Governor Gregoire Addresses Bellingham City Club Breakfast (As Written)

May 16, 2007

It's great to be back here in Bellingham.

As you may know, we just completed a legislative session and I think it is a good time to talk to Washingtonians about our future. I am very optimistic about the possibilities in our state.

We are unique in Washington � I often say we are like a small nation � and I think that is in part due to our spirit of innovation - our ability to dream big and make those dreams a reality.

Innovation to me means our understanding that even the smallest idea � or cup of coffee � can change the world.

Innovation holds the key to stronger schools, a more robust economy and a brighter future for the state of Washington.

In the past hundred years, our standard of living has improved faster than at any time in 2,000 years. Innovation and advances in technology have led the way. These advances have improved how we work, how we live and even how long we live.

Innovation is about giving people the skills and education that they need, providing access to new and better technology and encouraging the most efficient and effective use of resources so that we�ll have an even better quality of life in the years ahead.

It�s about economic expansion today that will generate benefits for us all in the future.

It�s guided by a belief that if we encourage individuals, organizations and businesses to innovate � to make better use of existing technologies and processes � today, they can develop new technologies for tomorrow.

Here in Washington, we�re better positioned than most states to build those technologies and industries of the future.

I am not Governor of just any state. I am the Governor of the great state of Washington � a state known for high-quality products, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit.

The global perspective of our state hits home for me on my trade missions. When I traveled to Beijing two years ago, I flew in a Boeing airplane. On the drive to the hotel, I passed a skyscraper with Microsoft in bold across the building. When I arrived at the hotel, across the street there was a Starbucks.

On a trade mission to Taiwan, I visited a Costco just like one you�d find in Bellingham. That Costco sold Washington wine, cherries, potatoes and Washington beef.

Our challenge is to produce the next generation of products from workers and leaders and products that carry on this spirit of innovation and pursuit of quality.

We know that for too many kids, they aren�t getting the quality of education that they need or deserve. They aren�t challenged. They aren�t inspired. And so they give up.

That�s unacceptable. I was elected not just to manage, but to lead, not just to administer today, but to create and plan for the future. And that�s exactly what we did in creating a new business plan called the Next Washington.

As a state, we have an advantage. We are always looking for smarter, better ways to tackle our challenges.

And we not only bring that spirit of innovation to economic and business challenges, but to social challenges as well.

For example, a Washington non-profit called PATH is working with companies and research universities to deliver technology that will improve global health and save lives.

They�re currently seeking to develop a lab-on-a-card technology that will allow doctors to diagnose in minutes what would normally take hours or days to find out in a central laboratory, and at a very low cost.

Innovation means finding new ways of doing things, new ways of looking at things in order to find an advantage. It�s not only about working harder. It�s about working smarter, becoming leaner and sharper. Innovation is about being more efficient and more effective in the classroom and the workplace.

Innovation is about helping our companies, our children and our country to become more successful than ever before.

And from where I stand, it�s about making our government smarter and more efficient with our tax dollars. It�s about making investments in programs with proven results. It�s about being accountable to the public. And it�s about demanding results from state government.

If we fail to innovate, we�re facing a future of economic uncertainty. Indeed, the next generation may be the first to do worse economically than its parents�.

Now, imagine our state, where we do innovate successfully. Imagine an economy where our businesses and our people lead the world both in terms of high-tech efficiency as well as creating living-wage jobs with health insurance and benefits.

Instead of fighting over low-skilled, low-paying jobs, our economy will generate more high-skilled, high-paying jobs right here at home.

This vision isn�t far-fetched.

We are beginning to make the changes through this legislative session that will make this vision a reality.

For instance, we are working to make changes to create a world-class, seamless, learner-focused education system.

We improved early learning by expanding our pre-kindergarten and all-day kindergarten programs and our early reading initiatives. That means more children will arrive at school ready to learn and ready to flourish and succeed.

We dramatically increased our investments in math and science, providing additional time for teacher training and coaching, aligning the curriculum to meet international standards, and creating ways to attract more professionals with math and science expertise to teaching.

That means more of our students will be prepared for the family-wage jobs of the future.

We made a significant investment in our two and four-year colleges and universities, including almost 10,000 new enrollment slots, nearly 3,500 in high-demand fields with a focus on math and science.

I know that many of the solutions to the health care crisis facing our nation require leadership from the federal government. But we can�t wait for that to happen. We have to step forward and find innovative solutions for Washingtonians.

