Posted on 02/14/2006 9:09:44 AM PST by Peach
QUINCY - The Bush administration is as slow to respond to a host of pressing demands on the nation’s economy as it was in responding to Hurricane Katrina last year, Sen. John Kerry told a breakfast meeting of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce today.
‘‘Katrina underscores lack of preparation, unpreparedness, despite all the warnings,’’ Kerry told a group gathered at the Quincy Marriott Hotel. ‘‘Katrina stripped away the confidence, the veneer that had cloaked this administration for a period of time, and people began to see a whole series of choices that have been wrong.’’
Kerry praised South Shore business leaders for laying the groundwork for economic development by making long-term infrastructure investments.
‘‘You’ve got a great investment effort going over here at the air base, you’ve got great energy in the Hingham Shipyard, you’ve got great energy in the Quincy shipyard, you’re trying to make things happen,’’ Kerry said.
‘‘You’ve got the Route 44 connection, you’ve got the Route 3 expansion, you’ve got an enormous number of housing growth, you’ve got Greenbush coming on line. That’s what we ought to be doing on a national level.’’
But Kerry said the federal government must do its part to help businesses overcome obstacles to competing in the global economy - such as rising healthcare and energy costs, and lagging investments in education and research and development.
Kerry laid out what he called a ‘‘three-pronged competitiveness challenge’’ facing the nation’s economy - energy, education and incentives for business growth.
Kerry called for focusing on new technologies and alternative fuels to reduce the nation’s oil dependence and create new jobs. His proposal includes tax incentives for automakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars and for consumers to buy them, and developing energy alternatives such as bio-fuels and wind energy.
‘‘You just heard the president give a speech in the State of the Union message and he talked about how America is addicted to oil,’’ Kerry said. ‘‘Mr. President, the nation is not addicted to oil, your administration is addicted to oil.’’
On education and business competitiveness, Kerry called for using the same money that goes for tax cuts to instead be used to improve schooling and for new investments in research and development.
‘‘We are going ahead, like it or not, with a tax cut for the wealthiest people in America yet again,’’ Kerry said. ‘‘We’re spending billions exporting democracy to other parts of the world, we need to make our own democracy work a little better right here at home.’’
Tom Benner may be reached at tbenner@ledger.com.
Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger Transmitted Monday, February 13, 2006
He's really needs to watch the news...
Could Kerry's timing be any worse?
The Dow is up 120 and over 11,000.
Retail sales are up the highest in 6 years.
what planet does this idiot live on?
The Dow is up 120 and over 11,000.
Retail sales are up the highest in 6 years.
WOO HOO... HELLO RETIREMENT FUND!
If this economy gets any worse I'l have to move to Canada to live.........../s
It must be the same planet that Gore lives on. They both have lousy timing and neither have an ounce of sense.
More federal money for healthcare and education. That's something new, eh John?
So's Kerry...........
The sad thing is that his remarks will go unchallenged by the MSM. Journalists learned from the last election that the public has to be re-educated to understand why Republicans are bad. It's okay if they ignore some good news, as long as the public learns to stop being so stupid and start associating Republicans with cold-hearted, money-grubbing white guys who only care about other cold-hearted, money-grubbing white guys.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH...isnt he in Switzerland. When was the last time this buffon actually paid attention to the "US" economy.
Factless, Clueless, idiot...sadly, this fool still wonders why he's not POTUS...look in the mirror Kerry, 52% of this nation knows you're a dunce.
Exactly. The press is playing down the economy, apparently not caring that for every negative word they utter, they downplay their OWN investments.
Rove must be operating a mind control machine, it the only possible explanation for the behavior of prominent dems.
Until they do, I doubt they make any headway in Congress or the White House. It's not like the GOP is a stellar party... but they at least offer some details of their plans, rather than asking the unwashed masses to take it on faith that this time they'll get that governing thing down.
Hard to figure out who has worse political timing. Kerry with this stupid statement or Al the Bore a couple of years ago who made a speech on Global Warming on the coldest day of the year!
Old Media challenge a Democrat? Not in my lifetime.
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