Gov. Nixon’s first orders deal with jobs
In his first morning on the job, Gov. Jay Nixon kept the focus on economic development.
Nixon issued an executive order setting up a 12-member task force to figure out how to lure high-tech automobile plants to the state.
Another order creates a 15-member task force to plan for the federal stimulus package that is expected to be passed by Congress soon.
A third order prods the independent Missouri Development Finance Board to set up a loan program for small businesses.
Nixon said he wants to put all the initiatives on a fast track. The stimulus task force must report back by Feb. 27 and the auto task force report is due within 90 days.
As for the small business program, Nixon wants the finance board to use $2 million in fees it collects to provide loans of about $25,000 each to promising small businesses.
But he’ll have to get that through Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, the Republican who chairs the board. Kinder said in a statement that he would evaluate the plan.
First question for the automobile task force: How are we going to attract high-tech automobile plants to Missouri when we can’t even retain the plants we already have? And the underlying question: Why did auto manufacturers close plants in Missouri instead of elsewhere?