LOCAL REACTIONS TO STATE OF UNON SPEECH: LEADERS IN BUSINESS, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SHARE THEIR VIEWS

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

By Miriam Raftery and Mia Myklebust

January 26, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) - President Barack Obama laid out some ambitious new legislative plans in Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech. Here’s a bipartisan sampling of reactions from local business and community leaders, as well as voters.

Scott Alevy, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, voiced support for some of the president's economic proposals, while voicing skepticism over other points in the speech. “Anything that brings jobs to Americans, be it jobs coming back from another company or creating jobs, is good,” said Alevy. “As a veteran myself, I love the idea of employing the veterans coming back with a Jobs Corps.”

He voiced support for proposed trade reforms, tax credits for manufacturers who bring jobs back to the U.S., and investing money saved by ending the war in reducing the deficit and creating jobs. But he added, “the proof is in the pudding,” and expressed doubts over whether the President could get his jobs proposals through the partisan divide in Congress.

Alevy disagreed with Obama’s call for “tax fairness” that would increase taxes on the wealthy. “I didn’t buy any of the comments he made about that,” he said. He also disputed the President’s proposal for reversing college tuition hikes, noting that the main cause of rising tuitions in California has been state budget cuts in education funding.

Asked about economic recovery in East County, Alevy voiced cautious optimism. “I believe our economy is in better shape than three years ago. Any car dealer in East County will tell you that their December 2011 was better than December 2010, and November 2011 better than November 2010…A look back at the last 75 or 80 years will tell you very clearly that what happens in automotive sales precedes the rest of the economy by six or eight months.”

Lorena Gonzalez, secretary-treasurer of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, was heartened by Obama's emphasis on jobs.  "There was no doubt about the President's message Tuesday night: It's time to put the focus of our economic recovery back on working families where it belongs," she said. The President was clear that it's time to stop waiting around for the 1% anymore and get back to the work of creating good jobs that will rebuild the middle class."

The labor leader added, "In San Diego, a crucial component of that process will be creating more and better opportunities for our returning veterans, and I hope President Obama's focus on veteran jobs will help Bob Filner's new bill to help veteran-owned businesses."
 

Ann Stiles, treasurer for the East County Democratic Club, said she felt “cautiously optimistic” after viewing the President’s speech. “I thought it was a very progressive speech,” said Stiles, who admitted she has been disappointed in some Obama policies for not being progressive enough, in her view. Stiles faults the Republican Congress, however, for blocking some measures. “If he was able to pass the jobs bill and stimulus that he wanted to, the recession would have improved more,” she commented. “Hopefully he can get a Democratic Congress that can pass what he wants.”

Barbara Beaumont, an East County resident who recently returned after living abroad for 17 years, most recently in Europe, confirmed the President’s assertion that America’s image has improved overseas under his leadership. “Everywhere Obama is regarded with esteem,” she said. “To this day he still has so much respect.”

Predictably, reactions among San Diego County’s elected Congressional members split down party lines.

Republican Congressman Darrell Issa accused the President of failing to deliver on economic growth promises and pursuing a “partisan class warfare agenda aimed at dividing the American people.” He faulted Obama for outlining “a laundry list of popular programs without regard to what they cost.” He further characterized the stimulus funds as “irresponsible overspending.”

Congressman Brian Bilbray, also a Republican, criticized the President for signing into law just six of 33 bills passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives that Bilbray said would make it easier for the private sector to create jobs. “Too many San Diegans remain unemployed in daily fear of losing their jobs,” he said, also criticizing the federal government for spending too much money.

Democratic Congressman Bob Filner, by contrast, said he agreed with the President that “we cannot go back to an economy based on outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Moving forward, we must join together to build our economy.”

Congresswoman Susan Davis, a Democrat, echoed Obama’s appeals to Congress and the American people to work together. “The blueprint gets things rolling, but the Congress and the people have got to sign off on the plans before even the foundation can be started,” she observed. As for Congress, she concluded, “We must not waste the year because the American people cannot wait any longer for their government to get its act together.”

Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter noted that “The State of the Union marked the 1000th day since Senate Democrats last offered a budget plan.  Without a budget, it’s become increasingly difficult to restore the normal order of business, instead opening the door to more short-term extensions and consolidated funding bills.” 

Hunter offered praise for some aspects of the President’s speech, however.  “Tax incentives for domestic manufacturing, also referenced in the President’s speech, is definitely an area of potential bipartisan agreement,” he said. “I’m eager to learn more along the proposal and begin a serious discussion with my colleagues on the details.  Closing tax and regulatory loopholes that encourage U.S. manufacturers to move their operations overseas is a discussion that’s long overdue.”

 


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.