We can’t afford to let it slip away

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, April 10, 2003

I keep reading about how the Boeing Co. is asking governments for up to half-a-billion dollars in tax-related benefits in exchange for locating the proposed 7E7 assembly plant in a community.

Many states, I am sure, are willing to put forth such a package while Washington, the current owner and assumed front-runner for the plant, is “unable” by law to present a package of its own. It now seems we are hiding behind a series of laws and our state Constitution designed to protect the state and thus the citizens from having our state resources and regulations hijacked by big business. While I don’t necessarily disagree with the intent of those laws, I find they are selectively applied.

Many of those who object the loudest to helping secure Boeing, are the same ones who had no problem giving a few billion dollars in benefits to a set of private businesses who “threatened” to take their personal professional football and baseball teams to another state. Somehow we managed to find a way to get them their stadiums even though the people voted against it.

We now have a case where a business, which has clearly demonstrated its benefit and commitment to the community for almost 100 years, is being put off with a bogus set of excuses. We must quickly figure out a way to keep the Boeing Co. building airplanes here. If that means cutting pork and building roads and infrastructure, then we had better get busy. Failure to act quickly is irresponsible.

Maybe if the Boeing executive team were to sprint around town in numbered jerseys and asked for a manufacturing plant with a retractable roof and real grass assembly lines, they would get a more favorable response.

Lake Stevens