January 16, 2009
Gov. Nixon Provides Details on Show Me JOBS, a Bipartisan Plan to Get Missourians Back to Work
Governor Nixon toured EMSI, a small business in Springfield that does consulting work internationally on green building and sustainable community design projects.
Springfield, Mo. -- In a visit today to a Springfield design firm, Gov. Jay Nixon detailed his Show Me JOBS initiative, a bipartisan plan to get Missourians back to work and support small-business growth. Gov. Nixon also talked about action he took earlier this week to turn around Missouri’s economy. Before his remarks, the Governor toured EMSI, a small business in Springfield that does consulting work internationally on green building and sustainable community design projects.
“For Missouri’s economy to get back on the right track and for us to create good-paying jobs, we must do everything we can to encourage the development and growth of small businesses like this,” Gov. Nixon said. “That’s what my Show Me JOBS plan is all about – putting Missourians back to work and supporting small-business growth during these difficult economic times.”
Gov. Nixon said that too often, those starting up small businesses are willing to take the risks needed but face obstacles such as obtaining sufficient capital from lenders. State government needs to help such entrepreneurs, the Governor said.
“This week, one of the executive orders I signed directed the Department of Economic Development to work with the Missouri Development Finance Board to create a pool of funds for low-interest or no-interest direct loans for small businesses,” Gov. Nixon said. “These loans can be a real step toward allowing small businesses to expand and create jobs.”
The Governor also signed an executive order during his first week creating an automotive jobs task force to ensure that Missouri’s autoworkers and other industry employees are at the forefront of production of fuel-efficient, “green” vehicles. The task force will issue a report on ways the state can preserve and create jobs that not only deal with the direct manufacture of vehicles, but also the many thousands of other jobs dependent on that industry.
A third executive order signed by the Governor creates a council to identify ways that Missouri can gain the maximum benefit from any federal economic stimulus package. State officials would coordinate all job-creation initiatives with Missouri’s Congressional delegation as well as federal officials to ensure that Missouri is ready with projects that will qualify for federal stimulus assistance.
“We have a highly productive, innovative workforce that is second to none, but Missouri families and businesses continue to suffer because of the national economic crisis,” Gov. Nixon said. “We must identify ways for Missouri to stay ahead of the curve, and the Show Me JOBS plan lays out many of those mechanisms to do that.”
Legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle – including Senate president pro tem Charlie Shields and Speaker of the House Ron Richard – share Gov. Nixon’s belief that the top priority of the legislative session must be creating new jobs and turning Missouri’s economy around.
Gov. Nixon said the next step after executive orders must be passing bills to enact the entire Show Me JOBS plan. The Governor said that legislation would need to, among other things, expand the Quality Jobs Act and provide incentives for companies to provide worker training and retraining.
The General Assembly must act quickly, the Governor said. “We need to work across party lines to revive Missouri’s economy and help our families with good jobs. The time to act is now – we simply can’t afford a delay,” he said.