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 nations 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.
Youve got a great investment effort going over here at the air base, youve got great energy in the Hingham Shipyard, youve got great energy in the Quincy shipyard, youre trying to make things happen, Kerry said.
Youve got the Route 44 connection, youve got the Route 3 expansion, youve got an enormous number of housing growth, youve got Greenbush coming on line. Thats 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 nations economy - energy, education and incentives for business growth.
Kerry called for focusing on new technologies and alternative fuels to reduce the nations 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. Were 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
Be Ever Vigilant!
Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling.
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.
Sing it sister. Our taxes pay his salary and he has the WORST attendance record of any Senator that I know of.
Or perhaps his brain is stuck in the Carter administration.
Oh, I like that gun.
It reminds me of a dream I had last night. Cheney shows up at a press conference with a quail and a gun.
What alternate universe is this fool talking about - certainly not ours.
Someone ought to tell Kerry that he lives in the US, not Europe.
what planet does this idiot live on?
My thoughts exactly! Think he can tell us what color the sky is on his planet????
We only know it's outer, outer space.
Since when does good news ever matter to the Dims? LOL
They live in their own little world that's always depressing.
Be Ever Vigilant!
hey, why let facts interfere with a good crowd pleasing speech???
How would Kerry know whether or not the economy is up or down - he's always out of the country on a skiing trip or other and never is actually at work (you know the senate office building in DC)...
Kerry must be caught in a space-time alternate universe struggle with Jean Luc Picard.
"Youve got a great investment effort going over here at the air base, youve got great energy in the Hingham Shipyard, youve got great energy in the Quincy shipyard, youre trying to make things happen, Kerry said.
Youve got the Route 44 connection, youve got the Route 3 expansion, youve got an enormous number of housing growth, youve got Greenbush coming on line."
You've got a be kiddin us, F'n.
He really lives in an alternate universe, doesn't he?
I'm beginning to understand that big losers suffer big problems. Think Jimmy Carter since his defeat at the hands of Reagan. Gore since his defeat at the hands of Bush. And now Kerry.
DJI over 11,000 ... LOL, glad to see that Kerry's sense of timing is up to his usual standard.
That's what I always say about the Rats. They don't let the facts get in the way of their agenda.
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