Iowa is in a prime position to attract investment both in terms of alternative energy and food production. Why don't the state and Congressional representatives do more to systematically encourage incubation through venture capital. The net result is threefold
1) We keep young, entrepreneurial Iowans in Iowa
2) We tap and build on resources that we already are industry leaders in.
3) We build a sustainable model for growth.
How this would work: Similar to the idea of cultural districts, each county of the state would develop specific economic enterprise districts in concert with area business community, workforce development, and secondary and postsecondary education providers. These county districts would be responsible for identifying and creating strategic economic development incubation plans for their counties. They would be coordinated by a state-level assistant to the Governor to layout the various opportunities, and the coordinator would work with the legislature to find seed monies for these districts and work with area economic development officials to seek venture capitalists to invest.
In return, the state and localities would receive newly generated tax revenues, no TIFs would be required locally, and Iowa would retain young people who are being trained at local universities and colleges to do the work that the county economic enterprise districts map out.
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