South Dakota’s economy has consistently demonstrated its resiliency through periods of great economic development. But it’s no secret across South Dakota that much of this development has yet to enliven our small town main streets, provide high speed Internet access to all our farms, and resolve the bleak poverty that mares many of our Tribal lands. That must change.
A healthy economy depends on a diverse economy that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship in all economic sectors and stretches of our state. Creating policies that invest in our children’s education, provide a healthy climate for entrepreneurship, and build our physical and technological infrastructure will strengthen our communities and enable our business to compete in the global economy. Our state must leverage it’s high quality workforce, abundant energy potential, including wind, biofuels, and geothermal, and entrepreneurial values. South Dakota must provide resources for research, marketing for tourism, and incentives for small business growth while exploring public/private partnerships where communities will benefit from them. And South Dakota must do this to ensure an improving quality of life not only for our cities, but on our farms and in our Tribal lands.