Bottomline, I want to make sure that it's easy to do business with the state of Texas. This can be overwhelming, but we must find ways to manage this change. Papermaster said there is a longstanding tradition of having government models follow business models, but usually with a lag in time. His suggestion is to find ways to cut the transition time. With the pace of change in today's world, government can't afford to fall behind.
Competition exists today like no other point in time and it is coming from everywhere.
Texas is competing with forces that are global now. Joe Gunn, President of Texas AFL-CIO, urged the task force to be cautious when considering online resources and outsourcing. He strongly opposes any linkage between digitalization of Texas government and privatization. And we started on the kitchen table. He said the Internet helps companies, small and large, and the procurement process in Texas can benefit from its accessibility.