Washington State: Government Inaction

Here we go again. Another Washington institution shipped out to a flyover state. Boeing was more than happy to send its second production line for the 787 Dreamliner to South Carolina rather than Everett, Washington, which has a long history of building planes. Allegedly, Sen. Patty Murray (D) tried to keep the line in Washington, but her bid was largely ignored. The State of South Carolina put together an attractive incentive package, which included bonds for construction as well as 3rd World style labor pools.

On one hand, I believe that Boeing had its heart set on saying goodbye to the Union Machinists, but I find it hard to believe that the government of Washington tried to hard to keep that plant in the Evergreen State. After the half-assedness of the Save Our Sonics effort, I do think that state and local politicians punted the hell out of this one.

The people who would argue that the savings get passed down to the consumer are completely full of shit. I challenge someone to find airline ticket savings as a result of Boeing's new commitment to Scab Labor. So, it really boils down to corporate greed and a pliable workforce. I have a feeling that the fine people of South Carolina will be so happy to have jobs that the thought of a Machinist Strike will never enter their brains.

The state of South Carolina is also in for a rude surprise. Boeing will use them for all they are worth, and when the labor pool organizes or demands better pay and benefits, Boeing will pack up and ship the plant somewhere else, and South Carolina will be like a trophy wife on the shit end of a pre-nup.

In summary, I think South Carolina made the right moves for South Carolina, bringing in some jobs for their people, and a lot of the country is just thankful that the plant is not in China. For now.

Remember everyone, real jets are made in Washington.