Skip Maine state header navigation
A Publication Featuring The Information Services Technology of Maine State Government
| VolumeV, Issue 2 | February 2002 |
|
|
At a press conference held January 10, 2002, Governor Angus King, Speaker Michael Saxl, and Commissioner Janet Waldron received the 5th place award from The Progress & Freedom Foundation and Center for Digital Government in their annual survey of the states. The people of Maine and those that made this possible should know that this is a historic moment for Maine as this puts us firmly on the technology map.
Governor King reminded those at the press conference that the true winners are the citizens and businesses of Maine. "By delivering services on-line, our citizens and businesses are served more quickly and efficiently," said Governor King. "Our ranking as one of the five most digital states helps underscore Maine’s role as a leader in providing e-government services."
Commissioner Waldron thanked all those who made the award possible. "From the Governor’s vision of on-line not in-line, to the Legislature’s recognition of funding technology initiatives, to the technology and business managers and their staff’s ability to implement these projects, everyone deserves the credit for this award."
|
From left to right: Jamie Heitmiller, Compaq, Survey Sponsor; Kent Lassman, Progress & Freedom Foundation; Speaker Michael Saxl; Governor Angus King; Cathilea Robinett, Center for Digital Government; Harry Lanphear, Chief Information Officer; Commissioner Janet Waldron. |
The 2001 survey was comprised of eight categories. Kent Lassman, research fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation and author of the report, noted that Maine ranked 2nd in the category of E-Commerce & Business Regulation, 3rd in Social Services and 3rd in Management & Administration. Illinois and Kansas tied for 1st place and Washington ranked 3rd in 2001. "Maine jumped from 35th place in the 2000 survey to 5th in 2001. We are happy to honor Maine’s efforts to deliver services and to create the technology-based infrastructure needed to govern in the 21st century," said Lassman
Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government touted the leadership of the Governor in this achievement. "Based on my experience in this field, a small group of people with vision and passion is the path to success. Governor King is clearly a visionary in the technology world," said Robinett.
So what does this mean to Maine? It means that years of planning and hard work have paid off. It means that the citizens and businesses of Maine can do more on-line than most other states. It means that State government is more efficient. It means that businesses will come to Maine, as we are now a recognized leader in e-government. And finally, it means that we are within striking distance of first place! Several initiatives are already underway to help us move forward as evidenced in the Strategic Information Technology Plan (see companion article) that was recently approved by the Information Services Policy Board (http://www.maine.gov/policybd/homepage.htm). We will continue to work hard to improve our ranking by providing Maine’s citizens with more creative on-line services in 2002.
Harry Lanphear has been the State of Maine Chief Information Officer since February 2001. He may be reached by calling 624-7561 or e-mailing harry.lanphear@state.me.us.
