Dearborn, MI – MI-15 Republican candidate Rob Steele is spending a lot of time pretending he is ahead in the polls despite credible polls showing him far behind John Dingell.  But maybe he should spend more time explaining what he would do in Congress.  Rob Steele is coy about John Dingell’s work fighting for Michigan and he openly mocks investments that are creating innovative technology jobs in our District and state.  If he opposes these job-creating investments that John Dingell has fought for, shouldn’t he level with the voters and explain that he would turn these resources away on ideological grounds?

Congressman Dingell knows that we need to keep jobs at home in America and has supported moving Michigan forward with innovative technology jobs. Dingell’s work to pass the Recovery Act successfully ramped up advanced battery development in Michigan, which means over 63,000 projected Michigan jobs in the next 10 years to make our nation the world leader in advanced battery and electric vehicle technology.  Recently, we have even brought hundreds of jobs back from Mexico to the 15th District.  Dingell knows the opportunity these new jobs bring to Michigan, the 4th largest high-tech workforce in the nation.

A123 Systems is one of the twenty Michigan battery research and development Recovery Act projects, which will expand U.S. production capacity from 1 percent to 20 percent of the global market. This Ann Arbor based company received $249 million dollars to open project locations in Romulus and Brownstown.  A123 Systems can now further its work and bring in around 3,000 new hires, and with Dingell’s help, this 15th District based company can transform into a leading, high-tech powerhouse.  What would Rob Steele tell this Michigan research and development company?  Would he send back the Recovery Act resources they received that are helping put Michigan on path for more good jobs of the future?  Would he ask Michigan to give back the more than $14 billion to fund advanced battery development?

Dingell knows the Recovery Act is good for Michigan’s economy and job creation.  The Recovery Act helped support General Motors’ Brownstown facility to expand their facility and hire 100 new employees for production of high-volume battery pack of Cheverolet Volt and it helped Ventower Systems in Monroe to create 176 full-time jobs in the next year.  Would Rob Steele oppose the GM expansion and the hundreds of jobs being created at Ventower?  What would he tell the employers and employees who benefit from the investment that created or saved 102,000 jobs in Michigan?  Rob Steele also says that the Mackinaw Center has “great ideas” on so-called Right to Work legislation.  The truth is, the average worker in Right to Work states earns $5,000 a year less.  What would Rob Steele say to these workers?  Would he tell Michigan workers they make too much?  Is he going to fight to make Michigan a Right to Work state?

Congressman Dingell understands the needs of Michigan families and he watches out for them.  He protects Michigan workers — diversifying our economy, creating retraining opportunities and actively drawing new companies to Southeast Michigan.  Michigan has no question about what would Dingell do; as America’s Watchdog, he will keep fighting for jobs for Michigan.

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