Few Americans buy Obama’s pitch in his State of Union address
31 Jan 2014 4:41 AM IST
Slowed by Congress, Obama vowed that if lawmakers won’t act, he will use his executive power when possible for his plans, which include raising the minimum wage for some workers hired by federal contractors and making it easier for low-income Americans to save for retirement.
LITTLE FAITH IN LOFTY WORDS
Long-term unemployed listeners said they were happy to in a sense be the stars of the speech, but what they didn’t need was more talk. They needed jobs.
‘He was talking about me tonight,’ said Scott Valenti, a 41-year-old from Woodland Park, Colo. ‘But I can tell you, I’m no more reassured than when he started.’
‘When we look back 40 years from now and say, ‘that Obama initiative in 2014 led to some change,’ well, I’m sure that will happen,’ he said. ‘But I need a job now.’
FROM MINIMUM PAY TO ‘STAY OUT OF MY WAY’
Obama made several proposals to reduce the wealth gap, from recommending a minimum wage hike to an ‘easy to remember’ $10.10 to encouraging employers to raise it for their workers without government intervention.
‘Businesses don’t have to wait on Congress to help their employees have a living wage,’ said 22-year-old Naquasia LeGrand, who works part time as a fast-food employee at Kentucky Fried Chicken and was happy to hear Obama point to a pizza store owner who had raised his employees’ wages.
LITTLE FAITH IN LOFTY WORDS
Long-term unemployed listeners said they were happy to in a sense be the stars of the speech, but what they didn’t need was more talk. They needed jobs.
‘He was talking about me tonight,’ said Scott Valenti, a 41-year-old from Woodland Park, Colo. ‘But I can tell you, I’m no more reassured than when he started.’
‘When we look back 40 years from now and say, ‘that Obama initiative in 2014 led to some change,’ well, I’m sure that will happen,’ he said. ‘But I need a job now.’
FROM MINIMUM PAY TO ‘STAY OUT OF MY WAY’
Obama made several proposals to reduce the wealth gap, from recommending a minimum wage hike to an ‘easy to remember’ $10.10 to encouraging employers to raise it for their workers without government intervention.
‘Businesses don’t have to wait on Congress to help their employees have a living wage,’ said 22-year-old Naquasia LeGrand, who works part time as a fast-food employee at Kentucky Fried Chicken and was happy to hear Obama point to a pizza store owner who had raised his employees’ wages.
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