Lehigh Acres residents had a message today for President Barack Obama who will speak at noon Tuesday at Harborside Event Center in downtown Fort Myers.

That message is this: We need help!

The five groups in Lehigh included the Chamber of Commerce, the Community Council, the Community Planning Corp, Lehigh Acres Community Services, and the Lehigh Acres Evangelical Ministerial Alliance.

They spoke on behalf of thousands of people who live in unincorporated Lehigh Acres who are struggling to make ends meet.

Obama was expected to arrive at Southwest Florida International Airport at 11 a.m. Tuesday and be taken to downtown Fort Myers where at least 1,500 people were inside Harborside to hear Obama push his economic stimulus package.

He was in Indiana on Monday.

This trip to Lee County is the second of which Obama has traveled on Air Force One and he is working hard to get the Congress to pass the stimulus package this week or at least by next week. It’s geared to pump $850 billion into the nation’s economy by putting people back to work.

Lehigh residents lined up shortly after noon Mondayto sign the letter addressed to Obama explaining the community’s own “Lehigh Acres Stimulus Plan.”

It touched on four basic areas of need to bring Lehigh out of the doldrums which came after the economic bust in late 2007 and left Lehigh with thousands of foreclosed homes and several thousand people without jobs. The jobless in rate in Lehigh, although not documented, is believed to be above the 10 percent level in Lee County.

In the Obama letter, leaders and residents say they want $70 million for the shortfall in road building and resurfacing in Lehigh.

“The lack of arterial widening has left our area with the most dangerous road networks in the United States. Currently 75 percent of all local roads in Lehigh Acres are in poor or failing condition. At this time 86 percent of all Lehigh Acres residents drive 15 or more miles to work every day. Due to these failing rods, companies can not build new offices and employ local workers because of the road concurrency.

“Money to fund new roads will increase the ability for companies to hire more workers locally which will help to stimulate the local economy,” the letter read.

The Number 2 request asked for money to help pay to get people on water and sewer in Lehigh. Obama was told it will cost at least $6,500 per household to hook up.

“The ability to build new sewer and water services in Lehigh Acres would generate much needed new jobs,” Obama was told.

The third request addressed the refurbishing of abandoned homes and the rebuilding of unfinished homes that were left as they were when the economy went bust.

Obama was told there are currently 3,101 homes for sale of which 2,535 homes are short sales or foreclosures. Included in this total are 2,239 homes built since 2003.

“Lehigh Acres leads the country in foreclosures and has been called ‘Ground Zero’ of the foreclosure market. The median home price for Lehigh Acres is $50,000 down from $180,000 one year ago,” Obama was told.

And finally, Obama was told Lehigh has an unprecedented demand on community and social services.

“Food pantry applicants increased by 75 percent since 2007. Applicants are not only the chronic poor but now include economically stressed middle class families,” the letter stated.

Obama was also told that crime in Lehigh is increasing as people are struggling to make ends meet and that a recent crime statistic report listed Lehigh Acres as the only area of Lee County reporting increased burglaries and home invasions.

Obama was told the county Sheriff’s Office has busted 100 marijuana grow houses in Lehigh Acres since 2007 and confiscated 3,000 marijuana plants worth $7 million alone during 2008.

The letter went on with more requests to get people jobs and to get them fast.

Bo Turbeville, president of the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp., and active Chamber member, said there was a chance he would get to meet Obama during his stay in Fort Myers.

“I promise you he will be handed this letter from all of you. If I can’t get to him, it will be given to an aide who has promised it will be put in his hands,” Turbeville told the group.

The Lehigh Stimulus Plan came out of a rapidly organized meeting Sunday night in which 50 people representing the five agencies met to discuss what Lehigh needs to put Lehigh back to work.

Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann was there Sunday night and said that the money coming to Lee County through the stimulus package would go to Lehigh Acres.

“You are the people in this county who need this the most and we will see to it that it comes here,” he said.

He made the same promise Monday before the 150 people during the press conference.

Those first signing the document included Joe Whalen, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Damon Shelor, president of the Lehigh Acres Community Council; Bo Turbeville, president of the LACPC, Rae Nicely, executive director of Lehigh Community Services, and Pastor Mike Porzio, representing the Lehigh Acres newly formed Evangelical Ministerial Alliance.

Then the 150 people came to the front and signed the document that is to be given to Obama At the press conference.

To answer a question in the crowd, Commissioner Mann said that Obama’s schedule never included visiting Lehigh Acres as reported in the local media. He later told The Citizen that he had talked with Fort Myers Jim Humphrey and he said he knew nothing

of his hosting a tour of Lehigh for the President.

“It’s regrettable, but that is the story,” Mann said.

Obama may meet with a local family Wednesday that is having economic problems or facing foreclosure. He is expected to fly out of Fort Myers at around 4 p.m. Wednesday.