As the local media cheerlead over the official start of Boeing 7E7 production, the current-affairs zine The Next American City has a long, lucid essay about “Seattle’s Boeing Fixation.”

Writer Sarah Kavage cites the 7E7 assembly-plant location derby as a classic example of corporate job blackmail, a now-familiar ritual that encourages communities to give companies too much to get too little back. (In the case of Seattle/Everett, it’s a mere 1,000 final assembly jobs.) Kavage suggests cities and states find the courage to back away from the game:

“Ultimately, the Puget Sound region will likely have to wean itself off of Boeing, whether it wants to or not. Even if the company stays in town, the region’s influence over it, for better or for worse, will continue to diminish….”Nationwide, our leaders must better manage the difficult balance between long-term regional needs and the needs of large employers. Doing so requires more than passing regulations and bribing companies with incentives. It means actively investing in the infrastructure, environmental protection, education, and social services that keep the quality of life high. And it means investing in local business development and potentially forging agreements with other states and countries to limit the size and nature of incentives.”