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Your input and involvement vital to help improve
economy
By Rep. Dan
Kristiansen
Special to the Chambers of Commerce
Those of you who own,
operate and manage businesses, balance the books, pay the taxes and sign
the paychecks are on the front lines of our state's economy. You are the
experts. You know what is required to pave the way for better economic
times.
With more than 330,000
people now out of work and a statewide unemployment rate that continues
to inch upward (now at 9.3 percent), our state needs to make a
commitment to reverse this trend and get people working again. Your
involvement and input can make a tremendous difference in this process.
The Department of Labor
and Industries (L&I) has proposed a 7.6 percent increase in workers'
compensation premiums. That could affect both employers and employees.
Both pay into the system. When rates go up, paychecks go down. The
premium hike makes it more expensive to retain and hire workers,
prolonging joblessness. That's not the direction to take if we want to
pull our state out of a recession.
Here's your first
opportunity to speak out. Six public hearings will be held statewide
before the final workers' compensation rate is adopted, including one in
Bellingham (Oct. 29, 1
p.m., Bellingham Quality Inn, 100 E. Kellogg Rd.). Written comments
will be accepted before Nov. 7 to: Department of Labor and Industries,
P.O. Box 44140, Olympia, WA 98504-4140, or you can e-mail them to Ronald
Moore, Employment Services Program manager at:
MOOA235@lni.wa.gov. More
information on other hearing times and locations can be found online at
the L&I Web site: http://www.lni.wa.gov.
Your input is also
important now as lawmakers prepare for the 2010 session. Only
two-and-a-half months remain before the legislative session gets under
way Jan. 11 in Olympia. With the holidays soon upon us, that time will
move very quickly. The coming year's session is only 60 days, which
leaves a very short time to find and implement solutions that could put
Washington back on track to economic recovery in 2010 and get people
working again. That's why it is important for your state legislators,
including myself, to hear from you now.
What can we do better as a
state to encourage job growth? What barriers need to be broken that are
keeping Washington from reaching its full economic potential? What
policies need to be in place (or removed) that will foster businesses
growth, and help employers create new jobs for Washington families?
I encourage you to contact
my office with your ideas and suggestions. My phone number in Olympia is
(360) 786-7967, or you can e-mail me through my Web site at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen.
Together, with your
involvement, input and expertise, we can put Washington back on the road
to economic recovery.
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EDITOR'S NOTE:
State Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish,
represents the 39th Legislative District, and also serves as chairman of
the Washington House Republican Caucus. Sign up for his e-newsletter at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kristiansen.
For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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