is it worth it?

I keep hearing “Shipbuilding” by Elvis Costello when I think about this . . . . is it worth it, indeed?

—–Original Message—–
From: paulbeard [ at ] mac.com
[mailto:paulbeard [ at ] mac.com ]
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 12:42 AM
To: letters [ at ] seattletimes.com
Subject: Is it worth it?

The more I read about the “importance” of making conditions attractive enough for Boeing to build the 7E7 here in Washington, I keep finding reasons that undermine the urgency.

For one thing, the airlines who are expected to buy the plane are ambivalent at best, and that doesn’t suggest a compelling market research effort by Boeing itself.

For another, I read in this Sunday’s Times that the assembly time for the 7E7 will be 3 days. So where are all the jobs we hope to keep? It looks to me like the bulk of the labor will be done elsewhere — Japan, China and other states — while a small crew assembles the finished components. This is good news for Boeing, but “deskilling” the manufacturing process doesn’t make for valuable jobs: the skill and craft that went with the high-paying jobs of the past might be just that — past.

I’m skeptical it makes sense for a state in the poor financial shape Washington is in to extend a lot of largesse to Boeing or anyone else, especially if it’s more about luster than lucre.