Los Angeles, CA: Romney Press Conference Highlights Misery of the Obama Economy

With the desolate, shuttered stores of the Valley Plaza Shopping Center (N. Hollywood) in the background, Mitt Romney held a press conference today in Los Angeles, CA. He highlighted Obama’s audacity of indifference regarding the economy and California’s 11.7% unemployment rate. The event was livestreamed by Politico.

MittRomney.com/blogs

President Obama, During An April Visit To Los Angeles: “We Have Made Extraordinary Progress Over The Last Two And A Half Years…

We can go down the list. But we also know we’ve still got a lot more work to do. We’ve just started, and we’ve got a lot more work to do.”

“I Don’t Want You To Lose Sight Of How Much We’ve Gotten Done. What We’ve Done Here Has Been Historic, And We’re Only A Quarter Of The Way Through.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks in Los Angeles, CA, 4/22/11)

Then-Senator Obama In September 2008, When The Most Recent Jobless Rate In California Was 7.5%: “We Can’t Afford Four More Years Of This So-Called ‘Progress.’” OBAMA: “We have the highest unemployment rate in five years. Home values have plummeted. It’s harder to save and it’s harder to retire. Those are the day-to-day challenges that people have. We can’t afford four more years of this so-called ‘progress.’” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks In Dover, NH, 9/12/08)

Few Places In America Are More “Stressed Out” Than California, A State Suffering From Rampant Unemployment And A Struggling Economy:

• California’s 11.7% Unemployment Rate Is Second-Highest In The Nation And Is One-Fifth Higher Than When President Obama Took Office. In January 2009, the unemployment rate in California was 9.7%. The rate had increased to 11.7% by May 2011, an increase of 20% from January 2009 levels. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)

• The Number Of Unemployed Californians Has Increased By 20% Since President Obama Took Office. Over 350,000 more Californians are unemployed today than in January 2009. Currently, more than 2.1 million Californians are out of a job. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)

• Under President Obama, California’s Labor Force Has Fallen By More Than 200,000 And The State Has Lost Half A Million Payroll Jobs. California’s labor force has contracted by an estimated 225,000 workers since January 2009. Over the same timeframe, the state has shed an estimated 497,100 nonfarm payroll jobs. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)

• California Ranked 48th In The Country In Personal Income Growth In The First Quarter Of 2011. (Bureau of Economic Analysis, www.bea.gov, 6/22/11)

• Retail Gas Prices In California Are Roughly 80% Higher Than When President Obama Took Office. The average retail price per gallon for all grades/formulations in California was $3.826 for the week of July 11, 2011. For the week of January 19, 2009, the average price in California was $2.11. (Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov, 7/19/11)

CONTINUE reading here.

With a background of 25 years experience working in the private sector, Romney easily pointed out seven points to get the economy working again:

“[President Obama] didn’t focus on the economy.He delegated the stimulus to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and they may have had less experience in the economy than he had.” ~ Mitt Romney

Additional photos may be viewed here.

UPDATE -TV COVERAGE: MITT DISCUSSES JOBS AND THE ECONOMY IN CALIFORNIA

► Jayde Wyatt