Now some second thoughts are being raised in Panasonic’s decision to build its $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Kansas rather than Oklahoma.
Remember the race between the two states several months ago and how disappointed Oklahoma leaders were when the company announced its decision to go with the incentives offered by Kansas. Leaders in Kansas celebrated?
Now some wonder whether the decision was really a victory for Kansas. At least, that’s the question suggested by the Kansas City Star in a recent opinion piece.
Was ‘winning’ KC-area Panasonic battery plant over Oklahoma really a victory for Kansas? | Opinion
The Greek general Pyrrhus, after winning a battle against the Romans but losing many of his best officers and soldiers in it, is said to have lamented: “Another such victory and we shall be utterly ruined.”
Ever since then, those kinds of costly wins have been called a “Pyrrhic victory.”
Which brings us to the story of modern-day Kansas, and a Panasonic battery plant.
About a year ago, Gov. Laura Kelly and leaders of the state Legislature were heartily patting themselves and each other on the backs for cutting a deal to lure a Panasonic factory to make batteries for Tesla electric cars at the site of an abandoned Army munitions plant near De Soto.
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