This program will do more to promote the state's education and economy than any other investment. Still, there is more to do. We need to make sure teachers are well-educated and we need to make sure classroom sizes stay small.

In the economy we are in now, there will not be the same investment in technology, but we are demanding of employees greater productivity. In order to [achieve] that you need to give [employees] internal tools to make them work smarter. If you invest in the worker's skill set overall, you should be able to see a change in productivity.

If this plan is approved, it will make Illinois the national leader (in early learning) hands-down.

We will have an economy based on solidarity and reciprocity. We do not dismiss the presence of foreign investment, but we want it be real fresh investment to industrialize our hydrocarbons, all under state control.

This highlights a re-accelerating economy led by consumption and investment.

The immediate driver is that investment activity is picking up. The global economy remains very robust, and after a long and dreadful period, there are hopes that German consumption will strengthen.