Video: Boeing Rolls Out First Charleston Dreamliner
Governor Haley says, "We build cars. We build tires. And now we build dreams."
More than 6,000 employees, state officials and supporters closely eyeed the large doors of Boeing's North Charleston hangar on Friday as the airplane manufacturer rolled out its first locally-manufactured 787 Dreamliner.
First announced more than two years ago, Boeing's Lowcountry facility is expected to produce at least three of the planes a month when at full capacity.
"This is a great day for South Carolina," said S.C. Sen. Paul Campbell (R-Goose Creek). "It all came together because you've got really great South Carolinians pulling the wrenches, doing the reviting and everything else."
Jonathan Edwards
10:02 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Did we ever figure out how much we paid Boeing to come here? I know the legislators originally were a little confused as to what incentives we were actually agreeing to. But then again, who can put a price on dreams?
Barbara McGowin
4:44 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
SC has given Boeing $1.5 billion to build a $780 million factory. Boeing withholds state income tax from its employees and does not return it to the state coffers. This money goes to the company's investors who do not live or spend their wealth in SC. When SC's public education, public health, police and fire departments and other vital services are underfunded, tax incentives to Boeing and other corporations are literally stealing the future of SC. Sen. Paul Campbell [R. Goose Creek] is proud to have been a part of this fleecing of SC. Bring hi-tech manufacturing to SC should not be done on the backs of the middleclass. We need to invest in quality education and create wealth in SC, not rob our state to create profit for large corporations. We need a change in Columbia. I am running against Sen. Campbell in the 2012 general election for SC Senate District 44. To learn more visit McGowin for Senate on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/McGowin4Senate
Gretchen
8:31 am on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Well ..... Jonathan ... at least we have something for our money. Obama throws money down the sewer all the time.... ie Solyndra and some of those other green energy "dreams" and all he does is increase our debt.
Jonathan Edwards
11:43 am on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Gretchen: (1) I never mentioned anything about Obama. Your dislike for our president has nothing to do with whether or not SC's legislators should be accountable (and have actual knowledge) of how much our money they spend so they can get in bed with a big company. Getting all hot and bothered over seeing a fancy jet plane does nothing to educate South Carolinians on the long-term costs of the project. I hope Boeing will bring in more than it has taken. The problem is, our legislators never really sat down to calculate the cost, or to understand how much $$ in incentives we gave to Boeing before they signed the deal. They didn't really care, because well, Boeing is just too cool. And when the tax breaks run out for Boeing, any cost cutting they have to do will not be felt by any SC legislator.
(2) I am happy that our current President makes it a priority to invest in alternative energy solutions. He makes innovation an American priority because he is smart, unlike our last president. Some of us want America to remain #1.
stanley seigler
11:21 am on Saturday, April 28, 2012
@Gretchen: "...Obama throws money down the sewer all the time.... ie Solyndra..."
weel gretchen, a result of money BO threw down the sewer:
"GM has returned to profitability, even posting a record annual profit in 2011..."
the failure of solyndra pails by comparison to GM success...and thanks to BO policies jobs are being created today (2012) compared to jobs being lost in 2008...
BTW, "Boeing was selected to receive federal stimulus funds with some work on smart grid platforms here in the U.S..".
do you consider our infrastructure, "the sewer"...ie;
stimulus pkg INFRASTRUCTURE investment: "$48 billion for transportation projects, including $27.5 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair; $8.4 billion for mass transit; $8 billion for construction of high-speed railways and $1.3 billion for Amtrak; $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $4 billion for public housing improvements; $6 billion for clean and drinking water projects; $7.2 billion to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas; $4.2 billion to repair and modernize Defense Department facilities"
stanley seigler
2:31 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
PS.
re: the failure of solyndra pails by comparison to GM success...
for some sense of importance of GM success v solyndra failure: GM employs some 200,000 (and untold jobs depending on GM); solyndra lost 1100 jobs...and the population NC is around 80,000
stanley seigler
3:36 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
apologies for my politics as usual distraction...SC is and should be proud of their workforce...the dreamliner success is a harbinger of the future of SC.
stanley seigler
5:34 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
@Barbara McGowin: "...SC has given Boeing $1.5 billion to build a $780 million factory. Boeing withholds state income tax from its employees and does not return it to the state coffers. This money goes to the company's investors who do not live or spend their wealth in SC..."
tho should not distract from the dreamliner workforce...it must be corrected in future deals to attract industry to SC.
Post Courier say: "In interviews during the past week, the legislative leaders who negotiated directly with Boeing each said they couldn't say what all the incentives are worth, but each defended the deal as a good investment for South Carolina"
bet boeing knew exactly what the incentives were...unbelievable legislators didn't ...doubling down bet boeing is still laughing at the SC negotiators...
ironic GOPs think they are astute business types...