Tech Talkin’ Govs, Part I

SSTI’s eighth annual Tech Talkin’ Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors’ state-of-the-state, budget and inaugural addresses. With mounting budget deficits spanning the nation, this year’s anticipated overarching theme is proposals aimed at mending states’ finances with less focus on the introduction of new initiatives. The first installment of the series includes excerpts from California and New York.

 

California

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 8, 2007

“California leads the nation in biotechnology ... nanotechnology ... medical technology ... information technology. And we will soon be recognized as the leader in clean technology.

 

“Worldwide, clean-tech investments are up by 50 percent in the first nine months alone last year… so I have asked myself, what must we do in this chamber to help fulfill this future? ...

 

“... Let me tell you about some of the ideas of our legislative leaders. Speaker Nunez has made research into alternative energy and transportation fuels a top priority this year. Speaker Nunez, I will work with you on that.”

 

New York

Gov. Eliot Spitzer, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 9, 2008

"We must focus with a singular purpose on an agenda for economic growth and opportunity. To do this, we need a world-class education system from Pre-K to graduate school. …

 

“... Without world class education, we cannot have a world class economy. Last year we focused on pre-school to grade twelve. This year, we must also look beyond high school to our colleges and universities. ...

 

“... If you want to participate in the innovation economy, a high school diploma is not always enough – you’re going to need a college diploma, or better yet, an advanced degree. We can’t strengthen our economy without the best colleges producing the best-prepared graduates. That’s why our goal must be to make an outstanding higher education affordable for every New Yorker.

 

“Last year, I convened a Commission on Higher Education to recommend what we need to do to make America’s largest public system of higher education one of its very best [see the Dec. 19, 2007 issue of the Digest]. Last month, they spoke. Today, you and I need to begin acting on their recommendations.

 

“Over the next five years, we must hire 2,000 new full-time faculty members for SUNY and CUNY, including 250 eminent scholars – the type of professors whose research draws grants and collaboration from around the globe, and whose stature lifts entire campuses.

 

“We must create an Innovation Fund for cutting-edge research at New York’s public and private colleges, similar to the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. Supercharging cutting-edge academic research will also supercharge our innovation economy.

 

“We must invest in our community colleges, which train New Yorkers for high-skilled jobs and serve as the gateway to four-year colleges. ...

 

“... We will move forward on the University of Buffalo’s “2020” expansion as a centerpiece of our strategy to reinvigorate the economy of Western New York… we will create a flagship at the other end our state as well. We will help bring together the University at Stony Brook, and the world renowned Brookhaven and Cold Spring Harbor laboratories. The result will be a peerless cross-disciplinary research engine in the areas of cancer, neurobiology, plant genetics and bioinformatics. …

 

“... But none of this is possible unless we figure out a way to pay for it. And to do that, we need a new funding source. The finest private and public colleges and universities in America use the funds from permanent endowments to achieve excellence. If we are to join their ranks, we must do so as well. …

 

“... Given the investments we must make and the sheer size of our higher education system, this endowment initially should be at least $4 billion, which would generate $200 million in operating funds each year.

 

“... We should unlock some of the value of the New York State Lottery, either by taking in private investment or looking at other financing alternatives. As we do this, we will assure that the State continues to regulate all lottery games, and that we continue to receive the more than $2 billion annually for K to 12 education that the lottery now provides.

 

“... As our health care reforms embrace common sense, they must also embrace the cutting edge. Last year, working together with both houses of the Legislature and guided by the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Paterson, we created a $600 million Stem Cell Research Fund. He and I share the belief that, yes, stem cell research is an economic development opportunity, but it is also a moral imperative. I am pleased to report that, this week, the first round of grants went out, making New York’s stem cell fund the fastest in the country to go from green light to grant making.”