Tuesday, May 18, 2010
During his speech at V&M Star in Youngstown today, President Barack Obama will discuss “how efforts to rescue the economy are working, creating jobs, growing small business and keeping communities like Youngstown going,” according to a White House statement.
“The president will talk about how the unpopular choices he made on the economy were the right choices to make, as evidenced by the fourth straight month of job growth and largest increase of jobs in four years,” the statement reads. “And he’ll rebuke Republicans for making a politically calculated decision early on to sit on the sidelines and obstruct any measure aimed to help Americans during these difficult economic times.”
Obama, a Democrat, is scheduled to speak at V&M on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at 1:35 p.m. He will tour the plant before the speech and talk to V&M workers.
V&M is building a $650 million expansion next to its current facility.
The federal stimulus package provided $4.37 million for excavating, grading and drainage improvement to the site. That work, which created 35 construction jobs, is nearly done.
About $15 million will be used to build a railroad spur and rail yard for V&M move its freight to and from the main railway. A contract for that work will be awarded later this month.
Ohio Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine will speak to reporters on a conference call shortly to discuss the president’s visit.
Ryan Tronovitch, a Republican National Committee spokesman, said: “Perhaps a better use of time instead campaigning on his failed policies, the president could stay at home and work to reduce taxes, rein in our debt and get Americans back to work.”
For updates on the president’s visit, read Vindy.com