MEMPHIS, Tenn. — You don’t need me to tell you that Democrats and Republicans in the Tennessee legislature rarely agree on anything, particularly issues of major public interest. But lawmakers showed remarkable unity this week in passing legislation paving the way for Ford Motor Company and a South Korean partner to build a $5.6 billion electric pickup and battery assembly plant in Haywood County.
Only a few members of the House and Senate voted against the incentive package that grew from $500 million to nearly $900 million. The $500 million will go directly to Ford in the form of a grant, and the remaining public funds will help pay for infrastructure needs, demolition work, road construction, and other items.
The reason lawmakers were almost unified in approving the package is simple. The massive project on the Memphis Regional Mega Site figures to transform the economic outlook of West Tennessee, including of course Shelby County. Ford is promising to create 5,800 well-paying jobs, which is impossible to ignore in a portion of the state that is starving for economic development.
Of course, there are critics, including the Beacon Center, which routinely opposes government giveaways to large corporations. There are also valid concerns that oversight of the project will not include public disclosure of information.
But all in all, this is a deal that had to get done even as we continue to insist on transparency.