Patrick says election may lift state's image

Governor-elect Deval L. Patrick, who will become the first black governor of Massachusetts when he takes office in January, said yesterday that his election marked a historical moment that could help the state shake its reputation as a hostile environment for people of color.

Patrick, who at times during the campaign was reluctant to talk about race, was asked by reporters yesterday what his election meant for him and for the state, which, largely because of divisive fights over school integration in the 1970s, has a rocky history of black-white relations.

"It's a profound thing to be witness to, and a central part of, this historical moment," Patrick said in his first post-victory press conference, at the Omni Parker House. "And I think if people around the country are looking at Massachusetts and thinking about Massachusetts differently than they have in the past, then good for us."

Patrick said that if his election Tuesday does improve the perception of Massachusetts outside the state, the Commonwealth should "leverage ourselves in terms of attracting talent and retaining talent, in terms of attracting economic investment, business investment, in terms of how it is collectively, and together we move ourselves forward."

Confronting a thicket of thorny issues not 24 hours after his decisive win over Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, Patrick also reaffirmed his opposition to a proposed increase in MBTA fares, slated for approval by the T today, and voiced deep skepticism about a plan by the Romney administration to eliminate tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike west of Route 128. He pointed out, however, that he has no authority over those questions because he is not in office.

It was a whirlwind day for the governor-elect, beginning with a nearly hourlong meeting at 10 a.m. with Governor Mitt Romney at the State House. Pursued all day by about two dozen reporters and cameras, Patrick said that he would make announcements next week about his transition team and that he expected to have people from both parties in his Cabinet and in his administration.

"We are trying to savor the moment and also focus our attention on the hard work ahead, of preparing to govern and then doing it as productively and as positively as we did this campaign," he said.

The meeting between Patrick and Romney was notable because they had been sharply critical of each other during the gubernatorial campaign. But after emerging from Romney's office, they shared cordial words as several state lawmakers and curious State House staffers looked on.

"We had a very broad-reaching series of discussions, and I'm very anxious to make sure that his administration gets off to a great start," Romney said.

Patrick thanked the governor for his warm welcome.

"There's a lot of work to do," Patrick said, "and I appreciate, and look forward to, a very smooth transition."

From there, Patrick and his entourage made their way to the Parker House. Patrick, looking slightly bewildered, was mobbed by cameras and a few well-wishers as he climbed out of his sport utility vehicle on School Street. A hotel bellman gave him a big hug.

"Thank you," said one woman on the street who stopped to shake his hand.

"Thank you," Patrick said.

Patrick and his running mate, Timothy P. Murray, then addressed the press, taking questions about their victory, their vision for the state, and their plans in coming days. Patrick said he intended to parlay his campaign's vaunted field organization into an ongoing political operation.

"We've built this extraordinary grass-roots organization, and I mean to keep that alive, and how we do that, whether that's through the party, whether through some other mechanism, we are still trying to work out, and I am still trying to think through," Patrick said. "But I have said all along I didn't want to build a grass-roots organization just to get elected. It's also a way of governing and keeping people checked in."

At the press conference and in one-on-one interviews later in the day, Patrick was evasive about whether he would take specific action once in office on pressing issues such as a proposed ban on same-sex marriage coming up in the Legislature today, the planned T fare hike, and Romney's proposal to eliminate certain Turnpike tolls west of Route 128.

The MBTA board is expected to vote today on the fare increase. Patrick opposes the increase, though he said he recognizes the poor financial condition of the agency. He said he hoped that the T would put off its decision, but he would not speculate on whether he would take action to reverse the increase once in office.

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said yesterday that the T doesn't want a fare increase either, but that heavy debt and anticipated budget shortfalls make it necessary.

Under the new fares, subway and trolley rides would go from $1.25 to $1.70, and bus fares from 90 cents to $1.25. Most commuter rail passes would cost 22 percent more. The new fares would go into effect in January, the second set of increases in three years.

Patrick was far more critical yesterday of Romney's proposal to rip down toll plazas down west of Route 128.

"I understand the rationale for the T fare increase, because of the economics," he said. "I don't understand the rationale of the toll takedown other than the politics, because I don't see how those numbers add up."

Romney and Healey announced just a few weeks before Tuesday's election that they would seek removal of the tolls, prompting critics to charge that it was a political ploy to help Healey's chances at the polls. Romney defended the plan and said the state could afford it. The Turnpike Authority is scheduled to vote on the proposal on Nov. 15.

It is unclear how much control Patrick would have once in office, because the fares and tolls are controlled by the boards of the MBTA and the Turnpike Authority.

A key environmental group, the Conservation Law Foundation, meanwhile, this week opposed removing the tolls, saying the move warranted a state environmental review because it would increase traffic and thus increase air and water pollution. The Romney administration has said air quality would be improved by removing the tolls because traffic would flow more efficiently.

Patrick sought to allay fears about Democrats running the corner office and the Legislature.

"We have Democrats in Massachusetts who'd be Republicans anywhere else; we have a range of political philosophies," he said. "I suspect that there are going to be different coalitions on different issues and that the Legislature and the executive branch will interact with each other, frankly, the way citizens do, which is on the basis of the issue and not just on party."

For the moment, though, Democrats are still celebrating a return to power after a 16-year drought, and the celebrating went deep into the night after Tuesday's election. Asked what the first thing his wife, Diane, said to him when he woke up yesterday morning, Patrick didn't hesitate.

"Is it time to get up already?" he recalled.

Mac Daniel of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Scott Helman can be reached at shelman@globe.com.