Obama's State of the Union Focus to be on Income Inequality
Income inequality ? Obama has made the populist issue of the ever-growing income gap between the super rich and everyone else the overarching theme of his second term. So this message will get major minutes Tuesday ? especially since Democrats see it as helpful to their goal of keeping the Senate.
Democrats have pushed for two congressional actions they say would help struggling Americans in the near-term ? increasing the minimum wage and further extending long-term jobless benefits. Republicans have resisted both policies. Expect the president to argue that Congress needs to move forward on both and soon. Meanwhile, the president is likely to talk about the actions he can take on his own, like his recently announced Promise Zones initiative to ease some federal rules to encourage job creation in low-income communities.
Democrats have pushed for two congressional actions they say would help struggling Americans in the near-term ? increasing the minimum wage and further extending long-term jobless benefits. Republicans have resisted both policies. Expect the president to argue that Congress needs to move forward on both and soon. Meanwhile, the president is likely to talk about the actions he can take on his own, like his recently announced Promise Zones initiative to ease some federal rules to encourage job creation in low-income communities.
Rich man, poor man
That income gap also has helped define Mr. Obama?s presidency. After-tax corporate profits in America are at their highest levels since World War II, while workers are receiving a smaller share of economic output than at any other time since 1952.
That income gap also has helped define Mr. Obama?s presidency. After-tax corporate profits in America are at their highest levels since World War II, while workers are receiving a smaller share of economic output than at any other time since 1952.
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