GOVERNMENT

"This looks and smells a lot like utility deregulation," Schweitzer said, referring to a 1997 bill that deregulated Montana’s electrical industry and eventually led to the demise of the former Montana Power Co.

As cities across the world expand their infrastructure to support more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly environments, outdated laws still support the use of streets by automobiles over people.

"American colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to educate students on principles of entrepreneurship and innovation and give them opportunities to translate that knowledge into commercial ventures that create jobs and spur economic growth."

"Some states may be able to scrape by for a few years, but recruitment will become a major issue in the future, especially in education."

Montana has had the highest ending fund balances in the state’s history under Governor Schweitzer with an average fund balance of $414 million. The average fund balance of the eighteen years prior was $54 million.

If you ask him his greatest accomplishment, he cites two; the first, passing full time kindergarten, "If you want to give each child an equal chance, you’ve got to start early because children who start out in first grade behind; they never catch up."

The idea is to infuse many of the same operational and creative solutions-oriented principles found in startups and small businesses into the inner workings of government, and it’s a good one.