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Amid news that the nation's jobless rate has fallen to its lowest level since April 2009, President Obama today traveled to Florida to applaud the economy's progress and push for investments in education to ensure future growth.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.9% in February and the economy added 192,000 jobs, led by gains in manufacturing, construction, health care, and business services. The president highlighted the 222,000 private sector jobs added during the month -- signaling 12-straight months of private sector job growth. He also touted steps his own administration had taken -- working with Republicans -- to help accelerate the recovery, like the deal reached in December that cut payroll taxes and allowed companies to expense 100% of capital investments.
"You're already seeing those steps make a difference," Obama said as he shared the jobs numbers with the crowd at Miami Central Senior High School. "Our economy has now added 1.5 million private sector jobs over the last year and that's progress, but we need to keep building on that momentum."
Even as Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill struggle to reach an agreement on funding for the rest of this year, the president has argued the country has to invest in areas like infrastructure and innovation that will help keep the country competitive in the 21st century. Today he told the audience "our job is not just to cut" and said sacrificing a commitment to education would mean sacrificing the country's future.
Improving the nation's education system -- with special attention given to transforming failing schools -- is one of Obama's top agenda items. The school the president was visiting has boosted its performance dramatically with the help of a portion of $4.1 billion in "turnaround" funds provided by the Obama administration. The graduation rate at Miami Central has risen from 36% to 63% in the past five years, and student scores have risen 40 points in writing and 60 points in math. The president's budget for fiscal year 2012 -- which begins in October -- proposes an additional $600 million to continue so-called School Improvement Grants.
Obama told the assembled young people "you can't even think of dropping out," and said a good education would lead to a good job. Companies are looking to locate in places with strong infrastructure -- like high-speed rail and high-speed internet -- and a commitment to innovation, the president said.
"But most of all, the single-most important thing companies are looking for are highly skilled, highly educated workers," he said. "More than ever before companies hire where the talent is."
Obama plans to spend the month of March traveling around the country talking about the importance of improving America's schools.
The president was joined at the school by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), a move intended to show that education reform was not a partisan issue, but an economic one. Obama called Bush a "champion of education reform" and at one point joked of the other famous Bushes "apparently the rest of the family also did some work back in Washington back in the day."
Obama was set to attend two fundraisers for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Miami, before heading back to Washington later tonight.
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The President is right - education should not be a partisan issue. Even those of us without kids have a vested interest in seeing schools improve. Seems like we're all too willing to use "the future of our children and grandchildren" as a convenient talking point on almost any issue from the debt to the environment - then we turn around and argue about whether or not to invest in the one thing they'll need to have any future at all.
Congratulations to the students, faculty, administration and parents at Miami Central. Keep up the good work!
Joanne - education has never been a bad thing, but throwing money at it sure is. Their is something strucurally flawed in our k-12 educational system. The article suggest that it was money granted under obama that led to Miami centrals turn around. I rather doubt it as the article states a 5 year turn around.
More likely a significant attitude and program change was made by teachers, students, parents and the school board. A look at the schools budget may also prove to be revealing. As in many endeavors it is better to work smarter than to spend money unwisely.
You don't understand. Improving education in the country increases employment in the long run, which in turn pays off money spent in the first place.
Then again, when did you guys actually care about anyone other than the super rich ever?
Regarding the increased employment, no doubt the Republicons are going to take credit, even though they did nothing regarding economics until this month (the numbers are regarding last month).
Well Mr Anon, if they only cared about the rich, why did they pass no child left behind? And the issue isn't money spent. it is how wisely the money is spent. Nice attempt at snark though.
No child left behind was failed policy that was poorly thought out, putting unrealistic expectations like forcing children from non-english speaking housholds to learn grade level English, have schools that miss out on even one requirement failing.
And if money spent on education is "not wisely spent money", then what is?
american-2051576 -
I re-read the article, and all I see is that the school's performance improved "with the help" of the funds mentioned. And I did give credit to the students, faculty, administration and parents themselves. I agree that money in itself is not the answer to everything. It can't buy success in schools any more than it can buy happiness. But it can pay for more teachers and guidance counselors, create a safer learning environment, provide the means for extra-curricular activities like the arts and field trips like we took for granted when I was in school, and give children access to computers and the technology they're going to need to succeed in the future. And when they succeed, we all do.
But like so many other stories on this board, this one isn't really about which political party gets the credit or the blame. Let's just celebrate the success and leave it at that, okay?
Money for education is not a bad thing, as long as the education is relevant (we need engineers, not sociologists) Funding teacher's unions, however, and allowing those unions to dictate education policy, is a bad thing.
Joanne - i agree education needn't be about politics, but the article was oriented towards giving credit to obama for....
If that isn't a political oriented spin then I don't know what is.
