One word, Speaker of the House. Boeing's move to Chicago was to garner great political influence. If I had the choice of Sen. Patty Murray or Speaker of the House Hassert, it be a no brainer as far as who I'd want greater access to.
That's exactly right. Furthermore, Boeing doesn't have to mfg. in Washington state. It has plenty of facilities elsewhere to do the same things. If Boeing finally leaves, since the hq. is no longer here, in WA, then it is relatively easy to relocate to a more favorable business climate.
And, for those who are advocates of 'business paying their fair share', understand this. Businesses do not pay taxes. They collect them. The true payee is the purchaser of the product the business sells or mfgs. In other words, the cost of taxes is built into the purchase price.