Our governor says that he is trying to make the state easier for Boeing to do business in. He has said that if Boeing wants something different than what he proposes (better taxes and education) that they should say something, but they have not, so it must be OK. How soon we forget. Boeing has said what they need several years ago. It listed what was necessary to keep jobs here — faster permit process, less restrictive environmental reviews, and lower housing prices for their employees were some of the other items listed. These are items we need to deal with to keep Boeing and to get major manufacturing companies.
Nobody has the courage to face this, so they make token moves looking like they are doing something. Education and tax reform are important, but it is not enough. If we are serious about keeping and getting manufacturing jobs, we need to be able to fast track permit/environmental reviews by taking the politics out of it. (Politics used to delay not to ensure an accurate result) We also need to find a way to lower housing costs. This is something the state government can and should do. Don’t do it half-way, it wouldn’t do the job. And yes, I am also for coal terminals with restrictions, which a good review process will reveal.
Chuck Best
Duvall
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