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John P. Cahill
Announces for Attorney General
Yonkers, New York
Embargoed Until: 12:30PM - May 11, 2014

Voice for New York
Good afternoon everyone were so glad you could join us today. It means a lot to us
that you are here, especially on Mothers Day.
Before I say anything else, I want to thank all the moms here birth moms, step-
moms, grandmothers, god-mothers, and mothers-in-law for sharing this special day
with us and, more importantly, for being a constant source of love and strength in our
families, our homes, and our communities.
Its impossible to fully convey how important you are, and as far as Im concerned
every day ought to be Mothers Day because you are the backbone of our society and
the source of our strength.
Because my mother raised me right, I know better than to go any further without
taking a moment to wish a very special mothers day to my incredible wife, Kim who
is my partner in life and a wonderful mother to our children.
Weve been together long enough for me to understand just how much of my success
and happiness comes from your presence in my life and I know today would never
have been possible without you by my side. I thank you, and I hope you know how
much I love you.
Im the first to admit Im a lucky man.and that started with being the son of Margaret
Cahill an Irish immigrant who immigrated to the Bronx with little more than the hope
for a better life and a determination that her family would have every opportunity to
build the life we wanted.
She worked hard, she raised six kids on her own, and she still found time to be active in
her church and her community to help others.
An eternal optimist, even in the midst of tremendous struggles, my mom believed that
every day was a good day -- some were just better than others.
She taught me to hope and to dream and that opportunity is everywhere as long as
youre willing to work for it. And she taught me the tremendous satisfaction that only
comes from serving others.
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Today I want to honor my Mom the way she lived her life and the way she raised her
children by doing something I know would make her proud. She raised me to believe
that I could make a difference by working with purpose to serve othersand I am
committed to making a real difference for the people of New York as your next Attorney
General.
My Moms example of optimism, faith and sense of justice inspires and drives me to this
day.
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But as I speak with people throughout this great State these days, its clear that the
optimism which was so prevalent in my mothers generation has, in subsequent
generations, been replaced by distrust, anger and resentment.
Far too many New Yorkers believe they dont get a fair chance.
Whether its the wolves of Wall Street or big government on State Street, no one seems
to be interested in the concerns of regular New Yorkers.
Im talking about the New Yorkers like you and me who get up every day, get to work
to provide for their families, who dedicate what little extra time they have to coaching
little league, volunteering at church, or caring for elderly parents.
No one hears their voice. No one defends them. No one is their advocate. I am running
for Attorney General to be the strong voice for all of New York, an advocate that our
citizens deserve, and that justice demands.
New Yorks rich history is replete with principled advocates of the public good --
Republicans and Democrats alike.
People, who stood up to the entrenched ills of their time, gave a voice to the
disenfranchised and brought balance to the scales of justice.
From Elizabeth Cady Stantons crusade for womens rights, to Teddy Roosevelts
dismantling of monopolies to Robert F. Kennedys war on poverty, these great New
Yorkers proved that honest, conscientious leadership can transcend the forces of
parochial interests, corruption and ego-driven political aspirations and agendas.
The heroes of New Yorks past showed us that upholding and advancing justice takes
strong, upright, principled leadership.
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In New York State, the chief steward and defender of justice is the Attorney General.
As our State Constitution designates, this is the platform from which that leadership
must be exerted.
Yet it recent years, the Office of New York State Attorney General has been relegated to
little more than a political stepping stone to the Governors Mansion. This is
unacceptable.
Today, people are beginning to lose faith in those who are supposed to represent us in
elected office. Recently here in New York we have seen the A.G serve not as the
Attorney General but rather as the Aspiring Governor.
We see that this leads to decisions based on the special interests, political interests and
self-interests of the Attorney general rather than what is in the best interests of the
people of New York.
That must end and as Attorney General I will end it.
Voters, parents, taxpayers, businesses large and small will have confidence that the
AGs office only interest is to make the peoples case, not to build a political career.
As Attorney General I will be both a public prosecutor and the publics defender.
As we restore confidence to our political system we must also restore that sense of
optimism in our future by ensuring equal opportunities to succeed for all New Yorkers.
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The foundation for success for anyone is a strong family and a strong education. Our
New York State Constitution requires that we must provide a sound quality education to
our children.
We cannot fulfill this responsibility if we continue to send children to schools that have
failed generation after generation of children. Protecting our children includes
protecting their right to attend a great school.
Some New York children enjoy that right if they live in the right town or
neighborhood, or can afford a good private or parochial school, or are fortunate enough
to win a scholarship.
