Impatience with lawmakers is growing as constituents from around the state are wondering when the long-promised vote on a transportation package will take place.
Yesterday the Everett Herald expressed its concern:
The windfall of Tuesday's $121 million revenue forecast should accelerate passage of Washington's operating budget. Within hours of the operating budget vote, a transportation package -- central to the state's economic future -- may (irritating conditional tense again) get floated.
Notwithstanding second-session fatigue, lawmakers need to regroup and make transportation the post-K-12 priority uno. A united front of regional labor, business and local governments has coalesced around Rep. Judy Clibborn's proposal for $7.8 billion in expenditures over 12 years. Lions and lambs, Republicans and Democrats, are laboring in common cause towards a common purpose.
Why? Something about a preventable train wreck concentrates the mind...
The Herald went onto discuss projects critical to Snohomish County, but wrapped up by noting the importance of transportation investments in retaining important employers in our state:
The public interest and fostering growth need to trump politics.
"Transportation improvement projects are critical to the health of our county and state economy," said Shannon Affholter, vice president of the Economic Alliance. "Our state simply cannot wait any longer to invest in infrastructure to support our core industries; otherwise they will end up moving jobs elsewhere, hurting Washington families."
Policymakers better internalize Affholter's message. We're in the fight of our (aerospace-sector) lives, and time is short.