Obama visits Elkhart, Ind. (population: out of work)

[JohnBoy44]

President Obama visited Elkhart, Ind., today, a city with one of the fastest rising unemployment rates in the nation, to dole out fresh dollars from Washington and make the case that his $787-billion stimulus package is working.

Unemployment in the Elkhart-Goshen metropolitan area, 4.8% at the end of 2007, had rocketed up to 18.9% by March. That's when manufacturing employment in the area, which centers on the slumping recreational vehicle industry, hit an 18-year low of 44,900 jobs. Obama conceded, "Elkhart has been hit with a perfect storm of economic troubles."

Speaking at a Navistar plant in nearby Wakarusa, Obama said that, thanks to a $39-million government grant, the factory that once made Monaco Coach RVs will now be able to build battery-powered vehicles, part of what he called a green innovation agenda.

"I don't want to have to import a hybrid car, I want to build one here," he said. "I want the technologies to be developed here in America."

As the president made his second trip in six months to Elkhart, Vice President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Steven Chu were also on the road, bringing news of battery technology grants to Detroit and Charlotte, N.C. Other Cabinet officials too were fanning out across the country, announcing $2.4 billion in competitive grants to promote the green economy.

"If we want to reduce our dependence on oil, put Americans back to work and reassert our manufacturing sector as one of the greatest in the world, we must produce the advanced, efficient vehicles of the future," the president said. "We have to harness the potential — the innovative and creative spirit that's waiting all across America."

It was vintage Obama, the Obama of hope, evocative of his speeches on the campaign trail last year.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/w*********.t-of-work.html

[matt_s]

It's a start, but that area has a long way to go...

[JohnBoy44]

It's a start, but that area has a long way to go...

give him credit, the Pres has been there a few times now.
BFE Indiana.

and what about the green initiative and battery powered vehicles plant?

[HoosierHelen]

Great speech...let's bring the 'follow through' back into Elkhart and NE Indiana, this is what I want to say if I could be at one of his Town Hall Meetings.

I do NOT want to see the battery operated vehicles being outsourced to China and/or other countries. We NEED the jobs right here in the USA.

So many layers to this onion....please all citizens of the US...let's encourage our nation & our leaders to structure the new 'green energy' plans to benefit the workers of the USA.

For those of you who are still employed, I really do understand it is hard to comprehend how many of our own citizens & neighbors (and their families) are SUFFERING from unemployment.

Today I revisited a book club I used to attend about 10 yrs ago at a local library. I was amazed at old acquaintences I had not seen in years and some of the hardships they have been through recently due to job losses. These are college graduates with 20+ yrs experience in their fields who are suffering. There were also those with high school degrees who had many years in what they believed to be stable factory production type jobs, truck drivers, etc. ALL with the same story. No jobs, No health insurance, afraid of loosing their homes.

[Copycatted]

"If we want to reduce our dependence on oil, put Americans back to work and reassert our manufacturing sector as one of the greatest in the world, we must produce the advanced, efficient vehicles of the future," the president said. "We have to harness the potential — the innovative and creative spirit that's waiting all across America."

It was vintage Obama, the Obama of hope, evocative of his speeches on the campaign trail last year.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/w*********.t-of-work.html

It's not just vintage Obama but remember Steuben County/NE Indiana "just who first flanked a rescue mission" on May 3rd last year?

[slotz10]

I did not vote for him and am proud to say it.

[LuciusBeebe]

I did not vote for him and am proud to say it.

The alternative was so appealing.

[Mrs.Slotz]

I had 2 choices.

Vote for:

1. Poison

2. Or Poison Like

They were going to both take it to the same place, but McCain just would have taken alot longer to get us there.

Sorry folks, This Is Mrs. Slotz.
For: Mr.Slotz

[HoosierHelen]

I did not vote for him and am proud to say it.

Would you be proud to be ruled under a McCain/Palin presidency currently??? What a stable president's ticket that would have been! The Republican's (lack of) wisdom was really exposed in this last race.

[Mrs.Slotz]

I agree.
Palin should have been the presidential candidate.

Is Alaska begging for any money?

[HoosierHelen]

I agree.
Palin should have been the presidential candidate.

Is Alaska begging for any money?

With all their natural resources they sell to the rest of the lower 48 I don't expect they will be needing any money from the bottom 48 unless they have some more bridges to build to no where Mrs. Slotz! Of course the majority of their citizens are receiving National stipends just for being residents there...that dispells any REAL need for employment for alot of their state residents.

[armyda]

I agree.
Palin should have been the presidential candidate.

Is Alaska begging for any money?

I don't think begging is the word I would use:

Bridge to Nowhere

[HoosierHelen]

I don't think begging is the word I would use:

Bridge to Nowhere

I'm on that page also Armyda!

[bigbass]

Their all crooks and as long as they can keep us fighting amongst ourselves, it will never change.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/23/murtha.airport/

[JohnBoy44]

I agree.
Palin should have been the presidential candidate.

Is Alaska begging for any money?

yes. alaska gets more money than they pay in.
you didn't know that mrs slotz???

and what if palin just decided it was too much and "quit"

honest to god, do you think she was qualified?

Alaska, the 'welfare state'
Lona Manning
Alaska "is essentially a welfare state taking money from the federal government," the fiercely partisan Paul Begala fumed on CNN.

Michael Kinsley, writing in Time, accuses the "good citizens of Sarah Palin's Alaska" of "leech[ing] off the government."

It's true that Alaska consistently ranks in the top three states which receive more federal dollars than they pay, and has often been the top state.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/...are_state.html

[matt_s]

Is Alaska begging for any money?

I think they still pay each citizen $10k each year just for living there. So I doubt they are actively standing around with their hands out.

[Copycatted]

Their all crooks and as long as they can keep us fighting amongst ourselves, it will never change.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/23/murtha.airport/

No kidding bigbass (long time no see)...keep the base stirred up while we got 'em on our sholders. All it would take is we and they getting on the same page. With they on our sholders what do you say bigbass,on the count of three drop 'em

[tiffanyy]

I think they still pay each citizen $10k each year just for living there. So I doubt they are actively standing around with their hands out.

That number is a high estimate - the permanent fund dividend was $3,269 per person in 2008, and lower than that in 2007. Also, you have to have been an Alaskan resident for the full calendar year prior to being paid (so to receive the $3,269 in 2008, you would have had to be an Alaskan resident all of 2007, with intentions to remain there). ( www.pfd.state.ak.us/ )
Just FYI.

[bigbass]

No kidding bigbass (long time no see)...keep the base stirred up while we got 'em on our sholders. All it would take is we and they getting on the same page. With they on our sholders what do you say bigbass,on the count of three drop 'em

I'm with ya Faffer, the gov, has effectively divided us and are now working on the conquer part. Both sides have taught us that you are either on one side or the other, or your opinion don't count. I don't think thats the way the founders planned it.

When did "We the people" become "We the Sheeple"?

[matt_s]

That number is a high estimate - the permanent fund dividend was $3,269 per person in 2008, and lower than that in 2007. Also, you have to have been an Alaskan resident for the full calendar year prior to being paid (so to receive the $3,269 in 2008, you would have had to be an Alaskan resident all of 2007, with intentions to remain there). ( www.pfd.state.ak.us/ )
Just FYI.

Thanks for the clarification. I do remember that you had to be a resident for more than a year to qualify. But I don't remember where the 10k came from - probably just misinformation dredged up from the dark recesses of my foggy memory.