Or if they can find a seat in a charter school, for which they literally have to hit an
enrollment lottery.
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But the sad fact is that for far too many of our children, that right to attend a great
school is only theoretical. Its just a dream or a hope. This must change.
Providing the children of New York with the best education needs to be a fact of life not
a game of chance.
Education is the civil rights issue of our time and we have a moral obligation to see that
all of our children have access to a great school whether its a district school, charter
school which is public too -- parochial or private school.
It is time to stop empowering bloated education bureaucracies and start empowering
parents and students.
It is time to incentivize, reward and promote our excellent teachers, and show the
ineffective ones the door.
Last week we learned that 69-thousand families applied for 18-thousand 600 slots in
NYC charter schools this year.
That means the waiting list the waiting list is over 50-thousand. Enough to fill
Yankee Stadium.
As Attorney General I will stand up and protect the right of every child to a quality
education.
And children in central Brooklyn and Buffalo ought to have the same shot as those on
the Upper West Side. The academic future of a child cannot be predetermined by the
zip code where they live.
We recently witnessed renewed assaults on charter schools. We have seen Albany fail
to provide education tax credits that would not only further strengthen our public
schools but create additional choices for parents in determining the best avenue of
educating for their children.
The A.G has not only the standing but the obligation to stand up for the children of our
state.
Governor Cuomo says hes the students lobbyist. Thats great but what NY students
need is good lawyer - I will be their lawyer.
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And when it comes to education we can make no distinction as to the opportunities that
we afford our children. There are those who say children whose parents are
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undocumented aliens should not be given the same opportunities as my children. I
disagree.
These children who have been woven into the fabric of our neighborhoods cannot be
cut out and should not have their dreams taken away. All of the children of our great
state should be treated equally and given the same chance to succeed and contribute
to the future of New York.
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As I said before, ideology and politics dont produce justice, leadership produces justice.
Im sure Ms. Stanton, TR and RFK would back me up on that.
Oftentimes, what is right and what is easy or expedient are two different things.
The Office of the Attorney General is no place for someone who doesnt recognize that
distinction.
A prime example is the disconnect between those who support pursuing what promises
to be the biggest economic boon our state has seen in a generation and those who
seek to protect and conserve our natural environment.
As someone who falls into both groups, I am here to tell you there neednt be such a
disconnect.
Of course, I am talking about the states shale gas deposits which promise to provide
New York State with a competitive commercial and economic advantage the likes of
which we havent seen since the industrial revolution.
As many people know, I am an avowed conservationist.
I am proud of my work with Governor Pataki, who did more to protect our environment
than any other governor in our states history, including the permanent conservation of
more than 1 million acres of open space.
If theres one thing we proved, its that economic development and environmental
conservation can and must be accomplished in tandem -- they are interconnected and
inter-related objectives.
One need not be accomplished at the expense of the other -- in fact, the sustainable
success and prosperity of New York and New Yorkers requires that it cant be.
When you set aside the unsubstantiated hysteria and the poll numbers.
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When you look at the science and place the interests and prosperity of New Yorkers
first, it is clear that the question on shale gas isnt if, its how.
With the right oversight, working with smart people, we can and we must
simultaneously tap this abundant resource and honor our responsibility to protect the
environment.
Natural gas is both cleaner and more affordable than other fossil fuels -- until we are
able to more effectively harness renewable energy sources, it is the best option to meet
the worlds energy needs.
Careful development of these resources in certain areas of the state would propel
economic progress, create jobs and drive down energy costs for families and employers
across New York.
New Yorkers need an Attorney General who is interested in smart, sustainable solutions
for New York, not an Aspiring Governor interested in sustaining the special interests.
New Yorkers have faced enough obstacles to prosperity and progress; the State
Attorney General shouldnt be one of them.
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You know, growing up here in Yonkers I learned many things.
I learned the power of family and community.
I learned the value of diversity.
I learned that government can have an enormous influence in your life both good and
bad.
I learned that sometimes your only choice is to stand up and fight for what you believe
in.
I learned that doing the right thing isnt always the easy thing.
And I learned that leadership is seldom the easy thing.
These lessons I learned through the words and example of an extraordinary teacher --
my mother.
As I stand here in my hometown this Mothers Day, and begin working to earn the
honor of serving my fellow New Yorkers as their state Attorney General, I think of what
it took to instill these values in six headstrong, highly individual kids.
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I am humbled by it, I am eternally grateful for it, and I pledge to apply these lessons
and values every day as the Attorney General of the great State of New York.
Thank you, God bless you and happy Mothers Day.

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