Tom Shields Pledges Clean Energy Jobs at Qimonda Plant

From the Shields for Delegate campaign:

Tom Shields-- [standing] in front of Qimonda and joined by a former Qimonda employee, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Environment Virginia--delivered an address on the importance of attracting clean energy companies that will create good-paying jobs in the region and the Commonwealth. In particular, Shields focused on the potential for a solar panel manufacturing company to move into Qimonda, a recently-closed, high-tech chip making plant that's worth over $3 billion and is perfectly suited to high-tech industries, like clean energy.

"Unfortunately, John O'Bannon voted with his party and against 2,700 Qimonda employees when he chose not to accelerate a grant that could have helped save the company," said Shields. "In fact, he even said he didn't know the plight of Qimonda at the time of his vote, despite having been warned during floor debate that his vote could cost jobs."

Shields continued, “John O'Bannon's false claim that he didn't know Qimonda was in financial trouble is yet another example of why this district needs new leadership on our economy. I'll bring a new generation of independent leadership that puts our local economy first, not partisanship and special interests. As Delegate, I'll do everything I can to attract clean energy companies to the 73rd District and to the Commonwealth, starting with finding a buyer for Qimonda.”