Post #304 Who Lost Continental Tire?

Continental Tire is a BIG international company -- based in Germany, I believe -- that was looking for a place in America to build a $500,000 plant with 1300 jobs, and we, Louisiana and our dim-witted cousins in South Carolina were the finalists. The plant is locating in South Carolina. End of story? No, North Carolina Republicans and Democrats are blaming each other over who 'lost' Continental Tire.

Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue's son works for the law firm that helped Continental Tire chose a site in North Carolina as one of the finalist sites -- a site that is owned by a Democratic state senator and political supporters of the Governor.

Republican Senate leader Phil Berger said the proposed deal with Continental "reeked with cronyism." "She had nothing to do with that site," Jim Bradshaw, who heads the Brunswick County Economic Development Commission -- they offered the site at the middle of the stink. The company had considered eight locations in North Carolina before focusing on the one in question, but there is no evidence it preferred that one because of political relationships -- as of today.

"I don't know if I have all the information to connect those dots," Berger backpedaled. A Republican having trouble with the dots -- imagine that! Hey, look up Bev's skirt, there might be some WMD up there.... :p

So, who lost Continental Tire?

Jochen Etzel, CEO of Continental Tire the Americas, said at a news conference, "South Carolina offered us the most compelling business climate that allows us to create these jobs with competitive pay and benefits for the people of this great state."

Um, well, what kind of "business climate" does South Carolina have? Well, they have an industrial park with the infrastructure built in, including a research facility associated with Clemson University -- two automotive firms have already located there. And South Carolina offered a $31 million bribe.

Continental Tire demanded $45 million from us. The Republicans balked.

Last month, in a letter to Governor Perdue, Berger raised objections to paying $45 million demanded by the company -- up front. "We all share your commitment to attracting jobs for North Carolina," he wrote, "but the negative impacts to North Carolina’s fund availability for education, overall fiscal stability and economic strength outweigh the speculated job creation in this instance." The Republicans offered $45 million spread out over 15 years.

From where I sit, the Republicans lost Continental Tire. But they should also be proud of not giving in to extortion. Only time will tell if this was a good decision of if, as Perdue said, that Berger concluded "the jobs were not worth it."

It seems obvious to me that North Carolina should invest in their own move-in ready industrial park and education, But the Republicans are too busy cutting thousands of education jobs here in North Carolina.

Or we need the NC JOB Fund -- the North Carolina Just Ol' Bribery Fund. Give it a try -- it worked for Rick Perry. :p