Thread: Western Governors Focus on Immigration

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Monday, June 13, 2005 - 12:00 AM |
Western governors focus on immigration

Steven K. Paulson THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. -- Eight Western governors and three Canadian premiers focused on internationalization and immigration on Sunday as they searched for ways to build their regional economies and find solutions to problems that include increased demands for health care and education.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, said Western states are not only competing with each other for high-tech businesses, but with other countries, like India, as technology breaks down barriers to trade.

"I think what we're seeing is that we can have technology in places like Montana and North Dakota because of broadband, because of the ability to communicate rapidly," author and futurist Joel Kotkin told leaders at the Western Governors' Association conference. "We can move primary technology from a place like Silicon Valley to Phoenix because Phoenix has portability, they have technologists who are available, they have the ability for innovation, they have broadband so it doesn't have to be in Silicon Valley.

"Here is our challenge: It's coming to North Dakota and it's also going to India. If you want it hot and like it hot, you can go to Phoenix or you can go to India," Kotkin said.

The Western governors said the other international challenge facing their states comes from immigration.

Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, chairman of the association, said Western states are being swamped with demands on health care and education from immigrants, and the West cannot look to other states for solutions.

Owens said many Western states are forced to focus on basics like English education in school districts where up to 50 percent of the students are undocumented aliens, instead of math and science that will provide better jobs.

"Sometimes American and even Coloradan and Arizonan outcomes are changed substantially because we have a lot of different input coming in than say Wisconsin, where they don't have a substantial number of Canadians coming across the border to join their schools and health care systems," said Owens, a Republican.

Kotkin said Western states cannot become a regional power until they start acting like one. Only eight of the 21 Western governors showed up for the annual conference, including Alaska, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. also attended.

"The whole West Coast isn't here. I think that's a problem. How can they talk about problems if they aren't here?" Kotkin asked.

Owens said western states have their differences, but there are also areas of agreement, including support for the North American Free Trade Agreement and local control of federal lands.

Canadian Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba said Canada also shares its future of the West. He said one sign of regional cooperation is the recent decision to put Canadian planes on standby to fight wildfires in the U.S.

In the last two years, to make sure planes weren't sitting on the tarmac in Canada when there were fires in the U.S., the countries have worked on agreements to buy compatible equipment and have common standards of training across the border, he said.

Governor Mike Rounds Elected Vice Chair, Western Governor's Association

"We often are able to make the voice of the West heard back in Washington"

Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona was elected today by her colleagues to be the new chair of the Western Governors' Association, and Gov. Mike Rounds of South Dakota was elected vice chair.

The Western Governors' Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 18 states and three U.S.-Flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the Western governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.

On the final day of their annual meeting, the governors also adopted a number of policy resolutions on issues related to energy, public lands management, economic competitiveness, rural schools and transportation.

"My goal over the next year is to convene some of the best and brightest minds to educate and inform Western decision-makers from the public, private and non-profit sectors on steps we can take to ensure our region's economic vitality and environmental health are protected and improved," Napolitano said. "We will examine case studies and successful strategies from around the nation and the world that have helped foster sustainable local economies and a healthy environment.

Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado, WGA's outgoing chairman, turned the gavel over to Napolitano, expressing thanks for her support over the past year.

"We accomplished a great deal through bipartisan work on issues important to the West," he said. "We are making progress on strategies that will ensure we have affordable, reliable and diversified energy supplies. We also established the Sagebrush Conservation Council, which will assist dozens of local working groups in 11 states to complete their conservation plans for the Greater Sage Grouse and other species that depend on the sagebrush habitat for their survival. I know Governor Napolitano will continue making great progress on these and other initiatives."

Gov. Rounds said: "WGA has been effective in bringing the governors together to work on important issues, such as drought management, carbon sequestration, environmental management, chronic wasting disease and the improvement of trade with our neighbors. Collectively, we often are able to make the voice of the West heard back in Washington."

Among the resolutions adopted today was one co-sponsored by Govs. Napolitano and Rounds calling on Congress to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. When the national forest system was created in 1907, Congress recognized that small communities near the forests should be compensated for lost tax revenues. The funding is used for education and road maintenance and construction, but it has dropped dramatically with decreased timber sales. The rural schools act if reauthorized by Congress would ensure these programs continue to receive compensation for these essential needs.

Other resolutions adopted today call for:

Creation of a North American Energy Council to address the region's need for diverse and reliable power supplies and to ensure there is adequate transmission to move new generation to market. Sponsor: Gov. Bill Richardson (N.M.)

Improved monitoring and prediction capability for key weather and climate conditions relevant to wildland fires and prescribed burns through improved National Weather Service technology, data and services. Technical information should be made available to all levels of government, not just to the private sector for resale purposes. Sponsor: Gov. Rounds

Continued modernization and upgrading of highways, railroads, public transportation, air service and ports. Safety efforts should focus on "ZERO DEATHS" and innovative, sustainable funding models should be developed. (Sponsor: Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (Idaho), Gov. Napolitano

Conservation easements and other voluntary, incentive-based methods for preserving open space and maintaining land and water for agricultural and timber production, wildlife and other values. Sponsors: Govs. Bill Owens (Colo.), Napolitano, Richardson, Jon Huntsman (Utah) and Christine Gregoire (Wash.)

All 27 resolutions were adopted unanimously and now become policy of the WGA to implement and to advocate before Congress and the Administration. They are available on the WGA Web site at http://www.westgov.org.
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