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Governors Blunt and Sebelius Work to Enhance Cooperation and Growth for Bi-State Region
KANSAS CITY, (kansascityfrontpage.com), February 17, 2008 - Gov. Matt Blunt and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius hosted the annual Governors' Summit on Regional Economic Development to discuss crucial regional issues such as health care, the environment, education and a collaborative approach to growing Kansas City's economy.

"The shared efforts of Missouri and Kansas to work together and overcome challenges affecting the bi-state region have helped both states achieve a greater level of prosperity and enhanced opportunities for citizens living and working in the region," Gov. Blunt said. "I look forward to continuing my work and dialogue with Governor Sebelius to find more ways to foster economic development in the Kansas City region."

Gov. Blunt is working with the state legislature to establish a fair and equitable tax structure for Missouri and all of our neighboring states. The governor commended the House of Representatives for passing bipartisan legislation he called for to establish a fair and equitable tax structure for Missouri and all of our neighboring states. House Bill 1661 will exempt property taxes paid by certain non-resident taxpayers from being added back to their adjusted gross income if the other state does not require a similar add back of Missouri's property taxes. The legislation has passed the House and needs Senate approval.

Gov. Blunt is aggressively working to address Missourians concerns about quality and affordable health care, a major challenge for the bi-state region. To address the uninsured, the governor developed Insure Missouri, which takes existing resources to help more Missourians purchase their own personal health insurance. Gov. Blunt's Insure Missouri initiative will help nearly 200,000 Missourians gain access to quality and affordable health care.

The governor's Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative is making vital investments in the medical field for the Kansas City community. The initiative will deliver $15 million to the University of Missouri-Kansas City's state-of-the-art Pharmacy and Nursing Building to help students prepare for careers in health care. The funding will provide needed space for new educational and instructional areas in nursing and pharmacy with enhanced student services and state-of-the-art classroom and clinical simulation laboratory spaces. The initiative also secured funding for the planning, design, renovation and construction of the Agenstein Science and Math facility in St. Joseph in addition to providing for much needed investments in campuses across the state.

Gov. Blunt has made protecting the environment and expanding the use of renewable energy a priority. The governor recently signed the Kansas City Climate Protection Partnership to assess and reduce long term environmental impacts through collaboration and cooperation. The partnership is a collection of actions private businesses and government entities can take on their own to reduce their carbon emissions. These actions are best practices for individual organizations. More than 65 businesses and community partners have signed on to the agreement.

Verizon Wireless Invests More Than $134 Million in 2007 to Enhance Network
KANSAS CITY, (kansascityfrontpage.com), February 17, 2008 - Verizon Wireless announced that it invested more than $134 million in 2007 to enhance its network in Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois. The enhancements included building new -- and upgrading existing -- cell sites, increasing coverage area, and expanding its high-speed wireless broadband network to many new markets.

"Our mission in 2008 is to continue perfecting our network so that our customers can continue to depend on us every time they pick up their wireless phones," said Lou Sigillo, president-Kansas/Missouri/southern Illinois Region, Verizon Wireless.

Over the past five years, Verizon Wireless has invested nearly $528 million on improvements to its network in Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois including the following upgrades made in 2007:

-- 164 new cell sites were activated region wide to improve network coverage and capacity, enabling more customers to use their phones concurrently to make calls; send and receive email and text, picture and video messages; download music, games and ringtones; and view high-quality videos while enjoying clearer reception and fewer dropped calls.

-- Equipment on 92 existing cell sites throughout Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois was upgraded, which further improved network capacity.

-- 56 permanent backup generators were installed at Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois cell sites to ensure network functionality during times of crisis.

-- The company expanded its Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) third-generation (3G) wide-area network to 18 counties in southern Illinois and nine counties in southeast Missouri.

-- Service was also expanded throughout Missouri, providing Verizon Wireless customers with seamless service along Interstate 44 from St. Louis to Joplin. The new network coverage also includes the entire Springfield metropolitan area, all of Greene County, the Branson metropolitan area and Camdenton north to existing service territories in Jefferson City and Columbia.

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