Issue Position: Economy

Issue Position

Dayton, Ohio has always been considered a community of great innovation and hardworking people. We are home to many great American inventions such as the airplane, the cash register, the self-starting automobile and the artificial heart. Yet like many other Midwestern communities, we have a manufacturing-based economy that due to the current economic times and a global economy where jobs are being sent in droves overseas is hurting. We must take a proactive approach to bringing manufacturers back to Dayton while expanding our employment opportunities in the area.

Reinvesting in our Community

With the flood of manufacturers like GM and NCR leaving Dayton, we are left with a unique opportunity. Numerous abandoned yet technologically advanced factories that once put people to work and produced goods that America could be proud of, now sit abandoned throughout the city. We have the opportunity to overhaul these facilities and retool them to take the lead in the new economy.

Becoming a Leader in Green Jobs

Green technology is the future of manufacturing in this country. As we look for ways to slow climate change, conserve our natural resources and save money, there will be a continued and heightened demand for green technology and jobs. We can take the lead now and focus ourselves on becoming the Silicon Valley of green technology, right here in Dayton. We are a city of great innovators, and innovators see beyond what lies directly ahead and make change for themselves. As your Congressman, I will push for tax breaks for companies that move to Dayton and help us expand our new, green economy.

Retraining our Workforce

With a new economy comes a new demand on workers. While we can put many back to work building the actual hardware of green technology such as wind turbines, solar panels and fuel cells, we must also offer those who need retraining the opportunity to go back to school and learn a new skill that will make them a vibrant part of the renewed industry in the area. I will vote to fund displaced worker programs at community colleges nationwide so that workers have the opportunity to advance their skills without going into debt.

Fighting for our Tax Dollars

None of this can happen without federal funding and I intend to fight for every penny of our tax dollars to come back home and be invested in projects here. These dollars can be used to retool factories, build schools, expand road projects, and put people back to work. We must have an
advocate for Dayton in Congress; someone who will fight to bring dollars back into the district to put people back to work rather than to refuse to request our hard-earned tax dollars out of principal. I intend to fight for my home.

Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a crucial part of our economy here in Dayton and the Miami Valley. WPAFB is the largest single site employer in Ohio and I will fight to bring every dollar of federal funding to the base to expand research projects and grow the workforce. WPAFB has the opportunity to grow with many innovative projects and I will be an unwavering advocate for projects and funding to be allocated here.

Creating an Even Playing Field with China

The value of the US dollar is crucial to the economy of not only our area, but also our nation. I will sponsor a bill that puts trade restrictions on the Chinese government if they do not level the playing field by valuing their currency by the same standards as the rest of the world. By doing so, the US dollar will regain much of its value while giving American manufacturers an edge in competition with Chinese manufacturers.

I also commit to fighting for a "buy American" provision in every purchasing and procurement bill that passes through Congress. The government should be required to buy goods produced in America whenever they are available. It is wrong that many of our military items such as boots and uniforms are made in China, when they could be helping our national economy.

Continuing the Safety Net for Citizens in Need

It is imperative to extend unemployment benefits now so that many Americans who are struggling to find work and can stay afloat in our current economy. We must offer those receiving unemployment benefits the resources they need to find a job from interviewing and resume building workshops to affordable continuing education courses.

Halting the Foreclosure Crisis

We must pass legislation that would assist Americans in reaching agreements with their banks instead of having their homes foreclosed upon. A family should not lose their home because predatory lenders tricked them into loans that they themselves barely understood. We must work with lenders and home owners to make sure that every avenue is taken before a home is foreclosed upon.

Passing Banking Reform that Truly Reforms the System

While the economy begins to rebound, it is necessary that we look back and fix what caused our economic meltdown in the first place. We can
no longer allow banks to play fast and loose with the law and people's life savings. In order to prevent the past from repeating itself, we must attack the problem head on with real banking and finance reform that stabilizes the lending market and provides regulations to the derivatives market. We must work diligently to pass a reform bill that holds banks accountable for their actions and creates standards that the Securities and Exchange Commission can enforce.

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