News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 18, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke Promotes ‘Jobs Now’ Plan during Visit to Tri-Cities

Gov. Gary Locke today visited the Tri-Cities 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’s capital budget calls for more than $6 million for renovations at Columbia Basin College in Pasco. The governor toured the college today.

Columbia Basin would use the money from the governor’s proposed capital budget to renovate and expand its T-Building, which houses the school’s health care programs. These improvements would double Columbia Basin’s nursing program, create a radiology program, double and improve the dental hygiene program and add much needed biology and lab space to support all of the school’s health care programs.

Locke’s capital budget also recommends nearly $1 million for Benton County, which would be used to design the Bioproducts and Sciences Building at the Washington State University-Tri Cities campus.

Locke is calling on the Legislature to quickly pass his capital budget. “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.”

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 and Vancouver. He plans to visit Yakima, Federal Way, Spokane, Aberdeen and other cities in the coming weeks.


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