In an effort to keep our coverage balanced and to present both sides we have been working for nearly a week now on getting an interview with Mitt Romney. But as we were told, Romney is a very busy man.
Since last Monday I have made 22 phone calls to Republicans and to Romney's campaign just trying to get a few minutes with the candidate himself. We offered to fly to where he was to meet him, to do a satellite interview, even to talk to him on the phone. I've been writing e-mails and texting with officials since Monday when Channel 2 News first got the invitation to the White House. And even though Romney was as close to us as Utah on Friday, the campaign didn't make him available to talk.
We did talk with the former Governor of Virginia, another of the so-called battleground states. Governor Jim Gilmore speaks for the Romney campaign as what they call a surrogate. He said what small businesses really need is incentives to help them grow.
"What you see is most small businesses passing their profits on to the government in 30-40% taxes," says Jim Gilmore. "This has to change to guild incentives instead. President Obama does not understand that."
Romney's campaign here in Nevada expressed disappointment in President Obama's statement last week that the private sector is doing just fine, saying President Obama is out of touch with America.
And in response to today's announcement of a program to loosen up money for small businesses through the small business administration, the Romney campaign says that looking at the president's track record shows he's not serious about getting business back on track.
"In 2007 he said he'd oppose a special tax on mining," said Mason Harrison, Communications Director for the Romney Campaign in Nevada. "Yet he has endorsed a tax and a fee to disproportionately effect Northern Nevada. So when it comes to creating jobs Romney will undo that and start the pipeline and reduce taxes."
So we have offered Mitt Romney the opportunity and the time to talk to Northern Nevadans but he's not been made available to us.
We are told he plans to visit the state in the weeks ahead and that we will be given a chance to talk with him directly when he does. Until then, our invitation stands.
Written by Erin Breen
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Kristen Remington was one of eight reporters nationwide picked to attend the 'Live at the White House' day.
She discussed the rural economic report with President Obama which says $400-million has been pumped into rural America.
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For starters, Mr. President, thank you for your time. You unveiled your economic plan for rural Americans and rural Nevadans.
Small business is a big issue in Nevada. I spoke with some ranchers and farmers in Gardnerville, Nevada after reviewing your report. And their concern is more government money coming in could perhaps mean more government regulations. They want to know are there strings attached?
"No, actually the great thing about what we're seeing is progress in rural America... based primarily on drastically increased exports in other countries. And one of my main missions is to open up markets that have been closed to outstanding American agriculture products. The small business initiative really says at a local level, the SBA partners with private industry to come up with an investment pool to go into small businesses... taxpayers - this doesn't cost them a thing - cause usually these investments end up making money. But it gives the opportunity for small businesses to get access to financing at favorable rates they normally wouldn't have gotten and that's going to be able to create jobs."
President Obama went on to say another $2 billion is slated to be pumped into rural America in the next five years. Of course, it will take much more than this policy to pull Nevada out of our economic troubles - as our housing market is slow to recover.
"Let's talk about interest rates. At an all time low -- averaging 3.67% for a 30-year-fixed mortgage. You saw the Kellers a couple weeks ago."
"Yes, it was a great visit."
"A great visit, glad to hear that. Unlike the Kellers though, a lot of people don't have access to your government-backed loans or they cannot refinance. They say the banks are not working with us. What is your administration doing to ensure that all responsible homeowners have access to these rates?"
"We have a very specific proposal. All that needs to happen is that Congress needs to pass it. At a relatively modest cost, Congress could make sure every single American who's homes are underwater that they could refinance and take advantage of these historically low rates. And like the family I met in Reno, the Kellers, they can be saving $3,000 a year on their mortgage. Ultimately this could be good for the housing market, but it's also good for all businesses because consumers have $3,000 left in their pockets."
Nevada is also combating the worst unemployment numbers in the country at 11.7% well above the national average of 8.2% - numbers that don't bode well for young job seekers.
"You grew much support from young voters in Nevada and also voters who cited the economy as their top concern in 2008. If you fast forward four years, half of our college graduates (new grads) are coming into the work world either underemployed or unemployed. How do you win those voters back and how do you win Nevada in 2012?"
"Well look, we've gone through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. We've made significant progress. People obviously recognize we need to make more and young voters, in particular, are out there struggling. A couple things we need to do is make sure they're not bogged down with too much debt - that's why we're asking Congress to ensure that their student loan rates don't get doubled and we've got to continue to expand more opportunities like in Rural Nevada so there are more jobs created and these young people have more opportunity. But we're making steady progress and ultimately, this reelection is going to be a choice between an administration that says we're all in this together and a vision that says everybody is looking out for themselves."
Other cities participating in the 'Live at the White House' day include:
- Roanoke, Virginia
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Sioux City, Iowa
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Fresno
