By
Kathie Durbin
Columbian
staff writer
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Pleasant surprises were scarce in the acrimonious final hours of the 2010 Legislature’s special session.
But state Rep. Tim Probst, D-Vancouver, got one when his “Opportunity
Express” job retraining bill picked up momentum — and a six-fold
increase in funding — before passing both the House and the Senate on
bipartisan votes Monday.
House Bill 2630 was designed to address the state’s stubbornly high
unemployment rate by refocusing existing job-training programs on
high-demand industries that may actually be hiring sometime soon:
high-tech manufacturing, health care, renewable energy, construction,
aerospace and other “pockets of demand.”
The program will target unemployed workers in an effort to boost Washington’s economy.
“My constituents have told me repeatedly that if government wants to
fund higher priorities, then it has to cut lower priorities,” Probst
said. “The top priority this year was a strong economic recovery.”
Probst’s bill went through several versions. The initial bill would
have provided small businesses with $98 million in tax credits against
their unemployment insurance premiums to fund training programs for the
unemployed. Federal money would have paid for the retraining.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Probst calls for civility in wake of 9-11 copycat crash
By
Columbian Politics (Columbian Staff)
State Rep. Tim Probst was moved by Thursday's
deliberate crash of a single-engine plane into an IRS office building in
Austin, Texas, to pen a plea for civility on his official legislative
Web site.
Nearly 200 workers were in the building at the time. The crash killed the pilot, 53-year-old Joseph Stack, and at least one other person. Stack was furious with the IRS, according to the suicide note he left behind.
"This tragedy is all the more shocking because it mirrors the events
of 9-11," the 17th District Democrat wrote. "Our hearts go out to all of
the families affected by this pointless act of violence."
"While reflecting on this single incident," he added, "it is
important to consider the role of civility and respect in our democracy.
The keystone of any democracy is a fundamental concern for our fellow
human beings. All of them, even those who disagree with you."
"Our economic crisis should not make us fall prey to fear, anger,
hatred and division," he continued. "We need to move forward with
optimism and resolve."
Instead, he said, "this latest incident strikes me as a symbol of our national trend toward angry and violent argument."
Probst called on his constituents to "proactively reject fear and
anger. Speak against it when you see it. Openly and repeatedly call for
civil dialogue. Expect people to conduct themselves as adults, and as
citizens of a nation that reveres respectful discourse."
He said he almost chose not to write his plea, but added, "it is
important for the calm and reasonable majority to speak up. So I will
keep speaking up, and I hope you will too."
Kathie Durbin
http://www.columbian.com/weblogs/political-beat/2010/feb/19/probst-calls-for-civility-in-wake-of-9-11-copycat-/
|
|
Published in The Columbian
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Cheers: To state Rep. Tim Probst, D-Vancouver, who had
the courage to stand up to his party and vote against the House’s tax
package. Unlike the Senate’s version, which includes a general sales tax
increase, the House would increase tobacco and other taxes and close
some loopholes. “I promised the people I would not increase taxes, and I
stood by my promise,” said Probst. We wish more politicians had such
independent minds. Let’s hope this determination holds during next
week’s special session, when a compromise revenue package will be up for
a vote.
|
|
By
Kathie Durbin
Columbian
staff writer
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Rep. Tim Probst, D-Vancouver
State Rep. Tim Probst, D-Vancouver, has been named vice chairman of
the House Education Appropriations Committee. The panel writes the House
budgets for all state-funded education programs, including early
learning and pre-kindergarten, K-12 schools and higher education.
His appointment to the post comes at a critical time. Deep cuts to
college financial aid and preschool education could be on the table
during the 2010 session as the Legislature looks for ways to fill a $2.6
billion budget hole.
Probst, a first-term lawmaker, will give up the vice chairmanship of
the House Education Committee, a policy committee, to accept the
appropriations post.
“I’m happy to do whatever I can to help us make good long-term
decisions, cut carefully, and build the world’s strongest economy by
creating the world’s best-educated populace,” Probst said in a
statement. “I truly believe that one follows the other. The
best-educated people in the world will attract the best companies and
build a thriving society.”
Probst’s rapid ascent is not a surprise. Just weeks after his
election in November 2008, House Speaker Frank Chopp tapped him as part
of his informal “kitchen cabinet,” a group that met to discuss issues
that affect ordinary working people. During the 2009 session, Probst met
regularly with powerful House committee chairmen to advocate for
legislation promoting job development, job training, dropout prevention,
health care and consumer protection.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Why Recovery Will Be Slow,
and What Good May Come of It
BY TIM PROBST is the CEO of the Washington Workforce Association.
December 11th, 2009
The only thing we know
for sure is this: we haven't tumbled into a Great Depression.
The one good guess about the future is this: the recovery will be long
and slow.
The bright spot is this: maybe we'll learn
something.
Those who say recovery
is right around the corner are wrong. It took a decade or more of bad
policies to set us up for this fall, and it will take many years to fix it.
Over the last decade or two, we built an economy based upon consumer
spending. That was a terrible idea.
Who among you believes that
you will get richer if you simply spend more money? A consumption-based
economy relies on convincing people to buy things they don't need with
money they don't have. It relies on debt, personal and public. It
relies on throwing more cash on the fire every time it looks like the
economy might falter.
