A welcome jolt for Washington jobs

IN the midst of the national buzz about the $789 billion economic-stimulus plan before Congress, the local reality is captured by a story about a job opening in Tacoma.

The Associated Press reports 1,400 applications flooded into Tacoma Public Utilities for a lone position, water meter reader. More than 800 showed up to take the test.

Creating employment in the midst of an economic crisis shaped President Obama's plan before lawmakers. The House is expected to vote Friday on the package, and a Senate vote might come Saturday.

Washington Sen. Patty Murray said Thursday the White House estimates some 75,000 jobs will be created or retained in this state by the stimulus package. Local federal spending will include $500 million for roads and highways, $175 million for transit and potentially $2 billion for cleanup at the Hanford nuclear reservation.

Beyond the infrastructure improvements themselves, infusions of jobs-producing money translates into mortgage and rent payments and all the usual consumer purchases that fuel families and communities.

Gov. Christine Gregoire, in a joint media interview with Murray, was looking forward to the federal bump in unemployment benefits and food stamps, which go directly into the economy. Additional Medicaid dollars and education-stabilization grants were on their way as well.

The governor said the jobs-creation portion of the federal package could be felt within weeks. Workers would see an increase in their take-home pay when a payroll-tax deduction kicks in.

"We need help, and we need it now," the governor said. A healthy measure is on the way: jobs and targeted money to create options and choices within a strapped state budget.