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DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
October 20,
1999
Development Work Group membership
- Increase
economic equity and opportunity (livable wage); business retention;
business attraction; community responsive business; business
and worker friendly policies
- Recruit
and develop businesses that pay a livable wage
- Tax revenues
– review for regional competitiveness
- By 2010,
Iowa is ranked 20th in wages (currently 43rd)
- Smart growth
and eco-sensitive development (efficient, less sprawl)
- Higher standard
of living than the rest of the country (economic and quality
of life)
- Iowa becomes
the first state with true public-private partnership to track
global trends to position itself to serve global market/needs
- Family friendly
business, employers
- State transportation
policy focussed on moving people and products, not cars and trucks
- Sustainable
development – balanced economy, environment and equity
- More attractions
(referred to community group)
- Enhance
foreign trade investment and quality products
- One of the
fastest growing immigrant populations in the U.S.
- Strategies
to facilitate development of clusters
- Aging population
- Image perception
by business (esp. poor perception of available labor by Iowa
business
- Widening
gap between rural and urban manufacturing wages
- Business
retention (early warning system, exports, global competition)
Rural
development
- Migration
to economic centers
- Agriculture
-Specialization of ag products – focus, resources, legislation
-Food and bio-science capital of the world
-Low ag prices
- Non-ag
-Development opportunities in rural areas – not necessarily
ag-based. Vibrant
rural communities.
Workforce
development
- Sufficient
skilled workers to meet industry needs and spur new development
(not smokestack chasing)
- Enhanced
modes of transportation at competitive prices
- Educational
network for continuing training – workforce flexible for
changing business needs
- Education
more responsive to skill needs of business and industry (i.e.
school to work)
- Reduced
isolated pockets of high unemployment
- Iowans risk
averse and change resistant
- Well educated
population, good work ethic
- Export of
people, esp. college grads
- Limited
labor availability, including need for technology skills
- Image/perception
among workers
- Non-traditional
worker support
Technology
- Leading
edge technologies – info-based economy; training; info tech
skills; infrastructure; interface with broad band network, tech
industries targeted
- Technology
transfer
New business
start ups
- Leader in
small business incubation and entrepreneurship
- Poor access
to capital
- Low risk
behavior of Iowans
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