Obama delivers address with stern sarcasm

President Barack Obama gave a stern and sarcastic State of the Union address on Wednesday, which closely followed my predictions about the subject matter of his speech.

Obama spent a majority of his speech talking about the economy, which was expected. What was surprising was the amount of time he spent speaking about job creation. At times he seemed uncompromising when he called to have a new jobs bill on his desk in a timely manner.

With health care reform being covered so closely by the media, there was some expectation that Obama would speak longer about this issue. He seemed to make a few well-written comments that seemed to be supported by a majority of Congress members. Another subject that Obama just barely touched on was higher education. While he only spoke about education for a short period of time, what he said should have been uplifting for people that are pursuing a higher education. He proposes to help out the people that choose to get a higher education by offering more grants.

The city of Huntington and its budget

The city of Huntington with its population of 1,814,468 in its 15.9 square miles is getting ready to take on spending cuts with the help of the mayor’s administration and the city council. The total revenue estimate for the current fiscal year in Huntington is $42,135,417. Last year’s revenue estimate was $38,919,697, which is around $3,000 less than this year’s estimate. The total expenditure estimate for the current year is $42,135,417. This is a number that has risen since last year, which was $39,990,304.

The budget category of Business and Occupation has the highest amount of revenue. The amount of revenue was $16,563,087. Coming in with the second highest amount of revenue was the Municipal Service Fee with the number of $5,685,917. On the flipside of this are the categories that have spent the most money. The first category is the police department with $10,109,211 spent. The second category with the highest amount of money spent was the fire department. Their amount of money spent was $9,817,671.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin made a 3.4 percent cutback in the state budget, which has led to a spending freeze in the city of Huntington.

Huntington Mayor Kim Wolfe is hoping that a spending freeze will help balance the 2010 budget without having to cut a large amount of spending or affect hiring. Not only has Wolfe put a spending freeze in affect, but it is also starting two months earlier than normal. Wolfe believes that moving ahead quicker than normal will help prevent last second challenges.

The article that was summarized in my final two paragraphs can be found at http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=73263

Marshall faces budget constraints

In the shadow of Gov. Joe Manchin’s 3.4 percent mid-year reduction in state appropriations, Marshall University is preparing to move forward while still meeting the budgetary constraints.

Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp sent a letter to the faculty and staff of the university on Jan. 22 that outlined how he would like to face the aftermath of the economic recession.  Kopp said that he would like to bring in high demand programs like pharmacy and physical therapy because they have the potential to attract more students and retain them.  A higher graduation rate and enrollment could help the university meet budget challenges.

Kopp is not only looking to expand the university and raise income; he is also using a new Sustainability Department to monitor everything from power usage to food waste.  Kopp said that this new student-created department would not only save $600,000, but it will also benefit our environment.

Tri-State Airport cutting costs

EDITOR’S NOTE:  As part of my Reporting Public Affairs class at Marshall University, I have been asked to pick an organization and sit in on their meetings for the next three months.  I have chosen to cover the Tri-State Airport Authority.  Once a month I will write an article that will convey what happened at those meetings.

Tri-State Airport saw a record number of boardings in 2009, but even this could not save them from recession and will lead to cost cutting in the near future.

While Tri-State Airport saw more enplanements last year than they have since 1980, decreased fuel sales across the nation and a lower profit margin for commercial flights versus that of general aviation has caused a loss in revenue.

Airport Executive Director Jerry Brienza said that all of the airport’s departments were within their budget, but they were still going to need to cut expenses by 4 ½ percent.  Brienza said they could avoid layoffs by getting creative and cutting back overtime pay.

“The last thing we want to do is lay people off,” Brienza said. “Everyone is consolidating and cutting back.”

Another way that Brienza is hoping to drum up revenue is by adjusting the rent on the planes that are left at the terminal by basing the numbers on the amount of fuel they are buying or possibly configuring a major fuel discount program comparable to other fixed-base operations (FBO).

Brienza also said that there have been talks to open up a gift shop somewhere in the building and there were three people who have expressed interest.  Brienza said that one of the three was a major business, but he was not willing to give up the name of that business just yet.

Even though Brienza is looking to cut costs, he is also searching for ways to gain income so that he can have the FBO upgraded.

The Tri-State Airport Authority voted on Thursday to furnish $10,000 toward Phase 1 of a multi-phase plan to make Tri-State Airport up to par with other FBOs in the surrounding areas.  These upgrades will include new furniture in the lobby, new televisions and some remodeling to the pilot’s lounge.

Brienza said that overall they would need an investment of around $100,000 to get everything up to par.  Part of this money would be used to remodel the customer service area and the bathrooms.

Brienza said that he hoped to barter with local businesses to get some of the other work done at a lower price.  One of these businesses was Marshall University.  The airport authority would like to offer the university advertising inside of the FBO in exchange for financing toward other remodeling projects.

One final way that Brienza and members of the airport authority are hoping to raise revenue is by increasing the parking fee from $6 a day to $7.

This extra money will go to airport operations, with 10 percent going toward improving parking and funding a new parking garage.

