Toyota says the educated work force is what drew them to the Tupelo area for its eighth assembly plant in North America
So, Toyota feels the only reason they picked Mississippi for their new plant was the high education of the citizens of that fine state.
Toyota officials, after the glow of the press conference today announcing their new Mississippi plant, will have to explain how they arrived at their research on education. In an annual ranking of states by independent research publisher Morgan Quitno Press, the state ranks 48th out of 50 for education. (emphasis mine)
Wow! They do have some explaining to do. Or could they be covering up the real reason why Mississippi won the contract?
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said that the state lured Toyota with an incentive package close to that which attracted Nissan to Canton , Miss. That package was reported to be $363 million.
Ah, so money was involved ...
That and the fact that the Asian automakers love the south ... less expensive then the north and ...
Toyota's move to Mississippi continues a trend of Asian carmakers choosing Southeastern U.S. sites. Not only is it far away from the United Auto Workers' strongholds, but manufacturers like Toyota are welcomed with open arms by states who have lost most of their manufacturing base - textiles and furniture - to Asian countries. Toyota said workers will make about $20 per hour plus health and retirement benefits. (emphasis mine)
$20 per hour is nothing to sneeze at, of course it's not the $30 per hour that the Kentucky plant is making but it is the same as what the Big 3 are paying their employees. So much for the Big 3 paying "outragious" amounts to it's work force.