Weekly Address: Middle-Class Economics
Source: White House
In this weeks address, the President shared his plan, outlined in his State of the Union address earlier this week, to give hardworking families the support they need to make ends meet by focusing on policies that benefit the middle class and those working to reach the middle class.
Through common-sense proposals like closing loopholes that benefit the wealthy and providing tax relief to the middle class, making two years of community college free for responsible students, strengthening paid leave policies and access to quality child care for working families, and raising the minimum wage, we can ensure that everyone benefits from, and contributes to, Americas success.
Middle-class economics is working, and we have laid a new foundation, but there is still progress to be made, and the President said he is eager to get to work.
Read more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/01/24/weekly-address-middle-class-economics
transcript
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/24/weekly-address-middle-class-economics
(snip)
Now we have to choose what we want that future to look like. Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and rising chances for everyone who makes the effort?
I believe the choice is clear. Today, thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is touching more and more lives. Wages are finally starting to rise again. Lets keep that going lets do more to restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American.
Thats what middle-class economics is the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.
Middle-class economics means helping workers feel more secure in a world of constant change making it easier to afford childcare, college, paid leave, health care, a home, and retirement.
Middle-class economics means doing more to help Americans upgrade their skills through opportunities like apprenticeships and two years of free community college, so we can keep earning higher wages down the road.
Middle-class economics means building the most competitive economy in the world, by building the best infrastructure, opening new markets so we can sell our products around the world, and investing in research so that businesses keep creating good jobs right here.
And we can afford to do these things by closing loopholes in our tax code that stack the decks for special interests and the superrich, and against responsible companies and the middle class.
This is where we have to go if were going to succeed in the new economy. I know that there are Republicans in Congress who disagree with my approach, and I look forward to hearing their ideas for how we can pay for what the middle class needs to grow. But what we cant do is simply pretend that things like child care or college arent important, or pretend theres nothing we can do to help middle class families get ahead.
Because weve got work to do. As a country, we have made it through some hard times. But weve laid a new foundation. Weve got a new future to write. And Im eager to get to work.
BumRushDaShow
(128,894 posts)It was a few minutes delayed here on the radio due to their storm (snow/sleet/freezing rain/rain) reporting but it did air locally.
Definitely a domestically-focused address!
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)President Obama is a good man with good policies. I hope democrats will rally around these proposals,
We've got to strengthen the middle class. That will lead to rising wages. The best way to do this is by closing the loopholes on the richest, and raising their taxes.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)Because this time, they won't destroy good US jobs.
Really.