It looks like the Texas Enterprise Fund got this one right. It also looks like it was not one of those deals to take care of one of Guv Dude’s pals. I am talking about the Toyota coup for Plano that was announced yesterday. Isn’t this the way the fund is supposed to be used? Would Toyota have come without the $40 mil? Does Dude’s highly publicized job poaching work? Here is from an AP story:
Toyota delivered a surprise pink slip to California on Monday, announcing the company would move its U.S. headquarters and about 3,000 jobs from the Los Angeles suburbs to the outskirts of Dallas.
The world’s largest automaker will keep a foothold in the Golden State — about 2,300 jobs will remain in California after the company settles into its new corporate campus in Plano, Texas. But the announcement is an economic and symbolic slap for California, a historic center of American car culture that has been trying to shake its reputation as a frustrating place to run a business, whether that involves shooting a film or selling a Prius.
“When you look at the whole package, it’s difficult to be a business here,” lamented Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto, whose community on the edge of the Pacific will suffer as the jobs migrate to Texas.
“If all these great, high-end jobs are leaving California, then we are going to turn into a place that’s a retirement community” with low-paying service-sector jobs, Scotto said. “We can’t have that,” he added, warning that unless the state has a change of attitude, “it’s going to be way too late.”
And:
(Governor Rick) Perry, who made two visits to California to lure employers to his state, said Texas offered Toyota $40 million in incentives from the taxpayer-funded Texas Enterprise Fund. The Republican governor said Toyota is expected to invest $300 million in the new headquarters.
Republicans in California quickly blamed Sacramento for the loss, where Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature and every statewide office. A statement issued by Gov. Jerry Brown’s Office of Business and Economic Development did not mention Toyota but stressed the state’s steadied balance sheet and jobs recovered after the devastating recession.
Is this a deal that folks can criticize? I don’t think so.
The Nats are in town for two and they used to be the Expos. Name the two members of the Baseball Hall of Fame that are wearing Expos gear.
I put out this yesterday:
Bryant Gumbel was on the “Meet the Press” yesterday and compared Donald Sterling’s past discriminatory business practices to those of Jim Crane, owner of the ‘Stros. Ouch! The ‘Stros put out a statement yesterday saying Crane was a nice fella and they also blasted Gumbel. The Chron has the statement on their website. Gumbel was on “Meet the Press” and had a bigger audience. Of course Crane could go on the ‘Stros network and issue the statement and nobody would be watching. Too bad.
Well MLB put out a statement yesterday supporting the ‘Stros owner so nobody was paying attention and HBO and Bryant Gumbel are no longer commenting on the torch job they did on the owner. It would not surprise me if the ‘Stros try to contact “Meet the Press” and ask for equal time.
I am thinking the NBA is going to come down hard on Donald Sterling today. He does not have a defender in the world.
Gary Carter and Andre Dawson of course are in the Hall of Fame wearing Expos gear.
If you have been to The Yard this season or have watched the team on the tube you have probably noticed more of an emphasis on the ‘Stros utilizing the infield shift on certain pull hitters. Check out today’s Chron sports section on an analysis of the shift. It is a good read.
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