Posted on 12/04/2013 10:42:57 AM PST by jazusamo
President Obama on Wednesday declared that addressing income inequality would be the focus of “all” of the White House’s efforts “for the rest of my presidency.”
In a sweeping address that touched on raising the minimum wage, investing in infrastructure and ending tax breaks for the wealthy, Obama warned that the American economy has become “profoundly unequal,” declaring economic mobility the “challenge of our time.”
“The combined trends of increasing inequality and decreasing mobility pose a fundamental threat to the American dream, our way of life, and what we stand for around the globe,” he said in an hour-long speech from a community center in one of Washington, D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods. Obama’s speech came as the president has seen his approval ratings drop with the disastrous rollout of ObamaCare.
A CBS News poll released last month showed six in 10 adults disapprove of the president's handling of the economy. Some 69 percent say the president has not made real progress toward fixing economic problems. And despite a booming stock market, unemployment remains high, at 7.3 percent.
Unemployment would be even higher were it not for the millions of people who have left the workforce. The percentage rate of people in the workforce has fallen since the recession that was in full force at the beginning of Obama’s presidency.
Republicans argue ObamaCare and regulations issued by the administration are holding back the economy further, hurting people at various income levels.
In his speech, Obama pointed the finger of blame at Congress, arguing its inaction on several issues was exacerbating problems.
Ahead of an push in the Senate to raise the federal minimum wage above $10, Obama argued that those who work hard “should make a decent living.”
“It's well past the time to raise a minimum wage that, in real terms right now, is below where it was when Harry Truman was in office,” said Obama, who called for a minimum wage hike in his 2013 State of the Union address. The White House has since focused its attention more on other issues, including immigration reform.
He reiterated calls to reform the corporate tax codes, repeal the sequester and pass legislation preventing discrimination against female and gay employees. And Obama said that rather than focusing simply on deficits, Congress should invest in technology and infrastructure.
“A growing deficit of opportunity is more of a threat to our future than our rapidly shrinking fiscal deficit,” Obama said.
He also again pushed for universal high-quality pre-K education, and said he would soon announce economic “promise zones” to help lift children out of poverty.
Obama called for an extension of emergency unemployment benefits set to lapse by the end of the year, as well. House Republicans have signaled they likely will not support an extension.
The president argued that his embattled healthcare law was boosting the economy and helping improve the economic security of poor and middle-class Americans.
“This law is going to work, and for the sake of our economy, it needs to work,” Obama said.
Still, it remains an open question what progress — if any — the president will be able to make towards his economic agenda.
Almost every one of the proposals the president outlined had been mentioned before, including during his inaugural and State of the Union addresses earlier this year. But aside from a slight tax increase on the richest Americans early last year, the president has seen his economic agenda stymied in the Republican-controlled House.
On Wednesday, Obama signaled that he would look to more aggressively challenge Republicans to “offer their own” ideas to address inequality.
“You owe it to the American people to tell us what you are for, not just what you're against,” Obama said. “It's not just enough anymore to say get the government out of the way and let the unfettered market take care of it.”
“From Each According to His Ability, To Each According to His Needs”
If you listen carefully to the arguments they use for increasing the minimum wage, this tenet is the unspoken given behind them.
Their argument is never about the employee’s output being worth more, it’s always about what the employee “needs” to live. The phrase “living wage” has this same assumption.
More people need to come to the realization that this is an act of violence and theft,
no less so than being mugged at gunpoint.
“Too bad neither the Constitution nor the American People brook communism. Tsunami building.”
Twenty years ago the tsunami would have been much larger. Today half of the country could cares more about the winner on American Idol than the Constitution. The takers would be just as happy with communism if they believed they’d be able to take more from the producers.
Obama may fancy himself to be a modern day Solomon, when in reality he just this decade’s version of Caligula. Didn’t Caligula either married his horse or made it Mayor. My history is spotty on that.
There ya’ go. Zactly. And they aren’t even pretending any more.
Convict and Remove the Imposter.
Obama can not get over being stupid.
The Dems are resident experts in keeping people in poverty.
They refuse to allow poor parents the option of sending their children to better, safer schools.
They support policies that are destructive to traditional families.
They refuse to acknowledge any connection between poor moral choices and poverty.
They support policies that discourage independence and local solutions and encourage reliance on centralization. Whether it is food policy or health care or many other pies they have their hands in.
They support policies which suppress individual freedoms and rights.
They never met a human activity that they did not believe should be regulated to the max.
They coddle the Corporate Oligarchy and the Banking Barons while declaring their love of the common man.
They believe killing the unborn poor is one of the best solutions to solving the problem of poverty in this country.
They are liars who look forward to the die when they can spill blood for their version of Utopia.
I wonder if he gets the connection between the federal deficit and the deficit of opportunity? And yes WTH is this “shrinking fiscal deficit”?
Why limit ourselves to just the economy? Your being taller than me is profound inequality!
If you are so concerned about inequality, Obama, why don't you take a less-princely vacation to Florida?
Perhaps he meant “rapidly shrinking fiscal MORAL deficit”
Immigrants under the bus.
Ever since I heard he wanted to “fundamentally transform America” I knew what he was about...I really think he’s been quite honest and blunt for a long time, just in way that people could interpret their own way (as though it’d be a good thing). Thing is, he doesn’t have in mind what others’ thought, never has...but if you listen carefully he’s made bold statements that have been glossed over.
...then again, it’s not the first time in history....Hitler wrote a book before gaining power, nobody put 2+2 together.
Obama doesn’t understand how wealth is generated and he’s a “world citizen” before having loyalties to USA. There’s only one thing “fundamentally transform” means...it means he’d have to break his oath of office, do end-arounds on Congress and selectively enforce the laws he thinks are right, reinterpret others. It’s a disgrace, he should be in jail. What he does is completely illegal and yet he’s not held accountable.
An HOUR long speech?
Was it in Cuban?
Sheeesh, I would have been goin stir crazy.
Wait, a community center in one of Washington, D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods?
Yeah, like they’ll be a lot of help.
Hey Barak, let me know when I make the same as YOU.
The hypocracy of the man is beyond belief.
Raising income inequality is primarily Obama’s fault. While the elite banking and financial interests are making billions on QE, the middle class is just getting hammered by his socialist economic policies. Under Barky millions and millions have left ranks of the employed (yet somehow don’t count in the Federal unemployment numbers)and our productivity has gone down the drain. Physician heal thyself!
“From Each According to His Ability, To Each According to His Needs”
If Congress won’t act, I will. We can’t wait.
Obama is extremely dangerous.
Just Wow...Nothing too good for the privileged as long as it’s on the taxpayers dime.
Income is supposed to be unequal!!!
The problem is not income, it is work. Too many do not work and expect to have the same as those that do.
Obama is the real major threat.
Of course not, he is not an american. This POS is pushing for an revolution and he is going to get one that may not work out as he hopes it might.
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