Roadwork lies ahead to keep jobs in county, state

More voices are joining the chorus seeking not just action but results from the Washington Legislature when it starts work in January.

Keep Washington Competitive is a coalition of business, labor, ports, agriculture and trade organizations that formed earlier this year to influence policy on issues related to trade and the creation and retention of jobs in the state.

Among the issues it hopes to see addressed are changes to the state’s environmental review process to make it more predictable and attainable and shorten the process to no more than 18 months. And it wants science-based decisions to lead policy on water-quality standards.

Without seeing specific legislative proposals, we’ll withhold judgement, except to say that the state should be able to help businesses more easily comply with environmental review and do so in a timely fashion without weakening its standards for protection. And using the example of stormwater runoff regarding water quality, we also think it reasonable that the state, counties and municipalities address stormwater issues on a larger scale as part of its infrastructure responsibilities, rather than leaving those, such as ports and marine industries, who are farthest downstream to take care of more than their share of stormwater pollution.

We are, however, fully behind KWC’s push for a transportation package that addresses current weaknesses in moving supplies, goods and services, not to mention commuters.

The coalition is concerned about transportation infrastructure spending recently undertaken in Vancouver, British Columbia, an investment that unless matched here could mean great losses to the state, first in cargo, then in businesses and jobs to Canada.

Port of Everett Commissioner Troy McClelland, a member of the coalition, pointed to $1 billion in much-needed transportation spending in Snohomish County to finish incomplete portions of the freight corridors in the county, including I-5, Highway 99 and Highway 9, and to replace at-grade rail crossings with overpasses, particularly in Marysville, where an increase in freight rail traffic has not only caused delays for motorists but is increasing costs for businesses dependant on trucking.

McClelland’s counterpart at the Port of Seattle, Bill Bryant, said the Legislature will need to include a gas tax increase as part of the funding package, but said he hoped it also would look at re-allocating revenue from the sales tax generated by transportation projects themselves and for automotive products. As well, the coalition wants to see public-private partnerships used, particularly for projects to separate rail and vehicle traffic at crossings.

Larry Brown, legislative and political director for the Machinists at Boeing and a member of the coalition, painted the need for transportation improvements starkly.

“We landed the 777X project and gave up our pensions to do it,” he said. Without an investment in transportation, there’s less incentive for Boeing to build its next plane here. “We don’t have any more pensions to give away.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Saturday, Feb. 8

A sketechy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

bar graph, pie chart and diagrams isolated on white, 3d illustration
Editorial: Don’t let state’s budget numbers intimidate you

With budget discussions starting soon, a new website explains the basics of state’s budget crisis.

Comment: Democracy depends on support of local journalism

A state bill provides funding to support local news outlets through a modest tax on tech businesses.

Comment: Love is intoxicating; romance doesn’t have to be

Navigating sobriety while dating, with Valentine’s Day coming up, is possible and fulfilling.

Comment: State attempt at single-payer health care bound to fail

Other states have tried, but balked when confronted with the immense cost to state taxpayers.

Forum: Requiem for a lost heavyweight: Sports Illustrated

SI, with Time and NatGeo, were a holy trinity for me and my dad. Now, it’s a world of AI clickbait.

Forum: Political leaders should leave trash talk to ballplayers

Verbal intimidation is one thing on the basketball court; it shouldn’t have a place in our politics.

The Buzz: Why, no, we have complete trust in Elon Musk

But whatever he and Trump are doing to the country, could they please wish it into the cornfield?

Curtains act as doors for a handful of classrooms at Glenwood Elementary on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Schools’ building needs point to election reform

Construction funding requests in Arlington and Lake Stevens show need for a change to bond elections.

FILE- In this Nov. 14, 2017, file photo Jaìme Ceja operates a forklift while loading boxes of Red Delicious apples on to a trailer during his shift in an orchard in Tieton, Wash. Cherry and apple growers in Washington state are worried their exports to China will be hurt by a trade war that escalated on Monday when that country raised import duties on a $3 billion list of products. (Shawn Gust/Yakima Herald-Republic via AP, File)
Editorial: Trade war would harm state’s consumers, jobs

Trump’s threat of tariffs to win non-trade concessions complicates talks, says a state trade advocate.

A press operator grabs a Herald newspaper to check over as the papers roll off the press in March 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald file photo)
Editorial: Push back news desert with journalism support

A bill in the state Senate would tax big tech to support a hiring fund for local news outlets.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Friday, Feb. 7

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.