Business Savvy

Air Force jobs overseas

The refueling tankers have been made by Boeing for about 50 years.

My largest issue with the contract is the government is trying to force businesses to keep jobs in this country but they are going to outsource the building of refueling tankers. I know it's not quite the same thing, but why should businesses do something the government doesn't seem to want to do?

The contract with a company in a different company will result in job losses for Americans, something that is never needed but is especially bad during a recession.

Another complaint I have about the contract is I have not been able to find a good reason for the contract to not be awarded to Boeing. Apparently, Boeing agrees with me, because they have filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Office. The decision may be over turned by June if the GAO sides with Boeing.

Security is another concern. It is difficult to do comprehensive background checks on people, just as the hundreds of thousands of immigrants waiting to have their citizenship approved. Is a company in France going to be as concerned with who is working on American Air Force fuel tankers as Boeing may be? I would think the Air Force would feel more secure with the plans being made in a location they can have some control over.

And 50 years of reliable service should count for something when considering a contract. How about some loyalty, Air Force?

I'm sure Airbus can do a good job on the tankers and competition is never a bad thing, but give me a better reason than speculation of future bad performance when choosing a company that will cost 1,000s of jobs.