Economic recovery, if it is to be real and
lasting, must be about our nation as a whole embracing a production-driven
economic model. Our economy will remain fundamentally precarious as long as
it is based on consumption instead of production.
There are
glimmers of hope. In the media, the mantra that "consumer spending
drives the U.S. economy," is heard less and less. That is good.
Although that phrase was entirely accurate for years, it was rarely
followed with the equally accurate addition, "That's the
problem." There are still the occasional calls to "boost consumer
confidence." This seems to imply that a speech or an advertisement can
have long-lasting economic impact, by making Americans confident in the
economy (whether or not they should be) so they will spend whatever money
they have left (whether or not that's in their best interest).
I have faith that the confidence of the American people is not so
cheaply won. Americans will be confident in the economy once that
confidence is truly earned, by changing from a consumption-driven economy
to a production-driven economy. Skill up our workers. Modernize our ports,
rail, and highways to enable commerce. Lead in high-tech manufacturing,
science, and innovation. Encourage business start-ups and help shops stay
open. Teach the work ethic to the next generation.
The
American economy will thrive because it is powerful and deep, not because
it is "stimulated." That's the honest way to restore
Americans' confidence in our economy, in our nation and in
ourselves.
http://www.vbjusa.com/stories/2009-12-11/why_recovery_will_be_slow_and_what_good_may_come_of_it.html
|
|
Probst Pushed Employment Bill for Returning Soldiers
Friday, 03 February 2006
|
|
As of Jan. 25, there were a total of 127,825 National Guard and reserve soldiers called to active duty, including many from Washington, according to the Department of Defense. Many of these soldiers are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for extended periods of time, leaving behind civilian life, families and jobs.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act works to protect soldiers returning from deployment and back to their civilian jobs. But many, such as small business owners or those who have lost touch with customers and clients, face obstacles none the less.
“At the state level we have worked on reemploying soldiers as they come back from Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Tim Probst, CEO of Washington Workforce Association. “We are beginning to look at how we can improve those services and hopefully within the next few months we will begin seeing some additional progress on that.”
|
|
|
Read more...
|
|
In Our View: 17th District Picks
Carrier, Wallace, Probst offer voters a great chance to improve representation
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Many residents of the 17th Legislative District might say the biggest
news about this year’s election is that Jim Dunn is not in it. The
infamous, incompetent Dunn was sent packing by voters in the Aug. 19
primary. Even as an incumbent state representative, he raked in a
pathetic 18.5 percent of the votes.
But the best news is
the voters’ chance to hoist the public-service bar to new heights in
the 17th district. For state senator, a bright, eager and dignified
challenger has emerged face a cantankerous warhorse who has angered
colleagues in both parties and obstinately opposed good ideas. For the
two state rep posts, a high-achieving, veteran returns, and a
thoroughly prepared newcomer — the anti-Dunn — has hit the scene.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
The Reflector
Candidates of 17th legislative district focus on bipartisan success
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
By BRANDY SLAGLE, Staff reporter
Bipartisan endeavors were the focus of all three leading candidates in the 17th legislative district. Leading candidates all spoke to cross-party issues after the primary election.
Votes from the Aug. 19 primary election are still being counted, but Democratic District 17 Rep. Deb Wallace has defeated Republican challenger Micheline Doan, 61 percent to 39 percent.
Wallace said she was genuinely honored by the results, which she felt were due to the work she has done on behalf of the people of the district.
"I work for the district, for the people who I represent," she said. "I'm nor here to represent a political party or myself."
Wallace added that she was thrilled to see that Tim Probst has received so much support in the primary election. The two have worked together extensively on economic development issues, she said.
Probst, a Democratic Party activist who serves as chief executive officer of the Washington Workforce Association, retained a strong lead over his Republican opponent Joseph James. Probst obtained about 49.5 percent of the vote compared to political newcomer James' 31.8 percent.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
In Our View: 17th District Picks
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
By KATHIE DURBIN, Columbian staff writer
The 17th District contest to succeed Republican Rep. Jim Dunn is a nail-biter.
Democrat
Tim Probst, 38, who heads a statewide work force training organization,
drew 48.2 percent of the primary vote to 33.2 percent for Joseph James,
the 27-year-old owner of a Stevenson dog boarding business. Dunn, who
was eliminated in the August top two primary, drew 18.5 percent. If
James is able to hold onto all the Republican votes cast, he’ll have
the edge in November.
But Probst has a solid base of support.
His job for the past nine years, advocating for investments in the
education and training of the state’s work force to help workers
compete in the global economy, gives him credibility in both education
and the business world.
“Life’s about service to other people
and government should be too,” he told an audience of disability
advocates at a candidate forum last week.
His résumé includes a
stint as a state policy analyst, legislative liaison and assistant to
Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar from 1994 to 1998.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Probst Named to the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Committee
GVCC names Public Affairs Committee member
Tim Probst has been named to the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s Public Affairs Committee. Probst is the Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Workforce Association, the organization representing all of the Workforce Development Councils throughout the state. He holds a bachelor’s degree in government and international affairs from the University of Notre Dame and studied politics and economics at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Prior to his work with WWA, Probst worked for the Governor of Illinois, moving from legislative liaison to state budget analyst to the governor’s policy advisor for welfare reform and workforce development. He currently serves on the Clark County Skills Center Foundation Board and is the Legislative Chair of the National Workforce Association.
|
|
|
