Ken Schram: Hooray for Boeing
SEATTLE -- My commentaries don't usually include a lot of "rah-rah, sis-boom-ba."
But Thursday's announcement that Boeing had won the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract has turned me into something of a cheerleader.
First off, the news was unexpected.
As late as Thursday morning, the so-called "smart money" was betting on EADS, the parent company of Airbus, winning the bid.
But the smart money didn't bank on the intangibles.
There was no small matter of the political expertise of our state's congressional delegation, particularly Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Norm Dicks, who helped reconfigure numbers that showed how Boeing’s offer would save billions of taxpayer dollars.
There was Boeing’s corporate strategy to revamp its 767 line in Everett, making a more competitive bid possible.
And there was certainly the sentiment that American jobs should be part of the ultimate equation.
As Sen. Patty Murray noted, Boeing being awarded the contract means that the Air Force is going to have its tankers built by American workers.
For Washington State, that works out to an estimated 11,000 jobs.
With such a huge economic shot in the arm, we should all go into something of a "rah-rah-sis-boom-ba" mode.
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also hook up with Ken on Facebook.
But Thursday's announcement that Boeing had won the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract has turned me into something of a cheerleader.
First off, the news was unexpected.
As late as Thursday morning, the so-called "smart money" was betting on EADS, the parent company of Airbus, winning the bid.
But the smart money didn't bank on the intangibles.
There was no small matter of the political expertise of our state's congressional delegation, particularly Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Norm Dicks, who helped reconfigure numbers that showed how Boeing’s offer would save billions of taxpayer dollars.
There was Boeing’s corporate strategy to revamp its 767 line in Everett, making a more competitive bid possible.
And there was certainly the sentiment that American jobs should be part of the ultimate equation.
As Sen. Patty Murray noted, Boeing being awarded the contract means that the Air Force is going to have its tankers built by American workers.
For Washington State, that works out to an estimated 11,000 jobs.
With such a huge economic shot in the arm, we should all go into something of a "rah-rah-sis-boom-ba" mode.
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also hook up with Ken on Facebook.
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