Politicians in Columbia recently passed legislation to bring more aero-space manufacturing jobs into our state. The incentives were designed to lure additional manufacturing plants for the Boeing Company which will result in high-paying, high-tech jobs in order to make South Carolina a more desirable location for companies looking for a well trained and professional workforce.

One of the projects Boeing is currently competing on is a fleet of aerial refueling tankers for the United States Air Force. The current fleet of planes were built by Boeing during the Korean War and is desperately in need of replacement. Unfortunately, controversy over the Air Force contract from their French competitor Airbus has caused years of delays for the much needed planes.

The most recent Airbus scandal resulted in the largest case brought to the World Trade Organization (WTO). After a U.S. trade representative filed a lawsuit, the WTO ruled that Airbus was receiving billions of dollars in illegal subsides from European companies in order to undercut their American competitors, Boeing in particular.

By receiving illegal subsidies, Airbus was able to lure contracts to build planes from other nations and bring jobs and money back to Europe. The contract would initially be worth thirty-five billion dollars, and including maintenance and parts, can be upward of $100 billion dollars for the life of the contract. Labor unions are estimating this single contract would mean 40,000 jobs to the winner. With the help from our state legislature and Boeing, some of those jobs and tens of billions of dollars can find their way to South Carolina.

However, in an effort to further complicate matters and delay the contract, the French company is suing the Pentagon after they released the details of the previous rounds of bids for the tankers. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) threw out last year’s bid after they determined irregularities that awarded the contract to Airbus.

President Obama, under pressure from the labor unions, has asked the Pentagon to consider the WTO ruling when the Pentagon awards the contract. Forty members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats have also sent a letter to the Pentagon to make sure the French are not rewarded for cheating.

Sen. Lindsay Graham sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and is an officer of the Air Force Reserves. His unique position and experience would make him a powerful ally in drawing attention to this international controversy.

Members of the armed services, of all branches, know the value of these refueling planes as they allow our military planes from all over the world to “gas up,” continue to their destinations, and return home safely. With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and potential threats all over the globe our military needs these planes as soon as possible. American workers need the 40,000 jobs that this project would create as well as the $100 billion of dollars it would bring into the United States economy. South Carolina needs as much of both as possible. South Carolina needs a champion for this cause; fortunately, Sen. Graham can be that person.



Ben Kinlaw

Barnwell