The Montgomey Advertiser
Friday, July 9, 2010

Robert Bentley: Alabama jobs should go to Alabamians

By Robert Bentley

Alabama faces serious problems that require real leadership and bold solutions. My opponent has been attacking me instead of addressing the issues, but I will continue to focus on doing what's right for Alabama.

As governor I will fight the federal government, clean up Montgomery, and put Alabamians back to work. Let's put aside politics as usual and provide tax cuts to businesses that create jobs for unemployed workers. Until Alabama reaches full employment, I will not take a salary as governor.

The Gulf Coast has been devastated by the largest environmental and economic crisis ever to hit our state. The federal government and BP were ill prepared to deal with it, but now is the time to protect Alabama.

As governor, I will make sure Alabama jobs go to Alabama workers. I will protect our beaches and our barrier islands and help our fisheries, shipbuilders, and tourism industry recover. And I will solve the coastal insurance crisis for homeowners and businesses.

I was able to travel by boat across Portersville Bay and see the oil as it washed up against the booms and threatened to blacken our coastline.

I met with hundreds of fishermen who have been put out of work by the black crude that is churning through the Gulf. These men and their families have relied on those waters to make a living for generations and now that way of life is in serious danger.

As I met with them and looked into their weather-beaten faces, it was clear they do not want a government handout, they just want a job.

There are thousands of workers who spend each day trying to rid the beaches of the oil deposits that are washing up on our white sands. Each of those jobs should go to Alabama workers, like the fishermen who have been forced out of work by this disaster. We don't need to import workers when more than 200,000 Alabamians are unemployed and need jobs. That practice must stop now.

True leadership is required in difficult times like these. Elected officials must rise above partisan politics to come together to do what is right for the people of Alabama. We must provide the necessary resources to the Gulf to assist in recover efforts. We must hold the federal government and BP accountable for their incompetence and mismanagement. And we need to make sure to prevent catastrophes like this from ever happening again.

I will never forget the fishermen I met on the Gulf Coast who don't want a handout, just a chance to work and support their families. I will not stand by as their way of life is taken from them. As governor my No. 1 priority everyday will be to fight for those fisherman and all Alabamians who need a job.

In this campaign I pledge to focus on building Alabama up, not tearing my opponents down. We have serious problems that demand real leadership and bold solutions. Alabama is hurting, and we need a doctor.