By law, we balance the budget. By nature and inclination, we budget conservatively and carefully. This allows us to invest in the future by supporting communities, education and infrastructure. It allows us to promote our top three industries—energy, tourism and agriculture—and work for further economic development and diversification.
For example, Wyoming has a growing reputation as a great place for technology-related businesses, and we are making the most of it. Our cool climate for most of the year, abundant, reliable and affordable electricity, and available space and infrastructure all are big draws for businesses that benefit from these features.
In Wyoming, part of our strong foundation comes from our western heritage and lifestyle. There is a reason we advertise our state as "Forever West"—it's because that's what we are. We have 11,000 farms and ranches, which give our state its distinctive character with open spaces, livestock, wildlife, and working cowboys and cowgirls.
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We have vibrant small towns, where most everyone knows each other and there is a strong sense of community. We enjoy the outdoors, in any weather and any season, for all sorts of pursuits from world-class hunting and fishing to top-tier rodeos, skiing, climbing, arts events and county fairs.
And still there is more—scenery and hospitality come to mind. Technicolor sunsets and the sights and sounds of our nightlife—and by that I mean nature—are among the special things to behold here on a daily basis.
Visitors at the state capitol often remark about the friendliness they have encountered around our state. Men and women who lead and work in businesses around Wyoming—of all ages and from every walk of life—talk about how much they enjoy the freedoms of our state.
For leisure time, there is so much to see and do in Wyoming that it takes a website, wyomingtourism.org, and numerous magazines to chronicle the possibilities. Without going far from home or the office, employers and employees can find many ways to relax, recharge their batteries and create lasting memories. Put another way, Wyoming is among the best places for business because it is one of the best places in which to live and enjoy life.
(Slideshow: America's Top States for Quality of Life)
Wyoming is home to over a dozen mountain ranges and like those granite peaks we provide rock-solid stability for companies. Wyoming believes in letting the market function and we believe this requires regulatory certainty. This means job creators will know the playing field, and it will not continually shift under them.
Our agencies communicate and coordinate. We try not to duplicate procedures. We are streamlining government (e.g., merging agencies, consolidating functions, reducing rules) to be more efficient and effective. Bigger is not necessarily better and less is usually more when it comes to the size and scope of the government.
