Obama kicks off campaign for Ohio at RMI Titanium

Obama wants tax
incentives for companies
to keep jobs in the U.S.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

WEATHERSFIELD — Ringed by factory workers with hard hats and safety glasses, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama kicked off his Ohio campaign by promising to fight companies that move jobs overseas.

“It’s bad for our country, it’s bad for the economy, and it will not happen when I’m president of the United States of America,” Obama said Monday at RMI Titanium Co.

The Illinois senator chose the Weathersfield Township titanium mill for his first campaign stop in the state. He spoke briefly about his jobs plan to workers, answered questions from the media and then headed to Youngstown for a public speech.

Tristan Liptak, an electrical apprentice at the mill, said he’s leaning toward voting for Obama in the Democratic primary March 4 after hearing him speak up for workers.

“The middle class is going away quickly,” said Liptak, 37, of Niles. “Something has to be done to stop it before we’re all making minimum wage.”

Ben LaBolt, Obama’s communications manager for Ohio, said the campaign chose the Mahoning Valley as its first stop because of the loss of manufacturing jobs in the region.

The senator said a president can’t stop every job from being moved overseas but added that
“that doesn’t mean we have to accept an era of diminished dreams.”

He noted he was one of three senators to introduce the Patriot Employer Act of 2007, which would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase their ratio of full-time workers compared with those in other countries and who maintain corporate headquarters here.

He also said he would fight against providing tax breaks to companies that move jobs to other countries.

Obama said the North American Free Trade Agreement needs to be amended to include provisions that ensure other countries are meeting labor, environmental and safety standards.

He added that trade agreements need more strict enforcement to stop other countries from enacting tariffs on goods while this country is not.

He said he supports requirements for the military to buy material from domestic companies.

“That’s how plants like this one will stay strong for future generations,” Obama said.

RMI has been enjoying a boom because of titanium use in military and commercial aircraft. The company has added 60 jobs over the past four years, pushing hourly employment to 365.

In response to a question, Obama said he didn’t think it was necessary to debate his opponent, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Youngstown. Clinton said last week that she “would like to challenge Sen. Obama to meet me in Youngstown.”

Obama said the two have a debate scheduled Thursday in Texas and one scheduled next Tuesday at Cleveland State University. That makes 20 debates, which is enough, Obama said. He said he prefers to have public appearances throughout Ohio so that voters have a chance to see him in person.

While Obama was at RMI talking about saving American jobs, R. Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, had a telephone press conference Monday in which he blasted Obama for what he said was a lack of action to help save machinists’ jobs in Illinois.

The union asked Obama to intervene when Maytag closed first one and then a second plant, but Obama did nothing, Buffenbarger said.

Obama was running for his Senate post when the first closing was proposed and had taken office when it actually closed and when the second plant closed, the union president said. The union has endorsed Clinton for the presidency.

shilling@vindy.com