Business & Tech

Obama Lays Out Plans to Strengthen Middle Class: Do You Buy It?

President Barack Obama gave a speech at Knox College in Galesburg Wednesday, focusing on jobs and how to strengthen the middle class.

Written by Patch Intern Charles Gorney and Patch Editor Angela Sykora. Video by Charles Gorney.

President Barack Obama ventured into Illinois on Wednesday, pulling out all the stops for an economic policy speech at Knox College in Galesburg.

Joined by Gov. Patrick Quinn and other state Democrats, Obama took a strong position against the inaction of an unpopular Congress and emphasizing the power of the executive.

The speech, which launched a campaign style tour that will take him across the country in the coming weeks, laid out a broad plan to bolster the economy by strengthening the middle class.

In his speech, President Obama listed several initiatives he plans to focus on, such as making high quality preschool available to every 4-year-old; connecting 99 percent of American students to high-speed Internet; providing training for workers changing jobs; reversing the doubling of student loan rates; and giving every homeowner the chance to refinance their mortgage while the interest rates are still low.

"Good jobs; a better bargain for the middle class and the folks who are working to get into the middle class; an economy that grows from the middle out, not the top down—that's where I will focus my energies. That's where I will focus my energies not just for the next few months, but for the remainder of my presidency," said President Obama.

Click here to read the President's full speech

Weighing in after Obama's speech, U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10, of Deerfield), stated, "If we want to grow our economy and be competitive in the 21st century economy, strengthening the middle class and American manufacturing is key. Today, the President laid out a clear vision for how to achieve these goals, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work together on these plans."

"I applaud the President for focusing on American manufacturing and recognizing how important it is to innovate here and ship our products around the world. I share the President’s view that we need a long-term economic strategy because our families and our businesses—especially small businesses—need this certainty to plan for the future and invest in new workers and new technology. I look forward to working with the President to uphold the promise of America that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead."

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Tell Us: What do you think of President Obama's plans to help jobseekers, grow a competitive economy and strengthen America's middle class? Share your thoughts in the comments.


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