Easley vetoes Goodyear bill

RALEIGH (AP) — Governor Mike Easley today vetoed a bill to give up to 40 million dollars in incentives to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Fayetteville.

Easley says the bill would "set a dangerous precedent" by rewarding companies without guaranteeing to protect jobs.

Lawmakers approved the bill in the final days of the legislative session. The bill didn't identify a specific firm, but the sponsors said it was designed for the Goodyear plant. The facility employs about 2,750 workers.

The bill would have allowed the company to receive grants and incentives even if its work force fell to 2,000 employees.

The governor says the state has never given a company up to 40 million dollars while still allowing them to lay off hundreds of workers.