Mass. strong enough for GE
John J. Mahoney
The announcement that General Electric will be moving its headquarters to Boston marks a great victory for the state of Massachusetts. We will now be home to a multinational and multibillion dollar conglomerate with world leading technology divisions in transportation, energy management, aviation, pharmaceuticals, software development, health care and engineering. GE is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world. This move is a result of our commitment and investment in a number of areas, including:
1. Health care: The Commonwealth Fund reported Mass. has one of the best health systems in the country.
2. Our world class universities and education system: A recent report by Education Week found schools in Massachusetts are the best in the nation.
3. A state of the art public transportation and infrastructure network: U.S. News & World Report ranked Boston fourth in nation for public transportation, investment and safety.
4. Our economy: No. 6 best ranked economy of any state, according to a recent Business Insider report.
Let's not forget the integral role Massport has played in doubling down on our international footprint. Under the leadership of CEO Thomas Glynn, domestic and international flights have continued to grow. We now have nonstop flights to more than 40 international destinations including London, Tokyo, Beijing, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong and more than 70 domestic destinations. These flights are linking our state with major high-tech hubs, diversifying our economy in more innovative ways than ever. GE has a presence in many of these destinations and the access to a fully connected transportation system held a lot of sway for GE's move, as cited by CEO Jeff Immelt.
GE has a highly educated, mobile and hungry workforce. As this robust and growing business center grows, a challenge arises: higher rents for small companies, as well as higher home and rental prices. Currently, the median price of single family homes in Boston is more than $500,000, and rents are soaring to new levels. Worcester, with excellent public schools, timely public transportation to Boston, and above all else, an affordable housing market, is perfectly positioned to house these workers and their families. Since we're the most innovative state in America, as reported by Bloomberg Business this past month, we'll have no problem providing a fully qualified candidate for any future position they seek to fill. This will provide outstanding opportunities for our children, students and graduates from our local universities. All of the work that is being done at MIT and WPI in regards to robotics, cyber security, energy and engineering will dovetail nicely with the placement of GE in Boston. This means that our state's burgeoning, small startup businesses will be able to work in the same ecosphere as GE.
None of this happens in a vacuum. As noted in the nationwide rankings I mentioned, our continued investments in Massachusetts' transportation, education and health systems have borne fruit, and they will continue to do so. GE's longstanding investment in research and development will pay off for the state in the short term and in the long-term future. This is a big deal for our state, and I'm proud that we are continuing to cement our leadership as a fixture for technological and economic innovation.
John J. Mahoney is a Democrat who represents the 13th Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
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