Thursday, February 15, 2007
If they build it, who will come?
In the drive to locate a super-project in Arkansas, there seems to be both good news and bad news. It would appear that Arkansas is at the top of the list to get a Toyota car plant at Marion . That is the good news. The bad news is that Arkansas’s most enticing quality is that its’ generally under-educated population, which will work for less.
The average manufacturing wage around these parts is $16.45 an hour. That’s just over 34k. It is the lowest in the regions, and probably rock bottom nationally. Governor Beebe speaks very highly of Toyota and we should hope is right. Even a car plant paying average would be a welcome addition to the Delta.
The question at hand is somewhat tricky. How hard do we push? Do we give big incentives for a plant that will probably, in time, move to Korea or some other third world outpost?
Autoworkers in Michigan make twice as much. Some of you just observed the obvious fact that the American automotive sector is dying a slow and sorry death.
It’s time to pull out your crystal ball on that one. I have no more than a powerful gut feeling. Yes, we should encourage Toyota, but let’s not roll out the red carpet. We have already granted a major incentive in the modest cost of living and low wages.
(Broadcast February 15, 2007(
The average manufacturing wage around these parts is $16.45 an hour. That’s just over 34k. It is the lowest in the regions, and probably rock bottom nationally. Governor Beebe speaks very highly of Toyota and we should hope is right. Even a car plant paying average would be a welcome addition to the Delta.
The question at hand is somewhat tricky. How hard do we push? Do we give big incentives for a plant that will probably, in time, move to Korea or some other third world outpost?
Autoworkers in Michigan make twice as much. Some of you just observed the obvious fact that the American automotive sector is dying a slow and sorry death.
It’s time to pull out your crystal ball on that one. I have no more than a powerful gut feeling. Yes, we should encourage Toyota, but let’s not roll out the red carpet. We have already granted a major incentive in the modest cost of living and low wages.
(Broadcast February 15, 2007(
