Crime in Chicago has gotten absolutely nuts over the past several years; the Compstat stats don't lie:
See all those huge red jumps on the left side? A 25 percent jump in murder from three years ago? A 15 percent jump in sexual assault from two years ago? Theft skyrocketing? Motor vehicle theft also skyrocketing?
So, honestly, this shouldn't really be all that surprising:
Airplane manufacturer Boeing is moving its headquarters out of Chicago, 21 years after it landed here in what was hailed as a coup for the local economy.
Boeing said Thursday it plans to move its headquarters to Arlington, Virginia, close to the nation's capital. It said the new location also will serve as a research hub.
"We are excited to build on our foundation here in Northern Virginia. The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent," Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said. The Wall Street Journal first reported the move.
Uh huh. Yeah look I got news for you: Boeing's "customers and stakeholders" were located in Northern Virginia 20 years ago.
CNN reported in 2001 that the company had lately "used acquisitions to broaden its reach in military aircraft as well as space and communications businesses." They were already neck-deep in government contracts by then. It would've made just as much sense to head to NoVa back then.
For whatever reason they chose Chicago. And now, one of their primary reasons for leaving Chicago couldn't be more obvious.
Chicago needs to get its act together or Boeing's exodus is only the beginning.
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