Many of the people paying attention to what's on C-SPAN are some of the very movers and shakers who make decisions, such as on how and where to spend economic stimulus dollars. Youngstown's mayor wants to see them used for economic development.
Almost from the very beginning of a half-hour long interview on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" Monday, Mayor Jay Williams made it clear he wasn't simply trying to preach to the choir. He said he's "hopeful this message will transend Youngstown and Ohio and come here to Washington."
Williams openly and unabashedly promoted the Valley as a place where businesses can come to grow. At one point he said "I don't think there's any other city in the country that's been as innovative and progressive as Youngstown, Ohio."
But he also used the opportunity to press lawmakers and the Obama administration to free up more economic stimulus money for small businesses that are having trouble borrowing what they need to expand.
Valley Congressman Tim Ryan said he believed one place to start would be the same program used to bail out failing banks, not to mention G-M and Chrysler.
"I'm of the school of thought to say 'give this to our local community banks'," Ryan told us Monday.
Williams also touted the Valley's low cost of living and other attributes, with some thinking the "inside-the-beltway" crowd that might be more inclined to be watching C-SPAN will come away with a better impression of this area after the mayor's appearance.
While the mayor will testify tomorrow in behalf of V&M Star Steel, which could ultimately benefit from about $20 million dollars in economic stimulus money, he also mentioned the plight of Forum Health, saying he'd like to see stimulus money used somehow to support that system and hold onto it's 4,000 jobs in the Valley.
Tuesday's hearing on the impact of foreign steel dumping is also expected to include Gov. Ted Strickland, Ryan and Sen. Sherrod Brown.
