Ohio Dems launch ‘Job Killers’ tour with Neuhardt event in Columbus

Sherrod Brown, Chris Redfern, Sharen Neuhardt and David Robinson: Politicker Photo

COLUMBUS - Ohio Democratic leaders gathered in the Alcatel-Lucent Columbus plant's parking lot Tuesday afternoon on the first stop of what's being billed as "Bush/McCain/NAFTA: The Job Killers Tour."

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain), Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern, along with Congressional candidates Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) and David W. Robinson (D-Columbus) gathered with local union members to rally at the Alcatel-Lucent parking lot, as the telecommunications equipment company continues plant shutdown procedures and nears the end of a layoff of nearly 200 electronics manufacturing employees.

"Ohio's economy is on the wrong track after years of Republican indifference and incompetence have brought us to the brink of economic disaster," said Neuhardt. "We need the right leaders, working together in Washington, to rebuild our state and the nation. But if we're ever going to change how things work in Washington, we have to change who we send there."

During the rally, Democratic leaders pitched Neuhardt in her race against state Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield) in Ohio's 7th Congressional District.

Brown said that Neuhardt was connecting to voters in the district like no other candidate in a long time. He said that Neuhardt understands the need to reward companies for keeping jobs here, instead of sending them overseas.

Neuhardt and Brown pledged to work together, in both the U.S. House and Senate, to rebuild Ohio's crumbling economy.

During the rally, they pointed to the central Ohio region as ranking second in the state for shutdowns and jobs lost in the last eight years. The Democrats said that Franklin County has suffered 170 company shutdowns and has lost nearly 19,000 jobs.

Brown called to elect more Democrats to Congress to help fight the mass layoffs, factory and business shutdowns, and unemployment many of Ohio's working families suffer with today.

"Wrong-headed policies championed by Republicans in Congress are sending our jobs overseas," Brown said. "We must revamp our nation's trade policies and change economic priorities in Washington.  Sharen will help lead Ohio's economy in a new direction and will work to bring good paying jobs back to our state. We need Sharen Neuhardt in Congress."

One year ago, Alcatel-Lucent announced its intent to eliminate the nearly 200 jobs remaining at the plant. By the end of this month, only five employees will be left, and by the end of the year, four. Lucent Technologies  was bought by French company Alcatel in 2006. At the time of the original plant closing announcement two years ago, it was declared that 8,880 jobs would be cut over a three-year period.

The Democrats called Alcatel-Lucent one of the nearly 1,100 factories and companies in Ohio that "suffered and ultimately closed in Ohio in the past eight years due to failed Bush-McCain-type economic policies."

Redfern praised Neuhardt's work "on the issues confronting every day Ohioans," such as paying the mortgage, healthcare, tuition costs, jobs and the economy.

"We can print more yard signs and we can pay for more bumper stickers, but there are just 13 days between now and the election," Redfern said.

"One of the things we have to do, one of the things we can do, one of the things we should do is elect Sharen Neuhardt to the United States Congress."

Redfern said Neuhardt should be elected along with Robinson, and Democrats Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio's 15th, John Boccieri in Ohio's 16th, Steve Driehaus in Ohio's 1st and Victoria Wulsin in Ohio's 2nd and others.

Neuhardt and Brown were joined today by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Communications Workers of America (CWA) and supporters of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), all of which had members who used to be employed at Alcatel-Lucent in Columbus.

The tour is slated to continue Wednesday with events in Toledo and Cincinnati.

"All week across the state of Ohio, elected officials will join with everyday Ohioans who have seen their jobs disappear overseas because of the Bush/McCain economic policies and job-killing trade deals," the Ohio Democratic Party said in a statement.

Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Redfern will discuss "the impact of bad trade deals in Toledo, where companies like Keystone and Ronfeldt have shipped American jobs offshore."

Also, State Rep. Tyrone K. Yates (D-33), Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper, and AFL-CIO Cincinnati Executive Secretary-Treasurer Doug Sizemore will be in Cincinnati to discuss "job-killing trade deals and the failed Bush/McCain economic policies."

On Thursday, the tour will visit Youngstown, "home to a General Electric Lighting facility that saw jobs flee to Mexico in 2006."