The citizens of Washington should enjoy a high quality of life, which requires a healthy state economy. To achieve this goal, the legislature recognizes that the state must be able to compete economically at a national and international level. It is critical to the economic well-being of the citizens of this state that the legislature strive to continually improve the state's economic climate. Therefore, the legislature intends to provide a mechanism whereby the information necessary to achieve this goal is available on a timely and reliable basis.