Kerry Unveils Plan to Revitalize Manufacturing and Invest in the Jobs of the Future; Announces Third Pillar of Economic Plan 4/28/2004
From: Stephanie Cutter of John Kerry for President, 202-712-3000, Web: http://www.johnkerry.com ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 28 -- Saying we can create new jobs by investing in new technologies and training America's workers for the jobs of the future, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry brought his three-day jobs tour to a close in Ann Arbor, Michigan today with a speech laying out the third pillar of his economic plan - revitalizing our manufacturing sector and investing in the jobs of the future. Taken with Kerry's call for an end to tax breaks that encourage companies to send jobs overseas and his pledge to restore fiscal discipline in Washington, DC, today's plan represents the critical, third component of the Kerry plan to strengthen America by putting jobs first. After three years of record job loss and a staggering economy under George Bush, the Kerry economic plan will create 10 million new and better jobs during Kerry's first term in office. "The only way to build a stronger America is to build a thriving manufacturing sector - with good, solid manufacturing jobs of the future," Kerry said. "Jobs that will, once again, be the backbone of the American economy. It's about producing existing products better, cheaper, and faster - and seizing on America's high-skilled workers and cutting-edge research to develop new ones." As he has all week, Kerry told his audience that America's workers deserve more from their President, and he pledged to move our country in a new direction from the failed policies of George Bush. Kerry noted that the President's failure to fight for manufacturing jobs has resulted in 2.8 million manufacturing jobs lost - the largest decline in 80 years. These losses have been particularly devastating for workers and communities, as manufacturing jobs pay workers more and contribute more to the economy than jobs in other sectors. "I'm here this morning because I believe manufacturing should not - and must not - be a ghost of America past," Kerry said. "I'm here because I believe a setback is just that - a setback. Not a reason to abandon ship. As Henry Ford liked to say, 'Don't find a fault. Find a remedy.'" Throughout his tour, Kerry has discussed key elements of his plan to revitalize manufacturing jobs, including his new jobs tax credit, his six-point plan to protect U.S. workers and businesses by enforcing our trade agreements and his plan to cut costs for America's businesses in order to make them more competitive. Today he added to these proposals and said we can strengthen America and revitalize manufacturing through greater investment in the jobs of the future. "It's simply a false choice to think that we can't marry new- age technology with new-age manufacturing. We're already doing it," Kerry said. "The bottom line: I believe that the best days of the Rust Belt aren't behind us - they're ahead of us. We just need to harness the skills, energy, and forward-thinking in this room and on factory floors all across America. And we need to give our companies and our workers the tools they need to succeed." Kerry said his plan to invest in the jobs of the future will ensure twenty-first century leadership in innovation and translate that innovation into new jobs. It relies on three key areas: stimulating small and medium sized businesses to use new technology, investing in new job creating technologies and ensuring our workforce has the training and education it needs. To stimulate use of technology among small and medium sized businesses, Kerry said he will establish Manufacturing Business Investment Corporations (MANBIC), which will help small businesses get the access to credit they need to acquire and use new technologies. He said he will also double funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and restore funding for the Advanced Technology Program. To invest in technology, Kerry said he will increase funding for research at agencies like DARPA and the Office of Naval Research. He explained that he will also direct the Department of Defense to aggressively support manufacturing and support ambitious investments in broadband infrastructure, energy independence, biotechnology and nanotechnology. To ensure America's workforce is prepared for the jobs of the future, Kerry pledged to improve math and science education in America's K-12 schools. He also said he will expand access to college through a tax credit of up to $4,000, and that he will enhance worker training in communities across the country. "If we think ahead and make the right investments now -- in our workers, in new industries, and new equipment -- we can create a manufacturing sector that's, once again, the envy of the world," Kerry said. Today's speech marked the third in a series of speeches that Kerry has used to lay out his economic plan. Kerry began this series in March with a speech in Detroit. In that speech, Kerry unveiled his plan to create and keep new and better jobs in America by putting an end to tax breaks that encourage companies to move jobs overseas and using the savings to create jobs here. In his second speech, delivered at Georgetown University, Kerry pledged to restore confidence in America's economy by returning fiscal discipline to Washington, DC and cutting the deficit in half during his first four years. Kerry's three-day "Jobs First Express - On the Road to a Stronger Economy" bus tour made stops in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan - states hard hit by the Bush jobs crisis. Along the way, Kerry met with workers and local community leaders and discussed his plan to create jobs in communities across America. ------ Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc. |