Obama in Fort Myers: Pass stimulus now

By GEORGE BENNETT
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

FORT MYERS - President Obama told a supportive crowd Tuesday in this city of high foreclosures and rising unemployment that Congress needs to finish work quickly on more than $800 billion in economic stimulus measures.

But he also cautioned that results might not be seen immediately.

The massive package of spending and tax-cut measures the Democratic president and Democratic congressional leaders pushed - including a version of the stimulus bill that the Senate passed Tuesday, 61-37 - has drawn nearly unanimous opposition from Republicans in Washington, including all the Republicans in Florida's U.S. House delegation and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

But the plan got a plug from Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who introduced Obama at the midday town-hall-style meeting.

"We know it's important that we pass a stimulus package," said Crist, who last year campaigned extensively for Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

"We need to do it in a bipartisan way," Crist said. "It's about helping our country. This is not about partisan politics. This is about rising above that."

Obama said Crist "shares my conviction that creating jobs and turning this economy around is a mission that transcends politics. When the town is burning, you don't check party labels. Everybody needs to grab a hose."

The crowd of about 1,500 included David Casali and his girlfriend, Paris France, who both said they are struggling to find jobs in Southwest Florida's shrinking economy.

"I can't even find a job waiting tables," said France, 45, whose family recently shut down a costume shop that had been in business 30 years.

Casali, 42, said he worked in the sign business for 25 years in various parts of the United States before coming to Fort Myers five years ago, when the local economy was booming. Things started souring about two years ago, he said.

"I've had a profession 25 years. Now I can't even get a job at McDonald's," Casali said.

"I would like to ask the president, whatever plans he's got for us, is it going to help a little guy like me?" Casali said.

He didn't get to speak to the president, but others who did asked similar questions.

Obama heard from a woman who said she had battled unemployment and homelessness and said "we need our own kitchen and our own bathroom."

The president responded: "We're going to do everything we can to help you. There are a lot of people like you."

A student from Edison State College said he had been working for 4 1/2 years at McDonald's and asked how the stimulus plan would help him.

Obama mentioned a $500-per-worker tax credit, money to expand health-care coverage and tuition tax credits.

Attending Tuesday's event were most of the Democrats in Florida's congressional delegation, including U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler and Ron Klein of Boca Raton. No Republican U.S. House members attended.

Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, who represents Fort Myers, issued a statement last week welcoming the president but declaring that "the people of Southwest Florida, and indeed the nation, want to see a plan that will get our economy moving - not a plan that is chock-full of spending for pork and special interests."

Obama held a similar town-hall meeting Monday in Elkhart, Ind., where unemployment has reached 15 percent. Fort Myers has 10 percent joblessness and one of the nation's highest foreclosure rates.

As he did in a nationally televised news conference on Monday night, Obama framed the debate over the stimulus plan as a debate between acting or doing nothing.

"Economists across the spectrum have warned that if we don't act immediately, then millions more jobs will disappear," Obama said. "We cannot afford to wait. We can't wait and see and hope for the best. I believe in hope. But I believe in action."

While urging quick action, Obama said results won't be immediate.

"We didn't get into this fix overnight. We're not going to get out of it overnight," Obama said. Later, he added, "I do think the American people understand that there are some big tough problems and it's going to take some time to get ourselves out of them."