The Antelope Valley Times

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Plans for Kinkisharyo plant in Palmdale derailed by labor dispute

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According to the letter, the reason for pulling out of Palmdale was due to a labor dispute with Antelope Valley Residents for Responsible Development, a labor-supported group that objected to the plant because of environmental reasons. Read the letter here.
According to the letter, the reason for pulling out of Palmdale was due to a labor dispute with Antelope Valley Residents for Responsible Development, a labor-supported group that objected to the plant because of environmental reasons. Read the letter here.

PALMDALE – Kinkisharyo International told the city it is forfeiting its decision to construct a 400,000-square-foot rail car manufacturing plant in Palmdale.

Announced in June 2014, the proposed $60 million manufacturing and assembly facility, to be located at Avenue M near Sierra Highway, raised expectations toward creating hundreds of construction jobs, along with 150 to 200 permanent high-paying jobs once completed.

Instead, Kinkisharyo General Manager, Program Management Donald S. Boss told Palmdale’s Economic Development Manager, David Walter, in an Oct. 10 letter that the company was “formally withdrawing our Permit Application to construct a 427,507-square-foot manufacturing and assembly facility to build rail cars in the City of Palmdale.” [Read the letter here.]

According to the letter, the reason for pulling out of Palmdale was due to a labor dispute with Antelope Valley Residents for Responsible Development, a labor-supported group that objected to the plant because of environmental reasons.

Boss said that despite weeks of negotiations, the AVRRD, which includes members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 11, in Pasadena, have “refused to withdraw the various appeals they have filed, and have given no assurances that they would not file a court action to object to any final action by your city council. This has made moving forward with the construction of the facility too risky.”

The residents’ group appealed an August decision by the Palmdale Planning Commission that recommended approval of the plant’s site plan without requiring an updated environmental report. The commission based its decision on reports that were completed in 1993 and 1996 for a planned office park on the site.

In a letter to Kinkisharyo’s team of attorneys, AVRRD stated that “The goal of (our proposal) is to fill the void left by the city of Palmdale’s failure to perform any environmental review of the Project and thus failing to protect air quality, public health, biological resources and supplies of fresh water.”

In an Oct. 7 article submitted to The AV Times, the group said that its members filed comments in July once they learned that Kinkisharyo was “attempting to build a plant in the city without water rights or any sort of environmental review.”

Kathy Mac Laren, a Palmdale resident and member of AVRRD, said the group’s plan was reasonable enough. “It will protect residents from harmful emissions and provides a safe path to ensure water access in this desert region,” Laren stated in the Oct. 7 article. “As a taxpayer whose hard-earned dollars help pay for this project, I want to see more accountability from Kinkisharyo.”

However, Boss’s letter to Palmdale casts doubts on the group’s environmental concerns, claiming that AVRRD’s “CEQA-based ‘environmental’ objections were simply a pretext to gain leverage in their attempt to force us to agree to a card check agreement regarding the unionizing of our workforce.” Card check is a process that allows a workplace to unionize if 50 percent or more of the workers sign cards requesting representation for collective bargaining.

Although the company has expressed disappointment over pulling its plans for a permanent manufacturing facility in Palmdale, the decision is not expected to affect its more immediate delivery of rail cars for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

Kinkisharyo currently leases hangar space from Los Angeles World Airports in Palmdale, where it is assembling 78 light rail cars for Metro, according to Mark Madler who writes for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.

Madler said that AVRRD also opposed Kinkisharyo’s alternative proposal, which was to expand its current operations in the hangar space to meet its additional obligation to Metro to assemble 97 light rail cars.

In his letter to the city, Boss said the delays caused by AVRRD’s opposition prevents Kinkisharyo from being able to meet its delivery schedule commitments to Metro, while also increasing its cost for completion by several million dollars.

About the author

Jim E. Winburn is freelance reporter covering news of public interest.
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Previous related stories:

Residents offer solution to Kinkisharyo to mitigate environmental concerns

Kinkisharyo to build rail manufacturing site in Palmdale

Filed Under: Business, Palmdale

137 comments for "Plans for Kinkisharyo plant in Palmdale derailed by labor dispute"

  1. Mike Antonovich, along with the LA Chamber of Commerce and many business alliances in the greater LA region, will meet for a press conference on Monday to criticize unions abuse of CEQA laws to unionize workers. The union mantra; “sign the contract or you’ll never get the project built”, is alive and well in Ca. Good luck in getting Gov. Brown to even listen. The union lawyers are already crying foul. Stay tuned.

