Governor Tom Vilsack has been elected in-coming chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. Vilsack’s in Indianapolis at the bipartisan National Governors’ Association convention, where he and the other governors heard yesterday from university researchers with tips on growing state economies.Vilsack says the state of Iowa is “in a position to compete with just about anybody” when it comes to competing against other states for companies in growth industries.Vilsack says he was heartened because it appears Iowa is “doing all the right things” and is getting good buzz at the national meeting because state policymakers just created a new, 500 million dollar economic development fund. Vilsack says says he’s more convinced than ever before that Iowa has to use that money to encourage regional “clusters” of certain businesses around universities or existing industries. Today, Governor Vilsack will make a pitch to have the 2004 National Governors’ Association meeting in Des Moines. The competition: Detroit.
