BUSINESSMAN EARL NORMAN RECIPIENT OF THE JOHN T. CROWE AWARD

Cape Girardeau businessman Earl Norman was presented the John T. Crowe award Friday night in recognition of his innovative efforts to promote the region.

Norman, president of Health Services Corp. of America, headquartered in Cape Girardeau, was honored at the fifth annual banquet of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association. Over 450 people attended.

Both Norman and the late Dr. Crowe, for whom the award is named, helped form the RCGA and worked together on several projects they felt would benefit the region.

Dr. David Crowe, the son of John Crowe, made the presentation to Norman. The award is given each year to an organization or individual for the "most innovative idea for the region during the year."

Speaking of Norman, Crowe said: "Every organization and region needs someone like him to keep our thinking expanded and our vision focused on the future."

Crowe said Norman started his business in 1969 with $50 and an idea, and that has grown into a corporation that does annual business of eight figures.

Two other awards were also presented Friday night: the Regional Spirit award was given to Joe Mirgeaux of Cape Girardeau, who was also active in helping start the RCGA, and the Industrial Appreciation award was given to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department.

Mirgeaux was ill and unable to attend the banquet; District 10 Highway Engineer Freeman McCullah accepted the award on behalf of the highway department. Don Weiland, an RCGA board member from Fredericktown, presented the awards.

Norman is regarded as an originator of the idea to construct a coast-to-coast highway referred to as I-66. The RCGA is working with other organizations around the country to promote the plan, and the Federal Highway Administration has authorized a feasibility study of the project.

"It's been a real pleasure to see the expansion of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri," Norman told the crowd. "I accept this award with great humility and an understanding that a lot of people were involved to get it started."

Norman said his main goal in working for regional projects like I-66 and the Avenue of the Saints corridor from St. Louis to St. Paul, Minn., is to create jobs in the area "to keep our children here if they want to stay."

Featured speakers were Sen. Danny Staples, D-Eminence, and Rep. Joe Driskill, D-Poplar Bluff. Both legislators are key players in priorities supported by the RCGA.

Staples is serving this year as chairman of the Senate committee that deals with transportation and tourism, while Driskill is beginning his second term as chairman of the House Commerce Committee.

Staples told the crowd that he hoped to use his chairmanship to reduce the time it takes to implement a 15-year highway plan, funded in part by a 6-cent gas-tax hike approved last year.

"My goal as chairman is to make it a 10-year plan instead of a 15-year plan," said Staples.

Driskill called for a new approach to economic development strategy in Missouri and announced that he was introducing legislation next week that would put in force the Jobs 2000 plan outlined by Gov. Mel Carnahan during his campaign to do just that.

"This plan will help bring about a new overall economic development strategy for the state of Missouri," said Driskill.

"Missouri needs a written economic development plan for the future," said Driskill in outlining one of the goals of his legislative package.

Staples stressed the importance of infrastructure in the state and said that because of groups like the RCGA there have been major improvements in infrastructure over the years. In particular, Staples said many people in the room helped encourage legislators last year to impose a gas-tax increase without a vote of the people.

As a result of that gas-tax hike, Staples explained that communities over 5,000 population would be connected by four-lane highways, 1,600 miles of bad roads would be replaced, 3,600 miles of roads upgraded, and 812 bridges replaced.

Staples promised that in dealing with mass-transit issues that come before his committee, he would look out for the interests of rural Missouri. One proposal calls for a quarter-cent sales tax for mass transit.

"I don't want to see people in Sikeston, Marble Hill and other outstate cities paying for light rail in the city of St. Louis," said Staples.

The senator also pledged to continue working with the RCGA to improve financing of infrastructure needs in the region.

During his 10 years in the Missouri House, Driskill explained that his primary focus has been in promoting economic growth in the region. But, he added, "It has been a truly difficult time to stimulate high-quality jobs."

Driskill has sponsored legislation in the past to try and help spur economic development in rural areas, but he said much more needs done. He said there are 40 counties in the state where the unemployment rate is one-and-a-half times above the state average.

He added that the overall unemployment rate is 40 percent higher in rural areas than in the urban areas of St. Louis and Kansas City. Driskill said 10 years ago the differential between rural areas and the metropolitan areas was just 10 percent.

Driskill said Missouri has been successful attracting some new jobs and industries, but, "On the whole, our record does not compare well with other states." He suggested Missouri needs to get out of the business of chasing large "smokestack" industries because that is not where the real growth potential for jobs is.

Comparing Missouri to other states, Driskill cited a recent survey that showed Missouri ranked 44th in competitiveness of existing businesses; 38th in the annual growth in pay; 42nd in the growth of new jobs; and 48th in the growth of manufacturing jobs.

Driskill said one of the problems is past efforts to bring jobs to the state have lacked vision. "We must fundamentally change the way we do economic development in this state," said Driskill.

One such change would be to place an emphasis on helping existing businesses expand and new businesses start, which he said accounts for 80 percent of the new jobs.

Under the legislation he is sponsoring, Driskill said there would be a greater emphasis on helping new and existing businesses; a decentralization of economic development planning; a new program of state assistance to small businesses; a coordinated planning process for all types of infrastructure; a renewed emphasis on tourism; enhanced technical assistance from the University of Missouri; and improved efforts for research and development.

Driskill said taking a regional approach to economic development will have positive benefits in the long run. He suggested the state "empower the people of this state to do the things that need to be done to create jobs all over this state."