I believe it was obama during his state of the union address when he told the schools to show the performance increase first and federal $$$ would follow. As I mentioned, we have thrown increasing amounts of $$$ to k-12 education and still we are in decline.
That's right. Everyone thinks you can get everything for nothing. Good school with small classroom size, exellent teachers that focus on teaching, equipment and materials to accelerate learning in sciences, solid infrastructure for 21st century competitiveness, good health care.... none of them costs money! Military industrial complex: that's what we should spend on so that when other countrys out perform us we have the mean to deal with them. Isn't that the way to go?
Exactly when did education become a Federal Government function? Answer---Never
Why does the Federal Government get involved and give States funds? For Control.
When will it end? Probably never because Federal Programs never end...they grow.
Efficient and cost effective education can only be controlled and paid for at the lowest
local government level where people can see where their money is going and how it
is being used. EDUCATION IS NOT a Federal Government function...or at least it shouldn't be.
citizen1 - valid points but you forgot all the duplication in functions between the federal and state levels. Eliminating the federal duplicate spending will result in more $$$ given to the state and local school districts.
The omly think the feds should do is to create a national goal for where education should be next year, next 5 years and next 10 years. And they better be able to be flexible enough to change as conditions dictate.
See all you need to create jobs is to put republican's in power.
Can anyone remember a time when the American public has been told, more money was not need was NOT needed for education??? Thousands of dollars are spent each year, per child, and it is never enough. How many school districts, go before tax payers, with special tax levies claiming if not approved, teachers will be laid off? You have to start with eliminating waste first, or there will never be enough money, end of story.
Even President Obama understands the need for change in the public educations system and that the teachers unions are standing in the way. He has angered teachers unions by calling for an increase in charter schools. He further angered them by approving the mass teacher firings in Rhode Island. We will never be able to reform public education as long as the teachers are more concerned about tenure, automatic pay increases and defending the status quo. Increasing charter schools is a start but the real reform will take place when we allow parents vouchers for their children so they can be freed from the yoke of being forced to send them to failing schools. If your a middle class or poor family private school is out of reach. Your forced to send your kids to the school nearest you even if your willing to provide transportation to a better district. I find it interesting that the alleged progressives in this country are defending the status quo while the conservatives are calling for change.
If you want to abort your kid the left is for choice....when it comes time to educate your kid the left is against choice. Go figure.
More of MSNBC's intentionally suggestive wording...."Obama applauds the increase in jobs numbers"....
Once again, further proving that MSNBC continually attempts to place Barack Obama in a positive light with their endless "sucking-up" wording...... even though America knows nothing could be further from the truth.
The fact is, and as everyone knows.... all anyone has to do is look at the employment statistics from the last two and a half years.... prior to the period of B.O. (before Obama).
Fact:
Unemployment hovered around the 6 to 6.5% range during early 2008. Significant and very devestating unemployment began as early as late July/early August of 2008....when it became clear and very obvious to America and most employers that Barack Obama was going to win the presidency and John McCain didn't have a chance of winning. Employers, planning for the future, knew they were going to be forced with new government regulations and restrictions.... not to mention the potentially devestating higher costs which could easily bankrupt them..... so, they immediately began downsizing. And, it's been proven, their predictions were justified.
These drastic increases in unemployment began as early as late July, 2008.... and consistently continued.... month after month.... with numbers ranging as high as 500,000 to 750,000 per month !!!!.... these devestating unemployment numbers contined further still.... even after Obama was elected in Nov 2008....
Obama assumes the presidency in late January of 2009.... and, still the unemployment numbers climb in excess of 700,000 per month.... and what's the first thing Barack Obama demand that he wants ?.... MONEY !..... (but Obama continually uses the Bush card as his excuse... that the high unemployment was happening during Bush's watch)
Obama tells America.... "I need you to give me nearly a TRILLION DOLLARS (stimulous package), or I won't be able to promise that I will keep the national unemployment rate BELOW 8% !!!
So, Obama's puppets.... Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid fall over themselves convincing their liberal DEMOCRAT majorities to hurry and rush Obama's TRILLION DOLLAR (stimulous package) through... (AGAINST THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC) to come up with some quick, "shovel-ready" jobs to stop the run-away RISE IN UNEMPLOYMENT !
And what benefit did America get from this remarkable Obama, Reid, Pelosi scheme ????... the National Unemployment rate rises to nearly 10 % !!!
Needless to say....AMERICA HAD HAD ENOUGH OF THESE LIES AND DECEIT !!!.... and clearly demonstrated this in the Nov 2010 elections.... creating the basis for fiscal restraint in the final days of the Lame-Duck session of Congress in 2010.... which in turn, created a positive momentum, and more optomistic outlook for EMPLOYERS, all across America.
