Wednesday, January 4, 2012

One word: Disappointed.

State and local leaders who helped negotiate the $35 billion tanker deal for Boeing with the promise of creating 7,500 jobs for Kansans are angry, disturbed and outraged.

Within minutes of the Boeing Company announcing it would be closing its Wichita plant, feelings of betrayal spread throughout the Air Capital.

"I have never seen such an outrageous disregard by a company's own public statements as what the Boeing company did here," said Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo.

State and local leaders who worked tirelessly to help Boeing win a multi-billion-dollar tanker contract say Boeing broke promise after promise.

"We're looking to see if Boeing has violated any of its contracts with the Department of Defense, but there is just nothing good in the news today," said Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran.

State Rep. Jim Ward says the state has given Boeing millions of dollars in incentives over the company's 80-year history in Wichita. But, were there signs this was coming? The city says Boeing stopped asking for industrial revenue bonds way back in 2007. Now local leaders say all they can do is move forward.

"We were there. We did more than our fair share, so it's an outrage that we stand here today with our hearts broken, but our will to continue is strong," Ward said.

The mayor said Wednesday there will be an announcement soon with some good aviation news for Wichita. He added local leaders are leaving no stone unturned in trying to find a company to replace Boeing in the Air Capital.