OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A conversation between two governors came after a war of words about doing business in Washington versus Idaho.
Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Idaho Governor Butch Otter sat down to clear the air after a "love letter" was anything but.
The letter from Idaho's governor to Washington business owners invited them to take their business to Idaho.
"Legislators in the State of Washington are talking about even bigger tax increases to tackle a budget deficit that figures to be as big as Idaho's entire state budget," the letter read.
Gregoire disagreed.
"To suggest that somehow there's this massive tax going on in my state that puts my biz to a detrimental level compared to yours is simply not fair," she said.
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski said it's all fair game, and that he goes to California all the time to try to steal away businesses.
"Butch is a great guy," said Kulongoski. "He's got his own problems internally in Idaho."
Kulongoski finds the situation sort of hilarious and certainly not threatening "because I go to California all the time and try to get businesses to come up here. So I'm not that sensitive about it."
Kulongoski NewsChannel 8 he and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have often courted the same businesses.
"I would go to California and as soon as I'd leave Governor Schwarzenegger would fly in and then I'd find out that he'd been there so then I'd fly back. We did this about 3 or 4 times."
Kulongoski said this sort of competition is expected.
Both governors talked by phone Thursday morning and agreed going after each other's business is fair game, but agreed to play nice.
