WASHINGTON — Seeking to boost economic spirits, President Barack Obama on Thursday hailed the construction of another car-battery plant as a symbol of a made-in-America rebound from desperate times.
‘We’re going to build these products in America’
Said the president to workers: “You are leading the way in showing how manufacturing jobs are coming right back here to the United States of America.”
Obama’s day-trip to Michigan sought to give attention to the electric vehicle battery industry — and to the White House’s effort to spur job creation in a growing field — with financial help from taxpayers. With millions of people still looking for work and frustrated, Obama is under pressure to demonstrate progress.
“Our goal has never been to create a government program, but rather to unleash private-sector growth,” Obama said. “And we’re seeing results.”
The president spoke at a groundbreaking for a Compact Power plant, the ninth factory to begin construction with the help of economic stimulus money, in this case $2.4 billion. Obama stood on a platform in the middle of the work site, which at the moment remains a big area of mud and dirt, with shovels ready to go.
The plant is expected to ultimately employ 300 full-time workers, coming at a time when every new job is coveted.
The technology Obama is promoting is not yet widely available and remains far out of reach for most consumers, although Obama said Thursday that manufacturing advances will drive down costs significantly over the next few years. Electric cars currently on the market, such as the Tesla Roadster, retail for around $100,000, but federal tax credits can drive down the price somewhat.