a. Long-term orientation – We desire to achieve a 1,000 days of progress that will benefit Utah over a 10,000 day horizon.

b. Collaborative – We desire to benefit from many correlated 1,000-day plans.

c. Fiscally disciplined – We financially manage all aspects of the plan prudently.

d. Adaptive – We will update the plan every 200 days.

e. Measured – We will track our progress using key measures and milestones.

a. Job growth exceeds the growth in the workforce.

b. Utah wages increase faster than inflation.

c. The benefits of economic prosperity are felt statewide.

d. Growth in the economy exceeds growth in government spending.

We will track these measures, as well as additional indicators of our progress.

a. Invest in people.

b. Develop Utah as a center for technology investment, employment and entrepreneurship.

c. Enhance life quality.

Education leads prosperity. Utah learned this during the 1990s when by doubling the investment in education and increasing the number of adults with college degrees the state sustained its longest sustained economic expansion. In the information age, education is economic fuel. We must transform Utah’s education system to be tech-smart, competency-measured and market fast. Enhancements and investment in education form the keystone to the state’s economic development policy.

Action Steps:

a. Funding – Make the quality of Utah’s public and higher education system the highest funding priority of state government.

b. Competency – Transform Utah’s education system to be competency-measured. By valuing performance instead of seat-time, we will train Utah students to succeed in the global economy.

i. Adopt the Utah State Office of Education’s Performance Plus plan.
ii. Make funding recommendations that support an incremental adoption of competency-measured learning so no child is left behind.

c. Choice and competition -- Expand choice and competition by increasing the number of and funding for charter schools.

i. Create six high tech high schools.
ii. Design a template for charter schools that are custom fit to targeted sponsors or industries.
iii. Secure funding parity for charter schools with other public schools.
iv. Create and enlarge capital funds for charter schools.

d. Accountability – Make Utah schools accountable by testing each student against definable standards, reporting measurable results and preparing value-added reports by school and district.

e. Technology-oriented – Double the number of engineering, math and computer science students by 2005.

i. Build two new engineering facilities at the University of Utah and Utah State University.
ii. Fund increased capacity for new faculty, classrooms and equipment.
iii. Retain and train new math, science and information technology teachers.

Economic leadership begins with innovation. Utah ideas – such as the television, artificial heart, limb and kidney, computer graphics, word processing, and networking – have changed the world. Too often much of the economic wealth created by these ideas leaves Utah to be developed elsewhere. By developing Utah as a top-tier technology state the benefits of Utah’s innovations will remain in the state and Utah will prosper in the information age.

Action Steps:

a. Business climate – Maintain a fair tax and regulatory environment where business can operate profitably.

b. Utah brand – Develop and market Utah’s global brand of competence, natural beauty and friendly, great people via business and travel development.

i. Reinforce the Utah message.

1. Rapidly growing workforce.
2. Education oriented.
3. Tech savvy.
4. Affordable.
5. Recreation-minded and livable.

c. Trade missions – Conduct regular foreign and domestic trade missions to build a network of individual, regional and international alliances that build upon Utah’s economic strengths.

i. Moscow – Host Winter Games in February 2004.
ii. Mexico City – Expand educational and health care opportunities for Mexican immigrants. Increase Utah/Mexico trade by reducing trade barriers and supporting economic opportunities.
iii. Athens and Torino – Help Utah companies secure Olympic contracts in future Olympic cities.
iv. Asia – Increase trade by establishing business connections and sharing the Utah brand.
v. Europe – Increase trade by establishing business connections and sharing the Utah brand.
vi. Canada, other foreign and domestic cities – Expand business opportunities for Utah companies by promoting Utah’s economic ecosystems and sharing the Utah brand.

d. Target industries – Create economic ecosystems and make them a well-recognized icon of Utah’s economic leadership.

i. Web Services.
ii. Digital Media.
iii. Biotechnology and Human Genetics.
iv. Medical Devices.
v. Sports.
vi. Outdoor Recreation.

1. Identify and promote top destinations.
2. Inventory current land protections.
3. Protect wilderness-quality lands.

vii. Nutraceuticals.
viii. Aerospace and General Aviation.
ix. Wealth Management.
x. Health Informatics (focus on rural Utah).
xi. Others being developed.

e. Rural focus – Develop rural Smart Sites to create high quality jobs and diversify the economy in rural Utah.

f. Venture capital – Increase Utah’s visibility with venture capital markets.

In the information age, talent is king. No longer is a region’s success defined by proximity to a seaport, rail station, gold mine or big city. Instead, a region’s greatest economic asset is a livable community with free-flowing traffic, clean air and water, attractive natural landscapes, and fabulous places to recreate. The most prosperous economies will be those that retain or attract people with talent. And people with talent can live anywhere they want. They will choose places with life quality.

Action Steps:

a. Quality growth – Implement quality growth strategies.

i. Conserve an average of 10,000 acres a year of critical land.
ii. Promote a conservation ethic.

1. Governor’s Water Conservation Team
2. PowerFoward

iii. Align state funding with quality growth priorities.

1. Create Quality Growth Communities.

iv. Foster meaningful planning at the community level.

1. Designate 40 21st Century Communities by 2004.
2. Develop a county land planning toolkit.
3. Help communities to develop infrastructure efficiently.

v. Restore and preserve the state Capitol.
vi. Actively advance policies to improve air and water quality.

b. Nuclear waste – Keep high-level nuclear waste from being stored in Utah.

c. Transportation – Improve and expand roads, rail transportation and trails and streams.

i. Continue progress on Centennial Highway Projects.
ii. Preserve transportation corridors and plan for future growth.
iii. Resolve access issues to rural road rights-of-way.
iv. Support commuter rail.
v. Expand light rail.
vi. Create a superb system of recreational trails and streams.

d. Energy – Utah will have reliable, affordable, sustainable, clean energy.

i. Use Enlibra principles to guide policy positions.
ii. Partner with neighboring states to develop solutions to common problems.
iii. Support sustained investments in cost-effective demand-side management and increased use of energy efficient technologies.
iv. Promote diversity of fuel mix and technologies.
v. Keep energy prices affordable.

e. Online government – Promote government services online 24/7.

i. Implement a comprehensive suite of appropriate online services.
ii. Remove legal and legislative barriers to electronic commerce and online delivery of government services, products and information.
iii. Increase adoption rates of online services.
iv. Collaborate with federal and local agencies to bring services, products and information online.
v. Expand the availability of affordable high-speed Internet access to every home, school, agency and business.

f. Safe communities -- Develop an integrated homeland security plan among state agencies and all levels of government.

g. Health care – Expand health care coverage to working families who cannot afford insurance.