King County, WA— Today brought a devastating blow to our region and our state. The Boeing Company announced today it is moving its future out of this region. This is an abject failure of our government and our elected officials. Governor Gregiore, former Executive Ron Sims, King County Council Chairman Dow Constantine, our Congressional delegation and our legislature have failed us.
We’re standing outside Key Arena, the former home of the Seattle Supersonics, a team whose name reflected the Boeing legacy here. The Sonics are gone and the future of Aerospace in our state is joining them.
Our current crop of politicians have destroyed the Washington State business climate. They bend to the will of special interests that discourage businesses both large and small and push jobs out of our communities. They have failed to respond to growing job losses by fixing the tax and regulatory climate and fixing our failed transportation grid. They have encouraged the outrageous overreaching of unions and have left us with a business climate that no longer allows businesses to survive or thrive.
King County is the economic engine of this region and the engine has broken down.
The organizations responsible for pushing the aerospace industry and the thousands of jobs dependent upon it out of our State are the very same bankrolling Dow Constantine’s campaign. When the Seattle Times endorsed my campaign, they did so because I have repeatedly said we must go back to the bargaining table and renegotiate union contracts – Dow Constantine adamantly refuses to do so. He refuses to do so, because he is beholden to those unions and special interests. They fund both his campaign and the libelous attack ads against me. He has the financial backing of some 54 union groups and more than half have contributed the maximum allowed by law. Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent electing job killing candidates.
The Seattle Times stated, “This election must be about change.” That statement is more true today than it has ever been. The future of this entire region is in jeopardy unless we drastically change the way we operate as a government. From the first day I launched my campaign, I have said we must overhaul the business climate and make it clear that businesses large and small are the economic drivers that help pay for schools, hospitals, create jobs, encourage families and are critical to the success of King County and Washington State.
Today’s announcement is a wake up call for our region. With 200,000 jobs tied directly or indirectly to the Boeing Company, it is the canary in the coal mine. How many more businesses will move out before our government realizes it must drastically change course?
It is time for new leadership--time for new vision and time for a new direction.
I am not part of the old political establishment. I am a citizen who has lived here for nearly thirty years, put my children through Seattle’s public schools, and love this region. And by the way, I am also the wife of a Boeing employee. I entered this race because I saw record deficits, the worst financial crisis in King County history, and recognized King County needed to change. I have the executive skills to turn this county around. When elected Executive, will work tirelessly to generate new jobs and protect the ones already here. While we have the smartest, best skilled, and most dedicated workforce in the county, today’s decision is a painful lesson that leaders must do more to protect our jobs and economy.
Whether it is a cultural legacy like the Seattle Sonics, contributing to jobs and the quality of life in our region, or one of our largest employers in Boeing, politicians like my opponent are failing our businesses, failing our economy, and failing the people of King County.
