Prior to GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s visit to Sterling June 27, Leesburg Town Council member Kelly Burk and Aneesh Chopra, who served under President Barack Obama, rallied with residents to voice their complaints on the former Massachusetts governor.

The rally was held across from EIT, state Del. Joe May’s electronic manufacturing and engineering services company, where Romney’s visit was scheduled to be held later that afternoon.

Chopra, who served as chief technology officer for Obama, said Romney’s proposed budget would slash science and technology development by 28 percent through 2021. He applauded the president’s efforts of reviving the country’s economy and noted that Romney could ultimately sink it again.

Aneesh Chopra, who served as chief technology officer for President Obama addressed Romney’s lack of interest in science and technology growth in Virginia. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Laura Peters

“Thanks to President Obama’s leadership, we’ve seen 27 consecutive months of private sector job growth, with more than 4 million new jobs added to the economy,” Chopra said.

Chopra said it was Obama’s leadership that helped create the right investments, including efforts to build 21st century infrastructure—with over 45,000 miles of high speed fiber broadband across the country.

Obama has enhanced the building blocks of American innovation with human capital, research development and increasing digital infrastructure, Chopra said. By lowering healthcare cost, achieving energy efficiency and insuring America leads the world in college board certification rates, Chopra said, Obama is keeping our country on top.

“It is the vision for the county in stark contrast to the one Mitt Romney’s been [instilling] in Virginia this week. I understand he’s been making all these promises on what he’ll do to help Virginians once he’s elected. But, when you look at his record it’s hard to see those promises turning into reality.”

Burk spoke to Romney’s recent actions of wanting to slash transportation funding by 30 percent and the government should fire teachers, police officer and firefighters.

“It’s a pattern that’s been emerging when it comes to Romney,” Burk said. “It’s a pattern of taking away jobs from hard working Americans, cutting funding from critical programs ...”

“Mitt Romney is completely out of touch in what matters to Virginians,” Burk added. “Whether it’s here in Sterling or it’s way down in southwest. Every day the contrast between Mitt Romney and President Obama and what they’re going to do for Virginia becomes very, very clear.”

Chopra said Romney took office in a time when Massachusetts was in economic growth. Massachusetts was 47 out of 50th place in job growth, Chopra explained; it was first out of 50 in debt.

“Mitt Romney left Massachusetts with more debt per person than any other state in the nation,” he added.

Romney was scheduled to appear in Sterling at 3:30 p.m. at EIT off Glenn Drive in Sterling.

Leesburg Town Council member Kelly Burk said Mitt Romney is “completely out of touch in what matters to Virginians.” Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Laura Peters