2001 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Budget & Economy
Bob Wise:
Limit capital assistance find to new businesses
I ask for some important economic development legislation this year: the long-awaited reform of the West Virginia Capital Company Act. The Legislature created this act to stimulate new businesses. But many well-established companies,
that could have obtained funding in the traditional marketplace, have tapped this fund, and tapped West Virginia taxpayers. This has gone on too long. The bill before you will restrict this money to creating new jobs and new opportunities.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to West Virginia Legislature
Feb 14, 2001
Bob Wise:
The cupboard is bare, despite national economic growth
Ladies and gentleman, the cupboard is bare. Despite the 3% budget cut which I was forced to impose on the first day of my term, we are looking at a state budget with minimal growth for the next year. We’re paying the price for some reckless decisions
by state government. We have about $9 million in unpaid phone bills, some of them three years old. There have been massive overcommitments on highway projects that we must now fund. The contingency fund that we need to keep in reserve for emergencies has
been depleted-along with several other funds.
We are now at what appears to be the waning days of the longest period of economic growth in our nation’s recent history-and West Virginia has precious little to show for it. I am presenting
a budget that is in balance, a budget with no fat, no frills, and no nonsense. It is a budget that makes tough decisions. It is a budget that says the irresponsible practices that got us in this situation will not be tolerated again.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to West Virginia Legislature
Feb 14, 2001
Lincoln Almond:
$325M tax cuts & business incentives to attract investment
We’ve strengthened our economy. That’s enabled us to cut the income tax for the fourth year in a row and we’ll do it again this year. All told, we’ll ease the tax burden on families by $204 million dollars. And when you tally up all of the incentives
we’ve put in place for business, it’s over $121 million. That’s encouraging existing companies to expand, and it’s attracting new investment to our state.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Rhode Island Legislature
Feb 7, 2001
John Engler:
Michigan lagged in 1990s; now restored & renewed
Throughout the ‘90s, after a decade in which Michigan lagged the nation, our goal was to “restore and renew our great state.” We did just that.- Record cuts in property taxes were combined with record increases in school funding-full funding for
every child.
- More than 58,000 children are learning in 183 charter public schools, while 26,000 are benefiting from schools of choice.
- Welfare caseloads are at the lowest levels since the 1960s-down more than 70%.
- With the creation of nearly
900,000 new jobs, unemployment went down from 9.3% in 1991 to 3.4% in 2000, the lowest unemployment rate in Michigan history!
- We are the number one state for new factories, expansion projects and capital investment.
- And Michigan gained nearly
650,000 new residents, the fastest growth since the 1960s and an increase almost 20 times the growth in the previous decade.
- Together, we turned Michigan’s lights back on. You might say we went from watching taillights to welcoming headlights.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Michigan legislature
Jan 31, 2001
Tommy Thompson:
Build the roads and the jobs follow
When we came in, Wisconsin was largely a network of inefficient and dangerous two-lane highways. So we built strategic corridors of four-lane roads that are delivering remarkable economic benefits for communities.
From 1990 to 1996, more than 87% of the 1,900 manufacturing developments in Wisconsin occurred within five miles of a Corridors 2020 highway. And these plants created 90% of the new manufacturing jobs in our state.
We built the roads and the jobs followed. The correlation couldn’t be clearer, nor could the payoff on the investment.We also increased spending on mass transportation by 140%, helping our workers get to and from their jobs.
And we are leading the nation into an exciting new era of high-speed passenger rail with the help of Amtrak. We’ve taken a balanced approach to moving our products and people in Wisconsin.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address
Jan 31, 2001
Bob Holden:
Missouri is and should be fiscally conservative
Missouri remains a low tax, efficiently run state, according to all prominent national rankings. Missouri ranks 40th in the nation in per capita tax burden and 47th in state government expenditures per capita. We are a fiscally conservative state
and will remain so during my administration. We’re only one of a few states that have maintained our Triple-A bond rating from the major rating agencies. More Missourians are working than ever before. Personal income is up.
Source: 2001 State of the State speech in Missouri House Chambers
Jan 30, 2001
Judy Martz:
Diversify the economy; expand job market
We have gained more than 107,000 jobs in the past ten years. Compare that to the 1980’s when jobs grew by only 43,000. We’re growing -- but not as fast as we should. We can do better. We will not rest until Montana’s economy reflects the diversity and
capacity of the people within it. The Martz Administration’s primary goal is to diversify our economy, expand our job market with higher paying jobs, actively supporting and recruiting businesses that can thrive within our current environmental standards
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Montana Legislature
Jan 25, 2001
Judy Martz:
Teach businesses about venture capital, to create jobs
We have laid the groundwork for future economic growth through our Jobs and Opportunities initiative. We’re working to eliminate the roadblocks to creating and growing technology businesses in the state. We are teaching our
companies the tricks of competition for venture capital and we are beginning to see results -- since 1999, Montana businesses have garnered $1.5 million in awards, which translate into more and better paying jobs.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Montana Legislature
Jan 25, 2001
Bob Taft:
Keep budget balanced without new taxes; hold spending
A tight budget requires tough decisions. In making those decisions, I had three goals: - To balance the budget without new taxes. We’ve done that.
- To hold the line on spending for overhead and reduce the size of the bureaucracy.
We’ve done that.
