Nice article on the Spartanburg BMW plant

Where the X5 is built.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2012312270096

Originally Posted by GoHawks63

Where the X5 is built.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2012312270096

Funny, this guy looks like the person who showed up on my wife's X3 factory assemble video.

As a resident of the Upstate, there's many ways to look at this. No doubt BMW and other big companies have brought many jobs to the area that otherwise would have gone downhill with the fall of the textile industry.

Unfortunately, I get the impression that all the government here cares about is using taxpayer dollars to cater to these corporations (building roads just around those facilities, inland port, etc...) and giving out tax breaks.........not enhancing the quality of life of the actual residents. The road infrastructure in SC is appalling with no money to maintain, much less improve it (1 in 5 bridges statewide is structurally deficient, think about it the next time you drive through our state), public transit is nonexistent, property taxes are a bit high, and there's a general lack of services.

It's business friendly, that's for sure. But it's also possible to be "too" business friendly.

and giving out tax breaks.........not enhancing the quality of life of the actual residents. And how much "enhancing" would have happened if they had built the plant in Ga ? When you add up the total positive impact this plant has had on the area it far exceeds any investment we made on any tax breaks we would have never received if they would have moved on. Business drives the tax base up not down even if that business pays no tax itself..on every dollar that moves in connection with its employees and business synergy it creates.