Gov. Nixon grew up in a small town, so he understands the importance making rural communities more competitive in the global economy, while also protecting their special way of life.
When bureaucrats in Washington, DC proposed to regulate everyday chores on family farms, Gov. Nixon spoke out loud and clear on behalf of commonsense values, joining the Missouri Farm Bureau to urge the U.S. Department of Labor to withdraw these ill-advised rules -- and they did.
Rural business owners and entrepreneurs benefit from one of the most competitive business climates in the nation -- a climate that Gov. Nixon has cultivated by balancing the budget every year, holding the line on taxes, and protecting Missouri's perfect AAA credit rating.
Small businesses across the state continue to take advantage of Gov. Nixon's Small Business Loan Program, which offers low-interest loans to help them grow and create jobs. The Governor has also worked closely with the Delta Regional Authority -- where he serves as the States' Co-Chairman -- to bring millions in economic development, community improvement, and infrastructure projects to rural southern and southeastern Missouri. And Gov. Nixon's "Missouri Works" initiative, announced earlier this year, will go a step further with a custom-tailored job-creation incentive for small business owners in rural areas.
When Gov. Nixon saw that a lack of broadband internet access -- a critical tool needed to compete in the 21st Century economy -- was holding many rural communities back, he took action. Now, the Governor's MoBroadbandNow initiative is bringing a total investment of $310 million through 18 projects to wire communities across the state -- spurring economic development, creating jobs and improving education, health care and public safety along the way.
Gov. Nixon believes that rural communities hold the key to securing our state's energy future. That's why he has supported alternative fuels from the farm like ethanol and biodiesel, and championed a proposal to build an oil pipeline across 11 counties in Missouri -- which will create more than 1,000 jobs and invest nearly $1 billion in our economy.
Moving rural Missouri forward also means keeping our communities safe. The Missouri Livestock and Farm Protection Task Force, reactivated by the Governor in 2009, works with the State Highway Patrol's Rural Crimes Investigative Unit to crack down on livestock and equipment theft as well as other property and drug crimes. This successful initiative has recovered more than $2.8 million in property stolen in rural areas since 2009.
There's more work to be done, but from Pioneer Hi-Bred's new high-tech soybean production facility in the Bootheel, to RR Donnelly's $6 million expansion in Owensville, to Pennington Seed's new plant in Dade County, Gov. Nixon's efforts to ensure rural communities have the tools they need to create jobs are clearly paying off.