The hour+ 2014 State of the Union address, in ~60 seconds:
America has created 8M jobs since 2009, lowered the unemployment rate to below that of the recession and companies are now moving manufacturing jobs back to the US. But it's not enough. So this should be a "Year of Action" where we expand retraining for jobs of the future, lower education costs, expand green energy, support veterans, bring back emergency unemployment income, reform taxes, support a proposal by Senators Harkin and Warner to increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 and help push people above the poverty level, and encourage the House to pass immigration reform. And no, you're not going to turn back the clock on the ACA, so stop wasting time trying to repeal it.
The 15 minute Republican Party response in ~20 seconds:
We have the same concerns. We want to focus on the opportunity gap, not the income gap, and we're going to help Americans regain opportunities for retraining, higher education and better jobs by...well, we'll get back to you on the details later this year, but know that we've been pushing for these ideas all this time.
Commentary on the POTUS' SOTU:
The speech was so long, one might call it Clintonesque, especially with its appeal to populism. Full of good stuff, but also included the kitchen sink, the dish rack, the sponge, the dish soap and the dish towels. Without a doubt President Obama knows how to deliver a speech for full effect.
I have my doubts that Congress will be in a cooperative mood, but they did recently pass a budget bill and the House just moved on a farm bill with their backs up against a Jan 31st deadline. They will most definitely not vote to increase the minimum wage, but immigration reform is very high on everyone's check list of GTD before the 2014 election cycle goes into overdrive.
Commentary on the Republican Response:
Delivered by Representative (WA-5) Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, it was obvious that the teleprompter was moving too fast for her at times to deliver the speech as she wanted to, as she sped up then slowed down frequently. It was not a Marco Rubio reach for bottled water scene, but she was definitely uncomfortable at times.
I didn't see the value in using her child with Down's Syndrome as an example of expanding opportunities for everyone; was she saying that the government should have a hand in guaranteeing equal opportunity for employment? If free markets were left devoid of regulation, they'd almost never hire the disabled let alone accommodate Americans with disabilities, after all. And if she thinks for a moment that the free market would cover her son's medical needs, she's deluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment