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U.S. SEN. CALL MOVE ‘SHORTSIGHTED,’ COLUMNIST CRIES FOUL
Boeing Wednesday sternly rebuked its home state of Washington when the company chose to locate its new Dreamliner 787 facility 3000 miles away in South Carolina.
That monumental move cost the state up to 12,000 jobs, millions of dollars, and whole lot of pride.
And like a scorned lover, the good folks of Washington let their bitterness with Boeing be known.
On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash., above) gave Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer to task, a piece of her mind.
Murray says Boeing is overlooking its well-trained workers in its decision to built its next airplane assembly line in South Carolina. [...]
Murray calls that decision shortsighted and says it overlooks generations of experience building airplanes in the region around Seattle. [AP]
Shortsighted? How about “practical”?
Boeing ditched Washington because they refused to be held hostage by the machinists union, with which the company tried for months to work out a no-strike deal. The new Boeing plant in North Charleston doesn’t have a union. Who is the shortsighted one there?
But Seattle Times columnist Jon Talton put Murray’s whining to shame.
“This is a place of huge income, class and racial disparity,” Talton wrote in a 738 word rant against South Carolina. “More to the point, Boeing is not going to the wealthy, storied city on the harbor. It’s going to cheap land in the homely exurbs.”
Talton also noted that South Carolina has hurricanes and a poor standard of living. Bitter much?
Well… guess what Washingtonians? Boeing ditched your state for a place that wasn’t run by unions. Sorry, but that’s the way it is. And now it’s time to accept that fact and move on.
Awwww; we feel so sorry for the state of Washington..Bull****!!! They should have gotten the hints when the Seattle Supersonics pulled up and moved to…Oklahoma City! The Seatte Mariners have discussed moving (like to Charlotte) and the Seahawks considered moving to Los Angles (and have had discussions about it recently). The folks in Washington state need to get a clue their state has lost a lot of its lusture and now people want to get out.
Smells Like South Carolina Spirit.
The difference is not so much the union’s although that is part of it. The difference is state attitude. Washington wants to eat its cake and have it too. They want all the social programs you can imagine, they want big business to pay for it.
I’ll express it this way
Boeing: “We would like to put a new plant in your state, Washington”
Washington: “Really? That’s great! You need to put in XYZ off ramp, pay to upgrade the local educations system, pay for environmental impact studies, pay for this and pay for that. We’re sure you’ll want to pay for all this overhead, because we are so virtuous and worthy”
Boeing: “We would like to put a new plant in your state South Carolina.”
South Carolina: “What do you need? Tax breaks? Roads? Training funds? Improved airstrip? Help cutting through Federal regulations? We are at your disposal.”
This is why Washington and California are losing highpaying industry jobs hand over fist and they just don’t get it.
Hey Talton, if the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions don’t kill you a hurricane will. RE: quality of living… How does 50% more sunshine, less traffic and lower taxes equate to a poor standard of living? Enjoy living under your wet soggy rock! I left Seattle 5 years ago for South Carolina, so I know what I’m talkin’ bout Willis.