The list of concessions to the aerospace giant is a mile long - and growing. How will we know when we've crossed the line?<\/p>\n
What else will we give up to keep Boeing in Washington? ThierryB\/Flickr <\/p>\n
Mon, Dec 2, 1 a.m.<\/p>\n
It's not the only corporation whose practices may be getting too sweet treatment from politicians here.<\/p>\n
The \"win\" of keeping Boeing's 777X project in-state was ugly, but a win nonetheless, and Gov. Jay Inslee and other lawmakers are breathing a sigh of relief that Boeing wasn't \"lost\" on their watch. <\/p>\n
No one seems ready to plunge into the next round of Boeing's sure-to-come demands. As one official told me last week, those who worked so hard to keep Boeing happy want to take at least a few moments to enjoy their victory. But as Dominic Gates, a Seattle Times writer on the Boeing beat, pointed out in his after-the-deal overview, there will be a lot of future opportunities for the aerospace giant to strong-arm the state. <\/p>\n
Quoting aerospace consultant Scott Hamilton, Gates writes: \"When the jet-maker launches its next new airplanes, likely a 757 replacement around 2019 or a 737 replacement around 2020, 'Boeing will take us through this all over again.' \" <\/p>\n
Consider these odds and ends: <\/p>\n
A governor's task force is still looking at revising the so-called \"fish consumption\" water quality standards. Boeing and other industries have pressed for lower standards regarding pollutants that can be released. The Department of Ecology is expected to announce new rules sometime early in the year. <\/p>\n
The new, stalled state transportation plan? While it wasn't locked in to keep the 777X here, the company does want to see road improvements both in Everett and Paine Field. Alex Pietsch, who heads the state's Office of Aerospace, says Boeing employees travel 8.5 million miles on Washington roads every year; the 777X promises to increase that traffic statewide. Thus, Boeing has a vested interest in improvements on I-405, SR-520 and elsewhere. <\/p>\n
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Read the rest here: <\/p>\n
Will we ever say "no" to Boeing?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The list of concessions to the aerospace giant is a mile long - and growing. Continue reading