history, and we way, right y the through the recession. Step. Hat was a we did we di do a drug course so we had that diversion. Additional money into Recovery Centers and we had a mandatory, we had an administrative extension of the recovery period. Quite controversial for some. What i dont think we nailed was the transition after that longer recovery. I think i thi it was extended, i would check this. I think it was extended to 65 days. I think thats right. Perfect is didnt the transition on into, you into that housing, into hat job, so you were getting back. Tthe mojo was just being on yo i think thats work we can do. I would ask you, because its come up in a couple conversations here in. New hampshire, its a solution to get resources down to the local and have local solutions, a solution to get it to states solutions, or is it to it t hold it and go at it as a federal solution . The reason i ask that is because ive talked to a few people at its a l level who said state level and the state isnt doing enough. Ive talked to people at the we e level who have said need federal help. A local level. This he perspective of evening. There is no easy solution to problem. He i think it would benefit to level. At the state ththat that way, you know, peo dhs or through like Something Like that, to get the it wouldntd, you know, jujust be with the town, you k. Lilike you like you find, rehabs are closed. Like beds arent opened so you different go to a county, and if its at the state evel, if youre transitioning between counties, you know that wont hold you up as much. Did you have your hand up . Here in New Hampshire, we have a system first name . Our sarah. So here in New Hampshire we have a State Government that sale of the the first addictive substance most people try and thats alcohol supposed to have a fund earmarked for prevention, treatment and access recovery its never been fully funded the fact is from the sale of okay. And so we have these great Liquor Stores on the highways hat you drive by, and were supposed to earmark a ton of that money back into the community and its just not happening. Has it ever happened . I think the first year it pened, we do our budget buy biannum. 40 . That equals a Million Dollars sing every single year for the laconia district. Republicans are not really putting the money where it should go. This is a health crisis. Its not any personal feeling what youve done in massachusetts. Also declared ate Perfect Health emergency. Yeah. Are you from, joe . Im from laconia. Lived here for 33 years to. Touch base on the topic, kind of what hes talking about. Problem isnt with the Treatment Centers the big problem stems out of the nsurance because my personal experience, when i was in a treatment center, im just a company. O an insurance yep. They made a decision after 14 never never meeting me, seeing anything but what they got back from your counselor safe to come back to the streets. I begged and pleaded to say i wasnt ready. Die. Probably going to i dont want to leave and i was down to leave to step a lower level, instead of staying in a safe, comfort area, which was a residential treatment center, because at Insurance Company deemed i was ready to move on to the next level. Would be insurance today, we talked this the medicare, the medicaid of your u myself some prescriptions covered, as soon paycheck, your first now youre on the books. Youre back to work starting to your feet. My insurance has done it to me actuallytimes, which i work here, its a commissionbased job, its up then they pull your medicaid and you have to reapply. Like i have to stay under i cant make a certain amount of money. Dont make this amount of money to keep your insurance, or out of yourcription pocket and try to make this amount of money. Thats one of the biggest ssues, they are putting the money in the right areas. Like he was saying, transition rom rehab to sober living, i went to rehab myself seven times before i figured it out, you know. Everybody is days t, but im on 88 right now. [applause] the issue, like he said, you you come from rehab. You tore your life down. You have no