Senator Moran vs. Boeing

The recent announcement of Boeing’s departure from Wichita is a blow to the local and state economy but it is even more of a blow to Kansas Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). He was one of the politicians that got the Defense Department to reopen the competition to manufacture the next generation of Air Force tanker planes to replace the KC-135. The initial winner was Northrop/Grumman and EADS (the E stands for European), and much of the plane would have been manufactured in Alabama. Senator Moran, among others, was able to get the contract, worth as much as $4.4 Billion, for Boeing. The understanding here in Kansas was that this new plane would bring hundreds of jobs; nay, thousands of jobs to Wichita and Kansas. Sen. Moran proudly announced this victory to his constituents; “Way to go Jerry!”, we were so happy.

But now, Boeing will shut down the Wichita plant and manufacture the KC-46A in some other locality. Not only will there be no new jobs, the old jobs will be lost. This despite tax abatements and Industrial Revenue Bonds issued by state and local governments. The workers, the government at every level, and the regional economy will suffer; but worst of all, Boeing is making Jerry Moran look like a jackass.

Sen. Moran has opened himself up to ridicule and charges of hypocrisy by not adhering to the strict bumper-sticker ready ideology of the Tea Party. Despite saying, many times over the government doesn’t create jobs, he apparently actually believes  that the Boeing  tanker contract would create JOBS in Wichita. He also agreed with the Keynesian belief that government money will cause positive ripple effects throughout the economy. The only option he has to explain this away is the dubious position that ONLY defense spending is stimulative to the economy.

As a Tea Party ‘deficit hawk”, Sen. Moran is expected to vote NO on any new spending because of our national debt. But yet, he pushes for spending on a new airplane that would replace a plane that is still usable and functioning.  He has voted against economic stimulus (including the Making Work Pay tax credit that reduced wage earners income tax bill by $850) and he voted against extending the 2% FICA reduction; in part because, “We can’t afford it”. In a fashion not unlike a Democrat, Jerry has shown us that he actually believes that there are some things worth deficit spending. (He includes aerial tankers on this list; we here at the TTFIATT(IAT) would also include Medicare)

After having debased himself from his Tea Party ideology by bowing to the pressure to “do the right thing”, Jerry Moran has the right to be PO’d at Boeing. So tell me, if as the Supreme Court and Mitt Romney tell us, corporations are people, then where can Senator Moran go to find that Boeing person and bust a boot in his/her butt?