    • LA County if not all of California should tell Kinkisharyo that if they move out of state they ain’t selling any rail cars here.

      • It is ironic that Palmdale City Council had the authority to override any union action to ok the project, but sat on their thumbs. Either they are amateurs or they didn’t want to piss off their union masters who helped elect them… something to ponder.

        • Kathy Maclaren is very good friends with Mayor Ledford and is also Palmdale City Water Director. Deception is alive and well in Antelope Valley Ca.. And the rest of the story?

        • Oh they could override a union action. However what the union and other parties did was initiate an environmental review action. That is outside of the union and the city can not override that.

          • Palmdale’s City Manager, David Childs, wrote a letter explaining what happened in today’s Valley Press.

            Apparently, anyone can challenge an EIR report according to the law. So, some previously unheard of organization did just that.

            Considering Rex has written a letter to Kinkisharyo looking to ‘work it out’ with them and have them consider Lancaster, wouldn’t this same group oppose it there too………………….unless…..Rex has something to do with that group through intermediaries? It wouldn’t surprise me.

            I recently got an invitation for some 1 day private sale at a carpet store in Lancaster for yesterday. I was going to check it out but then I thought “No. Not spending money in Lancaster.” So, I didn’t go. No sales tax dollars of mine will go to Rex’s fiefdom.

            Although, I have to go to Lancaster for my doctors, I don’t have to spend a dime since there are zero co-pays and no sales tax anyway.

            I’m guessing a lot of Quartz Hill residents don’t shop Lancaster either. I know some that won’t.

          • I wouldn’t worry about the doctors too much, William. Seems that a lot of them have been moving to Palmdale near the Regional Medical Center there.

            So many have been moving there, in fact, that they are building new medical office facilities in that area at this time!

          • Right now, the Los Angeles Superior Court judges assigned to CEQA cases are very, very anti-environmentalist, anti-homeowner, and they refuse to follow what the Legislature has mandated under CEQA cases.

            The City of Palmdale’s lawyers on this matter are from outside LA County, so they wouldn’t know those facts. Kathy MacLaren’s lawyer is from outside LA County, so those lawyers wouldn’t know those facts. Heaven only knows whether Kinkisharyo’s lawyers, who are from Downtown LA know the mindset of the LA Superior Court’s CEQA judges.

            If I were running the City of Palmdale, I would tell Kathy MacLaren and her “newly formed environmental group” and its union paid lawyers from SF to shove it, and dare them to file a CEQA lawsuit in LA Superior Court. LA’s CEQA judges particular enjoy hosing smarmy lawyers from Northern California.

          • @Jennifer Shaw

            Really liked your comment especially the last paragraph.

            I can’t help wondering how Rex Parris expects Kinkisharyo to consider locating in Lancaster if this environmental group and the union would oppose it there too. Why wouldn’t they unless they are in cahoots with Rex which wouldn’t surprise me? He’s one desperate man.

            BTW I Googled the Antelope Valley Residents for Responsible Development and couldn’t find anything in the first 2 Google pages except references to it from news outlets.

            Sure smells fishy even if we aren’t anywhere close to the Pacific Ocean.

            Anyway. Don’t shop Lancaster until Rex is gone. Spread the word. If Lancaster businesses don’t like hearing that, maybe they’ll do something about Parris. He’s been hurting them more than he thinks he’s hurting Mayor Ledford and Palmdale.

            Look at how well Palmdale has done despite recessions and Rex’s constant ankle biting. It must drive him crazy.

          • To Jennifer Shaw: You may be 100% right about the judges but the problem isn’t winning a CEQA case. That’s easy in this case. The problem is the time it will take. IBEW knows that there are deadlines to meet and any delays will jeopardize the deadlines. They are so greedy and shortsighted, they are killing construction jobs for other unions and elimination the possibility of future jobs.

        • What planet are you from? No city council can override union action on a matter between a private company. Seriously, is there something in the water around here?

          • The city has an existing EIR for plant 42 (and to my knowledge, they don’t expire) yes they can. Unions can and do challenge existing EIR’s to exploit CEQA laws and most of the time they are successful. This is a familiar tactic used all over the state to secure project labor agreements. That way they control ALL facets of the project. But A vast majority of Democrats in Ca.are elected with strong union backing and don’t dare oppose them-that is a fact.

