Response to the State of the Union Address

I believe that President Obama's State of the Union Address truly showed that as Americans, we need to stand together and work together as one nation. He discussed the idea that throughout these hard times and struggles, people are able to remain hopeful because of their strength. I think that throughout the duration of his address, President Obama primarily focused on jobs, and how creating jobs was going to be his top priority of 2010. His goal is to pass a new jobs bill, and he hopes to create 1.5 million jobs by the end of the year. I also believe that creating jobs needs to be one of our top priorities this year. Although healthcare aid is very important, if people have substantial jobs, then they may no longer need healthcare aid. Also, in today's economy, many people are having trouble paying for their children's college education. However, by having a job and earning an income (and not just unemployment benefits), people may have the ability and finances to pay for their children's education. This process would not only benefit the children, but the economy as a whole as well. In today's society, in order to make a sufficient living, it is necessarily for young people to have a proper education, which ultimately means attending college. In order to make it possible for these families to afford this type of education, President Obama discussed the idea of having tax cuts on 95% of working, middle-class families. This tax cut will also allow families to save money, which can be used toward an education for their children. Another incentive relating to a college education that President Obama discussed was the idea that families should be given a $10,000 tax credit towards four years of college. Later on in his address, President Obama said that no one should go broke because they chose to go to college. I believe that this statement is very powerful because it is showing that he believes that it is very important for today's generation to receive a proper education, and that they should not be denied this opportunity because of financial difficulties.

Not only did President Obama address incentives relating to education, but he also addressed incentives relating to clean energy and businesses. He wants to create an energy bill, which would be filled with incentives. I believe that this idea will not only benefit the earth, but families as well. In order to help the environment, there needs to be more sources of clean energy and in order to create these sources, jobs need to be created. One incentive that I believe will be very beneficial is that clean energy families will receive a rebate. Hopefully, this incentive will not only help families during these tough economic times, but that it will also encourage people to become "greener" and more environmentally friendly. Another important incentive that President Obama discussed was a tax incentive for businesses. In my opinion, this incentive will hopefully encourage businesses to try to avoid laying off workers as much as possible. Even though the economy is beginning to show signs of improvement, banks are primarily giving loans to larger businesses. However, President Obama also wants to make sure that the smaller businesses are not being left behind. He believes that community banks should help smaller businesses (and not just larger businesses). I agree with this proposal because I feel as though it will be very beneficial in keeping the smaller businesses alive as well as helping to avoid as many layoffs as possible. Overall, I believe that President Obama's address was very promising, and I am hoping that he will be able to put his words into actions.