Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 25, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke Promotes ‘Jobs Now’ Plan in Mount Vernon, Helps Break Ground on New Facility at Skagit Valley Community College

Gov. Gary Locke today visited Mount Vernon as part of a statewide “Jobs Now” tour, promoting his economic recovery plan to create jobs now, spur the state’s economy and build for the future.

Locke is calling on the Legislature to pass his capital budget as soon as possible. “It is critical that we start creating new jobs now,” he said. “A number of the projects highlighted in the capital budget focus on new and existing construction that would put people to work right away.”

Locke’s capital budget calls for $10.2 million for improvements in Skagit County, including $5.2 million for replacement of the Science Building at Skagit Valley Community College, $2.9 million for the expansion of Padilla Bay and $2 million for renovations to the Deception Pass State Park.

Today Locke, along with Reps. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon, and Jeff Morris, D-Anacortes, broke ground on the new McIntyre Hall Performing Arts and Conference Center at Skagit Valley Community College.

McIntyre Hall represents a unique public-private partnership. It started with a $6 million donation from the Jack and Shirley McIntyre family – the largest individual gift ever made to the state’s community college system.

Then, the cities of Anacortes, Burlington, Mount Vernon, Sedro Woolley, Concrete and the town of LaConner formed a Public Facilities District with Skagit County to take advantage of a state program that directs a small portion of state sales tax collections to community projects. Groups like the Rotary Clubs of Skagit County and the Skagit Performing Arts Council also helped.

“The generosity and public spiritedness of the McIntyre family have had a very positive impact on our region for many years,” Quall said. “The impetus they originally provided, and the tremendous combined contributions from other large and small donors, have given us the promise of a great new community resource.”

The governor also promoted another major improvement at Skagit Valley Community College’s
Whidbey Island Campus. The Whidbey Higher Education Center, known as Oak Hall, was recently completed and will open in May. It was financed by nearly $10 million in state construction bonds and will provide much needed classroom and office space for both Skagit Valley Community College and Western Washington University. The facility includes capacity for science labs, a fitness lab and distance education support.

“The completion of McIntyre Hall next year and the addition of Oak Hall will make an outstanding college even better,” Locke said. “We’re proud to be your partners in making Skagit Valley Community College an exceptional part of our state’s community college system.”

Locke also promoted renovations to the Military Department’s Anacortes Readiness Center, which are 40 percent complete. Job creation funds totaling $660,000 from the Legislature’s 2002 supplemental budget are being used to renovate the heating system, classrooms, sanitary facilities, administrative spaces and the exterior masonry. Work is scheduled to be completed in June 2003.

The governor’s capital budget supports new private-sector jobs at an annual average of 13,400 construction and related jobs during the next two fiscal years, and 11,000 jobs in the following two fiscal years.

These jobs would come from the $2.5 billion in spending for new public-works funding, including $223 million in new construction at universities and $312 million at community and technical colleges through bonding against lottery revenue and general obligation bonds.

Locke’s seven-point economic recovery plan focuses on:
·Creating thousands of new construction jobs through building new schools, higher education facilities and public works projects;
·Capitalizing on Washington’s competitive advantage in international trade;
·Promoting state businesses and improving the climate for new business;
·Giving communities more effective tools to build Washington businesses;
·Promoting Washington’s emerging technology strengths;
·Improving education to create and fill skilled jobs for today’s competitive marketplace;
·Pushing Congress and the President for an economic stimulus package that helps our state’s workforce.

The governor began his “Jobs Now” tour last month. He has made stops in Seattle, Bremerton, Wenatchee, Bellingham, Vancouver and the Tri-Cities. He plans to visit Federal Way, Spokane, Yakima, Aberdeen and other cities in the coming weeks.

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