          • CEQA challenges are a thug union tactic to delay projects and force the developer-owner to spend more money. If the developer-owner gives in to their blackmail, the CEQA challenge goes away. The CEQA issues in this case are non existent but can be challenged. The challenge delays the project, which is what IBEW wants. So bye bye Kinkisharo.

      • They won’t have to sell in California. You people in California couldn’t take a big stick and drive a herd of ducks across the highway.

        Kinkisharyo is very welcome to come to Texas. We know business and what the corporations want. Jerry Brown should have stayed in the bath houses where he can do less harm.

        Come to our state Kinkisharyo….We have workers who are intelligent and ready .

        • A friend moved to Houston from LA 10 years ago. When I called her once she got settled, she said “I’m so miserable here. I’m going to have to get better just to die”.

          I guess you think your governor is a genius too. Like the previous one.

          We all wish Texas would secede from the Union. And, take South Carolina with you.

          What’s it like barely being 1 step above China as a place to ‘outsource’ companies?

          Texas is actually fortunate being part of the Union. Otherwise, it would be like a 3rd world country given your leadership and politics. Having to comply with federal standards is keeping you from being one.

          Are your kids learning all about creationism in school now?

  2. From the “Lancaster News” October 15, 2014

    “Following Kinkisharyo’s announcement, Mayor Parris directed staff to re-engage all contacts associated with their business development team and open discussions regarding the feasibility of the firm establishing its rail car factory in Lancaster. Parris also sent a letter to the firm (attached), indicating the City of Lancaster’s unparalleled dedication to attracting new businesses and streamlining processes to ensure projects follow through from inception to completion. With more than 50 new businesses located in the City’s revitalized downtown district, The BLVD; as well as the recent influx of high-profile large establishments in the last few years, including the new state-of-the-art Kaiser, City of Hope, Morton Manufacturing, INCOTEC, as well as several reputable hotel chains, Lancaster’s twice-earned “Most Business Friendly City” designation speaks for itself.”

    Why wouldn’t the union and the environmental groups also have a problem with the plant in Lancaster? If not, then’s something is fishy.

    • Something definitely is fishy. I definitely dont recall this group or the union/s fighting the proposed power plant over environmental concerns, that was all Rex and co. Now hes ready to stand up and help a business that had problems that were supposedly environmental?

      As a member of a trade union, this type of thing is a joke. Its not a bad thing if there are non union jobs out there. Not everyone wants to be part of a union so why deprive them of jobs, theres more than enough work out there for everyone.

    • I wonder if it’s possible for Palmdale to sue like Rex does and find out if there were any communications between Rex or his proxies and that San Francisco law firm or the other parties before Kinkisharyo decided to pull out and under oath.

      I also wonder if something like that is illegal.

    • Regarding water issues and the fact that we live in a desert, try figuring this out.

      This is from a message from the LA County Waterworks district.

      These are current bi-monthly average water use.

      Kagel Canyon $125.72
      Malibu $551.92
      Val Verde $164.24
      Acton $149.43
      Antelope Valley $117.16
      Marina del Rey $1,610. 22

      The Antelope Valley already uses the lowest amount of those listed. And, what’s the deal with Malibu and Marina del Rey using the most when they aren’t in the desert but on the Pacific Ocean. I know. I know. It’s salt water. For all practical purposes, Malibu and Marina del Rey are just as much desert as the Antelope Valley.

      I don’t recall large expanses of lawn in Malibu and are they using water to hose down the boats every day in Marina del Rey?

      The Antelope Valley is no more desert than the most of California.

      • I bet the rates for water match the area. If that is the case then AV being lowest makes sense because of our wonderful low incomes, whereas boat owners on the beach have nice high incomes.

        Also less pumping and distribution is needed up here than in the other cities.

        • If there is less pumping and we have the aqueduct and an aquifer here, what’s the big deal with saying we are a desert?

          The beach areas don’t get their water supply from having a little more rainfall than we have.

  3. Those of you who have commented on this about site about Kinkisharyo, have you also talked to or written your elected representatives about it?

    • What does Democratic Assembly Member Steve Fox have to say about all this? What a liberal conundrum to be in, choosing between jobs for his constituents and bowing down to the Union Overlords who likely helped get him elected with their campaign contributions. Remember his name when it’s time to vote.

      • @Alan

        I saw Steve Fox last week at the Senior Expo at the fairgrounds and spoke to him briefly about it. He said they were looking into it.

        I also gave him a letter I wrote about the issue. What’s Lackey doing about it? He’s on the Palmdale City Council, a somewhat interested party to this.

