President Obama is coming to Youngstown next week to highlight the few jobs our taxpayer dollars are funding through the ginormous stimulus bill.
The Mayor of Youngstown couldn’t be more excited.
“The Mahoning Valley is redefining itself to the nation and the world,” he said. “When you talk about a place that has been a model for using federal stimulus money, a place to invest, a place that’s reinventing itself, the Mahoning Valley and Youngstown are high on that list.”
They are? Seriously?
Mahoning Valley’s unemployment rate is 14.5%.
Youngstown’s is 15.1%.
And the Valley has one of the highest home foreclosure rates in the state.
It’s very simple. IF the stimulus was working…and IF the Mahoning Valley had become an attractive place to do business….unemployment would not be this high.
Let’s not forget, the stimulus started doling out cash 15 months ago.
15% unemployment does not equal success.
The stimulus has failed. And we need a new way of doing business.
