Arizona's telecommunication industry and infrastructure have not kept pace with Arizona's explosive growth in other areas. Though there are some bright spots and some successes, much more can be done. With the telecommunications industry in a state of flux, any development must be based on sound business principles and careful strategic planning. The technology upon which the telecomm industry is based is changing, and this change presents great opportunities for Arizona-based entrepreneurs to create new jobs in Arizona.

Competition and open markets lead to innovation and increased productivity. As Governor, I will work with the legislature to foster competition and increased productivity. Where appropriate, I will work with the Corporation Commission to remove barriers to competition or technological advancement.

I also believe that State government can play a leadership role in showing the benefits of technology. The demands of more and more e-Government at every level will also bring new opportunities into the marketplace. As Governor I will work to:

• Transform Arizona government into a more efficient user of technology and telecommunication services.
• Use technology to increase productivity and foster real economic growth.
• Provide appropriate infrastructure for growth.
• Look for new business models which use the technology.
• Encourage State and local systems integration and connection to share information.
• Support targeted investments in technical infrastructure to attract high tech businesses that require such infrastructure.

As Governor, I will aggressively pursue industries that are the economic engines of the global market. I will implement state policies that support these industries and create a business climate that will compete effectively with other states for these industries. Moreover, I will appoint a cabinet-level officer who will be in charge of economic policy and development for the state. The officer will be responsible for bringing structure, organization and control to the alphabet soup of economic development groups that currently exist in every Arizona county and city. This will ensure that our existing businesses are at the table and represented in economic development plans and activities.

Additionally, I will improve government services by requiring state agencies to offer efficient electronic access to all feasible services for our citizens. Utilizing state-of-the-art technologies in state government also offers the potential to enhance domestic security and prevent criminal activity. Technologically enhanced crime prevention, investigation, and response will make law enforcement more effective. More effective crime prevention will make Arizona a more attractive location for business.

As part of my pledge to bring 500,000 high-paying private sector jobs to Arizona, I will personally visit boardrooms around the country and encourage businesses to capitalize on the benefits of relocating to Arizona. I will make myself available to chambers of commerce and other economic development organizations to help attract new businesses. I will utilize my experience and the contacts made as a United States Congressman to help Arizona attract foreign companies.

Without expansion of broadband technologies throughout the state, our success in attracting world-class business to Arizona will be limited. Cutting-edge industries require meaningful e-learning resources for local work-force development, strong ties to higher education, and robust connections to world markets. In order to attract and develop such businesses, Arizona must be committed to leading-edge development of communications infrastructure.

Technological innovation in education will also be a priority for my administration. I believe that technology can lead to dramatic improvement in education quality by augmenting proven educational approaches, supporting distance learning for rural areas, and tracking student achievement. This will help Arizona develop the high-skilled workforce that attracts telecommunications and other high-technology jobs. As Governor, I will:

• Ensure a more educated workforce
• Identify and address the major drivers for corporate relocation.
• Challenge the state to be an attractive place for corporate headquarter relocation by:
• Focusing on specific industries and professionals
• Building out the technology infrastructure
• Creating portals and gateways to connect to business systems via the internet

In addition, I will encourage the installation of wireless networks for our colleges and universities. Wireless technologies hold the promise of becoming even more robust, while remaining relatively inexpensive. Moreover, such networks will create campus-wide communities and provide a key differentiator in attracting research grants, top-caliber professors, and students.

As Governor, I will continue the efforts of the Government Information Technology Agency, especially, the Telecommunications Open Partnerships for Arizona (TOPAZ) initiative. TOPAZ is an important first step in aiding the rapid deployment of broadband services by aggregating government, educational and business telecommunications needs. According to GITA, since TOPAZ started the number of Arizona cities with broadband access has increased from 60 to 209. Such efforts are vital to promote broadband infrastructure and extend telecommunications offerings for Arizona citizens, governments and businesses.

