The affirmative action muslim sissy.
OBAMA STOPS BY **From LCCC to the Ham Fam, he hears what's on people's minds **WHITE HOUSE TO MAIN STREET TOUR **President gathering ideas for jobs initiative
Spencer Soper, John L. Micek, Daniel Patrick Sheehan and Brian Callaway OF THE MORNING CALL
The Morning Call
Barack Obama returned to the Lehigh Valley as president Friday to say his administration has rescued the economy from a disastrous tailspin and now needs to get Americans back to work.
Friday's dip in unemployment is progress, Obama said, but he made clear he understands many out-of-work people still face a serious lack of opportunities.
"I consider one job loss one too many," Obama said to roars of approval in a gymnasium at Lehigh Carbon Community College. "Good trends don't pay the rent. We have to grow jobs and get America back on track as soon as we can.
"In the two years since this recession began, too many members of our American family have felt the gut-punch of the pink slip," he said. "Every one of us knows [them]."
Candidate Obama visited the Valley twice last year. President Obama's motorcade crisscrossed the region Friday, with stops that included a pet food plant in South Whitehall Township, a metal fabrication plant in Allentown and the Hamilton Family Restaurant in the city. His appearance before about 1,000 at the community college was the main event.
Obama's 50-minute give-and-take came at a critical time for the administration. He wants to convince the public he is focused on stimulating the national economy and creating jobs.
Voter perceptions of a poor economy helped cut short the presidential careers of both George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, said Chris Borick, a pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. With Washington's attention focused on health care and Afghanistan, Borick said, it's critical for Obama to steer the national debate to what matters most to voters -- jobs and the economy.
"The two things that derail presidents are bad economies and unpopular wars," Borick said. "He's got both of those on his plate. If he can't turn the economy around, that could go a long way in determining if he's a one-term president or not."
At LCCC, the invite-only audience was upbeat and engaged. Obama took the stage to a standing ovation, and attendees held cell phone cameras above their heads to capture the historic moment.
Despite the weighty topic, the speech had its lighter moments, and the charisma and oratory skills that helped Obama become president were on full display. He took no questions from reporters.
In an audience question-and-answer session, a student asked if legalizing prostitution, gambling, drugs and nonviolent crime might help stimulate the economy. The question drew gasps and laughs from the crowd.
"I appreciate the boldness of your question," Obama said. "That will not be my job strategy."
Leonard Martin of Allentown, a student and Army veteran, said he was having trouble getting through to the Department of Veterans Affairs about benefits and asked for the president's help. Often when he calls, Martin said, the line is busy, he can't get through and he's instructed to call back later.
"I suspect someone will be calling you on your cell phone in about two seconds," Obama said to laughs.
Obama said the department has been underfunded even as more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan need services. He pledged to help clear the backlog with the agency and said the administration is working to update technology so such matters can be handled online.
The president said he understands that Americans are struggling in a difficult economy. The local unemployment rate hit 9.8 percent in October, with nearly 41,000 people out of work, and economists expect it will surpass 10 percent before stabilizing. The national rate is 10 percent.
Obama said he soon will unveil a proposal to "jump-start" business hiring across America. In a speech Tuesday, Obama plans to send Congress a list of ideas for a new jobs bill. He will endorse sending the biggest chunk of fresh money to cash-strapped state and local governments to stem their layoffs, and promote expansion of a program that gives people cash incentives to fix up their homes with energy-saving materials, a senior administration official told The Associated Press.
Obama will also endorse new tax breaks for small businesses that hire workers, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the package, and Obama's speech, are still being crafted.
The Obama administration has helped to stabilize the economy through a $787 billion stimulus spending package enacted earlier this year, Bethlehem economist Kamran Afshar said. But he said the administration faces a delicate balancing act and must exercise restraint with government spending or it could provoke inflation and cripple the economy.
"That's why they have not just pumped trillions of dollars into the economy right off the bat," Afshar said. "I don't think they can do much more than what they have already done."
Protesters were out in force to greet Obama, many playing off his promise of a listening tour.
Outside LCCC, Bob Emery, 61, of Levittown, Bucks County, bore a hand-lettered sign that read: "Two Words of Advice for On-The-Job-Training: Stop Spending."
Emery, who operates a bartering business, said he is concerned about Obama's plans to reform the nation's health care system.
Tony Iannelli, head of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, stopped the president to voice his economic concerns as Obama was leaving a CareerLink job center in east Allentown.
Iannelli told the president he's worried various initiatives Obama has supported -- including steps to make it easier for workers to unionize and the health-care overhaul -- could squeeze small businesses with major expenses.
"I told him, "I don't want to sound like the typical Chamber of Commerce line,"' Iannelli said, "and he said, "That is the typical Chamber of Commerce line."'
They parted with smiles after their brief exchange.
In the audience at LCCC, businessman Ted Rosenberger said he appreciated the president's comments about making credit more available to small businesses and making health care more affordable.
Rosenberger's start-up, House Logix, uses technology to improve household energy efficiency. The Allentown company has five employees, Rosenberger said.
"We're a start-up and capital is pretty much impossible to come by," Rosenberger said. "We'd love to hire more people, and we'd love to give our employees health benefits, but it's too expensive."
Allentown resident Dorrie Agolla, 18, an LCCC student studying business management and marketing, said she appreciated Obama's blunt talk about the challenges facing the country.
"That's why the speech was so important," she said, "because when I graduate, I want to get a job."
spencer.soper@mcall.com
610-820-6694
LEHIGH VALLEY EMPLOYMENT
9.8
Percentage of people unemployed in the Lehigh Valley in October
41,000
Number of people unemployed in the Valley
"You can't just keep printing money. I love this country, but I want to see it stronger, not weaker."
- Pat Moe, Wilson, waiting outside an Obama event
"The two things that derail presidents are bad economies and unpopular wars. He's got both on his plate."
- Chris Borick, Muhlenberg College
"I've never felt so nervous. This is a story I can't wait to share with my grandson."
- Tracy Hicks, Hamilton Family Restaurant waitress
