Article source for : Coke plant bonds sale by state jeapordizing Alternatives Energy and Jobs program
The republicans in the article explain that the Governor's proposed job package, would exceed the limit on bond indebtedness. They just announced a few days back that they were underwriting $600 million in bonds for the coke plant. Is this another damaging effect of the coke plant then?
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GOVERNOR TOURS PLANT HE LAUDED IN HIS SPEECH
Governor tours plant with company president Bruce Sohn.
By Tom Troy
Blade Politics Writer
The Toledo Blade
2/08/2008
Section B, Page 2
Gov. Ted Strickland yesterday toured a Perrysburg Township factory that makes solar-energy panels for worldwide consumption as part of a swing across the state.
Speaking to the media after the tour, the governor said he hopes the state legislature passes his $1.7 billion plan called Building Ohio Jobs, to stimulate the state's economy.
The borrowing package would create 80,000 new jobs by investing in renewable power, local water and sewer projects, transportation infrastructure, nonpetroleum production of plastics, the biomedical industry, redevelopment of "Main Street, Ohio," clean-up of polluted industrial sties, and preservation of farmland.
"I can't imagine anyone of either party opposing efforts to create jobs in Ohio, " Governor Strickland said. "At the same time, we will not only be creating jobs, we will be rebuilding our infrastructure."
Mr. Strickland cited First Solar's partnership with the U of Toledo in his State of the State speech Wednesday as an example of good news in Ohio's shaky economy.
"This company and companies like it are the kind of industry Ohio desperately needs," Mr. Strickland said, after touring the sprawling, spotlessly clean facility.
A spokesman said some of First Solar's biggest customers are in Germany because of the generous incentives for utilities to use sunlight to supply power to their electrical grids.
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who also took the tour, endorsed the infrastructure package, adding, "i wish we had the capacity [in Toledo] to do the same."
He took the occasion to urge the governor to establish a statewide center for alternative energy in Toledo.
He said First Solar's Perrysburg Township facility is one of three solar manufacturers in the Toledo area, and that two others are inquiring abou tlocating here.
State Sen. Mark Wagoner (R.,Ottawa Hills), and state Rep. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green) yesterday siad the jobs package has merit, but said they were concerned about going over a 5 percent limit on bonded indebtedness.
"The answer is I think it's likely," Mr. Gardner said. "I think we do want to work with the governor to do a jobs package."