The State of the Union
The Constitution says that the president shall "from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union…." That time comes this week as President Obama will report on the condition of our country and outline his legislative goals for the year.
It's clear that 2013 didn't go as well for the president as he was hoping. From the IRS and Benghazi scandals to the embarrassing start for his healthcare law, the president will likely use his address to hit the reset button and try to regain some credibility with the American people.
He'll probably try to shift the focus away from his job performance by rehashing a number of his liberal talking points, like giving amnesty to illegal immigrants, or income inequality, all the while failing to mention the role his policies have played in furthering that gap.
Consider that the percentage of the American workforce that has a job or is looking for one stands at only 62.8 percent, the lowest in 36 years. There are still over 10 million Americans unemployed, and 8 million more who have part-time jobs but would prefer full-time ones. The president's policies aren't working, and the American people deserve better.
In 2010, the president used the State of the Union to declare that "jobs must be our number one focus." Regrettably, that laser-like focus never materialized, and our economic situation suffered as a result.
In 2014, I hope the president uses the opportunity to repeat that pledge, and to mean it this time.
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Sincerely,
REMINDER: JANUARY MOBILE OFFICE HOURS
As a reminder, below is the list of this week's Mobile Office hours:
Monday, January 27th
City Hall, Fairfax – 10:00 a.m.
City Hall, Rock Port – 11:30 a.m.
City Hall, Parkville – 1:00 p.m.
City Hall, Mound City – 2:00 p.m.
City Hall, Platte City – 2:30 p.m.
City Hall, Weston – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 28th
City Hall, Oregon – 10:00 a.m.
City Hall, Savannah – 1:00 p.m.
City Hall, Smithville – 1:00 p.m.
Clay County Courthouse (3rd Floor), Liberty – 2:00 p.m.
Hall of Waters, Excelsior Springs – 3:00 p.m.
City Hall, St. Joseph – 3:00 p.m.
City Hall, Kearney – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 29th
City Hall, Blue Springs – 9:00 a.m.
City Hall, Buckner – 10:30 a.m.
City Hall, Trenton – 1:30 p.m.
City Hall, Chillicothe – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 30th
Linn County Courthouse, Linneus – 8:30 a.m.
City Hall, Salisbury – 11:00 a.m.
Carroll County Courthouse, Carrollton – 1:00 p.m.
City Hall, Princeton – 2:30 p.m.
Friday, January 31st
City Hall, Milan – 9:30 a.m.
City Hall, Grant City – 10:00 a.m.
Putnam County Library, Unionville – 12:00 p.m.
City Hall, Bethany – 2:00 p.m.
Schuyler County Courthouse, Lancaster – 2:30 p.m.
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