And we did so, passing the Blue Ribbon Commission bill which includes over 20 initiatives to help Washingtonians access quality, affordable health care. We did this in part by establishing the Health Insurance Partnership which will help low-wage workers in small businesses afford health insurance.

In many families � and I think about my own daughter who just graduated from college � young adults are no longer covered by family health care policies but don�t have jobs where insurance is provided.

So we expanded coverage to dependents up to age 25. Insurance carriers and the state will now offer the option of covering kids like mine as dependents on existing policies.

And we�re reaching our goal to give every Washington child access to health care by 2010, providing access for an additional 38,000 children in the next two years.

Armed with a 10-year business plan, we are supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs.

For the first time in 16 years, we are investing locally in the network of what we call �Economic Development Councils� so that we can look to local leaders for job creation and retention, rather than have a one-size-fits-all approach from the Capitol.

And this year through a six-month holiday from workers� comp insurance which will save business owners AND workers over 315 million dollars, coupled with lower unemployment insurance premiums to save small businesses another 10 million dollars annually.

We are investing more than ever in tourism, which benefits our entire state � from wine country to ski slopes to the San Juans.

Right here in Bellingham, you know how important it is to compete for tourism dollars, particularly with the 2010 Olympics approaching fast.

We created a public-private tourism partnership to leverage private money and I want to thank Representative Kelli Linville for her leadership and work to boost tourism.

In Washington, we are fortunate to be blessed with breathtaking natural beauty and an unparalleled quality of life. Our environment not only gives us access to tremendous recreational opportunities, but serves as a foundation for our state economy.

But if we want to keep it that way, we have more work to do to protect the jewel of the Northwest, Puget Sound and address challenges from climate change that affect our snowpack and water supply.

Thanks to the work of the Puget Sound Partnership, our goal is to have a swim-able, fish-able, dig-able Puget Sound by 2020. It will take all of us recognizing we are part of the problem, and working together, we are the solution.

We�re taking aggressive action on climate change. In February, I signed an executive order setting goals for emissions reductions, imported fuel reduction, and job creation.

In March I announced a partnership with four other western states to come together on climate change and next month we�ll be joined by British Columbia. So when anyone tells me that one state can�t make a difference, I point to our partnerships and how we are growing � even New Zealand is interested in collaboration on climate change.

Local leaders are making a difference like Representative Linville and Representative Ericksen, as well as Bill Kidd from BP and Mike Rousseau from ALCOA.

Our new office of Farmland Preservation will serve as a strong voice to protect farmland and support our agriculture economy.

We are establishing a clear vision for the future of agriculture in our state � giving farmers greater certainty and improving transportation to get their products to markets around the state and around the world.

One of the things I am very proud of is our efforts to make state government to be more accountable to taxpayers and to ensure real results.

For example, by the end of 2007, the Department of Agriculture expects to cut in half the time needed to inspect and issue operating licenses for food processing facilities.

It used to take an average of two months or more to inspect and license the 150-to-200 food processors who submit applications each year in Washington.

By improving technology and reducing paperwork, the department expects to cut the average time to 21 days. This will be a major improvement for agri-businesses that need to begin operations with a minimum of bureaucratic delay.

It is that kind of new thinking � a new way of doing business � that shows results through innovation and what I believe will be our edge as a state in the 21st century.

Throughout the past two and a half years, we�ve continued to make important changes that Washington families can count on. I have never been so optimistic about the future of our state � in every region and in every sector.

Whether it is the future of our schools and our ability to educate our students for the jobs of tomorrow � or the future jobs in our state, like those in the bio-fuels industry and global health.

Across the state, Washingtonians asked that we invest in and improve education, address our health care crisis and create family-wage jobs.

We are delivering � delivering on issue that matter to our citizens and doing so in a fiscally responsible way.

Our state economy is strong right now � we have the lowest unemployment since we started keeping track in 1976 (4.4%) � but I know that can change. So for the first time, voters in our state will have an opportunity to create a constitutionally protected Rainy Day Fund.

We are working to make our state stronger, to make our roads and bridges and buildings stronger, to make our economy stronger and we are investing in changes that will bring real results for Washington families.

Our citizens are dreaming big and we are creating a state in which big dreams can come true. There is great hope and opportunity for Washington families, communities and the state.

The freedom and openness of our state has always made it an incubator for new ideas and a haven for innovation.

Our task, as a state, is to foster that incubator and help new ideas grow. With an emphasis on innovation � in our schools, our workplaces, and our government � we will continue to grow�healthier, better educated and leading the way through the 21st century.

Thank you.

###