Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Guv'ment Mr. Reed goes to Washington — again
Posted by Scott Henry @ScottTheHenry on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 12:54 PM
This is from a real-time article that just went up on an L.A Times blog:
The White House is trying to promote more "in-sourcing" of jobs by U.S. companies after decades of outsourcing to foreign countries. In conjunction with a forum Wednesday in Washington on ways to boost domestic investment, the Obama administration announced steps to encourage more factory construction in the U.S. and more investment here by foreign companies.“Today I am meeting with companies choosing to invest in the one country with the most productive workers, best universities, and most creative and innovative entrepreneurs in the world: the United States of America," Obama said in prepared remarks to executives at the forum. "And I’m calling on those businesses that haven’t brought jobs back to take this opportunity to get the American people back to work.”
In addition to that forum, Reed told CL yesterday that he would be talking to the president himself about the $600 million or so that the state needs to deepen the Savannah port. All you Libertarians out there can turn up your noses at manna from Uncle Sam, but the Reed-Deal tag-team action to get this federal wampum has been impressive to watch. Here's a gubernatorial sound bite from last night's State of the State address:
We are continuing to work towards the completion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project — a project that is imperative to our state’s competitiveness when the bigger ships start traversing an enlarged Panama Canal in 2014.
I can't meaningfully predict whether we'll get that money, but it would certainly make Atlanta a more exciting place over the next several years if we did, seeing as it would transform the city into even more of a freight and logistics hub than it is now.
But consider that Obama has, according to what I'm hearing, already tapped Reed for a major public role in his re-election campaign this year. I don't how much leverage that gives the mayor to wrangle the port-deepening money, but it sure can't hurt.
Comments (17)
Showing 1-17 of 17
Whatever....lovefest continues! Great how a liberal paper loves mass importation of cheap asian goods for our use!
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I can see how more freight coming into the port creates jobs - though it doesn't seem like its necessarily a boom trade seeing how Savannah is.
also agree there is some Irony between paying to make it easier and cheaper to ship and thus import goods here vs. the laudable goal of discouraging the outsourcing of jobs and profits by companies on U.S. soil. Though true not doing Savannah only means someone else will get it?
Though I've read about increased tractor trailer traffic through Atlanta because of the deeper port and supporting road improvements in that area. Mentioned as another reason poor folks without cars and the middle class have to pay more for a gallon of milk for the transpo tax.
Personally I wish we spent the money on Freight Rail Capacity improvements and discouraged the use of more tractor trailers.
The port needs dredging regardless of the origin and pricing of goods. The reason is advances in shipbuilding.
Also dredging is a perfect example of a proper function of government. My libertarian hackles are raised not a whit.
"Great how a liberal paper loves mass importation of cheap asian goods for our use!"
Hey, its not only the liberal paper, our very own conservative Republican governor has personally begged Obama for port money. In fact Deal and Reed tag teamed, the 2 bff's took a trip to DC begging Obama for $$$.
My husband has been out of work for months. It's great to hear a politician using his relationships to foster jobs for Georgia. This mayor seems to care not only about his city, but for the state as well. Great job Mayor Reed, my family and I thank you!
It'll be interesting to see what the airport concessions scandal does to Reed's relationship with the White House.
Kasim Reed has done a good job of maintaining relationships on the National Level, while minding the interests of Georgians. He has put aside partisanship and forge relationships with Republicans for the benefit of Atlanta and Georgia - and that is to be commended. The guy's not perfect, but his undying work ethic is laudable.
Nathan Deal should be thankful there's a young African American politician in the South willing to work across the aisle to support growth for the region.
It is truly refreshing to see folks working together for the greater good of the people for a change! As long as Reed is bringing home the bacon to Atlanta and Georgia, I say he should have a second home in DC!!!
Reed = young? Just another political hack trying to climb his way up...
"Mr. Reed Goes To Washington--- ON OUR BEHALF"!
It may sound like a movie title, but if this man's vision for the region comes to fruition--it will be a BLOCKBUSTER!
Mr. Reed knows that regional transportation, international commerce & jobs mean LIFE---the good life for the Atlanta region.
If Mr. Reed needs to get some federal dollars
& to make like minded alliances to produce that movie--
-business is business!
*I will see this one in the theater!!
**I won't be waiting for the DVD!!!
"The port needs dredging regardless of the origin and pricing of goods"
Yes the attempt to dredge the port isn't based on the origin an pricing of goods. But that's not the point being made.
The point is that dredging the ports will likely end up subsidizing the outsourcing of jobs. Yes the two do not have a symbiotic relationship but still.....
Wouldn't it be nice if the Republicans in Washington provided a 10th of the cooperation to the President that Reed does to Deal. Actually has anyone looked to see if Deal got any of the concessions at the airport? ;-)
I think Reed's days as an Obama surrogate will soon come to an end. He went off script at the presser after the event and made political comments in the White House Briefing Room. Big no-no.
Yes Jason, we can ALL be proud of how he supported Beverly Hall, and worked behind the scenes to keep Hall's lackey, LaChandra Butler-Burks in power even after it was DOCUMENTED that Butler-Burks and Hall conspired to hide evidence of widespread, SYSTEMIC cheating from the rest of the school board.
I'm sure you are so VERY proud of his efforts to support Beverly Hall.
So proud . . .
Mayor Reed attacks Romney at White House roundtable
by Scott MacFarlane WSB-TV
An unexpected political attack came from Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed after a meeting at the White House on Wednesday. It was touted as a nonpolitical event, a roundtable discussion with small business owners on creating more jobs, with no discussion of politics or campaigns. That was until Reed took the podium in the White House press briefing room and blasted Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "If you look at what he has done versus what Mr. Romney did at Bain Capital, I think this president is going to win that argument," Reed said about President Barack Obama. But the White House avoided talking about Romney on Wednesday. Perhaps that's why there was clamoring in the press room when Reed added, "When there was a decision to be made about saving the auto industry in the United States of America, (Obama) supported it. Mitt Romney criticized it."Republicans didn't like the politicking. One saw tweets from Channel 2's Scott MacFarlane about the mayor's words and responded, "full blown campaign rally on taxpayer dime." The mayor, who has made several White House visits in recent months, told Channel 2 Action News he will campaign, on the road if needed, for the president this year. "I will do anything they ask me to do, in order to help this president. I think he's earned re-election," Reed said. White House staffers abruptly ended the question-and-answer session after the mayor's comments about Romney.
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