Like a natural disaster, without the upside
When an economic engine like Boeing snubs your state on your watch, there's not much for a governor like Chris Gregoire to do. Just take the hit and try to move on.
The day after Boeing announced it would build its second 787 line in Charleston, S.C., and not Everett, Gov. Chris Gregoire admitted to KING 5’s Jean Enersen, “Yesterday was one of my worst days as governor of the state.” I wasn’t here, but it must have been reminiscent of the day in 2001 when Boeing announced it was moving its headquarters to Chicago. Then-Gov. Gary Locke was quoted in the New York Times as saying he was “surprised and deeply sorry.”
Unlike a natural disaster — where a governor can shine — there’s no opportunity for glory when a major company snubs the state on your watch. It’s embarrassing and politically wounding. Just as governors (and presidents) get credit when the economy is humming and blame when it falters — fair or not — Gregoire has to take this one on the chin.
What’s odd is how little fight she put up, at least publicly, to keep the second 787 line. Her most visible action was to publish a report that made the “business case” to Boeing why it should pick Washington over South Carolina. Clearly there was a calculation that it would look worse to lead a vigorous fight and lose than let the inevitable happen. Some have suggested Gregoire should have exerted her influence with the Machinists and insisted they cut a deal with management or else. But perhaps she and they suspected all along that Boeing had made up its mind — and that the labor issue was simply leverage to get as sweet a deal as possible from South Carolina. Or maybe after the last legislative session, Gregoire doesn’t have much clout left with the unions.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington are spinning the theory that Gregoire poisoned relations with top Boeing brass by walking the picket line with Machinists during her reelection campaign last fall. It is notable that Gregoire was never invited to Chicago to make her pitch for Boeing to build its second 787 line in Everett. It seems plausible that she carried political baggage that prevented her from being an effective saleswoman for Washington.
Also strikingly absent on the Boeing front in recent months have been Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. There was never even a hint, except from minority Republicans, that the Legislature should convene a special session to put forward a competing package of incentives. Democrats understandably may feel the state can’t afford any more tax concessions for big business. They may also believe the Legislature did enough for Boeing in 2003 when lawmakers passed $3 billion in tax incentives to land the first 787 line.
Calculated or not, the silence in Olympia in the months and weeks leading up to the Boeing announcement was nothing short of deafening.
Whatever the reasoning — whatever the writing on the wall — it didn’t stop Sen. Patty Murray from attempting a “Hail Murray” in the hours before Boeing officially announced it had picked South Carolina. On decision day it was Murray who stole the limelight. It’s another example of how in recent months, ever since the election of President Obama, the state's political power center has moved to the “other Washington.”
So where does this leave Gregoire? At worst, she’s a lame duck before her time. Then again she has three more years to reinvigorate her governorship. And don’t forget, Locke presided over Boeing’s move to Chicago and where is he today? Ironically enough, U.S. Commerce Secretary.
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Comments:
Posted Wed, Nov 4, 8:03 a.m. inappropriate
Don't be so harsh! Gregoire is the BEST governor the tribes ever bought.
Posted Wed, Nov 4, 8:29 a.m. inappropriate
Where's the Alka-Seltzer?
For many years now in Washington State, most elected officials achieving high political office have not understood, appreciated, nor effectively communicated with Boeing or the business community at large. There is a "great divide" between the "public" and the "private" sectors. Officials running for high office, whether republican or democrat, truly reside in the "public" camp. Notwithstanding media description to the contrary, they are not “leaders.” They are but elected officials…most, professional politicians.
Leadership requires much more than getting elected to office. True leadership would communicate with corporate interests, structuring arrangements to the long term benefit of Washington State and its citizens.
Politically motivated officials, like Ms. Gregoire and Mr. Locke before her, are not committed to such a course of action. It is not in their political interest. Moreover, if Mr. Locke's current position is any indication, a fool of a Governor that looses Boeing HQ to Chicago (without so much as a courtesy phone call, so contemptuous were Boeing officials, the story goes) remains qualified to become U.S. Commerce Secretary.
Do we really believe that Boeing could not have been persuaded to remain a solid Washington citizen, with advantages flowing to both that corporate institution and the state citizenry? That’s ridiculous. It is a continuing political failure, on a massive scale.
Posted Wed, Nov 4, 9:03 a.m. inappropriate
The old adage that hindsight is 20-20 would seem to apply. Would it not be better to look to the future? One future possibility is that the machinists, engineers, and managers who work on and supervise the first 787 line will see that it is in their long-term interest (as well as the region's and state's) to do a better job than their counterparts in South Carolina. In other words, build planes faster and better. In the final analysis, a little friendly competition might win the war even though a battle or two may be lost along the way.
Posted Wed, Nov 4, 9:11 a.m. inappropriate
The notion of the Governor that it's "nobody's fault" will be our undoing. Notwithstanding the Lazy B's management shortcomings, they're our best bet for retaining our extremely high cost government lifestyle choices in Puget Sound. They can not be replaced once departed. We need a truth commission to figure out where the fault lies and make the hard choices required to fix them. Is the Governor brave enough to appoint people who speak truth to the special interest powerbrokers?
Posted Wed, Nov 4, 9:48 a.m. inappropriate
Job creation can only be accomplished in two ways:
1. Grow jobs and businesses organically.
2. Recruit good employers to Washington state.
Research shows that the bulk of the world's new jobs will come from fewer and fewer companies. It's important to recognize that three-fourths of all the planet’s new jobs will be generated by just 9.8 percent of new businesses (Keys to Economic Development: Managing Ignorance; http://www.bizcoachinfo.com/archives/1683).
So, if just a small percentage of new companies will create 75 percent of new jobs that means Washington's odds are worsening. A SWOT analysis for a startup business here would reveal the economic climate is not favorable. Further, no visionary mainstream companies will consider relocating here. Why? They do research.
Therefore, to enhance the state's economic climate, there are eight measures all public officials must recognize and implement for success (Analysis: Steps for Economic Success in Washington State; http://www.bizcoachinfo.com/archives/1160).
Posted Wed, Nov 4, 9:55 a.m. inappropriate
OK let me get this straight. For what ever reason Washington decided to buck the national trend of anti unionism and corporate socialism, and we want to start a commission to find out who's responsible for such anti-American actions?
Seattle and Washington didnt cower in the face of corporate extortion from the Sonics/NBA or from Boeing. So my votes weren't in vain after all!