July 16, 2003
WITH FOCUS ON ECONOMY, ROMNEY KICKS OFF “JOBS FIRST” FORUMS
Takes his jobs campaign to Fall River, gets feedback from local business leaders
FALL RIVER – Governor Mitt Romney today kicked off the first in a series of “Jobs First” forums across the Commonwealth as he took his campaign to stimulate job growth on the road to Southeastern Massachusetts.
At the forum, Romney outlined his six-point TOPS program – Tapping Our Potential in the State – to get the Massachusetts economy back on track. He also solicited input from Fall River-area business leaders about how the state can help with their needs.
Romney noted that the unemployment rate in Fall River at 7.2 percent in May is higher that the statewide rate of 5.5 percent, and that government needs to focus on the employment needs of all regions and especially those that exceed the statewide unemployment average.
“I am committed to putting Massachusetts back to work,” Romney said. “As difficult as our challenges are, we have enormous potential – a diverse economy, a highly educated workforce and major academic and research institutions.”
“But we can only be successful by working together, all of us, Democrats and Republicans, business and labor, to create an environment that allows job growth and development to take place,” he said.
After the forum, Romney joined local officials in a groundbreaking ceremony of a new 200,000 square foot state-of-the-art window production and distribution facility for Silver Line Building Products Corporation.
Silver Line recently received certification through the state’s Economic Development Initiative Program (EDIP) for a $13.1 million project that will create 457 new jobs for the South Coast Region within the first five years of operation. The Fall River location will manufacture vinyl windows and distribute them to customers in New England. Construction is anticipated to start in summer of 2003 with completion by January 2004.
“This new facility is significant for Silver Line in many ways,” said Ken Silverman, President & CEO of Silver Line Building Products. “From a business standpoint, Massachusetts is a strategic location that supports our company’s growth and expansion plans. Locating our company here will help us focus directly on the needs of building professionals in this region.”
In outlining his six-pronged TOPS program, Romney said government can play an important role in economic development by doing the following:
Preserving a stable and competitive tax base;
Holding down the cost of doing business in Massachusetts;
Taming the high cost of housing by increasing the supply;
Connecting our higher education system to regional
workforce needs;
Reforming state government to improve the delivery of
services; and
Working aggressively to bring more jobs to the state.
“In order to put Massachusetts back to work, the most important thing that government can do is to create the right environment for economic expansion and job growth. Employers will do the rest,” said Romney.
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