Gregoire asks Obama for tanker help
Feb 16, 2011, 3:32 AM | Updated: Mar 28, 2011, 3:46 pm
Governor Chris Gregoire is lobbying President Obama to let Boeing build the U.S. Air Force refueling tanker plane.
Gregoire and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback are heading the U.S. Tanker Coalition. They sent this letter to President Barack Obama, with the argument that having the $35 billion program built here would be the best deal for taxpayers.
The tanker would be built in Washington state and Kansas, with the Boeing Company using parts and supplies from 38 other states.
“Given the national scope of the contract, more than 50,000 of America’s aerospace workers will contribute to the success of the KC-767. We believe this tanker will best meet the Air Force’s requirements and prove the best value for the American taxpayer,” they write.
Boeing says a win in the tanker-refueling contest would bring 11,000 jobs and $693 million in annual economic impact to our state.