Boeing officials hand-delivered a letter to the governor's office Thursday stating they agree with Gov. Jay Inslee's ideas for incentives to help keep the company in Washington state.

The letter, signed by Boeing Senior Vice President Tim Keating, reads (in part):

I want to confirm that in proposing your package of incentives for legislative consideration, you have correctly interpreted our previous conversations about the elements needed for us to be competitive long into the future of Washington state, and the need for timely action to show our partnership with our workforce.

We are appreciative that you have convened a special session of the legislature to achieve the results that are necessary for the Boeing Company to locate the 777x project in Washington state."

The letter goes on to say Boeing is supportive of Inslee's proposals for "workforce investments," permitting the streamlining of permits needed to build the 777 infrastructure, and tax incentives. These and other proposals are designed to entice Boeing to build the plane in Everett.

This special Boeing package, which also includes transportation and infrastructure improvements in the Everett-Seattle area, is one of several topics that will be considered during the legislative special session in Olympia.

As for the Boeing issue, many observers say Inslee would love to be known as the governor who "saved" Boeing's Washington plant. Critics say previous leaders Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire did little to improve the economic climate, and that led to the company moving numerous assembly projects out of state, plus their corporate headquarters to Chicago.

 

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