Brad Bollinger: How about let’s stimulate our local economy by expediting projects

Monday, February 2, 2009, 12:06 pm

Brad Bollinger Everyone is waiting for the vaunted “stimulus” dollars to drop over us from Washington, D.C., like some magic economic elixir.

But there’s something local and state governments could do on their own that could restore confidence and put people to work: They could move immediately to expedite projects already in the pipeline.

There are plenty of such projects across the North Bay, from an upscale resort and housing project in northern Sonoma County to a progressive retirement community in Santa Rosa to housing, transportation, hotels and other projects in all three counties. These are what are referred to today as “shovel ready” or nearly so. That is, they would be except the approval “process” is not complete.

At a time when public agencies of every kind are finding themselves in financial trouble, it’s these very projects – most privately developed and financed – that would help fund vital services from public safety to schools.

Just as important, if not more so, getting projects up and running would create jobs at the very moment they are needed most.

Who knows? There may even be the added benefit of a boost in public confidence in the local economy.

Last week, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission showed just the kind of leadership that is needed, agreeing to front $200 million to highway and other projects threatened by the state budget crisis, including widening sections of Highways 80 and 101.

The commission demonstrated speed, decisiveness and a sense of urgency, which is precisely what is needed at a time when many people and societal institutions are frozen with fear.

There are probably a 100 reasons someone can give why local projects can’t be expedited.

So, sure, we can wait to see what Washington, D.C., deigns to give us. That’s fine.

But maybe we can also help ourselves.

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Brad Bollinger is editor in chief and associate publisher of the Business Journal. He can be reached at bbollinger@northbaybusinessjournal.com or 707-521-42