Across
the country, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will help
businesses create jobs and families afford their bills, while laying a
foundation for future economic growth in key areas like health care,
clean energy, education and a 21st century infrastructure. This plan is
particularly meaningful to families and businesses in the Ft. Myers
area, where the unemployment rate has jumped from 6 percent to 10
percent since last year.

Click
here
for
Florida-specific information detailing the employment, infrastructure,
education, and health care impacts of the recovery plan.

The President was joined today by
Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

Click Here to read the President's remarks in their entirety.

Back on January 20th, Gulf Coast Live spoke with several Southwest Florida students who were in Washington D.C. for the Presidential Inauguration. Recently several of the students sent letters and photos in. Here is an excerpt from one of them:




I wonder to myself, “How can five days be so epic?” Actually, it seemed more than five days, I felt that my trip had lasted for weeks rather than just one and I wish I would’ve stayed longer. From the minute I stepped into the freezing air I knew I was in for an awesome experience, and that’s exactly what I got, plus more.