Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 28, 2002
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke reviews progress, urges support for competitiveness proposals

OLYMPIA – Gov. Gary Locke today met with members of the Washington Competitiveness Council to report on the status of his drive to make Washington a more competitive place to do business.

The council, which the governor convened last year, delivered its report in December with recommendations in five areas: taxes and fees, regulatory and permitting issues, physical infrastructure, human capital and innovation, and benchmarks and performance measures.

“We are firmly committed to implementing and supporting the key recommendations of the council,” Locke said. “I pledge to implement key council recommendations legislatively and via administrative action.”

The governor and his staff provided the business, labor and government leaders with updates about administrative actions and legislative initiatives on transportation, tax simplification, regulatory reform, infrastructure and human capital issues.

The council’s report cited improvements in Washington’s transportation infrastructure as the single-most important competitive investment the state can make and emphasized the need to improve its ability to move people and products.

“We need a transportation fix as soon as possible,” Locke said. “We’ve got to continue progress on this important issue. We need your help.”

The governor also urged passage of a transportation funding package and a capital budget to create jobs needed during the current economic recession.

In the area of tax simplification, Locke highlighted two bills he proposed in response to the council’s recommendations -- one to simplify municipal business and occupation taxes and one to clarify the tax treatment of investment income.

“These proposals are doing well in the Legislature, but we must continue to work them,” Locke said. “They provide common-sense relief for companies and provide clarity and simplicity in meeting the requirements of more than one city.”

Locke reiterated his commitment to the regulatory reform effort and encouraged the council’s input on implementation of its recommendations.

Paul Isaki, Locke’s special assistant for business and regulatory reform, discussed the administration’s goals for this effort.

“We want to improve the relationship between the business community and the agencies of state government that interact with them,” Isaki said. “Even a regulatory relationship can be improved by clarifying the terms of agreements. We think businesses we regulate ought to have a better idea of how the process will play out, how long it will take and what is required to get through it successfully.”

Tom Fitzsimmons, director of the state Department of Ecology, detailed the quick action Ecology is taking to streamline the regulatory progress. Ecology reforms to date include expediting decision-making process on water permitting, streamlining water-quality certification and shortening the process for air-quality permitting.

“We have heard you,” Fitzsimmons said. “I attended all the Competitiveness Council meetings. They were inspirational on how we can do business at Ecology. I believe we have laid a foundation with these actions.”

In further regulatory reform action, Locke issued a directive (No. 02-02) to extend the state’s Master License Service to local governments and called on state agencies to work together to make it easier for new businesses to get started in Washington.

Martha Choe, director of the state Office of Trade and Economic Development, also urged the council to support the governor’s proposal to fund economic development infrastructure in rural and distressed areas.

“The Community Economic Revitalization Board is the state’s only economic development infrastructure program targeted to help business and industry create and retain family wage jobs,” said Choe. “This fund supports infrastructure development including roads, water, technology and telecommunications improvements in partnership with communities all around the state.”

Speaking to the human capital issue, Locke emphasized the need to strengthen education and called for greater flexibility for the state’s colleges and universities. The governor also noted his actions to expand enrollment at community and technical colleges with a proposed increase of $9 million for worker retraining. Locke also has proposed $750,000 in funding for customized training for new or expanding businesses.

The council plans two more meetings -- one in June and one in September -- to continue to monitor progress on their agenda.

“I welcome you to monitor our progress,” Locke said. “These are important commitments that I intend to keep.”

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Related Links:
- Washington Competitiveness Council
- Keeping Washington's Competitive Edge
- Community Economic Revitalization Board
- Office of Trade and Economic Development
- Department of Ecology
- Governor's Directive 02-02 - Extension of the Master Business License Program
- Washington State Legislature
- Re-energizing Washington's Economy
- Streamlining the Regulatory System
- Training Workers for a High-Tech World
- Building for the Future, Creating New Jobs Now
- Getting Washington to Work (Transportation)
- Budget Highlights

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