Last week held great news for the Toledo area when Governor Kasich was on hand at Chrysler’s Jeep plant to announce a $500 million expansion that will bring 1100 new jobs. It was truly good news, and most Ohioans celebrated the news of the deal. Most, except for Ohio Democrats, that is. They were actually releasing statements demanding that Governor Kasich not take any credit for helping to bring the new jobs to Ohio.
COLUMBUS – Today, Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) and State Representative Matt Szollosi (D-Toledo) called on Governor John Kasich to stop taking credit for the recovery of Ohio’s auto industry and criticized Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney’s continued opposition to the investment that led to the recovery.
Wow. A day of good news, and these folks’ first thought was to lash out. Good jobs news for Ohio now seems to be bad news to Ohio Democrats. Sad. The misinformation continues:
“We have a gentleman running for president named Mitt Romney, who has openly said that he believes that we should have let the auto industry go bankrupt. I certainly believe that those comments made by Governor Romney, were not only insensitive but misguided and certainly wrong because what we have seen is that the money that the government had invested in General Motors in particular has been paid back and paid forward.”
No, Senator Cafaro, the bailout to GM was not paid back. They “paid back” the loans with money borrowed from TARP. They still owe taxpayers billions. Even Democrat U.S. Senator Tom Carper said “It sounds like it’s kind of like taking money out of one pocket and putting in the other.”
Furthermore, GM and Chrysler did go bankrupt! Which is exactly what folks like Romney said should happen. Anyway, back to the Chrysler expansion in Toledo…
This morning, the Columbus Dispatch reported on a statement from Chrysler.
In an emailed statement to The Dispatch today, Chrysler said the Kasich administration’s offer was “essential” to bringing new auto jobs to northwest Ohio.
“Governor Kasich and his administration offered incentives to make the business case for future Chrysler Group investment in the State of Ohio,” said a statement from spokeswoman Jodi Tinson, who asked that it be attributed to Chrysler. “The incentives, which included a job creation tax credit, economic development grant and workforce training guarantee, were essential in enabling the company to announce the production of the next generation Jeep SUV as well as the creation of 1,105 new jobs at the Toledo Assembly Complex.”
BOOM!!
Chrysler basically just told Cafaro and the other Ohio Democrats that they don’t know what they heck they are talking about. Maybe next time the governor has good news for Ohio jobs, Democrats will think twice before telling him that he shouldn’t be, er…celebrating the good news. Maybe, but I doubt it.
P.S. Notice in the article, even more new Ohio jobs were announced today. At this rate, we’re going to have to create a Jobs Tour 2011 t-shirt or something…