        WTF have you been doing about it other than complaining here?

        BTW I voted for Fox. republican Parris is pulling some shady behavior by trying to get Kinkisharyo to locate in Lancaster. Wouldn’t the union and that AVRRD group which nobody’s ever heard of before have a problem with that too? Google that group. There’s nothing about them other than mentions in newsoutlets such as the AV Times and others. Sounds like it was invented for this 1 issue.

        I think LA’s order for their rail cars should be cancelled if Kinkisharyo moves out of state and/or the option to buy additional rail cars.

        Which brings up the question, why aren’t there rail car manufacturers in this country building these cars?

        • @William—The funding for Kinkisharyo is not just being funded by Palmdale tax payers! Let’s just say that Mr. Parris could pull out the magic rabbit and lo and behold Kinkisharyo is going to build their plant on the North side of Avenue M. Well I guess the people that would get jobs would need to travel a few more or less miles to work. It would still be in the Antelope Valley William. Some how I don’t think the people who would be getting a paycheck would be b%&ching about whether it was in Palmdale or Lancaster, or somewhere else in the Antelope Valley.

        • Let’s try this one again A.V. Times. Let’s just say Mayor Parris does pull the rabbit out of the magic hat, and Kinkisharyo does build a plant north of Avenue M, in the Antelope Valley. Palmdale tax payers aren’t the only ones funding this project, so does it really matter where the plant is in the A.V. as long as there are jobs? I know if I were hired, I wouldn’t be saying, well I can’t accept your job offer because Rex Parris had something to do with it! I would be saying thank you for the job so I can take care of my family. Let the two Republicans from Lancaster and Palmdale squabble.

          • O.K. I apologize A.V. Times, well sometimes it takes someone to read something twice before they get it. I know sometimes I do to.

  5. Kinkisharyo should Train up Truck up and leave Palmdale this Friday without saying one word
    All the city of Palmdale cares about is building another Walmart more affordable housing AKA low income housing and DUI check points.

  6. Rex has contacted Kinkisharyo offering to do ‘whatever it takes to keep the plant in the Antelope Valley’. Read ‘Lancaster’.

    People’s suspicions of Rex were on target.

      • You mean ‘dirty work’. I wonder if Palmdale can sue and put Rex and representatives from Kinkisharyo in a 6 hour disposition hearing to see if there was any contact by Parris before Kinkisharyo pulled out.

        Something is fishy. Why wouldn’t the unions and that other group pull the same stunt with Rex and Lancaster that they did with Palmdale unless………………?

        I wouldn’t put anything past Rex. He has no ethics that I can tell.

        Anyway, California should refuse to buy any of their rail cars if they move out of state. Same with Toyota if the state buys any Toyotas for state use. And, Sacramento legislators should let Starwoods know that they won’t stay at Starwoods hotels when on a junket in California or elsewhere.

        Time for California to act like the Godzilla it is in the marketplace.

      • Check out McLaren ‘s photos with Rex at our boy Tony ‘s fundraiser. One big happy family. And look at IBEW website. Tony is a regular there. They love him too.

        • Lancaster, was not picked for a location because they didn’t have a building large enough for a temporary location. Maybe Lancaster is stepping up finally to keep those jobs in the A.V.! Plus if Palmdale had a updated EIR, there wouldn’t been an issue,and also greedy union would have any valid reason to delay this project

          • Japanese companies are too smart. They know Paris sues businesses in his own town. Paris Can get Chinese companies to come here because th

          • If you think this has anything to do With the environment, I’ve got some oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you.

          • @Tree Lover

            Funny you should mention ‘ocean front property in Kansas’.

            Kansas is UNDER WATER. Its republicans’ nutjob of a governor lowered taxes on the rich (the Koch brothers home) and now the state is in a huge debt crisis.

            Schools have had to close and 100 moderate republicans are endorsing his Democratic opponent, Paul Davis, for governor.

            If Brownback is re-elected, then Kansas deserves what it gets.

            If Davis is elected governor, he’ll have to clean up the mess that Brownback and his republican cohoots in the Kansas legislature created just like President Obama has had to clean up the gigantic mess that Bush/Cheney left behind.

            Heck, Bush and Cheney weren’t even invited to the last republican convention. Now, why was that?

            Former President Bill Clinton gave a great speech at the Democratic convention. What was that?

            Then, again, the republicans had Clint Eastwood who must have been paid by the Democrats to embarrass the Romneys and they got their money’s worth.

