07 LC 38
0268
House
Resolution 719
By:
Representative Stephens of the
164th
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the State of Georgia to study and put forward a strategic business framework for
increased trade, tourism, and investment by creating a public-private forum to
analyze the creation of a permanent "world showcase," a centralized resource in
downtown Atlanta, Georgia, to improve its global appeal and presence and
simultaneously expand the existing international dynamic with the local business
community and the state's citizens.
WHEREAS,
by creating a visible global focal point that promotes American products and
utilizes local and international resources, the Georgia economy will be
stimulated and its role on the international scene substantially enhanced;
and
WHEREAS,
the United States is the world's largest trading nation in goods and services:
according to 2001 U.S. government data, total foreign trade in 2001 amounted to
$2,354 billion, growing at a rate greater than domestic GDP; the U.S. foreign
trade economy is 15% larger than the GDP of Germany and equivalent to 75% of
Japan's GDP; and
WHEREAS,
the U.S. also home to $1.3 trillion in direct foreign investment and invests
about $2.3 trillion abroad, with more and more US small businesses actively
seeking to export their products and services overseas despite both small U.S.
and foreign businesses facing important challenges when expanding into each
other's markets; these challenges are sometimes tougher due to a lack of
understanding of the personal, professional, and cultural issues involved in all
types of cross-cultural interactions; and
WHEREAS,
the US is not only an important market for foreign products due to the size of
our trade market, we are also a country offering an immense market opportunity
due to our unique population: 30 million American citizens are foreign born, a
number that grows by 1 million every year and is expected to increase to 1.5
million in future years; and due to foreign immigration to the US and foreign
travel, American consumers have a greater appreciation for foreign cultures and
related products and services; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia Ports Authority regulates the sixth busiest port system in the U.S.,
yet the State of Georgia has a deficit of $9 billion and needs to increase its
exports for which we need information, education, and international visibility;
and
WHEREAS,
the ongoing spread of globalization has created a need to better understand the
real and virtual worlds and acquire a global mind set and perspective;
elementary and high school educators particularly face challenges to locate
comprehensive international business and cultural educational materials;
and
WHEREAS,
resources are available in Georgia, though they are hard to reach because they
are located miles apart and in different cities and counties across the state,
making the need for a global nucleus apparent; and
WHEREAS,
the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) in Washington, D.C., was
responsible for the Federal Triangle development site, which was originally
known as the International Cultural and Trade Center, later named the Ronald
Reagan Building and International Trade Center; and
WHEREAS,
the PADC invited proposals from the private development sector to develop office
space for several federal agencies and to create a unique facility for the
International Cultural and Trade Center that would provide a singular
opportunity to develop creative reciprocal trade, commerce, cultural exchange,
and communication arrangements with other nations; and
WHEREAS,
the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, a 3.1 million square
foot facility already has won numerous awards and has established a significant
track record since its inception in 1997; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia is interested in stimulating all industries by supporting a
comprehensive economic development plan and a structure, though much smaller,
yet with components similar to the Ronald Reagan Building and International
Trade Center in Washington D.C., that will boost industry, trade, and tourism in
Georgia, can serve as a one stop global center, and be a landmark facility;
and
WHEREAS,
it is in the best interests of Georgia to position itself in the forefront of
cultural, political, and economic developments in the global arena.
NOW,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that this body urges
the members of the General Assembly to communicate its intent to create a
long-term strategic framework for trade, business development, and cultural and
academic exchanges between Georgia and the rest of the world to representatives
of the European Union and other foreign governments and to all nongovernmental
organizations in Georgia that study and promote cultural exchange and improved
global relations.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House is authorized and directed to
transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Governor Sonny Perdue.