October 17, 2004 in Opinion

Rossi the better choice for economic recovery

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For much of the past few years, Washington state has been one of the top-ranked states in one of the least desirable categories. Unemployment. The state’s next governor needs to respond with a clear, targeted program to reverse that unfortunate status.

Republican Dino Rossi has demonstrated the necessary resolve, both in his campaign and as a Senate Ways and Means Committee chairman who was instrumental in delivering a budget without raising taxes. The latter feat is especially noteworthy, given the serious revenue shortfalls that have tormented state government.

Which brings us back to the original point.

Citizens’ commanding expectations of state government – social services, education, environmental protection, transportation, public safety – can’t be satisfied without a healthy economy in which there are prosperous businesses that have reason to invest in the creation of good jobs. That kind of climate results in less need and more capacity to meet it.

Both Rossi and his Democratic rival, Attorney General Chris Gregoire, recognize the challenge and are willing to attack it.

Gregoire proposes an ambitious investment program, funded with money coming to the state as a result of a settlement she won from tobacco companies. We applaud Gregoire for her success in the tobacco case, but the rationale for the settlement was to support health care.

Gregoire’s plan is to use $500 million from that source to launch a life sciences research and development program that would attract investment, make Washington a national leader in such work, and create 250,000 jobs in her first four years.

It’s an inspiring concept and may well be worth trying. But it’s chancy.

Rossi’s approach is more direct and down to earth: Rein in an overreaching regulatory structure that discourages economic development. The office of regulatory reform he plans to create could start right away identifying and eliminating duplicative, contradictory, outdated and overzealous state rules that thwart legitimate businesses.

Rossi’s plan doesn’t promise as grand results as Gregoire’s, but its chances of success are higher and more immediate. For that reason and for his stronger commitment to fiscal restraint, we think Dino Rossi offers Washington voters a better choice for governor.

But Rossi has a decided shortcoming of concern to us here in Eastern Washington. He doesn’t know us. He has no first-hand, and little second-hand, understanding of our issues. When asked, he responds that Spokane’s state-level interests are safeguarded because he and Mayor Jim West, a former Senate colleague, are good friends.

We’re looking for a broader sign of understanding than that. If elected, Rossi has some homework to do.

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