Gregoire looks past defeat of Proposition 1

WASHINGTON – The defeat of an ambitious $18 billion repair for the Seattle region’s traffic woes was “a significant blow,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire, but she and other leaders are pressing forward to solve the region’s growing congestion.

“Voters did not say ‘OK the status quo is fine,’ ” Gregoire said Thursday. “They said, ‘We don’t like the whole package.’ “

Gregoire, in the “other Washington” to collect an award from Governing magazine for excellence in government, met with reporters Thursday.

She said she would focus on a plan to replace the aging state Route 520 floating bridge across Lake Washington – a project she called urgent. The bridge cannot sustain high winds and is vulnerable to an earthquake and must be replaced, most likely with a toll bridge similar to the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Gregoire said.

On transit, Gregoire said Washington voters had metaphorically moved to Missouri.

” ‘I’m from Missouri – show me you’ve got it right, and it works from the airport to downtown’ ” Seattle, Gregoire said, characterizing the voters’ mood. “They’re really in a ‘show-me’ mind-set.”

Voters in Washington’s King, Snohomish and Pierce counties defeated Proposition 1 on Tuesday, 56 percent to 44 percent. The proposal would have financed a series of road and transit projects through higher sales and car-tab taxes in the three counties.

The vote was widely seen as a repudiation of the state’s political establishment – including Gregoire – but the Democratic governor said it may have been a sign of voter anxiety over the economy.

“In our state the economy is strong, but people think otherwise” because of national media coverage of the housing slump and problems caused by subprime mortgages, she said.

Washington’s economy has stayed strong because of its emphasis on international trade, Gregoire said.

“We’re more known internationally than in the rest of the United States,” she said, citing the state’s growing reputation for cutting-edge medical research, biofuels and high-tech jobs.

“Who would have thought we would change the world’s habits on coffee?” she said.

On politics, Gregoire said she and other Democratic governors were reluctant to endorse a presidential candidate out of respect for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former leader of the Democratic Governors Association.

“He helped a lot of folks,” including her, Gregoire said. “If and when he decides to get out, I’ll make a decision” on one of three front-runners: New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

All three candidates are running well in Washington state, said Gregoire, lamenting that they have made few appearance in the state. She attributed the lack of attention to the state’s late primary and said she was disappointed Washington is likely to play little or no role in determining the nominee for either party.

Gregoire is running for re-election next year in a rematch with Republican Dino Rossi. She declined to set a fundraising target for her own race, but said, “There is no message without money.”

She decried what she called Rossi’s negative approach to early campaigning, saying, “it looks to me like it’s going to be an ugly campaign, based on what I’ve seen in the last two weeks.”

Jill Strait, a spokeswoman for Rossi, said Rossi has merely been comparing and contrasting what he would do as governor with what Gregoire has done.

“We are going to talk about her record, and if talking about her record is negative, then …” Strait said, her voice trailing off.

Strait called the vote on Proposition 1 a rebuke of Gregoire and legislative Democrats.