According to an announcement late last week, Facebook Inc. has decided to build a $450 million data center facility in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Through a combination of tax incentives, public-private partnerships and meteorological endowment, the state is making a play to become a data center Mecca. Update: This Monday, Gov. Purdue announced that Wipro [...]
Since 2004, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has made a dozen trips abroad, looking to attract money to the state economy. During her weekly radio address, Gov. Granholm said her “investment missions” have netted the sate nearly $2 billion, creating or retaining more than 20,000 jobs.
In an effort to help states build and maintain a workforce tooled to work in a clean energy economy, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has released a new issue brief. Higher education systems, training programs and private industry will have to work in tandem to develop a clean energy workforce, the brief [...]
According to the Intelligent Community Forum, a New York City-based think tank that studies the economic and social impacts of broadband, six US cities and counties are leading the way in healthcare delivery through innovative IT and telecommunications strategies. The US honorees join fifteen others from Canada, Australia, Europe and Asia as part of the [...]
A new report compiled by Missouri State University, in conjunction with the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), finds that the Show-Me state ranks higher than national averages across many indicators of community engagement. But continued economic declines in the state, and a further disintegration of blue-collar jobs threaten its civic health.
We are now but a few weeks away from the November elections. From a state perspective, the 2010 election represents perhaps the most daunting level of leadership changes ever experienced at one time. This creates significant opportunities, but also some risks and uncertainties. As has been widely reported, there are an unprecedented 37 contested governors [...]
A campaign to position Montana as a regional hub for start-up businesses was launched last week, with target industries ranging from clean technology and bioscience to aerospace and IT. The state’s fiscal standing and limited taxation climate is ideal for young professionals and entrepreneurs, said Even Barrett, Chief Business Development Officer.
According to an interim report, produced by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform & Restructuring, the Commonwealth is looking to promote expanded use of telework in government, while enhancing business-centric and citizen-centric customer services. Making up the lion’s share of the reports 107 suggestions, the shared services committee recommended ways to make collections [...]
According to a new analysis by the National Governors Association, states are pursuing long-term strategies to downsize and streamline operations in the wake of the Great Recession. From corrections and K-12 education, to payroll and agency consolidation, state governments are trying to deal with record revenue shortfalls and increased demands for services.
Iowa is beginning to consolidate its IT infrastructure according to a new executive order signed by Governor Culver on Friday. The order outlines the steps the state will take to streamline its IT operations and look for ways to cut costs. The Governor claims that the planned outlined in the order draws on best practices [...]
