Business Lobby Pushes For Action On Funding Transportation Projects

Transportation funding is shaping up as a focal issue for business in this legislative session, reports the president of the state’s largest and most powerful business lobby.

“This is a large, unwieldy, many-faceted issue that is little understood,” says Don C. Brunell of the Association of Washington Business. “There is no consensus on what the problems of transportation are, let alone how to solve them.”

The above assessment of the situation is based on responses to an AWB grassroots survey of its membership, Brunell said, and on talks with the powers in Olympia. Both the AWB, which also serves as the Washington State Chamber of Commerce, and the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce have placed funding of transportation projects vital to business and a healthy economy atop their legislative wish lists this year.

Various fixes advanced to repair crumbling infrastructure and construct vital new links have had the effect of pitting East against West, urban centers against rural areas, visionary new construction projects on a grand scale against inexpensive repaving jobs.

Brunell said most business people don’t expect a gas tax increase to automatically solve transportation problems, and there is little likelihood such a measure will win support. “There is widespread skepticism out there,” said the business lobbyist, “about the cost- effectiveness of funds now being expended. A lot of people think a performance audit of our state transportation department (now in the works) is needed to show us what we are getting for our money.”

Again this year, Brunell said, AWB will work to enable small businesses to buy worker’s compensation insurance in the open market instead of only from the state.

Further progress on regulatory reform will continue to be an issue.

“Initiative 200, eliminating affirmative action, has more than enough signatures to come before the Legislature for action,” said Brunell. “If lawmakers ignore it, the initiative goes on the ballot.”

Otherwise, the legislative session looks pretty tame this year, Brunell said.

“We have supported most of the tax changes in the past four or five years,” he said. “From the standpoint of business taxes, we are looking pretty good. Washington is attracting new investment and is competitive.”

Employees unfaxed by bank takeover rumor

Repeated rumors that Wells Fargo is ripe for a takeover don’t ruffle Danette Main, a teller in the North Spokane branch of the Los Angeles-based financial giant.

Without ever changing employers, she has gone through three mergers, starting as a teenager with American Commercial Bank, which was merged with Pacific National Bank, which was merged with First Interstate Bank, which was merged with Wells Fargo. Along the way, customers of the small home-based bank where she began 18 years ago and a host of other little local banks that were gobbled up have gotten a wild ride.

A Business Week article touts Wells Fargo and Seattle-based Washington Mutual as the two hottest banking stocks in the West, based on their appeal as takeover candidates. The article also quotes Wells Fargo chief executive Paul Hazen as saying he would consider a buyout.

But Danette remains stoic. “Employees aren’t worried,” she says. “They don’t think it’ll happen. At least not right away. If and when it does, they’ll take it in stride.”

Smith Barney economist plans talk

Smith Barney chief economist Mitchell J. Held will discuss the outlook for the economy and interest rates this year at the Gonzaga University Dean’s Business Forum breakfast Jan. 21.

The event will be held in Jepson Center Auditorium on the GU campus, starting at 7:15 a.m. Tickets at the door are $12.50.

Urban planners to study downtown Spokane

A nationally recognized team of urban designers and planners is setting to work on an exhaustive study of downtown Spokane, and the public is invited to participate.

“This is the first full-blown study of downtown in more than 35 years,” says Downtown Spokane Partnership President Karen Valvano.

Unlike other periodic updates of the downtown plan, this one will include a detailed economic analysis of market conditions, business opportunities, and revenue sources for redeveloping and rejuvenating the city core. Most importantly, says Valvano, this plan aims to secure commitments from implementing agencies to carry out prioritized projects in a specified time frame.

A steering committee of about 25 is overseeing the process for the city of Spokane, which is paying most of the cost, and for the Downtown Spokane Partnership, which is helping to fund the project. The final product will be become part of the city’s comprehensive plan.

A public “visioning” workshop designed to attract broad community involvement will be held Feb. 5 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. in the Spokane Convention Center. The agenda also will take up issues, goals, opportunities and constraints.

Three other workshops, all in the Convention Center from to 7 to 10 p.m., are scheduled April 2, May 13, and July 17.

, DataTimes MEMO: Associate Editor Frank Bartel writes a notes column each Wednesday. If you have business items of regional interest for future columns, call 459-5467 or fax 459-5482.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Frank Bartel The Spokesman-Review