However, studies in other states reveal that where the investment is in infrastructure only, that infrastructure is underutilized. That is why strategic planning is essential to aggregate demand and move disparate groups toward a common goal. Applications of E-learning, E-government, and E-business will drive us toward building a robust, high capacity infrastructure, but it is vital that groups advocating these applications work in concert with one another. The cabinet-level officer appointed to be in charge of economic policy and development for the state, will play a vital role in encouraging and coordinating these groups, providing focus, support, and awareness where new applications can be developed.

The most important incentives for business are a favorable business climate that includes predictable tax and regulatory burdens, safe and secure neighborhoods, and a quality education system that educates our children and prepares students for the rigors of the workplace. Beyond those factors, I do not believe that there is any one approach to incentives for new and existing business. As Governor, I will not rule out any approach that helps to create an environment in which private industry can thrive. In each case, specific incentives must be evaluated to determine whether it is prudent for the State and fair to existing Arizona businesses.

There is clearly a disparity in the availability and quality of telecommunications services among different groups. Telecommunications technology has had a transformative impact on the economy and has improved prospects for all Arizonans. Accordingly, the disparities in access to telecommunications services cannot be overlooked. The most commonly studied disparity tracks household income but, in Arizona, geography is another significant factor. Rural households lag far behind their metropolitan counterparts. Unfortunately, this problem is exacerbated when, as in Arizona, geography and income are often related.

That is why I will continue efforts to expand broadband services to every corner of the state. Moreover, as Governor I will ensure that strategic planning for telecommunications includes incentives to expand access to groups, both geographic and economic, that have yet to take part in the technological revolution.

Protection of privacy is critical as E-commerce and the ubiquitous movement of information becomes more and more common. Government must dedicate itself to the protection of consumer information and work to stop those who seek to make use of data for nefarious purposes. This is not a new issue. As a Congressman, I authored the Computer Crime Enforcement Act of 1999 that provides $100 million in grants (from the Department of Justice) to local law enforcement officials to teach state and city law enforcement agents how to investigate hi-tech crimes; purchase the necessary equipment to assist in investigation of computer crimes; and train prosecutors to conduct investigations and forensic analysis of evidence in prosecutions of computer crime.

The issue is no less urgent today and we must focus on it. Government must make sure that its sensitive information and systems are not vulnerable and hold the private sector accountable for protecting the information to which it is entrusted. The Federal Government plays a very active role in such matters and it is necessary that the Governor have input to make sure that Arizona priorities and values are reflected in Federal policies.

Finally, law enforcement capabilities must be organized to share information related to investigations, threats, or disaster recovery across federal, state, and local government boundaries. As a Governor with strong local and Federal relationships, I will develop a strategic plan aimed toward:

• Sharing information among federal, state, and local government agencies
• Developing a cohesive, coordinated homeland security and disaster response plan
• Integrating, rather than replacing, current capabilities
• Leveraging new technologies such as facial recognition and biometrics to complement higher-cost human resources where practical.

Major new technologies always require paradigm shifts in government in order to fully incorporate their use. In the early 20th Century, the automobile changed forever the way cities and towns are laid out and the level of expenditure required for infrastructure. In the late 20th Century, the ubiquitous use of the PC computer changed the way government bureaucracy works, eliminating such things as stenographers, typing pools, and whole levels of civil service activity.

Now, in the 21st Century, the concept of "paperless" government (meaning documents that are never put to paper, but are created, viewed, propagated, and finally stored electronically) requires a new paradigm. The laws, regulations and processes applying to paper based governance don't always apply to these "digital" documents.

As Governor, I will place the highest priority on ensuring that we have both the resources and the strategic policies in place to accommodate this paradigm shift. Immediate changes are necessary just to keep pace with the current volumes. Laws need updating to fully protect these new digital forms of vital records. Appropriations should be re-directed to ensure proper document storage and accessibility to current and future generations of citizens. Electronic identity and security policies must be more fully established to protect both our rights of access to such documents, and our individual rights of privacy. These initiatives require urgent attention and will require education, leadership, commitment and cooperation within all branches of government.