            Poor Clint. He made MY day. Wanna bet he won’t be invited back in 2016 nor Bush nor Cheney nor Palin nor Bachmann nor……? This list is gettig longer and longer than the invite list. I bet Ted Cruz won’t be giving a speech.

    • William—You are spreading misinformation! If everyone would do your own homework, such as IBEW Local Facebook to start with, along with other articles about what actually happened, you might actually come up with the truth. Now no one has jobs with Kinkisharyo. This is how smear campaigns take off, with just one person fanning the flames. The truth is what matters always.

  7. Good news we have 9 dollar an hour jobs comming up soon with 20 hours a week. Lol in this town you work in the medical field police Firefighting or corrections to make money. Read money

  8. f%#$ck AVVRD and the unions. they don’t care about the environment. they only care about their union fees. once againg F$%$k the union

    • all you anti-union people who get the free ride thanks to the unions … 1.) a safe place to work … 2.) a 40 hour work week 3.) a right to a fair wage for your labor… the IBEW is just one member of AVVRD .. if you think its ok for you and your family to live on $ 7.00 an hour so be it.. but do not bring US down to your standards ..raise yours , we are highly trained craftsmen, and demand a proper wage.. safe working conditions

      • I’m not anti-union. It was the tactics that were used to try to bring in union only jobs under the guise of the CEQA ACT.

        • Well said RC. And you IBEW folks with your strong arm tactics ruined it for the rest of us. To you, it’s better to have no jobs rather than no union jobs. I guess we should all get out of California.

          • Why doesn’t the union wait until the plant is built and then organize? After they invest all that money they will not leave. Go full court pressure and unionize. Bad move by the IBEW, bad move by MacLaren. They sold Palmdale down the river.

  9. Antelope Valley Residents for Responsible Development are idiots every last one of them and I would love to get in your face and tell you so. What an ignorant bunch of fools stupid as the day is long. Not enough palm greasing for you you crooked bast___.

  10. Build more houses…cut more jobs..bring more housing developements. Get rid of good companies that offers good jobs. Build more minimum wage jobs.. sounds so balance..lol this whole thing is bad for people who bought those houses..they’re setting us to failure.. tired of driving down below for a better jobs that av does not offer..I got excited and applied for kinkisharyo but quickly withdrawn my application. Because of this news.. sad sad world.. development has it pros and cons either ways there will be a price to pay in the long run.i get that when it becomes a personal interest to some groups then be prepare to fail av. Bad enough you killing a lot of small business for allowing big corporations to operate in a small community..good job av politicians..what do you care.you get paid the same comfortable salary…

    • once the (insert your city here) RDD…I mean the union lawyers…extort a PLA from the company, under the guise of CEQA, and hire union members only, do the “environmental issues” magically disappear. It’s called greenmailing. The same union law firm in San Francisco has done this many times throughout the state of California with other projects.

  11. You guys who said we dont need those jobs are full of it. You should try driving on the 14 freeway on a weekday between 6am and 8am. The freeway is jam packed, there isnt any work in the AV, the classes at the colleges are always full, high unemployment rate. They cant keep building houses and not bring any jobs there. Its ridiculous, you hear about a job opening and 20+ people are getting interviewed for that one job. On top of the crime problems they have there. Some places i will not go to at night.

    • Palmdale had decades to get their EIR done but instead they wait until a prospect arises and tries to slam one through. There is plenty to blame on Parris no need to make [removed] up.Too bad, I’d much rather see a factory then a power plant.

      • There is an EIR. I found it ( after a lot of searching) on the Palmdale web site. The union is challenging it. That’s how they do it. Don’t be stupid- this isn’t about an EIR- it’s about union jobs.

    • Funny how Parris’s reputation has you think that and you’re not alone.

      Would it surprise anyone if he did have something to do with this?

      • If only we could find a way to prove it. If he is involved, there is probably no paper or email trail.

        I’m going to the Senior Expo at the fairgrounds Thursday and in addition to saying hello to Barbara Eden, I’m gonna ask Steve Fox, if he’s there, about his and if Sacramento is doing anything about this and other similar issues regarding businesses moving.

        California is a big market and has a lot of clout, so we should be throwing our weight around and telling Kinkisharyo that we won’t buy any of their rail cars if they move out of state.

        Seems fair to me.

  13. Man, build the plant at Sierra Hwy and Ave C, on the east side of the tracks. It’s about 3 miles from housing and there is plenty of water across the street at the turd farm.

