JobMakers.com; New Web Site Tracks Competitiveness Issues in Washington State.

Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2003

A new web site -- www.JobMakers.com -- now offers a comprehensive, one-stop resource for information on bills, initiatives and referenda under consideration in Washington state.

Analysis focuses on measures that

"With high unemployment and prolonged economic downturn, creating jobs and reinvigorating the economy must be the state's highest priority. Full implementation of the Washington Competitiveness Council's key recommendations is the best place to start," said Don Brunell, president of the Association of Washington Business.

JobMakers.com analyzes measures in six competitiveness categories: budget and taxation, regulations and permitting, infrastructure, economic development, education and workforce, and health care. Each issue is a priority of Governor Locke's Competitiveness Council or the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy, a research organization focused on state competitiveness.

The JobMakers.com site defines success in each competitiveness category and sets clear criteria for categorizing bills as "JobMakers" -- those that encourage job creation -- or "JobKillers" -- those that could force employers to cut jobs or focus growth elsewhere.

Site functionality includes:

-- Bill assessment - The site tracks JobMaker and JobKiller bills and analyzes their anticipated impact on private sector jobs. Visitors can search for bills by number, sponsor or category.

-- Elected officials research/scoring - Visitors can search for state legislators by name or district and access information on how each elected official votes on JobMaker and JobKiller measures. The site provides summary ratings and individual voting records for each legislator and the governor.

-- MyJobMakers - Site visitors can create a private, custom page to track action and keep personal notes on specific legislators and bills.

-- Action center - Visitors can contact their legislators directly, subscribe to announcements and participate in online polls.

-- Business portal - Visitors can access more than 3.8 million business and news-related web sites.

"In the last two years, more than 96,000 jobs have been eliminated in Washington, with major cuts across all sectors from agriculture to manufacturing and aerospace. For the first time ever, Washington is experiencing stagnant year-over-year job growth in software. These are the state's major economic drivers and the numbers are startling. A focused public policy effort is required to help employers grow and bring new jobs to Washington," said Phil Bussey, president of the Washington Roundtable.

For more information, visit www.JobMakers.com.

About JobMakers

JobMakers.com is an informational web site that examines bills, initiatives and referenda under consideration by elected officials and voters in Washington state. Supported by the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Roundtable, JobMakers.com offers a unique venue for Washingtonians to gather information on issues critical to state competitiveness.