AAM Field Coordinator Rachel Bennett Steury provides today's guest opinion: After the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) became law on February 17, 2009, Governor Daniels explained plainly that his goal for the stimulus money would be to create “jobs, speed, prudence, and long-term value.  We will use these dollars to put Hoosiers to work quickly.”  To reinforce Governor Daniel’s intentions, the Act includes a Buy American provision requiring the use of domestic goods in projects financed by this stimulus money.   It seems like common sense, right?  A stimulus plan designed to stimulate OUR economy.  This would be the quickest and most efficient way to create jobs and long-term value.   At the state level, Indiana has created its own website linking directly to the federal stimulus transparency and accountability website, www.recovery.gov. The state website was designed to keep Hoosiers informed about fund allocation so that we can hold our state accountable to spend the funds in the spirit of the act:   http://www.in.gov/gov/INvest.htm.   This is our tool for ensuring ARRA funds are used domestically at every opportunity. The United Steelworkers (USW), with the assistance of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), have been working to ensure that public officials are aware of the Buy American provision, its strengths and weaknesses and how local working people feel about its implementation.   USW has been a voice for all workers on this issue so that manufacturing workers can reap the greatest benefit: getting back to work.   Public officials in courthouses, state houses, city and county councils, trustee’s offices and mayor board rooms all over the country have introduced Buy America resolutions, reinforcing the provision aimed at putting Americans back to work. These resolutions bring awareness of unemployment, mass lay-offs, and plant shutdowns, and they reinforce the idea that having a strong manufacturing base is the key to restoring our economy.  In less than a month over 208 localities, including the states of West Virginia, Texas, Kentucky, and the Indiana House have passed these resolutions with unanimous support.   In DeKalb and Allen Counties, the same requests are being made, for our local public officials to pledge their support to Buy American goods and services with the ARRA funds they anticipate receiving.  Mayor Yoder of Auburn, Mayor Coburn of Butler, and Mayor Wiant of Garrett understand this issue and last week, signed Buy American resolutions presented by local USW members during a roundtable discussion on unemployment in the county.  The Fort Wayne City Council will introduce the same resolution for passage this month with similar requests for DeKalb County City Councils.  It is my hope that all of our public officials support the Buy American provision and make every effort to look for domestic goods when they begin spending stimulus money to stimulate our economy.      Lt Governor Becky Skillman was selected by Governor Daniels to lead a task force committee to ensure that all federal stimulus funds spent in Indiana are used effectively.  This committee includes Betsy Burdick from the Governor’s Office, Ryan Kitchell from the Office of Management and Budget, and Mitch Roob from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.  In his Feb 13th press release, Daniels explained that the Lt. Governor will make sure agencies receiving stimulus funds have plans that meet federal guidelines and reinforce his agenda to “move fast, create jobs, and leave a lasting investment.”   Time will tell just how effective this task force is at being champions of the cause. We also have to be champions of the cause by staying informed about how our counties spend the stimulus money.  If we can boost our economy this way, then we must!  Ask your local public officials to use the stimulus money wisely so that our steelworkers, tire builders, mill operators, windshield producers, construction crews, and all the widget and gadget makers in between can get back to work.    -Rachel Bennett Steury