Tuesday February 12th was the night President Obama made his State of the Union address, as required by the Constitution of the United States Article II Section 3, Clause 1. It states the president, "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
On Tuesday evening, President Obama spoke on ways to remedy and grow the economy, broaden education and slow the progression of climate change. While all of these issues deserve attention, the majority of the President's speech was focused on ways to expand and improve the middle class. President Obama proposed several ideas on how to do this ranging from health care reform, to nationwide preschool programs which would foster education equality for all no matter your financial circumstance. Also mentioned was the idea of making America a technological and innovative hub, bringing back manufacturing jobs from overseas; things that will provide jobs for middle class Americans. Another idea presented was to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. Currently the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour with several states having set their wages higher than that.
Bringing manufacturing jobs to America is a fantastic idea as it would provide employment for many people. The quality of goods would go up. Americans could buy American made products. We wouldn't have to rely on overseas sweatshops producing poorly made goods and exploiting their workers. Government incentives for American manufacturing could bring back high tech companies from overseas and those companies could work right here in America to develop new technology, improved infrastructure and alternate sources of energy. This would provide job opportunities for thousands of people while making America an attractive place for the best and the brightest from around the world.
Although an increase in hourly pays sounds great, especially for high school students, it is important to remember there are two sides to everything. Without a doubt, those who already have jobs making minimum wage would benefit if they continue working the same number of hours. For employers though, as payrolls increase, profits could possibly go down. To combat this, employers may give workers less hours, or lay off employees. Also, companies will be forced to pay unskilled workers just starting out even more money. Increases in costs for businesses will ultimately be passed down to the consumer. The beloved "dollar menu" may no longer be a dollar menu if minimum wage is increased.
A proposal that is intended to raise families and individuals out of poverty could end up having a negative impact on the economy. A rising cost in goods would not benefit anyone. With the nationwide unemployment rate at 7.8%, the focus should be on ways that would make it easier for employers to hire, not proposals that would make someone think twice about hiring a novice employee. If anything, I believe minimum wage should be set county by county throughout the nation. A federal minimum wage is extremely unfair as the cost of living varies greatly throughout the country.
In theory, education equality in the form of nationwide preschool sounds like a good solution to the problem, but it is important to remember this would cost money that we don't necessarily have. Schools throughout the country are facing budget deficits from a lack of federal funding. Adding more schools would not be a wise decision right now. There must be other ways to allow everyone an equal opportunity at getting a quality education.
Overall, President Obama had some good proposals in his State of the Union address. His focus of expanding the middle class is exactly what America needs to finally dig out of the sluggish economy. Without a doubt people need jobs that suit their skill level. It is important to remember the principles the United States were founded on: personal freedom, equality and opportunity to prosper. A larger middle class would exemplify all of these principles and allow America to thrive.
