Everybody knows 2003 will be a rough year. Our state’s economy is on a slow crawl toward recovery, revenues are $2 billion short of current budget demands, and voters remain skeptical about government in general.

Taxpayers are tired of the open warfare between interest groups and the continual partisan bickering among politicians. They want problems solved!

Last year there were encouraging signs that adversaries can come together with elected officials and actually get things done. For example:

In 2001 Governor Gary Locke established the Competitiveness Council, a disparate group of luminaries from business, labor, politics, and higher education to address issues that are threatening our shaky economy. The Council developed a series of recommendations for 2002 that will save jobs, create new opportunities, and return prosperity to our state. Some of the recommendations were implemented by the Legislature and state agencies last year, but much more remains to be done. Hopefully, the synergy from the Council’s deliberations will be the momentum for tackling some of the tougher recommendations this year.

A broad-based bi-partisan coalition including Gov. Locke, former Sen. Slade Gorton and leaders from business, labor and the legislature came together to support Referendum 51 - the state transportation funding package.

Ref. 51 failed at the polls, but members of the coalition gained valuable insights and experience working together. In the coming year, they should continue working together to craft a transportation package that legislators will pass and voters will support.

Governor Locke called on the state’s budget experts and business leaders to help him establish the priorities for our state budget. Realizing state revenues are at least $2 billion short of current budget demands, the “Priorities of Government” (P.O.G.) project addresses new ways for our state government to work.

It’s grounded in a common sense notion familiar to struggling families and private businesses: When times are tough, you make hard choices and live within your means.

Many of the P.O.G.’s recommendations are included in the Governor’s proposed budget, and predictably, interest groups are already lining up to protest. But unless the legislature and state agencies make some difficult choices this year, the consequences will be much worse.

Finally, just a couple of weeks ago, Governor Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire joined with leaders from local governments, the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Environmental Council to reach a settlement on new rules governing shorelines along our state’s rivers, streams, lakes, and ocean. As part of that agreement, all sides dropped their lawsuits.

Let’s hope these small steps forward paved the way for more progress in the new year. While 2002 was a very trying year for families, employers, and voters, these examples of successful collaboration can point us towards a better way of doing things.

Let’s resolve to make these small successes of 2002 the cornerstone of our efforts in 2003.