Leavitt outlines 'thousand day plan' to turn Olympic spotlight into long-term jobs, schools and land protections

Governor Mike Leavitt delivered the State of the State to a joint convention of the 2002 Utah Legislature in the House chamber, urging lawmakers to use the Winter Olympics as a springboard for sustained economic growth through technology, education and conservation. "We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail," Leavitt said as he laid out what he called a "thousand day plan."

Leavitt framed the plan as a way to turn 17 days of Olympic attention into a long-term economic legacy. He described efforts to brand Utah as a technology and innovation hub, to organize more than a dozen "economic ecosystems" such as biotech and computer graphics, and to take regular trade missions after the Games to attract venture capital. He highlighted a proposal to develop a state database that links medical research, vital statistics and genealogic records as an engine for biotech industry growth.

Education is central to the governor's pitch. Leavitt proposed four-year retention agreements with nearly 400 skilled math and science teachers, scholarships for 250 teachers to earn advanced degrees, and enrollment of more than 225 principals…