Before the close of the meeting, Authority member Scott Bias proposed that Brienza get in contact with the Cabell County Commission because they are offering $4 million in low interest loans that could go toward building a new parking facility.

Predicting the issues: The 2010 State of the Union Address

With a year in office under his belt, President Barack Obama should have many things to talk about on Wednesday during his State of the Union address, one of which should be the health care reform bill.

During Obama’s first year in the White House he has faced several different problems, such as the war in Afghanistan, the struggling economy and a health care reform that is facing opposition.  These are all subjects that Obama may address in his State of the Union speech.

In the face of a declining approval rating, Obama will concentrate on making the issues at hand look less like problems and more like issues that can be easily dealt with.

While many of Obama’s supporters make the case that he has taken over the problems left by former President George W. Bush, this is not something he can complain about.  Obama can only work toward improving his approval rating that should rise as the economy approves.

Because of the variation in prospective dates for the State of the Union address being due to the development of health care reform, there is a good chance that Obama will spend a large amount of his speech letting the public know exactly how the health care reform is progressing.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. said she does not have the votes that are needed to quickly pass the Senate’s health care bill through the House.  Obama will address this issue by asking for support to get this extensive bill approved.  If the enough support can be raised for the bill to pass, this could mean good things for the Democratic Party considering that this is an election year.

Not only will health care reform be a big issue in Obama’s address, with the reveal of his budget happening on Feb. 1 there is speculation that he will outline what the new budget will cover.

According to politico.com, if the health care reform is not finished before the budget is released then Obama may only include top line estimates, “such as how reform reduces the deficit and cuts from Medicare and Medicaid spending.”

As Obama focuses on the budget and the economy, he is sure to mention the high unemployment rates and focus on how he can turn the economy around to pull the country out of the recession.

President Obama will announce his plans for cutting the deficit, which has been questioned because of his stimulus and bailout packages.  Many believe that this will come from Iraqi troop withdrawals and raising taxes on the wealthy.  According to the New York Times, Obama’s budget will include a 10-year projection, which will begin on Oct. 1 that will show the annual deficit declining to $533 billion in the year 2013.

It will be no surprise if Obama tackles his foreign policy in his State of the Union address as well as the war in Afghanistan and the possible threat of a war with North Korea.  The question is whether he will mention the possibility of nuclear war with North Korea, which could spread fear and possible hurt his approval rating even more.

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address will air on all major television news networks on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

State of the Union Research

The following is research that has been conducted in preparation for President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union Address that will air on Jan. 27.

The first three speeches analyzed were State of the Union addresses by former presidents that dealt with war and difficult economic times.  Important information such as the date, word count, and memorable quotes has been added to this blog along with a short paragraph summarizing the overarching topics of the speech.

I have also included research on three of President Obama’s important speeches to lay the groundwork for a future column in which I will speculate on the topics of his first State of the Union Address.

State of the Union Address #1 

Abraham Lincoln’s Second Annual Message - December 1, 1862

8385 written words - Estimated Time Length: n/a

Were there memorable lines? Yes

Memorable Quote - “The civil war, which has so radically changed for the moment the occupations and habits of the American people, has necessarily disturbed the social condition and affected very deeply the prosperity of the nations with which we have carried on a commerce that has been steadily increasing throughout a period of half a century.

Theme: Downtrodden

President Lincoln’s address was one of hope, yet full of concern about the future of our nation.  Lincoln spoke about the civil war and the affect it had on the country.   Internal affairs were a major issue in this address.  Not only had war ravaged the country, but also Indian attacks were still a major problem.  On top of that he still held hope that he would be able to free the slaves and hold our foreign affairs together.

State of the Union Address #2

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Message to Congress on the State of the Union - January 6, 1941

3312 oral words - Estimated Time Length: n/a

Were there memorable lines? Yes

Memorable Quote - “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.”

Theme: Freedom and Unity

In President Roosevelt’s Address, also known as “The Four Freedoms Speech”, he faced a world at war and let the public know that he wasn’t completely sure how things would turn out.  Roosevelt said that it would be “immature—and incidentally, untrue – for anybody to brag that an unprepared America, single-handed, and with one hand tied behind its back, can hold off the whole world.”  Just as in Lincoln’s speech there was a tone of unrest and a feeling of helplessness, but somewhere deep inside of that there was hope to be found.  Roosevelt did this by presenting four freedoms that he believed the world should hold itself to.  These were the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of religion, the freedom from want and the freedom from fear.  Roosevelt believed that this was attainable within his generation.

State of the Union Address #3

Harry S. Truman’s Message to Congress on the State of the Union - January 7, 1953

9683 written words - Estimated Time Length: n/a

Were there memorable lines? Yes

Memorable Quote - “Now, the President not only has to carry on these tasks in such a way that our democracy may grow and flourish and our people prosper, but he also has to lead the whole free world in overcoming the communist menace--and all this under the shadow of the atomic bomb.”

Theme: Reflection

President Truman’s State of Union in 1953 was all about reflection and looking forward.  He was no longer pressured by future legislation because he was leaving office.  He took the time to remember World War II and the passing of President Roosevelt.  Truman hoped for everything to return to normal.  He also commended the United States for helping with war recovery in foreign countries and spoke about the fear of living in the atomic age. 

