Tech Talkin' Govs 2006, Part Five

The first four installments of SSTI's look at how tech-based economic development (TBED) will play in the 2006 legislative priorities of the governors can be found in the Digest archives at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/digest.htm

Louisiana

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, State-of-the-State Address, Mar. 27, 2006

"I also propose a $31 million investment to retain higher education faculty. ... We can plug the brain drain of displaced professors taking higher-paying jobs elsewhere.  Any loss of educators will be followed by a brain drain of students. ...

"... Education feeds into workforce training. Preparing our citizens for good jobs is another important step on the ladder out of poverty. It is also a key step on our road to recovery. Training a quality workforce influences economic development by attracting new businesses and industries to the state. ... This is why I ask you to support a $15 million investment to expand and retrain our workforce. ... We can partner our businesses and industries with our colleges and training programs."

Minnesota

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, State-of-the-State Address, Mar. 9, 2006

"We also need to realize that science and math are the currency of our new economy. We need more rigor in these areas. We should upgrade our school standards to require Algebra One by eighth grade and Algebra Two and Chemistry to graduate from high school.

"And while we're at it, let's bring a lesson from the game room into the classroom, by including digital literacy as part of our school standards so that our kids know how to access and use technology as a basic skill.

"Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs provide the rigor and relevance we need to prepare our students for the future. But they're not available to most of them. I'm proposing that we provide seven million dollars in financial incentives for at least ten pioneering districts to use AP or IB for all students, in all grades.

"In addition, we need to transform our high schools so we are better preparing our young people for the economy of the future. Academic progress in our secondary schools has flattened out. Let's provide funding so up to five pioneering high schools can show the way by fundamentally overhauling their structure to focus on college preparedness or technical training that is relevant and rigorous for all students."

New Jersey

Gov. Jon Corzine, Budget Address, Mar. 21, 2006

"And lastly, economic growth should be the engine to expand revenues, not taxes. To achieve strong growth, we need a favorable investment climate for business.

"We must carefully make strategic investments to attract and retain business. Even in this tough budget climate, we must promote economic growth, we must make investments that will help our state prosper. Moving the Business Employment Incentive Program, or BEIP, grants onto a pay as you go basis, for example, is appropriate. But there are also long-term investments funded by long-term borrowing that are both appropriate and necessary to support a growing economy, investments in an economy that will support future taxpayers as well as today’s.

"Restoring guaranteed funding to the transportation trust fund was one such initiative. Funding stem cell research is another. If we are to be a leader in cutting-edge biotechnology and acquire the accompanying high-paying jobs, we will need to prime the pump. On this issue, it’s time to act."