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St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com  |
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 Illinois, Kansas Tie For First in Digital State Survey ST. LOUIS, MO (SLFP.com) January 3, 2002 - Illinois and Kansas tied for first place with scores of 91.8 in the fourth annual Digital State Survey, conducted by The Progress & Freedom Foundation and the Center for Digital Government. Missouri earned an overall score of 68.6. In 2000 Illinois ranked fourth in the nation and was voted "most improved" because in the 1998 survey, Illinois ranked 49th among the states. The states rounding out the top 10 in the 2001 survey are Washington, Maryland, Arizona, Maine, New Jersey, Utah, Ohio and Michigan. "This is great news for the people of Illinois. By emphasizing the use of technology and investing in it, we have fundamentally changed the way government operates and serves people," Governor George Ryan said in an announcement. "This is the culmination of a goal that we set when I took office. I wanted Illinois to be a leader in the use of technology as well as a leader in the high-tech economy of the 21st Century. With this new ranking, we have accomplished both of those goals within four years." Illinois has the sixth largest high-tech economies in the United States. A recent University of Minnesota study found that the Chicago metropolitan area has more high-tech jobs - 347,100 - than Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston and other high-tech centers in the United States. Much of the growth in Illinois' high-tech economy over the last three years is due to the direct investment of state government and a strong commitment by the governor to building a high-tech infrastructure that attracts and encourages cutting-edge research, new applications and marketable products. "Initiatives such as VentureTECH, the Illinois Century Network and the creation of the Illinois Technology Office have played an integral role in pushing Illinois to the forefront of government in the nation," the governor added. "More importantly, this administration has made government more available to the people, allowing citizens greater access to services than ever before." Each year the Center for Digital Government and The Progress & Freedom Foundation complete a comprehensive study of technology services in all 50 States. This year's analysis places Illinois nationally among the top ten in six of the eight categories evaluated:
Missouri ranked in the top ten states in Taxation & Revenue. A good showing in E-Commerce & Business Regulation are among its notable achievements, with scores of 95 and 67 respectively. Currently Missouri uses electronic benefit transfers to distribute food stamps, temporary assistance for needy families and a variety of federal programs. The system went online in May 1998 and now saves an estimated $1 million a year in administrative costs. Missouri has yet to adopt a system that allows business and professional licenses renewals or applications to be submitted online. Kansas, which shares the title as winner of the Digital State 2001 had perfect scores in Social Services and GIS/Transportation. Travelers in Kansas can receive updates through real-time and web-based changeable message signs, special signs and kiosks for construction and maintenance and soon 5-1-1 will replace the existing Road Condition Hotline telephone number. Congestion and traffic incident camera's post photos to a state website.   The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group . |
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