Events Calendar
In This Section
Actor Bernsen enjoying ride of derby movie project
Giving Doll ministry hits 5,000 milestone
Region's stocking full of ideas for those on the prowl for holiday gifts
Retired firefighter who broke color barrier among those being honored
High-tech company expands downtown
Ohio sues credit-rating companies
Dominance by Ohio State dulls rivalry
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Angel Food Ministries helps stretch grocery dollars
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 13-47
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Obama promises crackdown on lending
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Feb 24, 2008
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama promises that if he is elected president, he will take steps to create more jobs for Ohioans.
Obama, who took time for a brief interview with the Beacon Journal Saturday before heading to Cleveland for another campaign stop, said Ohio is suffering from a shift away from manufacturing jobs.
''I would never pretend I could bring all the jobs back,'' he said, sitting in his idling campaign bus, looking calm and — amazingly — not tired after a 50-minute speech before about 6,000 people at the John S. Knight Center.
Obama said he would seek an amendment to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and
make sure future trade agreements have stronger standards. He pledged to rebuild roads, bridges and broadband lines in rural communities.
''Those are all critical to keep us competitive,'' he said.
Obama said he would work to make higher education — including technical schools and community colleges — more affordable. He would push for an investment in 21st-century energy such as wind turbines. Much of this, he said, is being built by European countries.
''We should be in the forefront of that,'' he said. ''If we do all those things, there's no reason we can't develop the outstanding work force here in Ohio to provide good jobs for the future.''
Regarding the home-foreclosure problem, Obama said he would create a $10 billion prevention fund. He said this money would be used to help people work out their mortgages while remaining in their houses.
Long term, he said, he would crack down on misleading lending practices, not only by mortgage companies, but also by credit-card companies.
''The Bush administration has not believed in any regulation, and I think that's a profound mistake,'' Obama said.
He said he's preparing for his debate against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at Cleveland State University on Tuesday — their 20th face-off in the campaign — while continuing to take his message across Ohio. ''There aren't too many surprises left,'' he said of the debates. ''We tend to have the same discussions.''
However, he said he'll probably share a few Ohio stories he picked up while in Columbus at a round-table discussion on health care.
''Health care is an area where people are just frustrated,'' Obama said. ''Either because they don't have health care or because they have health care, but the costs are going up so rapidly.''
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached
at 330-996-3705 or
swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama promises that if he is elected president, he will take steps to create more jobs for Ohioans.
Get the full article here.
