News

KBJR News 1
February 6, 2010

Duluth, Minn. --- Fresh-off his latest tour of Northeastern MN, U.S. Senator Al Franken talked job-creation in Duluth today.

Franken spoke with Iron Range business leaders at the annual Hibbing Chamber of Commerce Dinner yesterday. Today, he gave an exclusive interview at Northland's NewsCenter in Duluth.

The Junior Senator's tone: that of hope, and legislative ambition.

"This isn't one of these dieing industrial towns," Franken said, regarding Duluth's economy.

"Quite the opposite, this town is being revitalized. And it's being revitalized by the mayor, by the city council, by the county commissioners," he said.

Franken met with Duluth business leaders and Mayor Don Ness earlier today. His agenda focused promoting federal initiatives designed to stimulate job growth.

"Right now we're seeing some growth in the economy. But we're not seeing enough people being hired," Franken said, regarding the meeting.

Franken's top priority: advertising his strategy for spending the Federal bail-out money Wall-Street banks are required to pay back. Officially, his legislation is titled the S.E.E.D Act, but he calls it "Cash For Jobs."

Franken says if signed into law, the plan would enable private employers to accept government wage-matching of up to for 6 months for each new employee hired.

"It's a wage subsidy," Franken explains. "5 billion dollars in TARP funds will go to wage subsidies paying for 50 percent of a new employee's wages up to $12 an hour."

With those matching funds, Franken calculates job growth will increase by 500,000 new jobs nationally, with 15,000 jobs created here in Minnesota.

Franken's legislative ambitions also extend into health-care reform and the support of industry throughout Northern Minnesota. Other topics important to the first term DFL'er include new mining opportunities represented by the controversial PolyMET plant and the continued taconite mining conducted by Essar Steel.

"I believe we can accomplish these projects in a responsible manner and in an environmentally safe manner too," he said. "We have to."

On his tour, Franken also spoke with representatives of Lutheran Social Services in Duluth and made a stop at local restaurant "Hell's Kitchen."

"The role of the government is to create an environment where the marketplace works," Franken noted.