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Thompson: State Economy Needs Rebuilding

In a guest column, Jill Long Thompson writes about her plan to strengthen Indiana’s economy. She wrote, “Under Gov. Mitch Daniels’ watch, our unemployment rate has hit record highs and we are losing jobs faster than any other state. Indiana ranks second in business bankruptcies, sixth in home foreclosures and Hoosiers continue to see their wages decline. I am running for governor to rebuild our economy and restore the promise Indiana once held for all of our citizens. It’s personal; I want my grandsons, who are both Purdue students, to be able to find good jobs in Indiana “and it’s the right thing to do. As a former city councilor, member of Congress and Under Secretary at the United States Department of Rural Development, I know how to create jobs. My ‘One Indiana Plan,’ available at www.hoosiersforjill.com, outlines the changes I will make.” Read more

GENERAL NEWS

AZ- Napolitano Urges Boost in Exports. Arizona needs to diversify its housing-based economy, Gov. Janet Napolitano said before about 350 business, civic and education leaders. Napolitano said that long-term economic growth in Arizona could be achieved by furthering trade opportunities abroad and continuing to invest in education at home. The economic downturn in the United States was precipitated by the downturn in housing,” Napolitano said during her annual International State of the State address at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. “This was a housing-generated economic crisis. And since we were at the cusp of the housing bubble, what goes up, came down. Unfortunately for us, Sir Isaac Newton was correct.” Read more

AR- Beebe Pumps Gas to Promote Biofuel. Gov. Mike Beebe pumped his own gas at a downtown Little Rock gas station during an event promoting biofuel. Beebe was one of about 60 people who filled their tanks with E-85 ethanol, a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, at Go Green Biofuels while the station was offering the fuel at the reduced price of $1.85 for two hours. “When was the last time you saw $1.85?” Beebe said as reporters gathered around the pump to watch the governor fill the tank of his state-owned Chevrolet Suburban, a flex-fuel vehicle that can run on gasoline or ethanol. Read more

MA- Patrick Celebrates New Life Science Lab. Gov. Deval Patrick further championed his $1 billion life sciences initiative by helping cut the ribbon on Cubist Pharmaceuticals’ new expanded laboratory and headquarters. Patrick thanked Cubist for its work in Massachusetts and commended the state’s growing biomedical industry. “This is where cures are being made for diseases that are currently considered incurable,” Patrick said. “This is where suffering will be relieved, and you will make it happen.” Read more

NM- Richardson Proposes New State Park. Gov. Bill Richardson is proposing a new state park-New Mexico’s 36th-along the Pecos River in a canyon east of Santa Fe.
The land for the proposed Pecos Canyon State Park is already state-owned, but the proposed change would put its management under the state parks division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Read more

TN- Bredesen Earns High Marks. As he heads into his final two years as Tennessee’s chief executive, Gov. Phil Bredesen continues to enjoy high marks from state residents on his job performance, a new poll shows. The statewide survey of 625 voters shows 65 percent believe the governor’s performance has been “excellent” or “good.” “Sixty-five percent is a pretty solid rate for a governor, especially a Democrat in Tennessee,” said pollster Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. Read more

WV- Manchin: State is Fiscally Sound. West Virginia has $568 million saved in its “rainy day fund,” Gov. Joe Manchin told local bank and business executives. The amount equals 14.25 percent of the state’s $3.9 billion budget and puts it among the top “three or four” states in terms of financial standing, he noted. “These are all good figures for a state that’s had its challenges,” Manchin said. On top of this, the state’s unemployment rate has remained steady in recent months at 4.1 percent – well below a national average that has exceeded 6.1 percent, he pointed out. “We’ve never had this rate for this long,” he said. Read more

WI- Doyle Strengthening Energy Ties with Germany. Gov. Jim Doyle and German officials say they will work together to reduce the causes of global warming. The governor is in Berlin attending a conference on trans-Atlantic climate and energy cooperation. Both Doyle and German officials agree that climate change and fossil fuel dependence require immediate action. They say low-carbon technology and the reduction of greenhouse gasses must be pursued. Doyle says he looks forward to strengthening Wisconsin and Germany’s combined efforts to confront climate change and energy policies. Read more

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