Posted on 07/03/2012 2:31:40 PM PDT by BO Stinkss
Alabama is getting a new high-tech aircraft factory and 1,000 high-wage jobs, despite warnings from progressive groups that the state’s immigration reform would frighten away investors.
“The naysayers were hoping it would,” said state Rep. Mike Ball. But “the immigration law doesn’t make any difference to the foreign companies — if they’re legal, they know they’re welcome, and we have a competitive environment where they can make a profit,” said Ball, a former police detective.
“More jobs for sweet home Alabama,” said Chuck Ellis, a councilman in the city of Albertville.
“Once again the state of Alabama has taken the ‘but’ out of the liberals’ [warning] — ‘So you’ve got your immigration reform law, BUT now industry will go to other states to do their business,’” he wrote.
The aircraft factory was announced July 2 by Airbus, which is Europe’s largest aircraft maker and the primary worldwide rival to Boeing. Other states competed against Alabama for the factory, partly by offering state aid.
The 1,000 Airbus employees will assemble four A-320 jets a month by 2017 and will support many additional jobs in the state, whose unemployment rate has fallen faster since 2009 than nearly any other state in the country. The state’s drop is only outdone by Michigan, which benefited from huge federal subsidies for the auto industry.
The Airbus decision was a defeat for progressive groups and ethnic lobbies, who had urged companies to boycott the state until it abandons its effective immigration-reform law that curbs employment of illegal immigrants.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
This is all about taxes. The South is open for business.
We calculated that even though the workforce was somewhat less productive (hey, people move slower when its hot all the time!), the heavy footprint of government where we were more than compensated for it. We were ready to recommend that the company make the move, but then they sold us to a competitor.
The competitor already had extensive operations in the south and wanted to diversify geographically.
Just how in the world can you expect to build hi tech airplanes without illegal aliens?
It was a great day here in Mobile on Monday - especially after the heartbreak of the thug-in-chief handing the tanker contract to Boeing after he was installed in the Oval Office. They’re saying that this will be bigger and better then any government contract! Hurray for my home state!
another kick in the balls to the unions & the liberals...lets see how this Airbus facility does versus the Boeing plant in Seattle that was not allowed to relocate to South Carolina...
Looks like Bama won big again! Roll Tide!
Biggest lies told in the media have to do with Illegal Alien Amnesty.
Alabama, since enacting their crackdown on illegal aliens, has seen their unemployment rate drop big time. And, they are spending less tax dollars to deal w illegal aliens
Airbus learming from the mistakes of Boeing and chosing a right to work state to do business in.
I think Boeing built that plant in SC.
Right to work state, with low property taxes..... that are two reasons for them to come here.
There is a bit of Civil War/Reconstruction irony and payback here. From reconstruction until the 1970’s, the Interstate Commerce Commission and its predecessor kept freight rates high in the South in order to discourage Northern industries from migrating there. In Atlanta it was cheaper to buy steal from Pittsburgh than it was to buy it from Birmingham.
The location is perfect. Long runway, plus access to port, rail and interstate.
They did. My Boeing neighbor said there was never really any doubt.
Indeed it did! Up and running, and I believe, recently rolled it its first aircraft.
Alabama really is a lovely state and the people are exceptionally friendly. You’ll love the accent, it’s not what you might think it would be; the speech is rather soft and pleasant to listen to. Not true in all instances, of course.
One glaring exception to the hospitality feature: stay away from downtown Birmingham at night. This probably is true of Montgomery and Mobile, too.
As an Alabama resident, I thank you, OldPossum.
I moved away for over 15 years (including 8 years in Canada), but I always felt as if I was missing my home.
I’ve been back for 15 years now, and never regreted moving back.
In the northern part of the state (near Huntsville), I live among a fairly educated populace, a lot of gunuinely nice people, and experience 4 real seasons of weather.
Also - the state is overwhelmingly conservative (the Democrat party is an endangered species here with only one statewide elected official having a D after his name), and the people have an underlying attitude of “they aren’t going to tell me what to do”.
Hispanic illegal aliens for the most part are low-skill, and we already have a glut of low-skill and unskilled workers. Also, by depressing wages for unskilled tasks, they reduce demand for automation and capital investment.
Is that because the "feral people" are roaming around at night?
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