Welcome to the Business Journal Archives
Search for articles below, or continue to the all new BusinessJournalDaily.com now.
Search
McKelvey Plans to Ask President About Encouraging U.S. Manufacturing
By George NelsonYOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- When he breaks bread with President Bush tonight, Mayor George McKelvey hopes to have more on his plate than what the White House chef serves."If he's open to business discussion versus just social, I'd like to talk about the air base and its importance to this community," McKelvey said. "And I'd like to talk about developing how I believe Washington has to develop a strategy of disincentives in the tax code for companies that move offshore and incentives in the tax code -- aggressive incentives in the tax code -- to help businesses remain and grow in America in the manufacturing sector." During an interview following Bush's visit yesterday to Youngstown State University -- billed as "A Conversation on Health Care and Health Centers" -- McKelvey said he would be seated next to the president at tonight's White House dinner. The Youngstown mayor, a Democrat, said he "couldn't be more impressed" with what the Republican had to say. He said he hadn't received an advance briefing or background so he didn't know that Bush was planning to showcase the community health care initiative."Youngstown was chosen by the national administrator of the health centers as the model, the showcase; we should be so proud of that," McKelvey said. " What I said to the president was he gave us an opportunity -- he showed what is the best in our community, he showed our heart."During the White House dinner, he also said he would like to hear Bush's thoughts on the possibility of broadening the incentives of the Renewal Community Zone program, which he said the city has used to assist Youngstown's industrial park development. Youngstown was the first community designated as a Renewal Community Zone, McKelvey said.McKelvey was one of 200 community leaders invited to hear Bush's presentation, held at YSU's Bliss Hall (read story). University Police Chief John Gocala said classes normally held in Bliss were relocated to other campus buildings. In a Monday interview, Gocala said Bliss would "probably be the safest place on the planet" during the visit. Security criteria are set up by the Secret Service. "We more or less assist, as well as the city of Youngstown police department," he said, adding that assistance was also to be provided by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department and the Ohio Highway Patrol.Maj. Michael Budd, operations commander with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department, said 22 officers were committed to the president's visit, including himself and Sheriff Randall Wellington, with eight officers assigned to Bush the entire time. He estimated the visit would entail anywhere from 120 to 140 man-hours. Budd said he was first informed about the presidential visit last Thursday by the Akron office of the Secret Service, and got a call Saturday night regarding details. He said the visit entailed a few meetings but the visit overall was easily put together. "We're used to making crunch-time decisions."The presidential visit also entailed temporarily closing various area roads, including Route 11 and Interstate 80."It's always the philosophy of the Secret Service that when the president is on the road the president's is the only vehicle on the road," Budd said. "They try to shut everything down."Youngstown Police Chief Robert Bush, who was notified Friday about the visit, said his department was involved with "highway security" as well as some around the perimeter of the event location. Bush said he had between 40 and 60 officers committed to the visit throughout the day beginning at 9 a.m., but only had six to eight that had to be called in for additional hours. "The majority of the people were day-turn people or special unit people that we changed their hours of work," he said. By 3 p.m. the president was "out of the jurisdiction of the city" so officers were being released. Those attending the YSU event were escorted through a metal detector and their belongings were searched as they entered Bliss Hall at its bottom level. Patricia Brozik, executive director of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, said the security personnel "really took my purse apart," even checking her lipstick tubes and having her take a sip from a bottle of liquid she had in the purse. Brozik, who was invited to the event by the Youngstown Community Health Center, said she was "totally enthused" by what she heard at the forum. "I believe that Youngstown Community Health Center is doing an incredibly good job," she said. "I am very enamored by the president and by the panel that was here today."Don Cagigas, president of the Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way and a YSU trustee, said community health centers "are a wonderful thing," but added that they only scratch the surface "of what we need to accomplish in terms of health care." Tom Hollern, National City Bank's Youngstown area president, said Bush made an interesting presentation "on some pretty sensitive subjects," observing that the president is "a lot better in a small group than he is perhaps making a speech on national television. I thought he was wonderful the way he handled the crowd." Contact George Nelson at [email protected]"