  14. Lancaster first development was a railroad that runs from bakersfiekd to Los Angeles creating Lancaster blvd as the center point between cities. Among farmers the railroad supplied accessibility for Lockheed and eventually boing that literally created the civilian cities of antelooe valley! My grandparents moved here 50 years ago and worked at Lockheed as a riveter and engineer.

    Point:
    This place would not be what it is without the development of Lockheed and it’s unfortunate that we may loose this development of jobs, and high paying jobs! I’m a business owner myself and I’m on the verge of packing up and relocating if things don’t get better

  15. Congrats to the IBEW, their lawyers-doink boy, doink boy and associates (ficticious name)
    in San Francisco and AVRRD (also ficticious) for greenmailing (extorting) this company and badly needed jobs right out of the AV. Greenmailing is a tactic used by the unions all over the country, but in Ca., the CEQA ACT (enviornmental) is a ploy used to delay major projects until either a PLA (union people know exatly what I’m talking about) is extorted or the project is cancelled. It is a well documented tactic. The same law office in San Fran. has been used in numerous instances. “Enviornmental concerns” magically go away once union workers are hired. I really hope the citizens of the AV aren’t as ignorant as these people think you are.

  17. What is the AVRRD? It is a front for a northern california law firm to to extract money from hard working californians. Can you join this group, do they have meetings or a website? Correct me if I am wrong, please. This law form uses the same phrase, residents for responsible development, every time they oppose a new construction project, anywhere in the state. I am in favor of unions, good unions that support workers. Not greedy unions that block good projects while lawyers and lobbists make money on the backs of labor. Members of the IBEW, take a good look at what your organizarion really stands for. What do your dues really suppor? Attorneys fees?

  18. Come to Arizona. California is doomed with whacko hippies running the store. We have loads of water, fresh air and great workers.

      • Arizona? They’ve got Jan Brewer as their governor and nutjob John McCain on teevee every Sunday yelling “Get off my lawn”.

        What a state. The summer heat must fry their brains.

    • Except here, the unions are keepin good jobs out. The only concern was what kind of side deal could be worked out so the “environmental-group” would pull their problems with the application.

  20. AV. residents who vetoed this are nuts. Are they worried about some tumbleweed? Thanks a lot you idiots. No jobs = more crime!!

    • rooney, the AVRRD is only a union front(a ficticious name).No regular AV residents involved in process at all. Google “union greenmailing” to get insight on front groups like this.

  21. Wow, most of these comments are scary. I’m so sad to see that neo-liberals have taken over the comment section. Don’t worry, Walmart will surely step in and give all you tea-partiers a new store soon enough. Wake up people! There needs to be some kind of check on these big businesses that have no concern for our town.

  22. Yes !!! let’s build a factory in the urban area; who cares about environmental impact and if the people living around the area develop cancer or chronic respiratory illness…it is the cost of doing business. This is the most moronic idea ever. Instead why don’t they build in the very east side of Palmdale (hint: the middle of the desert)?

    • Have you driven by the property? It is an industrial area surrounded by a bunch of industry at plant 42. It is exactly where it should be, away from housing. Cancer and repiratory illness from building trains? You can’t be serious.

    • The primary chemicals are already in use within this corridor. Air frame building is exactly the same. So your comment is null and void.

      Nearer to homes we have auto repair, collision repair, and other machine shops. Similar chemicals with looser regulations.

    • Palmdaleian, you are not looking at the whole picture.

      Let’s start with the proposed location. The proposed location is already in comparable use, building aircraft / building railcars. Same kinds of chemicals/technology.

      Infrastructure. The proposed location is closer to highways for transportation of materials and employees. The proposed location has nearby rail-lines for moving raw materials and maybe even finished product. Utilities (Electric/Gas/Water/Sewer) How much money will it take?

      So instead of using an area already in use for similar purposes, you suggest defiling a relatively untouched area, spending a fortune running utilities, spewing excess pollution hauling materials and people to a more remote location, removing the possibility of easy worker public transit. AWWHH the liberal mind…….

    • Say, isn’t Kathy Mac Laren, “a Palmdale resident and member of AVRRD,” ALSO a Director on the Palmdale Water District Board?

      Guess I know who I’m NOT voting for come next election!

      • Yes – From the PWD website: “Kathy was elected in November, 2011 to serve a four-year term as a Director for the Palmdale Water District. She also works in Business Development for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers/National Electrical Contractors Association LMCC.”

