Are you 18-25 years old? Like working outdoors? Apply for one of 245 conservation jobs!

The state Department of Ecology announced yesterday that the Washington Conservation Corps will soon be hiring 245 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 for work on environmental projects around the state.

Most of the new hires will be part of the WCC's "Puget Sound Corps," which was created this year through legislation sponsored by state Rep. Steve Tharinger. Puget Sound Corps crews will work in at least 10 of the 12 counties that border Puget Sound on projects that align with the goals of the Puget Sound Partnership's Action Agenda, which centers around restoring Puget Sound's health by 2020. This includes habitat restoration projects along streams and shorelines.

By working with the state Department of Veterans Affairs, the WCC will also be able to provide work opportunities on Puget Sound Corps crews for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The one-year positions begin in October. An online application for WCC positions can be found here.

Price tags for initiatives now posted

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) is required to provide fiscal impact statements in the voters’ pamphlet for all initiatives on the ballot. These statements can help voters understand the cost and revenue implications of policy proposals. Legislators are provided similar information on bills considered during a legislative session.

This year there are three initiatives that qualified to appear on the November ballot:

• 1125 is an Eyman initiative placing restrictions on tolling funding
  
• 1163 would require background checks and training for long-term care workers
• 1183 is a Costco-back liquor privatization measure
  

The statements for Initiatives 1125, 1163 and 1183 are now posted on the OFM website. They're worth a read.

You might be richer than you think!

Have you ever moved out of an apartment and not gotten those irritating utility deposits back? Did your Nana start you a savings account on your 1st birthday that nobody told you about? Does your insurance company owe you for an accidental overpayment?

You probably don't have any idea if there's a little nest egg out there with your name on it, but the Washington State Department of Revenue just might. At any given time, the department has tens of millions of dollars in unclaimed property and they would love to help you recover any that might belong to you.

The first step is to check this website and enter your name. If something shows up, there are clear instructions on how to get your money or property back.

While most claims are between $50 and $100, there are some big surprises in store for a few lucky people, too. Check out the latest in this Seattle Times story.

Volunteer service could be worth a varsity letter for high schoolers

Since 2001, an ever-increasing number of high schools in Pierce County have partnered with United Way to offer students the chance to earn a varsity letter in community service. The first year of the program, seven students were awarded letters; this year, 408 youth were honored at an awards ceremony. By comparison, about 5,000 students receive varsity letters for sports each year at Pierce County high schools.

Rep. Ruth Kagi would like to see Pierce’s County’s program go statewide, so more students can be given the opportunity to earn a varsity letter for their volunteer service efforts. To discuss ways of expanding the program across Washington, this week she met with state Superintendent Randy Dorn, Executive director of United Way of Pierce County Rick Allen, and representatives from the Gift of Giving Foundation in Shoreline, which has also successfully encouraged and rewarded high school students to volunteer in their community. Superintendent Dorn agreed to write letters of support to school superintendents and principals of high schools throughout the state to encourage them to adopt the varsity letter program in their own districts.

In Pierce County, United Way receives and screens the applications for the letter award each year. In order to earn a letter, a student must be in grade 9-12, be in good standing with at least a 2.0 GPA, and volunteer a minimum of 145 hours between April 1 and March 31, 50 of which must be outside of school activities. The minimum number of hours was chosen based on the amount of time high school athletes dedicate to their sport, and was also deemed to be attainable.

“Participation in community service builds an understanding of the importance of community, and teaches valuable skills in much the same way that participation in team sports does,” Rep. Kagi said. “The success of this program in Pierce County can easily be duplicated in other counties, and our communities will benefit greatly from it.”

Who loves entrepreneurs most?

Well, New York does, but a new study says Washington is a close second.

Despite the economic woes continuing to plague nearly every state in the nation, Washington is still plugging along as a great place to do business.

The latest State Entrepreneurial Index released yesterday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bureau of Business Research shows Washington ranks 2nd in the nation for entrepreneurship.

The study looks at "a state’s percentage growth and per capita growth in business establishments, its business formation rate, the number of patents per thousand residents and gross receipts of sole proprietorships/partnerships per capita."

This isn't the only recent study touting Washington's start-up and biz-friendly credentials. Other rankings on the list?

• The Kauffman Foundation also ranked Washington 2nd in its 2010 State New Economy Index (link may take a few moments to download)
• The conservative-leaning Tax Foundation ranks our business taxes 11th lowest in the nation
• A CNBC study gave Washington high marks for things like access to capital (placing 5th), technology & innovation (5th) and quality of life (8th).

Nearly 5,000 join for virtual town hall

Phones across the 37th Legislative District began ringing at about 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Those who picked up were invited to join a “tele-town hall” with state Rep. Eric Pettigrew. Nearly 5,000 people opted to stay on the line, a record high participation rate for a midsummer town hall event.

Over the next hour, Rep. Pettigrew was able to take questions directly from people participating. By simply pressing *3 on their phone keypad, participants were placed in a queue where they had a chance to speak one-on-one with him. Everyone on the call was able to listen in to both the question and the representative’s response. Question topics covered education funding, transportation, health care and human services. One participant expressed concern about cuts to funding for gang intervention programs. Another asked whether tax breaks should be given to companies that outsource jobs.

Each year, Rep. Pettigrew holds a live town hall in the district, usually around the middle of the legislative session. These town halls generally draw a maximum of 250 people, but often attendance tops out at around 100 or so. While he will continue to hold the live events, which he says are an important way to connect with people, he says tele-town halls are a way of engaging a higher number of constituents, giving them the option to participate in a town hall without even having to leave their homes.

“I want people to know that I’m here to listen to them,” he said. “My job is to represent them, and in order to do that, I need to be able to hear their concerns and know about the challenges they face.”

Feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive. Those who did not have a chance to ask their question live had the option to leave a voicemail for Rep. Pettigrew, and he is now busy going through the voicemails and getting back to people.

The 37th Legislative District includes Rainier Valley, Madrona, North Beacon Hill, Rainier Beach, Mt. Baker, Leschi, Columbia City, southern Capitol Hill, Skyway and parts of Renton.

Are the costs of our transportation and capital projects about to go up?

Maybe. That's the word from State Treasurer Jim McIntire who sent a letter this week to Washington's congressional delegation asking them to move swiftly on a solution on raising the national debt limit to avoid a major default.

Why is our state treasurer worrying about the national debt talks?

"...our state's access to capital and our credit rating may soon be threatened by federal gridlock on the debt ceiling. Turmoil in the U.S. Treasury market will surely move investors in municipal credits to the sidelines if there is uncertainty about the impact of federal paralysis on each state's credits. And it will not be possible to finance major construction projects or execute refundings to save taxpayer dollars without an adjustment in the federal debt ceiling.

Essentially, if the federal government fails to strike a deal on the debt ceiling, it could make it harder and more costly for state and local governments to finance projects.

State and local governments use various financing tools to pay for things like new schools, bridges, and major freeway projects. Bonds are one of the most essential tools for state and local governments. The Pew Center on the States points out that state and local governments issued $433 million in long-term municipal bonds just in 2010. The Center also describes how some of the targeted spending cuts could adversely impact state- and municipal -run programs related to housing, higher education, homeland security and more.

Congress has one week left to reach an agreement.