- And finally, and most importantly, to invest 50 percent of all new spending in education at all levels. I’m proud to report we’ve done that, too!
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Ohio Legislature
Jan 24, 2001
Benjamin Cayetano:
More funding for tourism infrastructure
Tourism had a record year last year, and this year might be even better. One reason is our three-year old, state-of-the-art, $300 million Hawaii Convention Center. Another is the $60 million we give the Hawaii Tourism Authority to market Hawaii each
year. This year, we will focus on expanding our cruise line industry. Cruise lines are a very important part of Hawaii’s tourist industry. Therefore, we will submit a request for funding to improve docking and pier facilities.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to Hawaii Legislature
Jan 22, 2001
Kenny Guinn:
Change government to deal with explosive growth
For a decade, we have led the nation in growth. As a result of this tremendous growth, we will be given a third seat to amplify our voice and enhance our position in Congress. But growth also brings its share of challenges.
Nevada’s school enrollment is increasing at three times the national average, we lead the nation in growth with our senior citizen population, our transportation system must constantly improve to avoid gridlock, and our health care system is strained by
the ever-increasing demands placed upon it. Two years ago, I stood before you in this chamber and declared that we would have to cut funding for many programs even though the state’s revenues were growing. We had to change the way Nevada did business,
and change we did. I directed the most comprehensive review of Nevada state government in our history, and we identified numerous ways we could cut costs and become more efficient and responsive in delivering services to our citizens.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to the Nevada Legislature
Jan 22, 2001
Frank O'Bannon:
Focus during slowdown on education & vulnerability
In just the past four years we have invested record amounts in our public schools, our colleges and universities, and our roads and bridges. And, we have returned $1.5 billion to Hoosier taxpayers. My spending priorities [for the coming year] are:
- Continuing to improve our public schools
- Supporting our most vulnerable Hoosiers
- Making sure our working men and women have 21st Century skills; and
- Continuing important state services.
These are my spending priorities based on our available revenues. Because our economy is cooling down, our reserve is precariously low. Most of that reserve - about $600 million in the Rainy Day Fund and $265 million in the Tuition Support Fund -
cannot be used unless certain conditions are met. That is why I am proposing that we use $410 million of surplus gaming money to pay for some of these priority spending items and help us get through this economic slowdown.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to Ind. legislature
Jan 17, 2001
Mike Leavitt:
Highest priority is “economic transition”
Two words express what I believe to be our state’s most important priority: “economic transition.” So, what is Utah’s economic game plan?- We have a young, education- minded, tech-savvy workforce that will grow at twice the national average.
-
We will keep Utah a safe, livable place where New Economy business can operate profitably.
- When it comes to the competition, we’ll just out work ‘em.
We live in a time of rapid economic and cultural change. It is driven by information technology,
which affects every part of our lives. Our home towns have become part of a single global market. The power of nations has shifted from bombs to bandwidth. More and more we do our errands online, not in line. From where we sit we can literally reach
across the globe and connect with loved ones in far-off lands...in an instant. What used to take weeks now takes seconds. Every change both eliminates jobs and creates others. Change is unsettling, often painful, but it is the fuel of renewal.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Utah legislature
Jan 16, 2001
Jim Geringer:
Spend one-time revenue on one-time expenditures
We must be responsible in how we deal with the forecast surplus. Use one-time funds [such as mineral revenue] to cover unique or non-recurring obligations. I ask your support to do the following: - Determine how much of the surplus is sustainable
beyond the next two biennia. I estimate that long-term sustainable revenues will support about $198M per biennium of new spending.
- Set aside reasonable and prudent reserves [including] $72M for a statutory reserve (5% of estimated general fund
receipts) and $50M to expand the Spending Policy Reserve to include mineral income.
- A partial restoration of funds lost by the Water Development: allocate $75M of the one-time funds.
- $65M for endowment funds for the University and our Community
Colleges.
- Spend one-time revenue on one-time expenditures. Don’t fund on-going obligations without the assurance of future revenue.
- I recommend reducing statewide sales and use taxes by a half percent, effective during FY2001 only.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Wyoming Legislature
Jan 10, 2001
Jim Gilmore:
Virginia is booming; unemployment at record lows
Despite the pressures of a national economic slowdown, our economy remains strong. In fact, last year, was a landmark year for economic growth and development.- In November, Virginia unemployment dropped to an incredible 2%-the third lowest rate in
the nation.
- Virginia companies announced investments of $6 billion in our economy last year, which is an all-time record.
- We have already kept our promise to create 250 thousand new jobs before the end of this Administration.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to VA General Assembly
Jan 10, 2001
Ronnie Musgrove:
Attract new businesses; develop existing ones
We have a bold, new plan for economic growth in all 82 counties: rural and urban, agricultural and industrial. - The impact of the Advantage Mississippi Initiative has already been measured by the success of attracting Nissan.
-
The Advantage Mississippi Initiative established a rural development office responsible for targeting smaller communities and manufacturers.
- With the new Capital Access Program, more Mississippi entrepreneurs than ever will have access
to the resources they need to start small businesses across our state.
- By maximizing specific capabilities and assets, the On-TARGET Community Certification Program can assist local communities recruit, retain and grow businesses tailored to their
communities.
- But don’t forget, we have a commitment to businesses that are already here in Mississippi, and we are just as committed to helping them thrive and prosper.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Mississippi legislature
Jan 4, 2001
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