Gov. Ed Rendell still plans to earmark at least $15 million in state money to keep Harley-Davidson in York, despite the company's plans to cut more than 1,000 full-time jobs at its Springettsbury Township plant.

Rendell spokesman Michael Smith said Harley's presence in York is bigger than just the number of people it employs. It's important to the state's economy.

The company has 700 suppliers, with 20 percent of those located in Pennsylvania, Smith said. Harley is responsible "for tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions" of dollars in orders flowing through the state's businesses, he said.

"We're going to make available any program available in our economic toolkit to help the company reach its directive of becoming more cost effective so it can stay in York," he said.

About 1,000 jobs would remain at the plant, and that's "still a good number of family-supporting jobs," he said.

Both state representatives Will Tallman, R-Reading Township, and Ron Miller, R-Jacobus, said they're concerned about the job losses, but losses are better than Harley leaving York altogether.

Tallman said that while "I have a concern about the loss of jobs ... I want Harley to stay. We should do what we can to keep those jobs."

Looking long-term, he said he hopes the economy improves and Harley's business improves, possibly bringing some of those jobs back.

Miller said it is too early to speculate about the outcome, "but of course we are in favor of keeping them here," adding that "it is up to the union to make their vote."

-- Reach Christina Kauffman at 505-5436 or ckauffman@york dispatch.com.