AP: Wash. gov makes case for new Boeing assembly line

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gvzDc-76mTp-Xs3WUl9VDWb5LWfgD9B0KBC83

By CURT WOODWARD (AP) – 1 hour ago

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington's governor is stepping up public efforts to court the Boeing Co., part of a high-stakes interstate competition for the second assembly line of the company's long-delayed 787 jetliner.

In a report released Monday, Gov. Chris Gregoire detailed what she called the business case for building a second 787 line in Washington state. She previously presented the report to Jim Albaugh, chief of Boeing's commercial airplanes division.

Boeing said it appreciated the thoroughness of the report but emphasized that it still sees workers' compensation and unemployment insurance costs as too high.

"While Washington state has made progress, there is still work to do to deal with the high costs of doing business," Boeing spokesman Bernard Choi said.

Commercial airplane officials are expected to recommend a location for the second 787 assembly line in the next few months. Executives at Boeing headquarters in Chicago are expected to make a final decision by year's end.

The new report includes a comparison of tax burdens in Washington and five other states seen as competitors: South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas and California. The report also touts the relative financial health of Washington's unemployment insurance system and cuts in unemployment taxes approved earlier this year.

FULL story at link.

[Howardx]

1. this sucks

when i was growing up in seattle everyones dad worked for boeing, they were running 3 shifts at 5 different plants.

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. "workers' compensation and unemployment insurance costs as too high"

Translation: "We want a guarantee of no taxes for 10 years as well as government grants to build in the state".

[clear eye]

3. This is where single-payer healthcare would make the difference

If the costs of health insurance were removed, Boeing's costs would have been reduced enormously w/o loss of unemployment insurance or workers' comp. The U.S. would at least be able to compete w/ places like Ireland.