Look ahead excites officials

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, December 16, 2003

SEATTLE — Smiles, cheers and hugs Tuesday replaced the anxious moments of the past several months as Snohomish County, state and federal officials jockeyed for position in the race to land Boeing’s new 7E7 airliner.

"If Boeing would have said a long time ago that ‘E’ (in 7E7) stood for ‘Everett,’ they could have saved a lot of people heartache, agony and ulcers," Gov. Gary Locke said at a rally following the announcement.

Locke said the decision was key for not only the 7E7 production, but for future generations of airliners that are now more likely to be built in Washington.

"If we lost Boeing, that’s more than 100,000 jobs in the state," Locke said. "That was always the prize for us. We would have lost a half-billion dollars in tax revenue for local governments. That’s money we need for schools, public safety and human services."

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said as recently as four days ago she received a phone call from a senator in another state "assuring me the project was going to South Carolina or North Carolina."

"I put a message in to him today telling him he was dead wrong," she added.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Everett started out on the bottom rung among those vying for the new project, and that Tuesday’s news was good "after a tough few years" for Boeing employees in the region.

"This is a turnaround point," she said. "The best apples, software and coffee all say ‘Made in Washington.’ Now the best new airplane will, too."

Aaron Reardon, Snohomish County executive-elect, was a state senator when the Legislature’s $3.2 billion tax incentive package was passed in June. He said landing the 7E7 is most importantly a springboard for future business in the county.

"We’re not talking 10,000 or 20,000 jobs; this will bring in about 1,200 (direct) jobs," Reardon said. "But this was a rigorous exercise, and we beat out half of the states in the nation."

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen thanked the workers on the Boeing assembly lines, saying their work is what kept the company’s new project in town.

"I’ve seen a lot more ‘For Sale’ signs on homes in my area than I’d like, and many of those were former Boeing employees" Larsen said, adding a message to those and others. "We’re going to get you back to work. There’s work for you right here in Washington state."

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, thinks the history of Boeing in Washington played into the decision.

"It’s kind of a symbiotic relationship," Inslee said. "And part of my willingness to do this is because Boeing is family to me – it’s not just a business decision. Boeing is my uncles and aunts, it’s kin."

New Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson said the city’s dedication to the 7E7 project, and the work of planning director Paul Roberts, helped secure it.

"Boeing has been a big part of our economic base in the past, and I’m excited that it will be part of our future."

Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel, who leaves office at the end of the year, called the decision "a moment of springtime for all the folks involved with it."

"We intend to be the center of the aerospace industry," he said. "What a way to go out of Dodge for me."

Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.