Tech Talkin' Govs 2005, Part One

Most of the nation's governors use the winter months to publicly lay out their agendas, visions and budget requests for the coming year. The text of State of the State Addresses, Budget Messages and, to a lesser extent, Inaugural Addresses, often reveals each governor's legislative priorities and new initiatives to be pursued over the coming months.

As a service to the tech-based economic development (TBED) community, SSTI provides excerpts from the various gubernatorial speeches and addresses that provide glimpses into how tech-based economic development issues are positioned in each governor's 2005 agenda. We kick off the sixth annual series of "Tech Talkin' Govs" with TBED highlights from addresses given by the governors of New York and North Dakota.

New York

Gov. George Pataki,State of the State Address, Jan. 5, 2005

"Just as we created Operation IMPACT to target high-crime counties, let's create an economic version to leverage job growth and investment in communities that need it the most. To that end, I will propose Operation SPUR - the Strategic Partnership for Upstate Revitalization. This critical new initiative will target Upstate communities where we need additional economic growth and job creation, as well as areas that rely heavily on the farming and agribusiness sectors.

"In my Executive Budget, I will propose a seven-point plan that will marshal our resources to revitalize these SPUR communities. From enacting a single sales factor for manufacturers and advancing new job tax credits to creating new Agri-Business Opportunity Zones and tax credits for high-tech businesses, SPUR will bring new jobs and the promise of a growing economy to all New Yorkers."

North Dakota

Gov. John Hoeven, State of the State Address, Jan. 4, 2005

"Businesses must invest in products and people in order to create new wealth. So it is with the state of North Dakota. We must invest in our future…the people, the tools, and the opportunity to compete, if we are to truly build a higher standard of living.

"Our country's economic growth over the last 50 years has been fueled by new and emerging technologies. The jobs of the old production economy have been replaced with the careers of the new technology-based economy. Our competition is not just regional or national, but global.

"Economists now predict that 75 percent of the S&P Fortune 500 companies in the year 2020 will be comprised of companies that don't even exist today.

"North Dakota must come to the table as a player and full participant. Ready to do what it takes to prosper in the next generation. Ready to take advantage of the new opportunities.

"If we're going to create the best business climate to create higher paying jobs and retain our young people, we're going to have to build a workforce prepared for the opportunities of the future. That means the best schools and the brightest teachers educating the best and brightest students."

"...higher education is not only a training ground for life - it is also an engine of growth for our entire state. Virtually every business I talk to either has a link or is looking to develop one with our universities. That includes research and development for new products and services, on-going education and workforce training, and access to an exceptional quality of life.

"To truly build the best business environment, we must link our campuses to the private sector. Our Centers of Excellence program will do just that. Centers of Excellence are partnerships between higher education and business to create new, good paying jobs. These hubs of research and technology commercialize their work into products and services, and they provide a nucleus for business clusters across our state. They represent a significant force for economic growth - not only in North Dakota, but also across America...

"To capitalize on the potential for economic growth, states around the country are investing in Centers of Excellence with their universities...That is why we have proposed expanding our Centers of Excellence initiative as a $50 million program. Further, we will leverage our state's investment on a 2 to 1 basis, with private sector and federal dollars, to make $150 million available for these dynamic enterprises...

"In addition to Centers of Excellence, [introduced] legislation includes a range of initiatives that invest in our people and our future. These include more venture capital and investment tax credits for small business to support the kinds of entrepreneurial activities that produce new wealth and new opportunities for our people."