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When Bush Touches Down, Ask These Questions"
By Dennis LaRueYOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Because U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan and Ted Strickland can't direct questions to George W. Bush when he visits tomorrow, they urge area reporters to ask their questions for them. Questions about joblessness, extending unemployment benefits, BRAC, and the 380 tons of munitions reported Monday missing in Iraq, the congressman explained at a news conference.The Republican president brings his campaign for re-election back to the Mahoning Valley again Wednesday when he touches down for an afternoon rally at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.This morning Ryan, D-17th Ohio, and Strickland, D-6th Ohio, met with the full herd of reporters representing all Mahoning Valley mainstream media outlets.Saying Youngstown suffers an unemployment rate of 16.6% and Warren a rate of 14%, Ryan declared the president "needs to talk about joblessness. That's the No. 1 issue. We need jobs, Mr. President. Tell us how you're going to do it." Treasury Secretary John Snow, Strickland stated, came to Ohio last week and said "the job loss is a myth. This president fails to recognize reality." Bush's claim to be a "compassionate conservative," Strickland continued, is false.The federal unemployment insurance system, created 69 years ago when the Social Security Act was passed, has "tens of billions of dollars" that the U.S. Labor Department could release to ease the suffering of families whose breadwinners have exhausted their state benefits, Strickland continued. His spokesman called later to say the actual figure is $45 billion.Toward the end of 2002, Strickland wrote a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert asking him to schedule a vote to release at least a portion of the then $65 billion in the fund. Strickland's letter was signed by "more than 110 other members of the House." he said.Not until early the next Congress did the Republicans allow a vote, denying a measure of help to those who needed it most, Strickland said. At the end of 2003, he wrote another letter, joined by more than 100 of his colleagues, asking the speaker to schedule a vote. "I called upon the legislature to have a heart," Strickland said. "The money is there. They won't extend the benefits because they don't want to recognize the scope of the problem."With the mess in Iraq and the threats posed by Iran and North Korea, now is not the time to continue military base realignments and closings, Ryan said, and called upon Bush to suspend the process at least two years. The Democratic nominee, John Kerry, favors a two-year suspension, Strickland and Ryan said.Ryan believes the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, known as BRAC, should be ended entirely because of the threats, especially terrorism, from abroad. With the world situation what it is, Ryan asked rhetorically, "Should we be closing bases?"Should BRAC end, the 910th Air Force Reserve Base in Vienna would be certain to remain. Ryan asked reporters to ask Bush to explain how BRAC works. "The people in the Pentagon are lousy predictors," Strickland added, noting their inability to secure Iraq.Should Kerry be elected, Strickland and Ryan agree, he would create jobs by spending money on infrastructure. One billion dollars committed to infrastructure results in 44,000 jobs, Ryan said. The president's refusal to lobby for the transportation bill, held up in the Senate has cost the construction industry a full season, Strickland said.A Kerry administration, the Democratic congressmen agree, would result in more funds committed to Pell grants for those who want to attend college -- including those returning for job retraining. A Kerry administration would also increase federal grants for research and development -- especially in alternative fuels -- at this country's colleges and universities, making the United States more competitive.And a Kerry administration could be expected to increase Community Development Block Grants to America's cities, Ryan said.The news conference was held at the Youngstown Business Incubator, where Ryan maintains a district office. Last week Strickland went goose hunting with Kerry at the Molnar farm in Springfield Township -- the Democratic presidential candidate's fourth visit to the Mahoning Valley. Kerry is expected to pass through the area once more before Election Day, Nov. 2.Tuesday afternoon local Democratic Party leaders were organizing a protest rally to counter the president's visit. "Line the road to protest the George's" urges a flyer circulated in downtown Youngstown. The "George's" refers to Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey, a Democrat, who is expected to introduce George W. Bush at Wednesday event.The protest rally starts at 11 a.m. "on Belmont Avenue, as close to the regional airport as we can get," states the flyer. Contact Dennis LaRue at [email protected]"