Gov. Jim Doyle announced a bold economic initiative last week when he outlined his economic-recovery plan, which includes raising the minimum wage in Wisconsin, drawing high-tech corporations to the state and minimizing state business regulations.

Because the city of Madison is challenged by the same economic problems as the rest of Wisconsin, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz expressed optimism for Doyle’s proposal. However, with Doyle’s plan largely targeting Milwaukee as the state’s urban and economic center, Madison will have to develop its own strategies to keep up, Cieslewicz spokeswoman Melanie Conklin said.

Conklin said Cieslewicz hopes to revitalize Madison’s economy by continuing to support the city’s strong health-care industry, while boosting high-tech and biotech investment in the city. The goal is to create a stronger local job market for the highly skilled students attending the University of Wisconsin.

“We would like to improve the quality of life here by giving Madison a stronger job market, while maintaining its vibrancy. We hope more students will decide to live and work here after graduation,” Conklin said.

Mayor Cieslewicz anticipates announcing his economic plan for Madison sometime in the next month.

Doyle’s “Grow Wisconsin” program seeks to create more jobs and higher wages while attracting and supporting businesses in the state.

“The heart of our strategy is to capitalize on Wisconsin’s strengths — excellent schools, universities, and technical colleges, a high quality of life, natural beauty, a legacy of innovation, a commitment to quality, and, above all, a hardworking, highly educated labor force that is second to none,” Doyle said.

One step of Doyle’s $40 million recovery plan involves a possible increase of the state’s minimum wage, currently set at $5.15 per hour.

The plan seeks to add value to Wisconsin’s economic base, including manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, which currently account for approximately 25 percent of the state’s economy. In order to compete for manufacturing jobs, Doyle would like to target $1.5 million to upgrade the skills of employees in the manufacturing sector.

Doyle’s initiative also aims to attract new business to Wisconsin.

According to Doyle, streamlined state business regulations would reduce the burdens and hassles businesses may encounter in locating in Wisconsin. An aggressive program of tax credits would encourage investment in technology businesses by over $38 million, Doyle said.

Coupled with new programs to commercialize research in Wisconsin, the “Grow Wisconsin” program plans to bring more tech and research-based companies to the state, providing numerous job opportunities for University of Wisconsin graduates in the future.

“[Gov. Doyle’s initiative] reflects his vision for a ‘high-end’ economy in Wisconsin. While upgrading core industries, we hope to create more high-skill, high-paying jobs here in the state,” Doyle’s spokesman Dan Leistikow said.

“Grow Wisconsin” also seeks to foster the development of at least one vibrant urban economic center to support a high-growth, high-wage economy. The strategy would concentrate on the Milwaukee area to ensure that finance, culture, entertainment and urban amenities are fully realized in Wisconsin and benefit the entire state, Doyle said.