Senate Journal: Page 29: Tuesday, January 11, 2000

  of Iowans who farm the land, concerned about whether their way of life would
  continue-and we saw character.  We looked into the faces of Iowans who are
  coping
  with the unexplainable tragedy of children and firefighters who died
  recently in
  Keokuk-and we saw strength.  In all those experiences, and many others, we
  felt the
  strong bonds of community.  Even in our most challenging times, Iowans'
  determination, character, strength, and dedication to community triumph.

  In our travels across our great state, we have been struck by the renewed
  sense of
  purpose in the air.  It is our collective desire to move ahead.  It is a
  longing for
  greatness, so real you can reach out and touch it.  All over the state we
  see a new era
  unfolding.  As it unfolds, people here, across our nation and around the
  world,
  recognize that Iowa is a great place to live, to work, and most importantly,
  to raise a
  family.  Iowa's promise is its quality of life.

  After meeting remarkable Iowans everywhere, the Lt. Governor, First Lady,
  and I
  are convinced that Iowa's moment to lead is now.

  The building we gather in today is an emblem of Iowa's long-standing belief
  in
  greatness.  Those that came before us made a conscious choice not to
  construct a
  pedestrian, ordinary capitol.  They built a shining edifice on a hill, solid
  and timeless.
  A special building for a special people; a special place to write special
  laws.  In the past
  decades, this building fell victim to complacency.  The plaster cracked, the
  ornament
  crumbled.  But our generation of Iowans rejected complacency and erected
  scaffolding
  to repair and replace.  Building on a solid foundation, we restore this
  building to
  greatness.

  For our state to reach its fullest potential, we too must build on our
  strengths with
  clear goals in mind.  Establishing clear goals begins by an honest
  assessment of where
  we are.

  In the past year, the Iowa 2010 Strategic Planning Group has done an
  admirable
  job of outlining where this state is and where it is headed.  The group's
  work indicates
  that without bold action, Iowa risks limited, not limitless, opportunities.

  Our challenge is demographic.  We know the statistics all too well.  More
  than half
  of our counties had their population peak in the year 1900-one hundred years
  ago.
  Our present population grows at a rate one-fourth that of the nation's.  At
  current
  growth rates, we will not return to our 1980 population until the year
  2010-thirty
  years to get back to where we were.  Skilled worker shortages reflect the
  impact of this
  stagnant growth.

  To make the situation more daunting, our growth sectors involve Iowans no
  longer
  in the work force.  The fastest growing segment of our population today, is
  people over
  the age of 100.  For the first time in our state's history, since we began
  keeping track,
  we have more people over the age of 74, than we have five or under.

  As we have struggled with these demographic trends, we also have struggled
  to
  increase per capita and family incomes.  Iowa ranks at the bottom third of
  states in per
  capita income-a ranking that consistently corresponds with the percentage of
  our
  work force that holds a college degree.  Simply put, these statistics and
  others point to
  three key goals that must be reached to realize Iowa's promise.

© 2000 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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