WASHINGTON — It is one legacy of Senator Scott Brown’s tenure in Washington that Elizabeth Warren may want to continue: champion of the defense industry, a critical component of the Massachusetts economy.
But how the liberal senator-elect will come down on one of the most pressing issues facing the new Congress remains a burning question for industry groups and company executives who are wary of the former Harvard professor and have been relying on Brown, a member of the Armed Services Committee, to protect Pentagon contracts, military bases, and thousands of Bay State jobs that depend on them.
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Homer Simson could have ran for and won this election as a democrat. Warren's election was as much a show of muscle by the local democratic machine than support of her convictions. They have been vowing not to get caught napping again and pulled out all the stops to redeem their local luster. So good for them, they succeeded. However, if I were a machinist at Raytheon or GE Engine I may be re-thinking the wisdom of following labor's directive in support of Warren. The cyber defense systems projects will be great for degreed engineers, not so much machinists or thousands of blue collar workers in hundreds of small companies who depend on defense budgets. Massachusetts democrats and those who helped Warren get elected now own the economic outcome of her actions.
Well let's take that GE example in Lynn. They threatened layoffs if the Defense Department did not give them a contract for a fighter engine that was deemed unnecessary by the Pentagon. Supposedly 400 jobs were at stake. The Mass Delegation including Scott Brown who was promoting himself as favoring spending cuts voted for the thing. However it lost. So what happened to the 400 jobs--absolutely nothing, no firings. Somehow faith must be restored in the skill and productivity of our workers. GE realized this when the rubber hit the road. They were not going to fire highly trained people to have them shift to other companies who are thirsty for a properly experienced labor force. It is not the American way to give in to such threats by big military manufacturers. Labor must realize their value and stand fast. It is almost a myth that the military industry is critical as a growth business. It is not. It may be that these same workers would be better off in other manufacturing venues that add more strongly to the nation's wealth. Elizabeth Warren will support sensible needed cut backs along with proper transition of skilled labor. Her life story as an economic expert when the business landscape has to change shows a positive record. Cuts are going to made regardless of military complex whining. How it is done is critical. Elizabeth Warren's input is a plus for our state.
Forever the republican mantra has been "it`s a job killer". If you recall back in 1992, when Clinton and the Dems proposed the Family Leave Act, the republicans said that it would be a hugh job killer. Well, it passed and no such thing happened. Bottom line, don`t believe them!
The military-industrial complex needs to re-tool. Rather than coming up with a new generation of high-tech toys to kill primitive tribes in remote mountain villages, we need to put our collective talents to dealing with the antecedents and consequences of climate change, and the endless list of other real world problems that could be solved if they were less focused on cutesy killing tools for the Pentagon. It is possible for people to continue to make a living making other things. They've got to figure it out.
Thank you for this comment. Right on.
Hey, When you put all your money on Black and the wheel comes up Red--YOU LOSE! Cry babies--Yes we want to see R&D-Military spending of course continue, but right now we need our roads, bridges, tunnels, overhead wires and all our infrastructure brought into the 21st Century. To the --players, next time just stay on the side lines and let the PEOPLE decide!!!!
@JohnDoe: I know if feels good to give back what we've been getting, but please consider changing tone now that the election is over and we've won. As Abraham Lincoln said, "With malice towards none...." I don't think we're going to get some of the conservative commenters on these boards to change their tune, but I'd really like to see us try. I agree they are not exactly good losers right now, but using terms like "cry babies" and saying "you lose" in all caps is just going to make them feel vindicated that we are somehow bullies. Would you be willing to try and see if this works?
Why don't you ask Deval what she's going to do. Apparently she thinks he knows what she's going to do.
Duval can be Warren's 'stand-in,' along with all her supporters. They all believe they "know -her."
Very strange - how perception & reality become intertwined.
Ah, the sweet sounds of wingnuts munching on those large bowls of sour grapes...music to my ears.
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MA voted her in now they will have to live with her decisions.
This is actually a pretty easy decision for Senator Warren. You see, the question is, will she listen to the military for their recommendations about what they predict the future looks like defense-wise for our country, and invest our tax dollars in weapons and systems accordingly. Now to make this decsion, all she has to do is ask herself how good they are at predicting the future. And to answer that question, all she has to do is look at the fact that they backed the looser of the Senate race, Scott Brown, by a margin of 30 to 1 in monetary contributions. So all of their recomendations for what we, as a country, will NEED for weapons and systems in the future, should receive the scrutiny appropriate for anyone who is wrong about anything by a margin of 30 to 1.
All Senator Warren "has to do is as" President Obama what she should do!
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I just want to know, why aren't we celebrating the First Women Native American Senator of the United States?
Wingnuts remain clueless as ever.
I just want to know, why aren't we celebrating the First Women Native American Senator of the United States?
Give it a rest. Relax. Move on.