Governor Bangerter Economic development records, 1984-1988.

These are the records of David Buhler who served as Governor Norman Bangerter's policy advisor in the area of economic development during Gov. Bangerter's first term. They include correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, and rarely photographs. One of the keystones of the Bangerter administration was to encourage business-oriented government, focussing on ways government could assist economic growth. The records document individual and cooperative efforts of state, federal, and local agencies; various task forces and inter-organization committees; and private corporations to attract new business to Utah and to encourage the growth of those already in the state.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) with its various divisions, was a major player in this effort, comprising approximately a third of the series. The agency dealt with industrial development, international trade, community development and housing, minority affairs, tourism, etc. Several task forces,advisory boards, and other organizations--such as Metro, Inc.; the Committee of 100; the Minority Advisory Councils; the Federal Research Committee and so forth--dealt with similar projects. Records pertaining to labor relations and job training efforts for laid-off workers are also included. Oftentimes several groups would collaborate on a single project.

Major development efforts noted here include attempts to attract the winter Olympics, the superconducting super collider, and the Saturn car assembly plant. The Utah Technology Finance Corporation funded emerging high-technology and high-growth companies. The Governor and DCED officials took several trips to the Far East to expand trade networks with Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. The Governor also participated in economic development conferences conducted by gubernatorial and Republican associations. In addition, he initiated an annual economic development conference sponsored by the state.

In addition to specific economic developmentprojects, David Buhler also wrote a number of the Governor's speeches, particularly those emphasizing economic development. His background files are included in this series. Some constituent correspondence, again particularly that pertaining to economic development, was also referred to him for response.