President Donald Trump spent a good portion of his State of the Union talking up the economy and economic development. In his list of positive developments he touted the recently-announced Toyota-Mazda deal in north Alabama, stating “Toyota and Mazda are opening a plant in Alabama and it’s a big one.” Democrats used this as an opportunity to completely miss the point:
The auto industry in Alabama wasn't saved by President Trump, it was put at risk when Trump threatened to isolate the United States from international trade #SOTU
— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) January 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/WadeFPerry/status/958531671103623169
Why this matters: None of this is true. Rep. Terri Sewell’s comment has no basis in reality, auto manufacturers are moving to the U.S. As for Sen. Doug Jones’ campaign manager Wade Perry’s claims, Congressman Mo Brooks has stated repeatedly that representatives from Toyota-Mazda did not consider the Alabama Senate race in their decision-making process. These decisions are made based on incentives and economics, not whoever is holding or running for a political office at the current moment.
The details:
— Toyota-Mazda’s new manufacturing facility will cost $1.6 billion dollars to build.
— The finished facility is expected to bring in 4,000 jobs and $5.2 billion dollars in salaries over the next 20 years.
— The state of Alabama and local governments gave Toyota-Mazda close to $800 million dollars in incentives, with a vast majority being in the form of tax abatement.
— Fiat Chrysler this month announced plans to shift production from Mexico to Michigan.
Dale Jackson hosts a daily radio show from 7-11 a.m. on NewsTalk 770 AM/92.5 FM WVNN and a weekly television show, “Guerrilla Politics,” on WAAY-TV, both in North Alabama. Follow him @TheDaleJackson.
