Mayor McGinn's jobs plan could jump-start Seattle's economy

THE really good news about Mayor Mike McGinn's new Seattle Jobs Plan is the mayor is finally focused on the city's lousy economy. He offers several intriguing proposals that could provide a helpful jump-start.

In some ways, McGinn has taken programs already under way, for example, the Youth & Families Initiative and a recently announced federal grant for energy retrofit, and repackaged them as part of the jobs effort.

But in other ways, the mayor is leveraging new federal dollars in promising ways to spur economic development and hiring, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.

The mayor is finessing the use of $40 million in federal tax credits to increase larger-scale investment in real-estate development, major equipment purchases and business expansion — all with the broader goal of creating jobs and opportunities.

Good timing. The Puget Sound area suffers along with the rest of the nation, having lost about 125,000 jobs in the past two years.

On a less-grand scale, up to $10 million in federal, nonprofit and city funds will be available to encourage startups and expansion of existing businesses. The mayor who started his term antagonistic to business now will convene industry leaders to find ways for the city to help the local economy.

McGinn offers ideas big and small. One of the best little ideas is a proposed business advocacy team comprised of staff from multiple city departments to help businesses navigate government. This is really helpful because it offers practical help to business and sends a message the city is working to ease systemic permitting and regulatory issues.

The mayor is clearly serious about strengthening education and preparedness for the work force.

"If the mayor is worried about the middle class and he wants to help fix Seattle Public Schools, he may be somebody business can work with," says Dave Gering, executive director of the Manufacturing Industrial Council of Seattle. Gering wants more community support for students pursuing career and technical education.

The mayor's program is aimed more at low-income job seekers who need employable skills beyond high school.

McGinn identifies capital spending in the budget that will boost broadband fiber networks and upgrade utility infrastructure. Details matter — for example, broadband may not be best completed by city bureaucracy competing with the private sector.

The mayor has to be careful not to help the economy with one hand and shoot at it with the other.

In that regard, the mayor should ensure the city lives within its means in the upcoming budget and does not add a bunch of new taxes that crimp residents and business. His favored surface-transit approach to the Alaskan Way Viaduct is a euphemism for gridlock in downtown, which is one of the prime generators of jobs and tax revenue for the city.

Talk of renewing the business head tax and higher commercial parking rates do not help, either.

For now, high-five to McGinn for attempting to make government more supportive and helpful to business. It is essential that the city's chief executive officer do his part to get the city's economy back on sturdy footing.