So Boeing’s opening a second line in South Carolina. Inevitably, fingers will be pointed. But at whom? Well,
“Times have changed,
the economy’s gotten worse;
Boeing in South Carolina,
I just want to stomp & curse;
Should we blame the government
or blame the big old boss
or should we blame the union for the loss?
No, Blame Canada! Blame Canada!
With all their beady little eyes
And flapping heads so full of lies
Blame Canada
Blame Canada
We need to form a full assault
It’s Canada’s fault!
Don’t blame us
because they flee
they don’t like gutter balls
but they like Governors coveting Argentines
It’s about customers
everyone likes to say
but does that make it all okay?
No, blame Canada
Blame Canada
It seems that everything’s gone wrong
Since Canada came along
Blame Canada
Blame Canada
They’re not even a real country anyway
My son could’ve been a machinist or an engineer,
Instead he burned up like kindling on great Mount Rainier
Should we blame the matches?
Should we blame the fire?
Or the doctors who allowed him to expire?
heck no!
Blame Canada
Blame Canada
With all their hockey hullabaloo
And that witch Anne Murray too
Blame Canada
Shame on Canada
For…
The move we must stop
The line we want back
The Laughter and fun
SC be undone
We must blame them and cause a fuss
Before somebody thinks of blaming uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuus!!!!
Warning: Video contains kids with potty mouths singing.
I’ll write this as quickly as I can before I get shot at point blank range for the corny title. Just came back from hearing United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speak at a World Affairs Council sponsored event. The Secretary General spoke on what he asserts are four critical issues for our little spinning globe: 1) climate change; 2) nuclear weapons; 3) extreme poverty; and 4) security, peace and human rights issues.
As interesting as what Secretary General Ban said is, just as interesting for my beat is that he was here in the Greater Seattle area. It was the first time a sitting UN Secretary General has spoken in our region but he is also one of numerous international dignitaries that come through our region each year, including heads of state. We’re a mid-sized town in America but one with an outsized international profile. Yes, a third of our jobs are tied to international trade in way or another but also the industries we are engaged in are global ones. Plus, we have a huge global development sector here. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is headquartered in Greater Seattle but there are also 350 other global development organizations in our region, both big and small. They employ thousands of people and are active on every continent save Antarctica (and for all I know there’s someone from our region doing work there too). In other words, there’s a reason the U.N. Secretary General came to our region to talk about weighty global issues.
Never to be accused of being a pessimist, I return after a long absence in these here parts with good news: Delta Airlines is not adding one but two new international routes to Sea-Tac Airport and expanding on another one. Beginning in the summer of 2010, Delta will begin flying to Beijing, China and Osaka, Japan which just happen to be important cities of two of our region’s largest trading partners. In addition, Delta is increasing the number of flights to Amsterdam per week from seven to ten (making it easier for Jules to get his Royale with Cheese).
As a sometimes frequent international traveler, this can only make my life better. And, isn’t that what we’re all here for? A side benefit, of course, is that because our region is so tied to the international economy, it’s going to make lots of other Puget Sounders’ lives better too. It will strengthen our internationally-bent economy making it easier for our businesses to welcome their overseas customers and to travel to important markets. It will also make it easier for Chinese investors and tourists (of which we are seeing more lately; Japan is already one of our largest sources for tourists and investment) to spend their money here.
The Trade Alliance is compiling statistics on our region’s international trading partners for our Target Market Report. Lots of interesting nuggets our staff is mining. Guess who is Washington state’s:
5th largest export customer, $3.4 billion
5th largest importer, $3.8 billion
4th largest export customer excluding airplanes, $2.6 billion
3rd largest customer through our ports, $5.3 billion
3rd largest customer of agricultural products, $1.7 billion
“For the first quarter of the year, 2.7 million cars were sold in China – besting U.S. sales of 2.2 million for the first time to become the world’s largest car market.”
There are many ways to look at this, two of which are: a) good God, there goes our efforts on climate change; b) maybe China can pull us out of the recession.
The CNN article tells us there are 100 Chinese automakers hoping to take advantage of the growing market, not to mention the multinational companies and government-owned entities like GM and Chrysler. A growing Chinese market would help with over capacity of cars out in the world. But, it would be even better if those cars were environmentally friendly. The Chinese are pushing for electric cars and Warren Buffet’s favorite car company is going electric.
But, most of the electricity in China is generated by coal. In other words, it’s a mixed up, muddled up, crazy world we live in. On the other hand, our region’s clean tech sector may stand to benefit. Like I say, there’s a lot of ways to look at this.
Eric has an interesting post on the stimulus bill’s programs to beef up broadband adoption in our country. It’s also worth noting that in addition to penetration the U.S. lags behind in broadband speeds.
Probably hard to read the graph but we rank 9th. Japan is number one followed by Finland, Sweden and Korea.
Broadband is not the only technology we’re lagging in. We’re way behind in cell phone technology too. This world we live in is not your father’s oldsmobile (speaking of another technology–cars–that we’re behind in), there’s lots of other countries doing interesting things. Let’s learn from and work with them.
