The Engine of Our Economy
Posted by on October 14, 2009 at 06:12 PM EDT
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If you live anywhere near Virginia, you know there's one issue that's always on Virginians' minds, whether the economy is up or down: transportation. And so as the Recovery Act keeps doing its job of creating jobs, the rehabilitation of the Fairfax County Parkway Extension is a good example of what the President means when he says that the Act is also creating a new foundation for the country. Nationwide, men and women are going back to work to rebuild our infrastructure for the 21st Century, getting back on their feet and getting our country back on track.
The President gave a few remarks to the workers there after taking a tour with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood:
Hardworking Americans have borne the brunt of this recession. They've been laid off in historic numbers; they've seen their hours trimmed and their wages cut; they've lived in fear of being the next ones to be let go. And that's not right.
Middle class Americans are the ones who built this country, made it great, and keep it going each and every day. And they deserve leaders in Washington who are willing to work as hard as they work; who are willing to fight for their futures as hard as they fight for their families.
We need to all live up to our responsibilities as faithfully as these workers here are living up to theirs. And that's why our goal is not just to rebound from this recession, but to start building an economy that works for all Americans; where everyone who's looking for work can find a job -- and not just a temporary job, but a permanent job that lasts from season to season; where our stock market isn't only rising again but our businesses are hiring again. That's our goal.
And I know that we have a lot of work to do to meet that goal. But I also know that thanks to the governor here in Virginia, Tim Kaine, thanks to two outstanding senators, Mark Warner and Jim Webb, and a great congressman, Congressmen Jim Moran and as well as Congressman Gerry Connolly, and thanks to the work of Ray here and the rest of my administration, we've made some meaningful progress over the last few months.
(President Barack Obama speaks about the Recovery Act during a tour of the Fairfax County Parkway extension project in Springfield, Va., Oct. 14, 2009. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is at left. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
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