In spite of the turmoil over mortgage foreclosures and the bailout of Wall Street banking institutions currently raging in Washington, D.C., Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher says the Buckeye State has to forge ahead in planning for the future.
"This is no time to be wringing our hands or hunkering down to wait for a solution. We're moving ahead at lightning speed. We have to because the world is also coming at us at lightning speed," he told an audience of more than 50 gathered at Washington State Community College on Friday.
Fisher was in town spreading the news about the Ohio Department of Development's strategic plan aimed at improving the state's economy by redesigning the its business climate.
"There has not been a strategic plan for economic development in Ohio for years," he said. "And we need to have performance measures to determine how we're doing. All too often we focus on the quick fix, but that's part of what's wrong in Washington, D.C., today.
"We want to be proactive change-makers by living within our means and investing in what matters," Fisher said.
One initiative that is expected to directly affect southeast Ohio is Enterprise Appalachia, a new program designed to stimulate economic activity by marketing the Appalachian region through a campaign to attract and create small businesses based on the successes of local entrepreneurs.
Fred Deel, director of the Governor's Office on Appalachia, said the program is still under development, but will be rolled out by the end of this year or early next year.
Fisher said tourism also plays an important part in sharing Ohio's story with people around the world, and noted that Ohio's Film Office has been reestablished to help grow the film, video and media production industries throughout the state.
Kelly Blazosky, executive director of the Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she was glad to see the film office being revitalized.
"But the state's tourism division budget is still in last place among other departments," she said. "That needs to be raised so that we can be competitive with other states."
Fisher agreed.
"We're now trying to catch up, but that cannot happen overnight," he said.
Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen said he liked the strategic plan, but was concerned about funding.
"This is going to cost us a lot of money to make it fly," he said. "And in times of tight budgets at both the state and local levels, how will we pay for this?"
Fisher said the department is constructing its budgets for the coming year.
"Our departments will be sitting down with the governor and me to see what we need and what we can do without," he said. "And the governor is committed to making sure this plan is implemented and funded."
