Industry wants results, not promises, from Obama

Jan 27, 2011 | 10:43 AM |

Steel and manufacturing industry players say that while they back some of the proposals President Obama laid out in his State of the Union address this week, they diverge with the President on how to reach those goals.

Obama proposed investment in innovation, clean energy, infrastructure and education in his speech Tuesday night, initiatives he said would create jobs.

Thomas Danjczek, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association, Washington, was skeptical about Obama's follow-through. "There's a real difference between a teleprompter and theater and real meaningful actions," he told AMM. "Time will tell if we'll do those things with infrastructure, taxes, deficit spending and regulations to make America more competitive and create jobs."

Likewise, Scott Paul, executive director of the Washington-based Alliance for American Manufacturing, welcomed Obama's focus but said the President has more work to do to make his case. "We look forward to working with the administration and Congress to pass a 'made in America' plan that will secure good manufacturing jobs now and in the future," Paul said.....