Inslee adviser floats idea of boosting construction spending to juice economy

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Seattle business leaders on Monday learned what an economic recovery might look like in Washington state. An early idea is to juice the economy through capital spending.

Charles Knutson, senior policy adviser to Gov. Jay Inslee, said that if there's a federal infrastructure package, Washington will angle for a seat at the table. "We're also considering what the options might be at the state level," he said during a Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce webinar.

It might mean spending on transportation or other capital projects "to help stimulate the economy and provide that adrenaline shot (with) near-term construction jobs as well as the longer-term economic benefits that can come from building that demand," Knutson said.

The question of the day is when the Puget Sound region's economy can move beyond the first phase of reopening. There's heightened interest as the calendar winds down to June 1, which is when Inslee's "stay home, stay healthy" order is scheduled to lift.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/05/26/construction-spending-inslee-adviser-boost-economy.html?ana=e_sea_bn_editorschoice_editorschoice&j=90510793&t=Breaking%20News&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWlRkaE5URTFZbVEwTmpNeCIsInQiOiJKSnVMS1BtRVZhaHhWYzMyczhWcHlMOCs1blwvUGdlSDR1WGQ0ank5VCtUc01aR1dmN0Q3dWg2WllyQUdobXNsVjVQK1BlSGprK052RGZoaVlOU3lzSjV1dVRvbmZCZUtTMkxiN2NoVVg3RTJLSlJ0eXk1M2ZkMllVcWhFQXJWcVQifQ%3D%3D

[mopinko]

1. hello. mr keynes on line one for anyone not deaf.

[LisaM]

2. I've been living and working in a construction zone for ten years.

I'm so sick of construction I could scream. Worse, now I'm working from home, and construction was the first thing they opened up, and there are noisy trucks going by all day long.

I am so, so tired of this. I wish they could spend it on state parks, maybe some road and bridge repair, but this relentless construction is really bad for the psyche if you have to live through it day after day after day.

[Cicada]

3. Borrowing for business infrastructure and environment are sure bets

My dad told me That his Civilian Conservation Corps group from Mississippi planted one million trees in Nevada during the depression. He was paid $21 per month and sent $16 to his mother. He developed Life long work habits that put mine to shame. We can do things like that. Young people need our help and we need theirs. Restaurant workers turned flood control infrastructure experts. Wind turbine repair pays pretty well. Driverless truck roadway design.