Major Speeches by President Obama

Speech #1 

Barack Obama’s Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress – February 24, 2009

5902 words – Estimated Time Length: 51 minutes and 44 seconds

Were there memorable lines?  Yes

Memorable Quote: “Now is the time to act boldly and wisely to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.”

Theme: Hope

President Obama’s major concerns in this address were the recession and health care reform.  He offered some of his plans for reviving the economy, such as renewed flow of credit.  Obama explained his intentions with his budget.  He explained that he understood that he could not solve every problem in the economy with his budget, but rejected the idea that the countries problems would take care of themselves.

Speech #2

Barack Obama’s 100^th Day Press Conference – April 29, 2009

1353 words – Estimated Time Length: 58 minutes and 27 seconds (both include Q&A)

Were there memorable lines?  Yes

Memorable Quote:  “We have to lay a new foundation for growth, a foundation that will strengthen our economy and help us compete in the 21st century. And that's exactly what this budget begins to do.”

Theme:  Growth

President Obama began this speech with the issue of the H1N1 flu virus that spread throughout the United States.  He spoke about what measures were being taken by public health officials to stop the spread of the swine flu, as well as telling the American citizens what they could do on their own to prevent the spread of the virus.  On the day of this address, Congress had also passed the budget resolution.   Obama was pleased with its passing and once again gave some insight as to what he planned to do to dig our country out of the recession.  President Obama said in relation to his first 100 days; “I think we're off to a good start. But it's just a start. I'm proud of what we've achieved, but I'm not content.”

Speech #3

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address – January 20, 2009

2420 words – Estimated Time Length: 18 minutes and 41 seconds

Were there memorable lines?  Yes

Memorable Quote: “On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.”

Theme: Expectation

President Obama’s Inaugural Address was one of hope, but peaked in the reality of the recession and taking over the responsibility of leading the United States during wartime.  He gave thanks to those who had supported him and reflected on how far our country had come in regards to civil rights.  President Obama also gave his appreciation for what our country was built on and the people that make this country great.

A state in planning mode

Governor Joe Manchin’s sixth State of the State address focused on several problems the state is facing in the wake of the economic recession, but came across hopeful and as though he would be prepared to face whatever came ahead. 

Some major points that Manchin covered in his address were the job climate, the importance of education and how to continue fighting the war on drugs within the state.  With all that was being covered, one major item that seemed to be missing was mine safety. 

Mine safety was an issue that had previously seen major airtime in Manchin’s three speeches that followed the Sago and Aracoma mining disasters.  This time his mining focus was on defending villainous coal as an energy source.  According to the prepared text, Manchin even went so far as to say that coal helped build the greatest country in the world. The Governor pleaded that as a state we must stand up for coal miners and their families because they were only looking for permission to work.

In his 2009 State of the State address, Manchin focused on having more rigorous mine inspections as well as more stringent safety standards.  It was surprising that mine safety was such a big issue in previous years and Manchin did not give us an update on how these plans had been implemented. 

In this year’s address, Manchin told us what he demanded from the mining companies, such as a rapid response system, but he gave no actual statistics regarding the amount of mining deaths.  Manchin only mentioned there were a record-low number of mining related fatalities.  What he didn’t say was that West Virginia, along with Alabama, had the highest number of mining related deaths in 2009 with a total of three each.

While mine safety took a backseat in the governor’s speech this year, higher education was brought to the forefront.  This is new for Manchin since Marshall University and West Virginia University were not mentioned in his 2007 address and were only briefly pointed out in 2008 and 2009 when he spoke about the “Bucks for Brains” initiative.

This year the governor suggested freezing tuition for all technical and four-year colleges and universities within the state. The tuition freeze has potential to be a good break for the students already attending college in the state and are determined to graduate.  What does not look as promising is whether it will raise the number of incoming students to the universities or even get them to return for another year. 

Manchin has previously touched on the fact the dropout rate in colleges and universities within West Virginia were the major problem with higher education.  It is uncertain whether a freeze on tuition will have a direct affect on the dropout rate.

From a personal standpoint, finishing college is something many people are willing to accomplish no matter how much it costs or what one will have to put themselves through to get their degree.  Putting a freeze on tuition isn’t going to change the minds of many students that are currently in the mindset of dropping out.

Moving to the war on drugs, Manchin suggested new legislation that would rid cities of the abandoned and run down properties that tend to harbor illegal activities.  He plans on doing this by collecting fees from property owners that do not keep their property in good condition.

This legislation is a good move on the part of Manchin because much of the state of West Virginia needs beautified.  There are many places in Huntington alone that are scary to walk through just because the condition of the buildings give you an eerie feeling, whether illegal activity is going on or not.

The proposed fee and legislation has the potential to make our cities look better.  If our cities are beautified and more people are out walking around to keep an eye on things then the miscreants that would potentially partake in these illegal activities will be less likely to.  The more people that are out and about, the more likely someone could see illegal activities happening and report them.

Manchin’s State of the State address this year was more optimistic than those of the past.  Overall, the proposed legislation has the capability to make West Virginia a more educated, job-friendly and crime-free place to live.