The argument is that picking the most efficient solution regardless of where it is sourced from is actually the best way to increase the welfare of your local {economy,state,nation}. Trying to artificially prop up the local economy seems attractive in the short term, but ultimately leads to inefficiency and exactly the excesses the NYT post above cites in the context of metro construction.

For a longer argument, see Adam Smith, "The Wealth of Nations" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wealth_of_Nations).