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Obama Pushes Stimulus Package In Fort Myers

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TBO.com

Published: February 10, 2009

Updated: 02/10/2009 01:17 pm

1:15 p.m.

Obama Concludes Town Hall

President Obama just finished his town hall meeting with the job ahead of helping the House and Senate now come to an agreement on a plan. Meantime, the last question from an enthusiastic Edison College student may make YouTube in the near future.

-- TBO.com staff

12:54 P.M.

Obama: Senate Passes Stimulus Plan

President Obama just interrupted his question and answer session to announce that the Senate has passed the economic stimulus plan. [The vote, by the way, was 61-37]

-- TBO.com staff

12:31 P.M.

Senate Taking Final Vote As Obama Speaks

Barack Obama just finished his speech -- he's about to take questions -- as MSNBC has on split screen the final Senate vote on their version of the stimulus plan.

-- TBO.com staff

12:30 P.M.

Will It Help The Little Guy?

"Will it help the little guy?" That's the question one Fort Myers resident, who's been out of work along with his girlfriend for more than a year, wants to ask Barack Obama.

David Casali, 42, of North Fort Myers, came to the town hall meeting with Obama along with his girlfriend, whose name really is Paris France—"My dad's name was France, and I guess they went to Woodstock or something," she said.

Casali has been in the sign business, but not lately—"There is no sign business here any more," he said. "Not only that, but you try to get a job at McDonald's or somewhere just to keep food on the table, and they tell you there are 100 applicants for every position."

France worked at a costume business, The Fun Tree, founded by her grandfather, until it closed.

"Every friend I have, the conversation is, 'Did you find a job yet? Are they evicting you?' " Casali said. "Nobody talks anymore about what you're going to do this weekend."

-- William March

12:24 P.M.

Obama Outlines Stimulus Plan

Addressing those who want to continue what he calls the failed policies of the previous administration, President Obama said, "I believe in hope, but I also believe in action." to the applause of the audience.

Given how hard-hit Lee County has been by foreclosures, Obama pledged help with housing as well as employment, where he wants to create or save 4 million jobs and in extend unemployment benefits.

Obama: "They say we can't afford to take on these tasks, Florida. we can't afford not to."

12:17 P.M.

Love But Not Labels

It was an odd scene as Gov. Charlie Crist was about to introduce President Obama -- he had to wait while the crowd chanted, "Yes we can."

Crist then told the crowd the nation needs the stimulus bill, but added, "We need to do it in a bipartisan way -- this issue is about helping our country."

Early in Obama's speech, he responded with some praise for Crist.

"The thing about governors is they understand this economic crisis in a special way," he said "When the town is burning, you don't check party labels. Everybody needs to grab a hose. And that's what Charlie Crist is doing."

-- William March

12:14 P.M.

Obama Recognizes Floridians

As all speakers do before they get serious, President Obama recognized various dignitaries including state CFO Alex Sink, members of the legislature and Tampa's U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and other Democratic members of the U.S. House who were active in his campaign. And of course, he thanked Republican Charlie Crist.

-- TBO.com staff

12:08 A.M.

Crist Welcomes President

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and President Barack Obama have just taken the stage. Cell phones and digital cameras are pointed up, as the crowd chants, "yes we can."

Crist: "Mr. President, Welcome to Fort Myers, Florida." And then the bad news about the Florida economy and the need to pass a bipartisan stimulus package.

-- TBO.com staff

11:50 A.M.

The Crowd Is Warmed Up And Ready To Go

As we approach the noon hour, the media has lined up for a series of midday live shots at the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers.

President Barack Obama set to arrive in less than 20 minutes. The Pledge of Allegiance warmed up the crowd, now 1,500 strong and packed into every available chair.

The national anthem followed with two young women wowing the crowd with their harmony and heart. Finally, the crowd joined in a moment of prayer. The prayer focused on hope for a better and stronger economy in the coming days.

President Obama is here to bring his battle with Congress over approval of an economic stimulus package to the public The president hopes the public in turn puts pressure on it's public servants.

Wait ... Is he here? The crowd utters a disappointed. ... ohhhhh. Apparently, a member of the event team decided to conduct a last-minute check of equipment raising the hope the president had arrived, but to no avail.

Jackie Barron

Martinez: Crist Seeks "Any Port In A Storm" In Supporting Stimulus Bill

11:41 A.M.

Just as Obama is about to appear for a town hall meeting in Fort Myers to push his stimulus bill - where he'll be introduced by Gov. Charlie Crist - Sen. Mel Martinez held a conference call to explain why he came to a different conclusion on the bill from Crist, his fellow Republican.

Martinez said Crist is looking at the bill from the point of view of a governor, who wants help for his state, while Martinez is looking at it from the point of view of a senator thinking about what's best for the nation in the long run.

Crist, he said, is "facing the problems that governors face - balancing the budget, doing the things he must do for the people of Florida … and you have a lifeline from the federal government - any port in a storm."

But for himself, Martinez said, "As a matter of national economic policy, making a judgment of what is overall best for the nation's economy, my judgment is different."

William March

Why is Obama Here?

11:30 A.M.

Obama is in Fort Myers because it has become an exemplar of the nation's struggling economy—like Elkhart, Ind., and Peoria, Ill., other stops on his tour to promote his stimulus bill.

Here are some indications of why:

• Cape Coral-Fort Myers had the nation's highest foreclosure rate for 2008, around six times the national average and double the Florida average, according to Daren Blomquist of RealtyTrac. The company says more than 12 percent of housing units in the area got a foreclosure-related notice last year.

• In Lee County, 41,040 properties got foreclosure related filings last year.

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Cape Coral-Fort Myers was 10 percent in December, up from 6 percent in December 2007.

In his news conference last night, Obama noted that Elkhart's RV industry has collapsed, in part because customers can't get loans.

In Peoria, where Obama will go tomorrow, the Caterpillar construction equipment maker has gone through major layoffs.

But in the case of Fort Myers, Obama's decision may have been helped along by the fact that Southwest Florida is a Republican stronghold, and Fort Myers is in the district of Rep. Connie Mack, who may be a contender in next year's Senate race in Florida.
William March

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