GAINESVILLE, Ga.,None — Metro Atlanta is welcoming 250 new jobs into the area even as some state political leaders are blaming Washington for the lack of job creation in Georgia and nationwide.
ZF Wind Power LLC opened its new facility in Gainesville on Tuesday. It will create gear boxes for wind turbines used to create electricity. The company already has another facility in Hall County.
Gov. Nathan Deal was there to cut the ribbon on the $98 million plant. After the ceremony, he spoke with Channel 2's Richard Elliot about the lack of job creation in the state. He blames the slow jobs recovery on uncertainty and instability in Washington, D.C.
"I think the uncertainty that this administration created through the regulatory process has been one of the real deterrents to us being able to rebound," Deal said. "One of the things I hear in talking with business leaders is that they are hesitant to invest when they don't know what the economic climate is going to be."
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler agreed with that assessment.
"Businesses need to know what the government's going to do, and right now, the government is doing more harm than good," said Butler. "You cannot plan for the future if you don't know what your expenses are going to be. You're afraid to hire."
Butler said it almost didn't matter what kind of plan was coming out of Washington, as long as there was some kind of plan everyone could agree on. He believes it would create a better climate of economic stability.
"With all the indecision in Washington, it's really making businesses nervous. They've lost confidence in Washington. They've lost confidence in the economy, and quite frankly, they're afraid of spending their capital right now," Butler told Elliot.
He also believes many more businesses would hire if there was a better understanding about the new rules and regulations coming out of the capitol.
"You may need 10 more employees. You may need 100 more employees, but if you don't know what your health care costs are going to be, what your taxes are going to be, what your unemployment taxes are going to be, if you don't have all those questions answered, you cannot make those other decisions," said Butler.
WSBTV
