Romney Campaign Press Release - Four Years Of Broken Promises For Virginia

"Nearly four years ago, President Obama promised Virginians that he would jumpstart our nation's economy. But after years of failed economic policies that have left nearly twenty-three million Americans struggling for work, it's clear President Obama doesn't have what it takes to get our economy moving again." –Amanda Henneberg, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Today, President Obama Will Hold A Kick-Off Rally For His Re-Election Campaign In Virginia:

President Obama Will Hold A Campaign Rally Today In Richmond. "The campaign is also planning to dispatch staff and local surrogates to Obama's rally at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where the president is expected to speak at 4:35 p.m. ET." (Holly Bailey, "Obama's Re-Election Rallies On Saturday To Be Blitzed By Romney Campaign," Yahoo News, 5/4/12)

But Nearly Four Years Later, Virginians Are Still Waiting For President Obama To Fulfill The Promises He Made During His Last Campaign For President:

Candidate Obama, In Virginia: "Wages Are Lower Than They've Been In A Decade, At A Time When The Cost Of Health Care And College Have Never Been Higher." OBAMA: "Wages are lower than they've been in a decade, at a time when the cost of health care and college have never been higher. It's getting harder and harder to make the mortgage, or fill up your gas tank, or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month. At this rate, the question isn't just 'are you better off than you were four years ago?', it's 'are you better off than you were four weeks ago?'" (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Richmond, VA, 10/22/08)

• Since President Obama Took Office, Median Household Income Has Declined By $4,300. "Yet real median household income in March was down $4,300 since Obama took office in January 2009 and down $2,900 since the June 2009 start of the economic recovery, according to an analysis of census data by Sentier Research, an economic- consulting firm in Annapolis, Maryland." (Mike Dorning, "Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush," Bloomberg, 4/30/12)

• The Richmond Times-Dispatch: Obamacare Will "Raise Health Care Costs, The Deficit, Taxes, And Insurance Premiums." "The critics' predictions -- it's going to raise health care costs, the deficit, taxes, and insurance premiums, make getting medical care more complex, and help fewer people than advertised -- are coming true already. Members of the public understand this all too well." (Editorial, "Health Care: 'You Dummies,'" The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/27/10)

• Under President Obama, The Average Cost Of College Has Increased By 25% At Four-Year Public Schools Across The Country. ("Trends In College Pricing," College Board, 2011)

Candidate Obama, In Virginia: "I'll Also Put Two Million More Americans To Work..." OBAMA: "I'll also put two million more Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools, and bridges - because it is time to build an American infrastructure for the 21st century." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Richmond, VA, 10/22/08)

• During President Obama's Time In Office, The Nation Has Lost 572,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased To 8.1%. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/4/12)

• In April 2012 Alone, "More Than 340,000 Workers Dropped Out Of The Labor Force." "April's jobs report was, in a word, disappointing. The economy added only 115,000 jobs. Hiring slowed. More than 340,000 workers dropped out of the labor force." (Charles Riley, "Why Obama Can't Match The Reagan Recovery," CNN Money, 5/4/12)

• Nearly Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/4/12)

Candidate Obama, In Virginia: "I Will Invest $15 Billion A Year In Renewable Sources Of Energy To Create Five Million New, Green Jobs..." OBAMA: "If I am President, I will invest $15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy to create five million new, green jobs over the next decade - jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and fuel-efficient cars; jobs that will help us end our dependence on oil from Middle East dictators." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Richmond, VA, 10/22/08)

• The Obama Administration Loaned More Than Half A Billion Dollars To Solyndra, Which Went Bankrupt And Laid Off 1,100 Workers. "In a blow to the Obama administration's efforts to create green jobs, solar-cell maker Solyndra announced Wednesday that it will close its remaining Fremont factory, lay off its 1,100 employees and file for bankruptcy. The news marked an abrupt end for a company once considered among the most innovative in a fast-changing industry. The bankruptcy also represents a high-profile failure for a federal stimulus program that gives loan guarantees to green-tech manufacturers. Solyndra was the first company to win one of the guarantees, receiving $535 million in 2009 to build its second factory in Fremont less than a mile from the company's original plant." (David R. Baker and Carolyn Said, "Solyndra Closes Fremont Plant - Stimulus Hopes Dim," San Francisco Chronicle, 9/1/11)

• "The Millions Of 'Green Jobs' Obama Promised Have Been Slow To Sprout..." "But the millions of 'green jobs' Obama promised have been slow to sprout, disappointing many who had hoped that the $90 billion earmarked for clean-energy efforts in the recession-fighting federal stimulus package would ease unemployment - still above 8 percent in March." (Andy Sullivan, "Analysis: Obama's 'Green Jobs' Have Been Slow To Sprout," Reuters, 4/13/12)

• Of The First 12 Obama Administration Loan Guarantees, "Two Firms Filed For Bankruptcy, A Third Has Faced Layoffs And A Fourth Deal Never Closed." "The bonuses and bankruptcies come against a growing wave of trouble for companies financed with Energy Department dollars. Of the first 12 loan guarantees the department announced, for instance, two firms filed for bankruptcy, a third has faced layoffs and a fourth deal never closed." (Ronnie Greene and Matthew Mosk, "Green Firms Get Fed Cash, Give Execs Bonuses, Fail," ABC News, 3/6/12)