Iowa's governor presses for economic development fund
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Before heading off to the Hanover Trade Fair, Iowa's Governor Tom Vilsack urged the state legislature to pass his proposal for a $500 million economic development fund.
The governor wants to use the fund to restructure the state economy. He proposes to invest $50 million in research infrastrcuture in the life sciences, $250 million in project incentives to build businesses in life sciences, advanced manufacturing, information solutions, and insurance. Another $50 million will go to improving Internet access, $50 million will go for renewable energy production, and $50 million will go to promoting regional cooperation among the state's 225 econonic development organizations.
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Iowa's governor presses for economic development fund
