"Washington state's economy may be getting back on track but it will jump off again quickly if our state legislators cannot put aside their differences and put together a transportation package fully funding major projects in our South Sound region," wrote Andrea Keikkala, chief executive officer of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, in today's Kent Reporter.

Noting that the South King County and Pierce County regions as an area for significant potential job growth and business location, Keikkala warned what might happen if he state fails to act. "...Our region is also home to some of the most frustrating traffic congestion — congestion that puts Washington at a competitive disadvantage compared to the rest of North America. With other states and Canada putting more money into their ports, along with the improvements to the Panama Canal, our state's ports are at risk of losing business if we don't improve freight mobility. With 40 percent of the state's jobs – in both Eastern and Western Washington – tied to port-related activity, harming our ports' competitiveness would be devastating."

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