        Looks like the IBEW Union, again.

        • How can we thank Kathy MacLaren for the loss of 250 good paying jobs and the 27% rate increase over 5 years at the Palmdale Water District. I wonder who she is working for ?

          • Yeah, sounds like she made her deal with the devil. I wonder how much money she accepted from IBEW? Well Kathy…we’re waiting. Maybe she should be exposed for what she really is…fill in the blank.

          • I saw her smiling face photos on FB – at Tony Strickland’s funraiser – with Rex, Ron, Ken Mann. I wonder if they have anything to do with this.

  24. Lancaster or L.A. county, somebody needs to come forward to keep those jobs from leaving the Antelope Valley. I don’t care what side of Avenue M, the plant is on somebody try to keep those jobs here

  25. First of all if anyone looked up whose getting these high paying jobs it’s not av residents. To skip the environmental factors is not responsible. As for another Walmart that’s stupid too. The city is a joke

    • Uh…don’t want to be the one that has to break this to you but these are LOCAL AV RESIDENTS working there. This is not and never was about the enviroment. This is a union with an AXE to grind. Do your homework. Read the news. It’s called GREENMAIL. This has nothing to do with the city, the county, or even the company. This is a UNION ATTACK on business because THEY DIDN’T GET THEIR WAY.

  26. leave it to unions and such to completely screw up a good deal for the local economy. Wake up CA! Other states are much more attractive to operate in!

  27. Oh lets see the union caved in on opposing the quartz hill wallmart and we know how many good paying jobs we got because of that and now they are stopping this. Not a smart move.

  28. This isnt about water right its about about special interest not getting what they want and that sad because it would have been a big help to the valley. When are the good old boys going to open their eyes…..bet Texas is ready to welcome them

  29. You can’t just build a manufacturing plant without even bothering to check things like how much water it will use. This would have been in a desert, in the middle of the worst drought California has seen in decades, and they wanted to skip doing the responsible thing and make a quick buck.

    This isn’t about unions “killing jobs”, which is literally the opposite of why they exist, this is about some company trying to take advantage of a desperate economy to make some quick cash by dumping cleanup for their messes and overuse back onto the citizens.

      • Texas is sending the moving vans here via Texas Republican and new Tony Strickland pal Mac Thornberry. Maybee Tony will help Mac load them up with the leftover train parts.

        • I hear Texas ‘ Mac Thormberry is giving $2,000 to Strickland’s campaign. Is that why Tony is helping to steal our jobs and move them to Texas? It’s so sad to see all those jobs move to Texas. A lot of our aerospace jobs at plant 42 already moved to Texas. I can’t believe the unions and Strickland are helping Texas steal our jobs. Strickland should be ashamed – accompanying Texas legislator on his “hunting trip’ to steal our aerospace jobs!

    • Yet they are building the train cars in a hangar? Doesn’t that blow out the whole water use, cleanup issue?

      • I don’t see the unions filing lawsuit on BYD. Tons of environmental issues there. I guess the unions don’t have any problems paying $1.50 to those workers brought in from China.

    • I keep reading comments regarding water and that we live in the desert. Well, we do live in a desert but LA gets its water from the Owens Valley and the Colorado River. It doesn’t make any more sense to have manufacturing in the LA Basin than in the Antelope Valley.

      At least the Antelope Valley has an aquifer and the Little Rock Dam for whatever that’s worth. And, the California Aqueduct goes through it. We just don’t have a lot of rainfall. So, building any manufacturing plant anywhere in most of California wouldn’t be any worse than in the Antelope Valley.

      San Francisco, surrounded on 3 sides by water gets its water from somewhere near Yosemite or thereabouts.

      Much of California’s water comes from the Sierra Nevada snowpack and not locally, so manufacturing could be located most anywhere if we are going to have it at all.

    • Loren, some of us actually know of the CEQA tatics that the unions use in California to extort PLA’s to hire union only(it is well documented). “enviornmental concerns” magically go away when they do hire union only. The press exists to not only expose corrupt gov’t the bs that you and the corrupt people you represent.

    • I can see your nose growing with every word. You bloody liar. We know this is greenmailing.

  30. I guess I will just find more ways to get harassed by panhandlers do to the lack of jobs in the AV its very frustrating.

    • So what did we learn from this Panhandlers in the AV must moved to Texas to ask for change from the employed Texans

  31. And we all wonder why there are no jobs in the AV
    everytime there is talk to bring something big here
    someone wants to fight it. Man I wish I never moved here.

