The agenda for the state's $1.86 billion economic stimulus plan is aggressive and practical, which is what it needs to be.

Of course, it would have been preferable to see government launch an economic recovery package before now. The national financial meltdown was an autumn shocker, but tourism, the Islands' economic mainstay, has been sliding downhill for months.

Now, economic conditions have deteriorated so much that the counties and state must adopt an unprecedented level of cooperation to ensure projects move quickly. And there's no time for the political squabbling that often marks such joint ventures.

Other states have embarked on rescue plans that are, like Hawai'i's, based on an accelerated program of public-works construction in hopes of kickstarting the local economy.

The plan, detailed this week by Gov. Linda Lingle, has garnered the endorsement of all the county mayors, as well as an impressive coalition of business and labor interest groups. And why not? The state has not yet estimated the number of jobs, but the list of 1,521 projects is sure to deliver quite a boost.

The key to success will lie in the ability of city and state bureaucracies to remove needless delays so ground can be broken and workers can be hired. That's imperative: The coalition estimated that 20 percent of construction workers are on the bench on O'ahu, with even higher jobless rates on the Neighbor Islands.

And when more people are being paid and they open their wallets more freely, more money flows to retail and other sectors of the economy.

This is the third time in a little more than a decade that government and business have put heads together to fix an ailing economy. The Cayetano administration convened its Economic Revitalization Task Force in 1997, and Lingle sought to keep the state's engines running smoothly in 2005 with the Economic Momentum Commission.

But this time, the stakes are higher. The current plan is a healthy mix of roadwork, housing starts and long-delayed improvements to elements that stimulate the economy: an airport facelift to improve the visitor experience and upgrades at the University of Hawai'i, so crucial to workforce and professional development.

O'ahu will see more than half the work, so close coordination by the Hannemann and Lingle administrations will be key. Mufi Hannemann makes a valid point: This is an optimal time for the streamlining of state permits where city projects are concerned, as well.

Now the focus need to be on keeping these projects on track. In this, the public has a real opportunity to play an important role. A Web site (www.hawaii.gov/cip) will help everyone track the progress of the projects.

"We are keeping the pressure on ourselves to ensure the projects keep moving," Lingle said.

Good. Let's take her up on this opportunity.