News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 23, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke Promotes ‘Jobs Now’ Plan in Grays Harbor

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY – April 23, 2003 – Gov. Gary Locke today visited Grays Harbor as part of a statewide “Jobs Now” tour, promoting his capital budget and economic recovery plan to create jobs now, spur the state’s economy and build for the future.

Locke traveled to Westport, a coastal city known for its fishing and tourism, met with employees and toured Westport Shipyard. The shipyard, which also has operations in Hoquiam and is expanding into Port Angeles, builds world-class luxury yachts. Westport Shipyard is one of Westport’s largest employers with 360 full-time workers.

The company builds 98-, 112- and 130-foot fiberglass yachts in Westport and plans to build 160-foot yachts at its new facility in Port Angeles. The state has helped Westport Shipyard through a Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) grant of $150,000 plus a loan of $80,000 that were awarded to the Port of Grays Harbor to assist with building improvements at the company’s Hoquiam location. CERB is state program that helps fund infrastructure for economic development in rural areas. The state also helped Westport Shipyard identify the Port Angeles location for its expansion in the state.

“I applaud the efforts of the Westport Shipyard, which has built more large fiberglass yachts than any other builder in the United States,” Locke said. “The company’s can-do attitude and commitment to our state have created many good-paying jobs where they’re needed most.”

“We want to work closely with Grays Harbor and other rural parts of our state to create jobs and diversify local economies,” Locke said.

While in Westport, the governor received a briefing on the Links at Half Moon Bay, a proposed golf course, hotel and housing development. Proponents say the project will help diversify the local economy and create much-needed jobs.

In Aberdeen, Locke got a firsthand look at major renovations to the library at Grays Harbor College. The state has provided significant funding for the $6 million library renovation. The governor’s 2003-2005 capital budget includes $2.1 million to complete the project this year. In addition, the governor’s new capital budget includes $1.3 million for the design of a new instructional building that will replace three outdated buildings at the college for a total project cost of $17.6 million.

The college has not received major capital funds since the 1970s to renovate or replace facilities that were built in the 1950s through the 1970s. The project will renovate and expand the library, which is structurally sound, but does not meet current and future expectations. The renovation will create a state-of-the-art library/learning resource facility to meet the changing instructional and technological needs of the college.

The governor then led an economic development roundtable discussion at the college with community leaders.

Locke’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 in February. He has made stops in Bremerton, Wenatchee, Bellingham, Vancouver, the Tri-Cities, Mount Vernon, Seattle, Ilwaco and Everett. He plans to visit Spokane, Yakima, Federal Way and other cities in the coming weeks.


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