2010-05-10 Note to Obama

2010-05-10 \Stephen T. Watson\Deidre Williams\Jay Rey The Buffalo News \US unemployment\INAFJ.org\Buffalo, NY\US manufacturing\US industry http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/05/11/1047027/niagara-thruway-billboard-appeals.html Note to Obama: Jobs are top priority Note to Obama  The Niagara Thruway billboard seems to sum up what everyone in Buffalo wants to tell President Obama when he arrives Thursday:

"'Dear Mr. President, I need a freakin job. Period.'"

Jeff Baker, the frustrated former owner of a small manufacturing company, and his brother put up the sign even before they knew that Obama was headed here. ... Baker's former company, Adirondacks Blanket Works, employed slightly more than 20 people in Amsterdam, N.Y.

He moved from Buffalo to the Albany area 10 years ago to start the company and was hit hard when he was forced to close it 15 months ago.

"The banks just refused to work with us," he said. "It was personally devastating."

Baker, who has been doing freelance marketing work since the company closed, said his frustration with politicians and financial institutions has only grown – and he decided to show it.

Baker, 48, and his brother, Scott, decided to boil down their message to a basic theme – "I need a freakin job." They set up a Web site – inafj.org – and took out the billboard ad to spread the word.

They paid $5,500 to rent the billboard – visible from the southbound Niagara Thruway, near Smith Street — for 30 days beginning Monday.

&ldquo;Baker, who has been doing freelance marketing work since the company closed, said his frustration with politicians and financial institutions has only grown – and he decided to show it. ... They paid $5,500 to rent the billboard – visible from the southbound Niagara Thruway, near Smith Street – for 30 days beginning Monday.&rdquo;   