Koster OK with Air Force Tanker Being Built “Somewhere Else”
Why won’t John Koster Stand up for Snohomish County Aerospace Workers?
Everett, WA - In a recent interview, John Koster showed that he won’t stand up for our work force and small businesses who are in stiff competition for the new Air Force tanker contract. When asked about the tanker program, Koster said, “we need that tanker built in this country...whether it’s built at this plant or somewhere else.”
Listen here https://www.ricklarsen.org/media/uploads/Tanker.mp3
“If I hadn’t listened to this interview myself, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said Rick Larsen. “There is only one answer when it comes to questions on the tanker: The tanker needs to be built RIGHT HERE in Everett.”
“John Koster just flunked Snohomish County 101. We can’t let Koster put the lifeblood of our local economy at risk,” said Larsen.
“Somewhere else? Alabama is somewhere else. Alabama is chomping at the bit to bring the tanker and these jobs to their community. Apparently, that isn’t a big deal to John Koster. Well, it is a big deal to the 4,000 Machinists in this area that will assemble this plane RIGHT HERE when Boeing wins the contract. It is clear that John Koster won’t stand up for Boeing or these jobs,” said Tom Wroblewski, President- Aerospace Machinists Lodge 751.
“The tanker contract means thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic boost right here in Snohomish County. This is my top priority when it comes to jobs and turning around our economy,” said Larsen.
“I’m doing everything I can to make sure the best aerospace workers in the world build the next generation of Air Force Tankers RIGHT HERE. Nowhere else,” Larsen concluded.
Media organizations agree:
Seattle Times 10/13/10: “Larsen’s priorities to ensure that Boeing lands the Air Force tanker contract and increase access to capital for small businesses are good ones...”
Seattle PI 10/13/10: “He (Larsen) is author of a defense funding bill amendment that would make the Pentagon take Europe’s illegal Airbus subsidies into account in deciding who gets the lucrative Air Force tanker contract.”
Skagit Valley Herald 10/19/10: “He (Larsen) gets things done...fighting for a level playing field for Boeing in the battle with tax-supported Airbus for the tanker project...”
