The Martz/Ohs J.O.B.S. Plan

THE PRIORITIES

Priority #1: Job Creation, Business Retention & Development

• Reorganization of the Department of Commerce to remove barriers for business growth
  
  
• Reduction of the regulatory burden on businesses
  
  
• Focus on job creation, business retention, expansion and recruitment
  
  
• Community-based economic planning
  
  
• Access to capital for business startup and expansion

Priority #2: Telecommunications, Infrastructure & Natural Resources

• Prioritize high tech and telecommunications development
  
  
• Advancement of e-commerce and wireless technologies
  
  
• Electronic promotion of Montana-made goods and services
  
  
• Visionary transportation plans emphasizing the creation of economic corridors
  
  
• Prioritization of community infrastructure needs
  
  
• Continued promotion of Vision 2005
  
  
• Trade promotion and commodities marketing
  
  
• Fair, balanced and responsible use of Montana's natural resources

Priority #3: Tax Reform

• Elimination of the income tax for low income wage earners
  
  
• Across -the-board reductions in income taxes
  
  
• Grace period for property tax due dates
  
  
• Continued emphasis on elimination of the business equipment tax
  
  
• Implementation of Tax Incentives for Workforce Training
  
  
• High tech tax credits

Priority #4: Education

• Increased teacher pay
  
  
• Promoting student and teacher accountability
  
  
• Promoting vocational education
  
  
• High tech career preparation
  
  

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The Martz/Ohs Plan for Education

Forming Partnerships, Building Bridges

THE PRIORITIES

Priority #1: Increasing Educational Resources and Teacher Development

• The Martz 3-Rs - Recruiting, Retaining and Rewarding excellence
  
  
• Loan Forgiveness - Administered by the Board of Education to eliminate student loans for Montana-educated certified teachers who will stay in Montana to teach for seven years.
  
  
• Rewrite school funding laws - To give greater flexibility to school districts to pay teachers better.
  
  
• Stipends for national board certification - Increased funding to allow more teachers to receive national board certification.
  
  
• Merit pay plan - Partner with teachers, parents and administrators to implement merit pay plans designed by individual teachers with their administrators -- for excellent teachers.

Priority #2: Excellence in Schools

• Mentor programs - Self-enhancement programs designed to make help students make better choices and enhance their learning opportunities.
  
  
• Community partnerships - Working with community leaders, businessmen and women, clergy and law enforcement to shape the lives of our children.
  
  
• Local control - Giving school boards more decision-making authority and making resources available to meet standards.
  
  
• Assistance for native Montanans - Helping tribal leaders determine school priorities and craft strategies for long term funding to meet the needs on our reservations.

Priority #3: Safe Learning and Teaching Environments

• Teachers control classrooms - Giving teachers the ability to remove disruptive students who hinder learning.
  
  
• Violence prevention - Establishing school watch programs and law-enforcement certified safe houses for children in danger.

Priority #4: Character Education

• Character education curriculum - Helping parents play a greater role in their children's social development by teaching values like respect, honor and citizenship.
  
  
• Expanding curricula - Helping schools make learning more fun and more diverse with foreign language, music, arts and computer instruction more available to students.

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