John Baldacci began his tenure as governor of Maine impressively. His inaugural address Wednesday was clear in its message, inspiring in its tone, tempered by experience and plainspoken in a way certain to build confidence in the state he will lead. It was an encouraging start to confront difficult but potentially rewarding times to come.

Gov. Baldacci spoke with the confidence that comes with understanding. He quickly mentioned the large problems before Maine – lagging incomes, revenue shortfalls, health care costs and youth flight – and just as quickly listed ways to measure whether in the future his administration had succeeded in curing them. He listed income growth, the number of students going to college, the number of people able to afford health care, the jobs created. This is an administration that sounds willing to stand on its record.

And there will be no doubt that he understands where most Mainers spend their days standing. He referred repeatedly to the state’s natural resources as the foundation of its economy – “living off the land is still very much alive here in Maine, and always will be” – while pointing out that the skills needed to thrive in the woods or on the water, on farms or atop ski mountains will change and require Maine to change. His call for a Blaine House conference on these industries is welcome.

On the largest question immediately before Maine, Gov. Baldacci undersold the challenge ahead. “Our goal,” he said, “starting right now, is to balance the state budget and grow our economy. That’s my economic plan.” It is no doubt true that he wants to balance the budget and help the economy grow and it is refreshing to hear a politician say less than what he means rather than more, but his plan will work only if it also includes dozens of other parts as well. A few were announced Wednesday – streamlined government through a merged Department of Human Services and the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services and a promise that it would be a model for other agencies; improved partnerships with nonprofits to more effectively deliver services; an executive order creating a task force to find administrative savings in schools. For development, there will be opportunity zones, more funding for R&D and a search for more opportunity throughout New England and the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

If fixing the economy were simple, if there were only one or two big steps needed to turn things around, they would have been done by now. There are, instead, a hundred difficult decisions, countless trade-offs and the unpleasant duty of saying no when the impulse is to say yes. Maine’s new governor will face all of these in the coming months, but his speech Wednesday suggests that he has anticipated many of the challenges.

An inaugural speech is not a white paper, but Mr. Baldacci mixed eloquence with policy and produced some important ideas:

. On health care: “The time for talk is over. It’s time for action,” he said, and although there will be a lot more talk before Maine gets to the action part, the governor’s commitment for major reform was heartening. His plan for universal coverage will be tested in a thousand ways in the coming months and it will no doubt be revised, but the goal of affordable coverage for everyone is what matters, not what the plan is called or who can take the credit for it.

. He promised to hold a youth summit to look closely at why young people are leaving and what can be done to keep them here or bring them back. It is not realistic or desirable to try to keep all Mainers home – they should travel, far and wide. But they and the many people they meet along the way should see Maine as a place of opportunity, a place they could choose to live in and thrive.

. He called for transforming the technical colleges into community colleges and, more importantly, to find ways it and the University of Maine System could work together more often. Higher education will be an important issue in the coming debates over streamlining government, and the system leaders will either present a united front or find their programs picked apart by lawmakers.

. Finally, he said the following about the governorship, but it applies equally well to all Maine lawmakers: “This was the first election held in the 21st century. Everyone who has stood here to take this oath and assume the tremendous responsibility of being governor of Maine has talked about how we live in a special time in history. They all believed it, and every one of them was right.

“Because life is special, and Maine is special, and our time here is so short.”

Time is short for the ambitious goals he has set before Maine. But each of the goals he mentioned is essential to the well-being of Maine, and there are several more besides. Even in the middle of budget crunch with more bad fiscal news likely from Washington, this is an exciting time for Maine leaders, a time for Maine to be united and a time for substantial achievement in Augusta. Gov. Baldacci has given the state a great beginning.