How does it feel to be on the losing end of corporate blackmail? Boeing is making it very clear that the billions of tax dollars that they didn’t, don’t, and will not have to pay in this state, courtesy of the taxpayers, mean not a damn thing. This is corporate hardball, Chicago style, at its worst, or best, depending on the size of your bank account. Squeeze the workers, squeeze the cities, counties and state for every penny you can extract and then squeeze harder. This time they will be granted an $8.7 billion tax break by the taxpayers, I believe was the figure I saw, and God only knows what the machinists will have to give up.
If we ever needed a wakeup call, we’re getting it now. Are we going to wait until Boeing doesn’t exist here any more? We have one of the best-educated work forces in this nation. Whether they build another plane here or not, we need to put our resources where they will do some good toward bringing the Amazon, Microsoft and Costcos of the world here to do business, not that the state doesn’t have to grant them tax breaks as well, but at least we don’t have to periodically kiss the corporate backside to prevent further damage to our local economy. And by the way, does everyone know that manufacturing in this nation accounts for only 11 percent of all jobs now. Hope everyone had and has, a nice Christmas or holiday or whatever you celebrate this time of year.
Don Curtis
Clinton
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