      • That’s a great point Clueless. Strickland lives by the beach. Parris lives by the beach. And Parris’s partner in crime Shankman lives by the beach. What do they have against the AV? Why are the unions attacking this project but not BYD and all the solar? Why, why, why???????????????

        • You’re forgetting Mr. Parris also has a beach house in Santa Barbara and practically lives there. All our beach folks including Parris, shenkman and Strickland want to take your millions and spend it at the beach. Maybe we’ll invite IBEW to one of our exclusive beach parties, that is if we have more use for them to do our dirty work :)

        • By the way, Parris and Shenkman are also suing Highland on voting rights. I guess they just don’t like non-beach cities. They’ll take their millions suing Palmdale, Highland, Santa Clarita, etc. and spend it at the beach

    • This unholy alliance between the unions and Rex to kill Kinkisharyo is quite disturbing. And they have another thing in common – they both love Tony Strickland. There’s something sinister going on here.

  33. It’s amazing how constant attempts to bring decent paying jobs to the AV are always ruined by some selfish organization.

  34. Kinki was 18 months late in filing the necessary paperwork regarding this parcel. Why?? And now, Kinki claims that they can’t move forward due to a labor dispute. Well that may be part of the problem but my biggest question is why didn’t Kinki do the environmental report that’s required? Labor disputes always get everybody’s attention, but frequently that’s not the real issue. So again my question is why didn’t Kinki do the EIR that’s required? Frankly I think the environmental issues need to be addressed. We’re in a huge drought, and air-quality is an issue even here in the AV. We also have to consider what ground contamination might result from the building of this plant in the subsequent operation of the plant.

    • Ground contamination? Are you freakin serious? God forbid their contamination kills the crap already left by aerospace or dumped by the meth lab morons.

    • BULL! If the IBEW gave a rat’s ass about air quality they would shut down everyone of those dirt producing, valley fever spreading, desert habit killing solar farms. But they don’t! They would champion for the underpaid workers at BYD, but they don’t care. They would stop the Walmart in Quartz Hill. They don’t care about the environment or water. They care about money and power. Kinkisharyo would be building a building now if it wasn’t for this BS brought on by IBEW.

    • Samantha, some of us independents are tired of the same old union tactics.
      (enter your city here) RRD union fronts using the CEQA ACT to extort a PLA.
      Once union workers are hired, the “enviornmental concerns” magically disappear.

  36. A few hundred private sector jobs? No biggie, most of the voters get their money from the public sector nowadays. That’s why WIN stands for “Work Is Nonprofit”.

  37. Whatever the reasons, it was meant to be. Sadly a big loss not only for Palmdale’s economy but AV’s future and young adults without work.

    • @Momof1

      How so? Did Palmdale write the environmental rules and OK the the cleanest power plant ever approved?

      Good thing you aren’t in charge of anything important. I hope you aren’t teaching your ‘1’ to think like you do. Not good. Not good at all.

      • So I guess you can apply your abusive words to ‘Momof1’ to also apply to what happened to Kinkisharyo. You know, the water rights. We all know that wasn’t the real reason. I talked to some people back in 2011, that were in Palmdale running tests on the water, and it wasn’t good.

      • Momof1 accuses Palmdale of corruption with no evidence but ignores Rex’s backdoor attempt to lure Kinkisharyo to Lancaster.

        In today’s Valley Press, a Jim Gardner wrote a letter to the editor expressing what many of us think about Rex and this issue.

        I doubt we’ll see any more comments from Momof1 whoever ‘he’ is.

  40. This is the reason this country is dying. Loser people in special interest committee’s cause problems and this one backfired. The bitchy people need to go back to their caves and keep painting on the walls. If you don’t like it move the he’ll out. Or here is something focus your energy on getting all the Crack heads from LA coming here to ruin the quality of life. Drug related crimes, see crimes robberys, murders. And the number of people raised to get in welfare instead of a job. Let’s worry about those. That is the only environmental impact that needs to be addressed not this crap. Not a new intersection for Rex’s sanctuary. This city has gon to crap and continues to do so because everyone is afraid to address the real issues.

    • mike well said somebody says union and all the fat necks pop to the front of the line, unions protect there workers, ask your friends that work and aren’t protected from poison and are exposed to cancer causing crap. have no benefits etc this company is trying to get away without doing what every other company is mandated to do in California. Go to Texas and remember that’s Texas, nice climate and enjoy, and in the words of mike, move the hell out of here!!