Washblog

(1) "... retrenchment in consumer spending, continued weakness in housing, and slowing business purchases have finally pushed the U.S. economy into a recession."

(2) " ... our baseline forecast assumes that the recession will last four quarters into the middle of 2009 with the current quarter being the weakest."

(3) " ... Washington's economy is not immune. Even though the state economy has weakened, we
expect that the downturn will be more muted - both in duration and depth - in our state, than for the nation. Construction employment in the state is expected to continue to decline, but we do not expect significant job losses in either aerospace or software publishing."

(4) " ... we expect a weak holiday sales season, continued weakness in automobile sales and housing construction and purchases."

Governor Gregoire has something to say about this in today's Tacoma News Tribune.

Put in terms kitchen budget managers like you and me can understand, the governor is re-working the resources we have along with short-term resources anticipated by the federal stimulus package that seems certain to come in one form or another (except as came the previous stimulus package. Forget about taking another stimulus check to the mall for Christmas.)

I like her ideas. I'm also curious as to what we'd be facing if a rigid and inflexible free-market corporate-pandering prefers-Republican was the governor-elect. I doubt that Rossi's list would match Gregoire's.

Gregoire's priorities reflect wise governance.

* More than $200 million in tax-exempt bonds for housing programs. The money can used for rental housing for poor families, assistance for first-time home buyers and refinancing of mortgages at risk of default.

* About $85 million to help low-income Washingtonians pay heating and energy bills and make weatherization improvements to their homes. Since the money is funneled through utility companies, Gregoire hopes it also will create jobs.

* Another $13 million in aid for the salmon fishing fleet, meant to help those hurt by the sudden collapse of the Pacific Coast salmon industry. Gregoire said she's pushing federal officials to release that money faster.

What would that old real-estate-tycoon-reach-across-the-aisle-budget-writer have come up with in order to strengthen the BIAW first and working Washingtonians second?