After Nike decided to pull their line of Betsy Ross shoes because former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick complained about its production, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday said the Grand Canyon State doesn't need the shoe company to build a warehouse in its state.
"I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here," Ducey said in a tweet. "Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history."
Even though Ducey pulled financial incentives for Nike to make the move from Beaverton, Oregon, Goodyear, Arizona Mayor Georgia Lord wants the shoe company to build a factory in her town.
"The city of Goodyear has found itself in the middle of a difficult situation. Today, much has unfolded and I can appreciate the emotion and discussion that I've heard on this important topic," Lord said in a Facebook video. "Last night, the Goodyear City Council unanimously approved a job creation agreement with Nike. This deal is expected to bring more than 500 jobs and significant investment to our city. We will honor the commitment we made in our agreement. It has been a focus of Goodyear City Council to build a strong economy for years to come. And we will continue to work to bring the kind of high-quality jobs that our residents deserve."
According to AZ Central, Nike's end of the deal includes:
• Bringing at least 505 full-time manufacturing jobs.
• Offering an average salary of $48,514 per year, including overtime and bonuses.
• Paying at least 65% of employee health-care premiums.
• Investing at least $184.5 million in improvements to an existing building in the city.
In return, the city of Goodyear would waive the $1 million in plan review and permit fees. Goodyear estimates that a Nike factory would bring $7.7 million in direct revenue and more than $483 million in economic impact in the factory's first five years.
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