Earlier this week Microsoft showcased its new you don’t need a console, eye-popping technological add-on to the Xbox. Dubbed Natal, the accessory uses cameras and sensors to translate your movements to the television so you don’t need a console or joystick to play video games or engage in other activities. International is my beat in these Prosperity Partnership waters so why do I dip my oars into this story? Well, three reasons.
First, we should remember a big chunk of the Xbox market is overseas. The Washington Interactive Network informs us that the domestic market for video games is expected to grow from 9 billion in 2006 to 12.5 billion in 2011 but the global market is expected to jump from 31.6 billion in 2006 and to $48.9 billion in 2011.
Second, this reminded me of flying to Germany a few months ago. The guy sitting next to me worked for Microsoft and was on his way to India. He was there on a three year assignment and told me of his how his kids stayed in touch with friends back home by playing Xbox online and talking online while they played. Our region’s high technology companies increasingly connect us across the globe.
Third, this video demonstrating the new technology is just too cool not to post whether it’s international or not.
These organizations fill a variety of important niches supporting and bolstering our region’s international activities. But, they also work together through International Staff Group (ISG), which brings the heads of these organizations together once a month to discuss issues of common interest, work on projects and coordinate on a range of issues. Earlier this year, for example, the group sponsored an International Washington reception at the Governor’s Mansion.
Big gain for the Port of Seattle and our region. Not only do cruise ships have a huge economic impact ($274 million annual business revenue, 2,380 jobs and $8 million in annual state & local taxes) but it’s a huge driver of tourists to our region who are likely to stay a few days before or after in local hotel rooms, eat in local restaurants and visit attractions. Also, at a time when Canadian ports like Prince Rupert are doing everything possible to take our container business, it’s nice to snatch one back from them…
Your humble Prosperity Partnership blogger is on the Abu Dhabi/Dubai International Study Mission. These “traveling universities” have a life of their own. David Allen, Executive Vice President at McKinstry, was in the elevator of our hotel in Abu Dhabi talking to a guy from Australia with a company doing similar work. The two shared information about their companies (McKinstry, of course, is famous for being visited and cited by President Obama for building energy efficient buildings) and next thing you know Allen receives an email from the Australian business person inviting him to dinner when David is back in Abu Dhabi because he thinks they can do business there. Not bad for an elevator conversation.
I see in this space aerospace and our region’s competitiveness are getting quite a bit of play, as they should. Let me pitch in with the international angle. As Bill McSherry has pointed out more than once, a large part of our economic success is due to the aerospace industry. That means a large part of our success is due to our friends overseas. That’s because more than 70 percent of Boeing’s sales are to overseas customers. In addition, there are a number of foreign aerospace companies here, including at least two from France, employing a large number of greater Seattleites.
Two of the big economic stories we are known by, aerospace and international, are linked. They are also linked, as are all our successful economic sectors, by the fact that other people want what we have here. Yes, we have a great aerospace industry, yes our IT industry is amazing and yes, life sciences, agriculture, tourism and clean tech are top notch. But, guess what? Lots of other people around the country and the world want what we have and are eager to compete for it. Which means we must always be in economic competitive shape to retain and build upon our success. If the current economic crisis is teaching us anything it’s that things change, often quickly. This is as true in the Puget Sound area as it is in Shanghai, London, Berlin, Tokyo or Reykjavik. As Jack Nicholson said in The Departed, “Act accordingly.”
As we watch the world perform policy rain dances in hopes credit comes pouring down from the skies again, we hope policy makers remember it is a different world than their fathers and mothers. At a presentation this morning, the CFO of the Gates Foundation, Alexander Friedman, reminded us of how connected the world now is, using many graphs and data to explain that the U.S. economy (and even more so the Puget Sound economy, is tied to the world.
Later in the day I came across this little table which also shows how different our world is:
year
high school dropouts
high school graduates
some college
college graduates
1950
58.6
24.4
9.2
7.8
2000
8.7
29.6
32.0
29.7
As policy makers and the public grapple with the large economic challenge, we need to look at the world as it is today in thinking of solutions. Only half a century ago, more than half our labor force were high school dropouts and less than 10 percent were college drop outs. In figuring out answers in a global economy with a radically different workforce, we’ll need to keep these things in mind.
In these tough economic times, the experts* will tell you it is crucial to build your network. Since our economy is so tied to international trade, that means its crucial to build your international network. Well, fortunately, such an opportunity exists. The Trade Alliance is holding its annual Winter Schmooze event on Thursday, January 29th at 5:30 p.m. at Regal Financial Bank. The event will have a Middle East theme in honor of the upcoming Study Mission to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. All the cool international kids will be at the Schmooze, including business people, public officials, labor leaders educational leaders and others. What will they be doing there? Schmoozing, of course.
*Two out of three labor economists recommend attending the Trade Alliance Winter Schmooze
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation’s (FRAEC) Annual Meeting and Reception. It was, as always, a stimulating and fun event. Dr. Stephen Hanson, a former member of the Obama Campaign advisory committee on Russia, spoke about U.S. – Russia relations and what the prospects are for that relationship going forward. Dr. Hanson is also the new Vice Provost for the UW Office of Global Affairs. Hanson’s speech was riveting in how it provided a new way to look at how the U.S. and Russia perceive each other and ways to change those perceptions. Read the rest of this entry »
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