Despite Campaigning For Jobs, Obama Policy Could End Thousands Locally
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - When President Barack Obama visits Dallas next month, there's no word on whether he'll campaign publicly for his jobs bill.
But SMU economics professor Bernard Weinstein says North Texas businesses are already concerned about the president's policies. "We may be facing some significant job losses in the state of texas as a result of policies in Washington."
The White House has reportedly decided not to allow Lockheed Martin to sell 66 new F-16's to Taiwan.
Without any new orders, the company says in 2013 it would have to end production and could lose 2,000 jobs in Fort Worth.
Mayor Betsy Price says the president needs to take that into account. "It is about the jobs. in this economy, in this market, we have to continue to think about keeping our people at work."
Last week, Dallas-based Luminant, the state's largest power generator, announced it would shut down two coal-fired power plants and eliminate 500 jobs because of new air quality standards by the EPA.
Republicans criticize the president. "He continues to pass policies that create problems where employers have to lay people off of their jobs, and just makes the situation even worse." says Dallas County's Republican Party chairman Wade Emmert.
But Democrats like Claudia Fowler, who's part of the group Organizing for America, blames Republicans. "They are part of the problem, they are not part of a solution. they are setting him up for failure, they are not passing legislation, they're blocking him every which way they can."
Texas' unemployment rate crept up last month. Businesses created more than 8,000 new jobs in Texas, but that wasn't enough to offset more than 11,000 jobs lost in local governments.
Professor Weinstein says, "What that says is, like it or not, we're part of the national economy." He expects losses in government jobs in Texas to continue.
