CARLSBAD ---- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Carlsbad's Invitrogen Corp. Monday morning to focus attention on California's large biotechnology industry.
Schwarzenegger pointed to Invitrogen and other biotech companies as a source of strength in California's economy, and said he favored further investment in biotech. With California's economy showing weakness, the governor said, industries like biotech deserve government support.
"The action is where you are. This is where the jobs are being created," Schwarzenegger said.
Schwarzenegger referred to Proposition 71, which is funding stem cell research with $3 billion in bond money, as the type of investment California needs to do more of.
"While we see our unemployment numbers are going up, we see industries like this are actually hiring," Schwarzenegger said to a group of about 15 local biotech, business and political leaders who were on hand for the event.
"This place here is expanding," the governor said, referring to Invitrogen, which is rapidly growing. "Invitrogen is now employing another 200 people, while we're seeing the unemployment numbers going up, to 6.1 percent. ... This is because we invested in the future of California."
Schwarzenegger also praised infrastructure bond funding passed by voters in 2006 as another example of investment with a payoff. He lamented that the bonds did not include funding for more prisons and for increased water delivery capacity.
The message went over well with the local business and political leaders.
"We're very proud that your administration has taken on the support of desalination," said Bud Lewis, mayor of Carlsbad, where a private company is attempting to build a desalination plant. "Without water, we're nothing. And we talk about about all these jobs ---- unless you get water into this region, and make (supply) more stable and good water ---- we're not going to have it."