Nearly 100 people showed up at Kent City Hall last Saturday (Feb. 20th) to attend a Community Jobs Forum sponsored by state legislators from the 33rd district.

The informational event was meant to highlight government resources that are available to job seekers and those needing job-related training.

Participating agencies included:

• WorkSource
• Port Jobs
• Veterans Conservation Corps
• Several south King County-area community and technical colleges
• U.S. Census Bureau

Senator Karen Keiser (D – Kent ) and Rep. Tina Orwall (D – Des Moines) each gave welcoming remarks that touched on some of the job creation efforts currently under consideration in the Legislature.

“Right now, the average unemployed worker has been jobless for at least seven months,” Keiser said. “That’s an eternity when you can’t pay the mortgage or utilities and benefits are close to running out. This jobs fair was a simple, yet effective way to help people in our district establish connections and crucial job leads. There should be more. The Legislature is looking at short- and long-term approaches to get people back to work, including maintaining our commitment to job retraining programs and helping businesses stay afloat with businesses assistance programs.”

Representatives from each of the agencies in attendance also gave brief presentations about the various resources they offer, most of which is free for job seekers. As budget cuts loom within state government, many of the presenters stressed that federal dollars for worker retraining are still available, and local community colleges are eager to help dislocated workers and those needing to update their skill sets.

“Our jobs forum was not only about linking people to programs and services, but also about helping them navigate these services,” Orwall said.  “This was a way to expand resources around some of the training programs to help people get back to work; overall I think this was a very big success.”

Also present at the forum were representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau, which is in the process of hiring thousands of workers for temporary positions in Washington state to help households accurately fill out their census forms.  These jobs are extremely important because the United States constitution requires a complete population tally every 10 years, and the results determine everything from congressional representation to the amount of federal dollars allocated for things like education and transportation.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), who originally came up with the idea for the Jobs Forum, was unable to attend Saturday due to illness.

“The overriding theme in the Legislature this year is jobs, but I wanted it to be more than just a buzzword,” Upthegrove said.  “I wanted to connect people with the resources that already exist here in the community.”

The 33rd Legislative District includes SeaTac, Des Moines, the west part of Kent, and parts of Burien and Normandy Park.

If you’re looking for work in the general Burien/Highline area, check out our Jobs Page, which is continually updated with job listings 24/7.

(Photos courtesy the Washington State House Democratic Caucus).

State Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Normandy Park) will be holding a “Telephone Town Hall” on Tuesday, Nov. 17th from 6pm to 7pm, and to participate, you don’t have to drive anywhere in the rain at night or find a parking space – all you have to do is call a toll-free 1-877 number.

Similar to a traditional town hall, this “teleforum” will serve as a forum to bring up questions, comments and concerns about the 33rd district and topics related to the Washington state Legislature. By utilizing this new technology, participants can take part in the discussion from the comfort of their own homes.

Many residents of the 33rd district will receive a call that evening inviting them to stay on the line and join the conversation.

if for some reason you do not receive the call directly by 6:10pm Nov. 17th., you can just phone in that evening by dialing toll-free (877) 229-8493, PIN code: 15263.

A bill that would level the playing field between taxi cabs and certain types of limousines has passed out of the House Transportation Committee ahead of a crucial cutoff deadline that keeps it alive in the legislature.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-Des Moines), who co-sponsored the measure, says illegal town cars and limos regularly solicit fares at Sea-Tac Airport and the surrounding hotels, luring passengers away from licensed taxis.

“I’ve had conversations with taxi drivers in the district about this problem,” Upthegrove said. “They are concerned because their business is tightly regulated at the local level, but the limo drivers are not subject to the same regulation. It creates an unfair advantage for the limos, but also puts consumers at risk.”

House Bill 1775 would give the City of Seattle, in conjunction with the Port of Seattle and King County, the authority to regulate two of six classes of limousine – executive cars and executive vans – the way they already regulate taxis. Currently, the state Department of Licensing regulates limousines but lacks the resources to crack down on those operating illegally.

75 percent of the state’s limousine business takes place within King County, and Sea-Tac Airport is a popular pick-up or destination point for passengers who ride in them. But unlike taxis, limousines are prohibited by state law from picking up “stand and hail” passengers. Instead, trips must be arranged in advance, though a business office. Because illegal limousine operators don’t have business offices, they violate the law each time they pick up a fare. Most consumers are unaware of this law, and are easily swayed by drivers who pull up the curb in sleek cars and promise a fare that is “cheaper than a taxi.”

However, that is often not the case. In fact, a ride in a limo can be over twice as expensive as in a taxi.

“We hear so many complaints from people because the town cars don’t have meters and are charging whatever they like,” said Habtamu Aboye, a taxi driver from Sea-Tac. “A taxi fare from the Eastside to the airport is maybe $40 or $50 dollars, but the town car charges $100 or more. This bill is good because it stabilizes the taxi business and provides customer protections.”

The lack of oversight within the limo industry also means drivers with criminal backgrounds, expired licenses, and no insurance are potentially behind the wheel. A 2007 report in the Seattle P-I noted that about 30 percent of the 91 town cars cited for violations by the Port of Seattle between January 2006 and September 2007 were not properly licensed to operate at Sea-Tac Airport and about 10 percent were not licensed with the state.

“The bill goes after the bad apples who are putting passengers at risk and giving the entire business a bad name,” Upthegrove said.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove represents the 33rd Legislative District, which serves Sea-Tac, Des Moines, Normandy Park and large parts of Kent and Burien.

More information on him is available at this website.

The B-Town Blog welcomes its latest Advertiser: Tina Orwall, the Democratic nominee for State Representative, position one, 33rd Legislative District.

If elected this Nov. 4, Tina will replace retiring State Representative Shay Schual-Berke.

Literally dozens of groups and elected officials have endorsed Tina.

She has been rated “Outstanding” by the Municipal League of King County.

“I’ve spent my life helping people – developing award winning housing programs, assisting families in crisis, and serving our schools as a PTSA leader,” Tina said. “I will put my commitment and experience to work in Olympia to strengthen our economy, invest in our schools and protect our quality of life.”

She is challenged by Republican Todd Gibson, a teacher and advertising executive.

Here is a link to a map of the 33rd Legislative District:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/results.aspx?District=33

For more information, here is Tina’s official campaign website:

www.electtinaorwall.com