"I Think She Wasn't Happy"

Springfield Chamber of Commerce president Jim Anderson said he wasn't completely surprised by the resignation of Economic Development director Linda Martinez Monday because he didn't think she was happy in the job.

"She never said anything to me, but I just never thought she was as happy as she thought she was going to be," said Anderson, who met with Martinez numerous times over the past nine months.

"My sense is the Governor wanted enhanced performance, so this is probably the best result for both of them," Anderson said.

"She was always a great technician," Anderson said of Martinez's legal skills. "But that job requires a lot more than technical skills. I'm just not sure if it was a good fit."

Added that it's obviously a setback for the Nixon administration, but stressed it's not one the Governor can't recover from.

Also said he thought Martinez's comments in her letter to Nixon were "unfortunate." On her claim that she wasn't able to meet with the Governor, Anderson said, "She just didn't need to say that. It's unfortunate she burned a bridge."

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ALSO: ON THE REBOUND

Gov. Nixon brings his "Show-Me Business" tour to Springfield Tuesday morning.

The Governor plans to tour the accounting firm BKD at 10 a.m. -- and then hold an economic roundtable with Springfield business leaders.

"I think he's seeking input from people on the ground about the issues that need to be addressed in his 2010 legislative agenda," Anderson said.

AND: KINDER SIDES WITH . . . MARTINEZ

LT. GOV. PETER KINDER STATEMENT:

"Despite unemployment approaching 10% in Missouri and hundreds of thousands of residents unable to find work, Governor Jay Nixon has refused to meet with the cabinet official he placed in charge of Missouri's economic development less than eight months ago," said Kinder.

"It is one thing for Governor Nixon not to meet with me; it is simply astounding for him to ignore his own Director of Economic Development. This behavior is unacceptable, and his refusal to put aside his petty political differences or halt the infighting among his staff has caused Missourians to suffer needlessly," Kinder concluded.

Nixon Orders Small Business Loans To Kick Start Jobs Plan

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE
Governor Jay Nixon signs 3 executive orders:

• Directing the state to create a pool of $2 million dollars in low-interest and no-interest direct loans to small businesses.
• Establishing a task force to identify ways the state can best attract fuel-efficient automotive manufacturing jobs, with a report due in 90 days
• Establishing a council to examine how the state can best use money from a potential federal economic stimulus package

Springfield Chamber of Commerce President Jim Anderson said the small business loans will be just one more tool in the box for Nixon to use. "$25,000 is a drop in the bucket, will it make a huge significant difference overnight? Probably not. But frankly, I think you'll see a lot of very small business start-ups be very interested in this," Anderson told The Notebook.

Speaker of the House Ron Richard has said he will use Anderson as part of his "Kitchen Cabinet" sounding board for economic and job growth initiatives, and potentially draft him to sit on a Blue-ribbon commission for economic development.

Richard on Anderson and other local leaders in economic development: "They're the ones that develop all the tax incentives, they're the ones on the ground, they're the ones that go out and compete against other states. I don't dream up this up like I'm some kind of guru. I don't mind stealing a good idea and making it better."

Richard on Nixon: We'll Agree 70% Of The Time
"We're going to work together, get a bill on his desk quickly," Richard said, referring to Nixon's economic proposals.

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Missouri State University Political Science Professor George Connor on why there's so much bipartisanship on the economy:

"Governor Nixon isn't a wildly liberal Democrat. I think he's pragmatic . . . Because Governor Nixon is not as partisan, or as left as perhaps as other Democrats, it's easier for him to work with Republicans on this particular issue. I think, in part, the economy is so bad, it's easier to agree."

PREDICTS THE BUDGET WILL TEST THE TONE:
"I think the first step is to have a bipartisan approach to how big the cuts need to be. The budget will touch ideology and test it. They're going to disagree on the cuts and I think that's where the partisanship is going to come. The bigger the cut, the more pressure he's going to get from special interest groups on the left. I think he's going to get demands from the left, now how well he can respond to them is going to have to do with how big the cuts are."