Politics & Government

Inslee Emphasizes Job Creation in His Run for Governor

Democrat says he intends to keep businesses here and create high tech industry clusters to create job opportunities for residents across the state

Jay Inslee announced his bid for Washington governor in 2012, Monday morning, touting his ability to create high quality jobs for Washington residents and the education needed to get them.

Inslee, 60, is seeking the state’s highest office for the second time—he ran unsuccessfully in 1996—after serving south Snohomish, north King, and Kitsap counties, in the state’s 1st Congressional District for the past 13 years. A lawyer, he also served eastern Washington’s Fourth District in the early 1990s.

With the 2012 general election more than 16 months away, Inslee and republican Attorney General Rob McKenna are the first major candidates to declare for the office being vacated by two-term democrat Christine Gregoire.

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The Bainbridge democrat peppered his speech at the labs of Targeted Growth, Inc., a crop biotechnology company based in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, with references to finding ways to create new jobs by marrying different industries and tapping into the power of imagination.

Inslee talked about how in the midst of the massive recession a few years ago he helped lead the way with technology innovators to create thousands of jobs for former auto workers making lithium-ion batteries to power the growing electric car industry.

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He mentioned examples of companies doing advanced technology work in Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver, such as Sharp USA and ITron.

“This is economic job potential all across the state of Washington, and as person who has represented both sides of the state of Washington this is why I find it so compelling and so appealing…” Inslee said. “If we work together across regions, across party lines, across management and labor that’s how we will get this job done.”

Inslee emphasized that he would do everything his power to keep businesses and attract businesses to Washington state.

“If I am governor, I will cajole, wheedle, deal, talk, persuade, work to keep your business and move your business in the state of Washington,” Inslee said.  “We are going to be in this competition and we are going to win these competitions.”

The state, Inslee said, needs to encourage the building of high-tech clusters, such as the one at South Lake Union, to include research institutions, private equity and labor.

“Frankly we haven’t done this very well in the state of Washington and we need to do better,” he said.

To assist in that, Inslee proposes using a “small defined portion of state pension funds to create a pool of capital available for startup innovative companies that pledge to start here and pledge to stay here.”

Inslee said he would tackle the health care quandary to help reduce the burden on businesses and create “value rather than volume,” in how care is delivered.

Education plays a big role as well with Washington having a greater supply of high-tech jobs than qualified students, he said. Colleges and universities have to do a better job of getting students into science and math degree programs.

Also, the high school dropout rate, which has improved statewide, is still too high Inslee said, adding “there are going to be no excuses for not graduating from high school while I’m governor of the state of Washington.”

Inslee also stated his support for traditional democratic causes, the environment, collective bargaining, support for pro-choice women, pay equity, rights of all citizens, and net neutrality.

Inslee said he would bring much-needed change to Olympia, a shot at McKenna, who is in his second-term as attorney general in the state capital.


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