Schenectady Trip Focuses on Upstate NY
President Obama greeted at Schenectady airport.
/ Albany Times-Union photo.
A presidential visit creates buzz, excitement and opportunity. In Schenectady one man took full advantage of the president's visit . He claimed to be the president's chef to get some special treatment at one of the best restaurants in town. That's one kind of attention. The other is more productive.
The power of the White House taking notice of the economic struggles of Upstate New York is better than being uncertain of whether Washington is aware of our problems. Of course, the president only spent a couple of hours on the ground. Much of what he talked about was related to his economic council and his appointment of GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt to lead it. But, he did chat with real workers. He saw the giant turbines. He heard details about green energy programs.
President Obama's remarks were written in a very familiar almost casual style. At first, he joked about the New York Jets and his beloved Chicago Bears. But even when the speech grew more serious he talked about going back to Thomas Edison's principles saying, "we're going to build stuff and invent stuff."
We hope one day this president or another returns to our region because they are proudly trumpeting the renewal of our region's economy instead of highlighting our struggles.
You can click here if you'd like to like to read the full transcript of the president's remarks in Schenectady.
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