|
Condotta: Boeing's pick of South Carolina
for
787 line is
a signal to others
Legislator fears other employers
looking at Washington
will scuttle plans and
look to other states
With
today's announcement that Boeing will locate its second
Dreamliner
production plant in South Carolina, instead of Washington state,
Rep.
Cary Condotta, lead Republican on commerce and labor
issues, had this to say:
"Boeing's decision to locate this plant in South
Carolina is a major blow to Washington's working families and
the larger business community. This is a missed opportunity that puts
many jobs in Washington at stake.
The fact of the matter is many small- and medium-sized employers rely on
Boeing and their work force to support their companies. The governor and
Democrat-controlled Legislature's apparent lack of commitment
to land the second
787 production plant hurts every business sector in the state.
"While I appreciate some of the eleventh-hour overtures
being made on behalf of our state, it is apparent that it was too
little, too late. Many of us have been trying to
address the concerns of job providers for the last several years.
'The governor has been in denial about these concerns, citing the Forbes
report that Washington is one of the top places to do business. I'm a
business owner though and I know firsthand the difficulties employers
face in our state. It's obvious Forbes flew over Washington and never
did business on the ground here. How many
more businesses have to leave, and how many more jobs do we have to lose
to other states, before we get serious about substantively improving our
business climate? We need aggressive leadership committed to creating
and protecting jobs for Washington families.
"This decision lights the 'no vacancy' sign to other
employers who may have been considering bringing jobs to our state. While the governor and her staff have
downplayed what they
consider the loss of a mere 700 jobs the production plant could have
created in Washington, I think the 350,000 people currently
unemployed statewide would have liked a shot at the gainful employment the plant
would have offered.
"The loss of these much-needed jobs could have been avoided. An
independent report
issued to the Legislature earlier this year practically handed
the governor and lawmakers the keys to keeping and recruiting jobs to our state. The
report made clear workers' compensation and unemployment insurance reforms are top issues
for every employer. Sadly, the report did not prompt action by the governor and
legislative leaders.
"Washington will forever be known as the state that
told the aerospace industry, and every other company looking to grow
their operations, to fly to better climates. For those legislators
who believe our state is better off without the second production plant,
I have a bridge to nowhere to sell you."
# # #
For more information, contact:
Rep. Cary Condotta (509) 664-1274
|