https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2018/...c-counties-outpaces-growth-in-Trump-territory
As President Trump touts job growth as a central achievement, the counties that put him in the White House are losing jobs faster than Democratic strongholds. Yet, this hasn't seemed to erode his Republican support, nor improved his standing with Democratic voters.
………….
Rep. Keith Rothfus (R) of Pennsylvania recently sat in the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce's wood-paneled conference room as local business owners recounted their difficulties in finding workers. A local cafe struggled to hire bakers who could start the ovens at 3 a.m. The shopping mall manager found that higher pay did little to attract better job applicants.
A congressman since 2013, Representative Rothfus bears the calm, bespectacled manner of a professor. He faces a tough re-election battle in Pennsylvania's newly created 17th District against Rep. Conor Lamb (D), who won a special election House victory earlier this year. Both Rothfus and Representative Lamb's current districts were redrawn this year by court order.
Sitting outside a cafe before the chamber meeting, Rothfus said there was a clear path for generating job growth: Immigrants.
"You look at areas of the country that are really thriving – there's a significant immigrant population," he said. "We need to do a better job of attracting immigrants here. This place was built on immigrants."
But Rothfus has also been outspoken on the importance of tighter border security. A few weeks after the chamber meeting, he voted for a bill that, had it passed, would have imposed tougher border measures and likely curbed legal immigration.
When asked if voters would make their choice this November based on the health of the economy, Rothfus said, emphatically, yes. His belief is that the tax cuts and pullback on regulations by Trump would help give him an edge.
"I think you look at the choice we have: Do we want to have more government and higher taxes or more jobs and higher wages?" he said. "That's a pretty compelling argument."
As of now, Beaver County is still waiting on the job surge.
……….
Note: Rothfus has been my congressman prior to redistricting. Now he is way east over in Beaver County. His favorite thing to do has been to get his grinning face in pics with Trump.
Now it is going to be his downfall, as it seems the voters are about to administer a spanking.
As President Trump touts job growth as a central achievement, the counties that put him in the White House are losing jobs faster than Democratic strongholds. Yet, this hasn't seemed to erode his Republican support, nor improved his standing with Democratic voters.
………….
Rep. Keith Rothfus (R) of Pennsylvania recently sat in the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce's wood-paneled conference room as local business owners recounted their difficulties in finding workers. A local cafe struggled to hire bakers who could start the ovens at 3 a.m. The shopping mall manager found that higher pay did little to attract better job applicants.
A congressman since 2013, Representative Rothfus bears the calm, bespectacled manner of a professor. He faces a tough re-election battle in Pennsylvania's newly created 17th District against Rep. Conor Lamb (D), who won a special election House victory earlier this year. Both Rothfus and Representative Lamb's current districts were redrawn this year by court order.
Sitting outside a cafe before the chamber meeting, Rothfus said there was a clear path for generating job growth: Immigrants.
"You look at areas of the country that are really thriving – there's a significant immigrant population," he said. "We need to do a better job of attracting immigrants here. This place was built on immigrants."
But Rothfus has also been outspoken on the importance of tighter border security. A few weeks after the chamber meeting, he voted for a bill that, had it passed, would have imposed tougher border measures and likely curbed legal immigration.
When asked if voters would make their choice this November based on the health of the economy, Rothfus said, emphatically, yes. His belief is that the tax cuts and pullback on regulations by Trump would help give him an edge.
"I think you look at the choice we have: Do we want to have more government and higher taxes or more jobs and higher wages?" he said. "That's a pretty compelling argument."
As of now, Beaver County is still waiting on the job surge.
……….
Note: Rothfus has been my congressman prior to redistricting. Now he is way east over in Beaver County. His favorite thing to do has been to get his grinning face in pics with Trump.
Now it is going to be his downfall, as it seems the voters are about to administer a spanking.
