Monessen mayor has become media darling
MONESSEN – Monessen mayor Lou Mavrakis has been begging for years to no avail to get an audience with a U.S. senator or congressman to plea for help for his cash-strapped city.
One private visit June 28 to the Westmoreland County city by Donald Trump, who’s steering toward claiming the Republican nomination for president, made a world of difference in Mavrakis’ office, said city Councilman Ron Chiaravalle.
“The attention on Monessen has turned the tide for Mavrakis and now congressmen and senators are calling trying to get an audience with him,” Chiaravalle said Friday as the mayor was preparing for an interview the next day with TV Tokyo.
Mavrakis Saturday played recent telephone messages for TV Tokyo he received from reporters seeking interviews of him from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Financial Times.
Hisashi Oki, who produced Saturday’s on-camera interview with Mavrakis, said he was drawn to Monessen because he’s covering the presidential race and America’s Rust Belt, which is predominantly Democratic. He also said he believed Mavrakis is supporting Trump for president.
Mavrakis made it clear, though, he has yet to say he’s supporting a candidate in the race for the White House.
“(Trump) came here saying what the people wanted to hear, that he’s bringing jobs back,” said Mavrakis, a former steelworker in Monessen, which lost thousands of steel jobs when the industry collapsed in the 1980s.
In the years since, Monessen has been left with heavy debts, a nearly $700,000 budget deficit last year and hundreds of abandoned houses and downtown buildings.
“Steel isn’t coming back,” said Mavrakis, who described himself as a lifelong Democrat.
Trump visited an aluminum recycling plant in Monessen, where he spoke about his plans to dismantle trade deals and put tariffs on goods from China.
“If you drive around here, Trump signs are up,” Mavrakis said. “That’s unheard of. People are disgusted with both the Democrats and Republicans. You don’t see Hillary signs.”
Mavrakis told Oki cheaper steel produced in Japan contributed to the downfall of mills like the one Monessen once had.
“Japan hurt us,” he said.
“Now, we are giving you a chance to pay us back. We have lots of land here,” he said in an attempt to lure Japanese investors to the Mon Valley city.