Gregoire Unveils "Washington Jobs Now" Program
In her inaugural speech [pdf] on Wednesday, Governor Gregoire hearkened back to the Great Depression and called for "generosity among all Washingtonians" in the next few years as the state navigates the worst economic recession since the 1930s. She also hinted at a new program she has named "Washington Jobs Now," saying that she thinks it could create as many as 20,000 new jobs for the state by cutting unemployment taxes for businesses and pushing forward some $1 billion in public works projects. Yesterday, she revealed the details of the plan [pdf] at the 37th Annual Economic Forecast Conference at enterpriseSeattle.
A list of all of the public works projects Gregoire has pinpointed [pdf] for the Washington Jobs Now plan contains such tasks as building and updating community college campuses across the state (including a $31 million update to Green River Community College in Auburn), constructing a new Molecular Engineering building at the University of Washington ($69 million), and lots of soil contaminant clean-up around King and Pierce counties.
One of the transportation projects she's hoping to have approved by the legislature is a boost to the I-405/SR 520 interchange in Bellevue, which would add more on- and off-ramps to the often-clogged stretch of highway. That would cost a cool $277 million. The promised unemployment tax break for businesses will, she says, be temporary but provide much-needed relief.
What do you think--is this the best way to address the financial crisis in which our state is simmering?
