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OBAMA VISIT: Speech, appearance here help Valley, Williams says
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Obama at V&M Star
Watch President Barack Obama's entire speech at V&M Star in Youngstown on Tuesday, May 18, 2010.
- Reaction To Obama's V&M Star Visit
Local reaction to President Barack Obama's speech at V&M Star in Youngstown, OH May 18, 2010
YOUNGSTOWN
President Barack Obama didn’t come to V&M Star with money for economic development in the Mahoning Valley or an offer to provide assistance to help the area’s struggling economy.
But Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams said Obama is helping the Valley.
Just by coming to the area to highlight V&M’s $650 million expansion draws national attention to what’s happening here and what the area has to offer to businesses, Williams said.
“There’s this notion that a city like Youngstown is to be written off; our better days are behind us,” he said. “I refuse to believe that.”
Obama, a Democrat, talked about areas like the Valley with long-standing financial struggles collaborating as a region, and receiving state and financial help to progress.
“He talks of communities like Youngstown moving from surviving to thriving,” said Williams, a Democrat. “For years, we’ve been barely surviving. At some point in the future we’ll be out of survival mode. I do believe this community can indeed thrive.”
State Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, said Obama’s visit is “a significant start of what we expect from the government and that is to help in desperate times.”
During his speech, Obama discussed the $787 billion federal stimulus package, signed into law in February 2009, saying it had to be passed or the country would have faced the serious possibility of going into a depression.
The nation is seeing positive results from the economic stimulus policies, Obama said.
Without government help, “the GM plant over in Lordstown would not be there because GM would have liquidated.”
Obama’s last visit to the Valley was to the GM complex in September 2009.
Acknowledging skepticism about his visit, Obama said: “A lot of people — let’s be blunt — aren’t always real impressed when a governor or a president comes swooping in and talking about the economy because the only headline they want to see is the headline that says, ‘You’re hired.’”
The president then discussed the $19 million in stimulus money that is going to the V&M expansion, saying “as a result of this investment,” the $650 million project is moving ahead.
Without the stimulus package, “the steady progress we’re beginning to see across America would not exist and neither would the plant that you’re about to build,” Obama said.
The expansion will create 400 construction jobs. When the plant opens, there will be 230 employees working directly for V&M and 120 contract workers at the new facility. V&M makes seamless tubes for the oil and gas industry.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, has been insistent that without the stimulus money, the V&M project would have never happened.
Joel Mastervich, V&M’s president and chief operating officer, said the stimulus money “helped propel the project forward.” But he added that “the project would have proceeded” without the money.
Also, Philippe Crouzet, chairman of the management board of Vallourec, V&M’s Paris-based parent company, said: “You don’t make such a big decision based on just a [government] subsidy.”
But he added the money was a great benefit to the project.
When asked if the company would have approved the local expansion without the stimulus money, Crouzet said, “I’m not sure we would have made our mind up so rapidly” without it.
During Obama’s speech, he criticized those who opposed the stimulus package, but never mentioned anyone by name. Also, he only used the word “Republican” one time in his 20-minute speech.
In response to Obama’s visit, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine said, “The economic recovery we were promised hasn’t happened, and the president’s policies clearly aren’t working. Unfortunately, neither are thousands of Ohioans.”
In his speech to an invitation-only crowd of about 150 people, Obama acknowledged the Valley’s 14.5 percent unemployment rate, and the struggles it faces.
“The Mahoning Valley is a place that doesn’t need an economist to tell you when a recession begins or when a recession ends because plenty of folks here have known their own private recessions for 10, 20, 30 years,” he said.
Comments
"In his speech to an invitation-only crowd of about 150 people, Obama acknowledged the Valley’s 14.5 percent unemployment rate, and the struggles it faces"
Invitation only? Looks like The Distributorship in Chief" is an elitist or afraid of crowds..
The whole thing was political theater, unfortunately a tragedy. It is truly tragic that so much tax payer money had to be wasted on staging this much ado about nothing. We pay our public servants to work for us, not attend a political incest lovefest on the clock. Was our former and next Congressman invited? The partisan crowd can't handle the truth.
Joel Mastervich, V&M’s president and chief operating officer, said the stimulus money “helped propel the project forward.” But he added that “the project would have proceeded” without the money.
Also, Philippe Crouzet, chairman of the management board of Vallourec, V&M’s Paris-based parent company, said: “You don’t make such a big decision based on just a [government] subsidy.”
Does someone want to explain this to Little Timmy Ryan. The Federal stimulus money, while no doubt of some assistance, is 3% of the total project at V&M. The project mives forward if it makes financial sense to the company. Bob Hagan's (keep up that left hand, Bob) response is what gets me. These people think it is only the govt. that can save us when the real solution in AMerica is in the mirror.
This event had to be invitation only b/c they were afraid the Jim Traficant Circus & Sideshow Extraordinare would steal (?!?) the thunder!
How can this Valley lose with such tremendous leaders like Barry and Timmy in it's corner? PRAISE BE ALLAH!!
seems you forgot when he spoke to a packed house at YSU. these GM/union type visits are usually just for area politicians and businessmen and workers at the facility. All the other presidents and candidates do the same thing when they visit. I hate when people grasp at straws as an excuse to regurgitate catchphrases and buzzwords. grr.
A packed House where supporters were bused in. Don't drink the kool aid people. Some people are so dumb they don't know when they are being screwed.
Only in the Mahoning Valley do they put a negative spin on anything you could possibly imagine. News flash for all you idiots: Jimbo sunk his own ship, not Clinton, Reagan or anyone else. He never did anything unless he received his end, got lucky when he was Sheriff and thought he had a license to do whatever he wanted. He will LOSE in November, thankfully there are enough sensible voters here that aren't going to be swayed by a has been with a bad hair-do and out dated wardrobe that had little success in DC when he was in office. Time to move on!!!!
"President Barack Obama didn’t come to V&M Star with money for economic development in the Mahoning Valley or an offer to provide assistance to help the area’s struggling economy."
This savvy politician is getting a head start on 2012 .
Okay, lets look at this whole thing from a different aspect. Obowser is patting himself on the back for this expansion by V&M. What will V&M make in this new plant? Seamless pipe for the oil an gas industry. Now Obowser and his cast of clowns are not real big fans of the oil industry so what is this visit other than a thank you to some of his obedient followers like Ryan for instance
I used to think that It was amazing that his lemmings were so easy to manipulate but then again this is Mahoning County. The mills should be firing up again soon and all will be well.
V&M is a future expansion bringing future jobs, but what about the actual hundreds of lost jobs at Denman Tire, and the thousands not being replaced at GM Lordstown and Packard in the Valley? Like sticking chewing gum to fix the hole in the Dam. Just another "Dog & Pony Show" of kiss a$$ local politician in a photo op.
""U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, has been insistent that without the stimulus money, the V&M project would have never happened.
Joel Mastervich, V&M’s president and chief operating officer, said the stimulus money “helped propel the project forward.” But he added that “the project would have proceeded” without the money.
Also, Philippe Crouzet, chairman of the management board of Vallourec, V&M’s Paris-based parent company, said: “You don’t make such a big decision based on just a [government] subsidy.” """
WOW! THAT is the story of the day!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not a big fan of Obama, but glad he came here. Wish it would have been to deliver something to the area instead of a campaign stop, though.
Hopefully Mayor Williams convinced BHO to help fund other projects around here, like tearing down all the blight. (As long as Y-town fills out the paperwork correctly).