Whatever your opinion of government, whether you fall into the pure free-markets, “less is more” camp or the hands-on government camp, there should be one thing we all agree on: government has quite an influence on our state. With up to 52% of our state economy somehow connected to government spending (yes, the highest in the nation), how could it not?

Here are a few ways in which government can support our transformation into a successful new economy, creative industry region:

• Embrace e-Government – Some good news on this front, after years of falling behind other states. Read about the progress from The State Journal. Government can provide the visibility and convenience of online services as a great motivator for more people to get online, which should open doors for other benefits to citizens such as e-learning.
• 21st Century Education Reform – West Virginia is one of a handful of signees to the 21st Century Skills partnership, but much work remains to be done to truly transform our local schools to embrace teaching the holistic learning skills required for success in the new economy. We also need a gigantic rally to get a higher percentage of our adults to earn college degrees and a much more aggressive infusion of arts and culture in our schools.
• Research Funding – $50 million is a great start; let’s pass this and build on it next year. For those who may be skeptical that government-funded research is a good thing, remember that the Internet, along with many othe major innovations in science, health and technology, would not exist without it.
• Arts and Cultural Funding – While we’re not last in this category, we’re not necessarily first either. The combination of the development of an arts/cultural economy with tourism and business recruitment is very synergistic.   
• State Image – While the Tourism Commission has done an award-winning job promoting West Virginia as a great place to visit, we need a stronger push for inviting people to consider our state as a great place to live and start an art gallery, a business or some other creative endeavor. The proposed “Coming Home” campaign is a start. This type of initiative is very important for both internal and external image; our assets are not widely known, and too many negative assumptions still exist.
• Re-Purposed Economic Development Programs/Funding – While industrial parks have been and will continue to be important for economic growth, we believe the real opportunity in the 21st century is through economic gardening. How can we include entrepreneurship and new economy business incubation as a core part of our state economic development programs?
• Broadband as 21st Century Utility – The Governor’s task force on broadband coverage in West Virginia is due very soon. If it delivers as promised, it should be a great roadmap to guide where private sector efforts can fill the gaps and where private/public partnerships may be required. One thing is true: you can’t participate in a global Internet-based economy when you don’t have a connection.

What do you think? What is the role of our state and local governments in supporting the transition to the “Conceptual Age” and global, Internet-based economy?

if you’d like to track any legislative activity on any of these fronts, remember you can visit the State Legislature’s web site at: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/index.cfm.  And please, as with any public policy issue, let your voice be heard. Contact your representatives and senators to share your opinion!