Barack Obama wants to help the Valley

BOARDMAN — The United States should be the leader in the development of alternative energy sources, and places like the Mahoning Valley should play a major role in process, presidential hopeful Barack Obama said today.

"The Mahoning Valley, like much of Illinois, used to have a strong manufacturing base that has started to shift," Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, told reporters during a brief interview after a private fundraiser today. "We have to adapt to this new economy."

The federal government needs to make an investment in former industrial cities such as Youngstown to help them make the transition, he said.

Among Obama's proposals are: tax breaks and incentives for companies building alternative energy facilities in this country instead of going overseas; building new infrastructures such as broadband; making the tuition at higher education institutions affordable, and recruiting teachers who can train students in technology.

"We're spending $275 million a day in Iraq," he said. "It's hard to make investments in this country when we're spending that much in Iraq."