Mike Turner today announced that he has received an official response from Vice President Joseph Biden addressing his concern that federal stimulus dollars may have been used to fund NCR Corporation’s relocation to new facilities in Duluth, GA and Columbus, GA.
Mike Turner today announced that he has received an official responsefrom Vice President Joseph Biden addressing his concern that federalstimulus dollars may have been used to fund NCR Corporation’srelocation to new facilities in Duluth, GA and Columbus, GA. In his response, Vice President Biden said “the use of federal recoveryfunds for the potential relocation of jobs from one State to another isnot an approved use of Recovery funds.” Biden’s letter dated July 14added, “If the City of Columbus applied for Recovery Act funds topurchase a facility to house NCR to facilitate the relocation of jobsfrom Ohio to Georgia, the request would not be granted.”
Vice President Biden’s letter was responding to Congressman Turner andHouse Republican Leader John Boehner’s (R-Ohio-08) letter to PresidentObama in early June inquiring if this was an appropriate use of federal recovery act dollars.
“The Obama Administration has finally responded to the Dayton communityconcerns about NCR Corporation relocation,” said Rep. Turner. “VicePresident Biden says no stimulus funds will be used to fund the new NCRfacility. However, previous media reports and even a NCR Corporationpress release announced the use of federal stimulus dollars.”
Last week during a House Oversight and Government Reform committeehearing, Congressman Turner questioned U.S. Office of Management andBudget (OMB) Deputy Director Robert Nabors, on the use of federalstimulus dollars as part of an incentive package that may have luredNCR Corporation jobs from states like Ohio. Nabors promised CongressmanTurner that OMB would investigate the City of Columbus use of federalstimulus dollars.
In addition, Congressman Turner sent a letter last week to OhioGovernor Ted Strickland urging him to ask Vice President Biden toinvestigate whether federal stimulus dollars are being used as part ofan incentive package to relocate jobs from other states, includingOhio. Additionally, Turner called on Biden to use his oversight role toensure that stimulus funds are not used as part of the package that mayhave resulted in shifting jobs from Ohio, and from other states, toGeorgia.
Media reports in publications such as the Dayton Daily News,highlighted NCR Corporation’s use of federal stimulus dollars to opennew facilities in Duluth, GA and Columbus, GA. Additionally, on June 2,NCR Corporation issued a press release announcing the use of federalstimulus funds to purchase a facility in Columbus, GA.