As you know, Democrats control just about everything these days. This is especially true in Washington State. In that state, just like the U.S. government, the democrats control both houses of the legislature and the executive branch.
So, the following story may be instructive in that it reveals how democrats think and how they behave when unchecked.
Recently the Washington State legislature was considering a bill called “Worker Privacy Act.” This act, as all such named acts, does something else entirely. The bill “would forbid any company from requiring employees to attend a meeting about labor issues.” Forbid. Now there is a large company in Washington State called Boeing. Boeing has some labor issues and would not look kindly on such a move.
The bill got killed a few weeks ago because the Democrats got embarrassed by the public release of a threatening email sent by labor leaders in which labor threatened to stop giving money to politicians if the bill did not pass. When this became public, support for the bill dried up. But hey,whether you like unions or not, they can give their money to whomever they choose.
So the Democrats, smarting from the impression that they routinely cave to threats from big labor caved on the bill. Now their big donors are unhappy. Can’t have that can we? To make sure that their union sugar daddies know that they are still their girls, the Washington legislature is proposing a bill to make it illegal for Boeing and other companies from threatening lawmakers with moving to another state. That’s right. Boeing cannot tell legislators that if you pass this or that legislation, we are outta here.
[Seattle Times] Now comes House Bill 2316, sponsored by Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, and several labor Democrats. Under this bill, it would be illegal for a lobbyist to “threaten any legislator … with the relocation of manufacturing jobs,” including jobs “involving commercial airplane manufacturing … “
Big labor threatens them and they propose a bill to outlaw threats from manufacturers. Labor, of course, can still threaten as much as they want just as long as it doesn’t become embarrassingly public again. But manufacturers cannot say anything.
This is what Statist one party rule gets you. What is to stop these same legislators from making it illegal for Boeing to move? Were I an executive at Boeing I would move the company while I still could. Don’t threaten. Just move.
Remember this as you watch our Congress and our President in action. If they can target specific people’s bonuses and seek the power to nationalize any company they deem a threat, then there is truly no limit to what they might try. Washington State is a prime example. I would move before it is too late, but there is no place left to go.
March 26, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Ah my wonderful state of residence. When people ask where I’m from I rarly say Washington, I always say Eastern Washington. For those who have been to both Western and E. Washington you will quickly learn they are extreemly different. E. Washington’s views tend to be more conservative, and religious. And frankly we hate bull like this. Olympia is lost.
Of Course if Boeing were to move it would be detrimental to Washington State tax revenues and job figures. Our $9 billion deficit would explode. Maybe us Eastern Washingtonians and N. Idahoans will finally have the balls to give the finger to our state capitals and try to from a seperate state. (Or at least us nutters out in this part of the country can hope… 😉 )
March 26, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Is anyone keeping a running total of all the obviously unconstitutional bills that this Congress is proposing and in some cases passing? “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech… and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This has got to make at least half a dozen times they’ve tried crap like this.
March 26, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Nightfly:
They’ll keep trying because they believe they’ll succeed. They’ll find or appoint judges who will rule as they wish, and they will ignore and defy any rulings not to their liking, up to and including SCOTUS.
March 26, 2009 at 6:13 pm
You can’t move, Patrick. It’s just been outlawed, since it would negatively impact your state’s tax revenue.
March 26, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Please, Boeing, come to Texas!
March 27, 2009 at 5:31 am
Um, hasn’t Boeing already moved its corporate offices to Chicago? Because Chicago offered them the best tax breaks?
I suppose it was only a matter of time, since they gobbled up McDonnell-Douglas. And left the ranks of semi-respectable businesses for the Principality of Profit.