Economy, Economic Development and Jobs

As Director and Assistant Director for six and a half years for the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), one of the state’s lead agencies for economic and community development, I worked first-hand with both existing and new industries and businesses in the state.  It was and still is my commitment to ensure the same investments offered for new industries are available to existing businesses looking to expand their operations.
 
The Alabama Development Office (ADO) has done a great job recruiting industries to the state and supporting expansion of existing businesses.  I propose establishment of a team to help existing industries expand their export efforts.  "Alabama To Go,"  will work with businesses to develop and expand their out-of-state and overseas markets.
 

BRAC
 
At ADECA, we made significant investments in recruiting defense missions under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission.  Those investments paid off handsomely with thousands of new jobs. We need to capitalize on those opportunities by putting recruiting teams in place to now bring those jobs and people to Alabama. These federally-funded positions are less subject to the fluctuating ups and downs of the economy, and they will help mitigate the effects of the current economic downturn. These new jobs will provide employment opportunities for our citizens and increase dollars flowing into our economy by families relocating to Alabama. 

Workforce Development
 
I was intimately involved in workforce development at ADECA as the Governor’s designee to the Department of Labor--overseeing more than $40 million dollars a year of workforce development funding. One of the most startling statistics is that over half of all workforce training dollars are wasted.  The waste is a result of  training people for jobs that don’t exist or training those who then move on to do something completely different than what we trained them for.
 
In the current economy, it will be especially important that we build a direct relationship between our existing businesses and our workforce training providers. We started down this path a few years ago by dividing the state into workforce regions and establishing local boards comprised of businesses and local community colleges. We can take this to the next level by allocating workforce training funds to these regional boards.  This will ensure investments are being made in training for occupations that are in demand at the local level.
 

Education
 
ACCESS Distance Learning
 
One of my priorities in the area of education is the expansion and improvement of the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students State-wide (ACCESS) Distance Learning program. At ADECA, I invested millions of dollars in ACCESS because I fully believe connecting students to education through distance learning will be the great equalizer for our youth. ACCESS allows students in more rural areas to take courses not available to them locally via video conferencing and web-based applications.  

My commitment is to  also continue the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). This program provides intensive assistance to our schools and promotes the teaching of math and science courses. Alabama has transformed into an industrial and high-tech economic powerhouse.  In order for our children to take advantage of these high-growth, high-wage positions, they need to have education and training to meet the high-tech demands. 

 
HIPPY
 
Many of our children lag behind in school because they didn't have the benefit of a good start during their formative years.  The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) works with parents of our youngest citizens to help them understand the importance of the early development of a child’s mind. At ADECA, I supported the expansion of this program to a number of new counties.  It will be my commitment as governor to bring this great program to parents in all 67 counties.
 

Drop-out Prevention
 
One of our greatest challenges is encouraging Alabama's youth to stay in school. Only 59% of our high school students graduate.  A study last year concluded that the average Alabamian earns $5,800 less each year than the average American and attributes 60% of this gap to lower education levels.
 
The reasons youth drop out are numerous, but we need to recognize that not every child has a goal of obtaining a college education. Some either don't see the relevance of post-secondary ed or can't afford the cost of ever-increasing tuition.  I believe there is an opportunity to lower the drop-out rate by identifying at-risk youth early and transitioning them into dual-enrollment technical training courses at local community colleges. 

 
Ethics Reform and Transparency in Government
 
One of the challenges facing Alabama and darkening our image is the steady string of indictments and convictions of public officials.  These ethical misconducts not only impact our image globally, but also degrade our own citizens' confidence in government. 
 
I support the comprehensive package of ethics reforms that Governor Riley has proposed relative to gifts by lobbyists, disclosure requirements and campaign finance reporting regulations.
 
On an even larger scale, the scandal with the Jefferson County sewer bond and the impending bankruptcy will be a black eye for this state for years and years to come.  This situation impacts the entire state as the credit markets charge higher interest rates to not only Jefferson County, but to every city, county and public entity that applies for credit.
 

Bond and Public Financing Oversight Commission
 
As part of my ethics reform and transparency package, I am proposing the creation of a Bond and Public Financing Oversight Commission.  This Commission will review every debt issuance by any public entity, publicize the fees and establish a risk rating of the underlying package.  This will help mayors and county commissioners across the state compare fees and rates they are quoted, as well as provide experts for reviewing the risk of the offering.
 
States that have enacted such an Oversight Commission have seen interest rates drop dramatically.

Initiative and Referendum

I fully support the ability of citizens to enact legislation directly through Initiative and Referendum process as a way to make government more responsive, stimulate citizen participation in our legislative process and reverse the concentration of government power.  I support HB279 that was proposed in the 2009 legislative session and sponsored by Representatives Ball, Canfield, Love, Hubbard, Mask, Clouse, Hammon, Ward, DeMarco, McCutcheon, Todd, Hinshaw, Sanderford, Oden, Hill, Treadaway and Gipson.  The text of that legislation can be found here.