The NEW fiscally-responsible, more conservative Congressional legislators took over in January of 2011... and what's the almost immediate result in the National Unemployment numbers ????...... 8.9% !!!.... a drop of nearly an ENTIRE PERCENTAGE POINT !!!..... IN SLIGHTLY OVER ONE MONTH !!!
(and, what does suck-up MSNBC expect you to do ????..... send Obama a thank-you card....) ..... too bad America knows the REAL truth.
So what you are saying is the previous administration had nothing to do with any of the problems we've been dealing with lately, including the deficit. It all started in 2008 when Obama stepped on the scene. Wow!! All this proves is education reform is desperately needed in our country.
"Significant and very devestating unemployment began as early as late July/early August of 2008....when it became clear and very obvious to America and most employers that Barack Obama was going to win the presidency and John McCain didn't have a chance of winning."
Seriously, that's just ridiculous. Do you really think the failures of lending institutions and the stock market crash came about because some were predicting Obama was going to be elected?
"I need you to give me nearly a TRILLION DOLLARS (stimulous package), or I won't be able to promise that I will keep the national unemployment rate BELOW 8% !!!
You type this as if it were a quote. It's not. This was a prediction only, not a guarantee, as most people know.
"And what benefit did America get from this remarkable Obama, Reid, Pelosi scheme ????... the National Unemployment rate rises to nearly 10 % !!!"
You are aware that employment is always a lagging economic indicator, right? So that as economic conditions slowly improve, employment figures are always behind 6-12 months or more.
"The NEW fiscally-responsible, more conservative Congressional legislators took over in January of 2011... and what's the almost immediate result in the National Unemployment numbers ????...... 8.9% !!!.... a drop of nearly an ENTIRE PERCENTAGE POINT !!!..... IN SLIGHTLY OVER ONE MONTH !!!"
Unemployment figures for January 9.0%, February figures 8.9%. What kind of math tells you this is an entire percentage point? It's a tenth of a percentage point, not as good as the 4 tenths it decreased from December to January. http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm
And it's the 12th straight month of employment increases. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_03/028275.php
"too bad America knows the REAL truth."
I assume you are speaking only for yourself here, as the rest of us are not that easily fooled.
We, the Unhyphenated Americans
Meet my people.
My fellow Americans, who are “your people”? I ask because U.S. attorney general Eric Holder, who is black, used the phrase “my people” in congressional testimony this week. It was an unmistakably color-coded and exclusionary reference intended to deflect criticism of the Obama Justice Department’s selective enforcement policies. It backfired.
In pandering to skin-deep identity politics and exacerbating race-consciousness, Holder has given the rest of us a golden opportunity to stand up, identify “our people,” and show the liberal poseurs what post-racialism really looks like.
Herman Cain is my people. He’s my brother-in-arms. I’ve never met him. But we are family. We are kin because we are unhyphenated Americans who are comfortable in the black, brown, and yellow skin we are in. We are growing in numbers — on college campuses, in elected office, on the Internet, on public airwaves, everywhere. And that drives liberals mouth-frothing crazy.
Cain is the successful Georgia businessman who has wowed audiences across the country with his passion for free markets, free minds, and the American Dream. The former president of Godfather’s Pizza and forceful Tea Party speaker happens to be black. So he must pay the price that all minority conservatives in public life must pay. As I noted last week, a cowardly liberal writer recently derided Cain as a “monkey in the window,” a “garbage pail kid,” and a “minstrel” who performs for his “masters.”
Race traitors. Whores. Sellouts. House Niggas. Self-haters. I’ve heard it for nearly 20 years in public life. Every outspoken minority conservative has. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but these spiteful epithets can’t enslave us.
Val Prieto is my people. A fierce, freedom-loving American blogger of Cuban descent, he rejects race-card games and refuses to be lumped in with Hispanic ethnic-grievance mongers. In response to pro-illegal-immigration marchers who infamously desecrated the American flag, Prieto wrote:
Katrina Pierson is my people. She’s a feisty young Texas mom and Dallas Tea Party activist who supports limited-government principles and rejects left-wing identity politics. She confronted the NAACP last year with a rousing manifesto of political independence and rebutted the left-wing group’s attacks on the Tea Party as racist:
The NAACP, she observed, is made up of “Democrats who bow to a Democrat master today as they once did over 200 years ago. Once this is realized by the forgotten society, race in this country will be as irrelevant as those who thrive off of it.” Amen, sister.
Allen West, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and freshman congressman from Florida who happens to be black, is my people. Unafraid to skewer progressive sacred cows, he speaks boldly against global jihad and its Fifth Column enablers who scream “Islam-o-phobe!” West has also nailed the Congressional Black Caucus as “a monolithic voice that promotes these liberal social-welfare policies and programs that are failing in the black community, that are preaching victimization and dependency; that’s not the way that we should go.”
According to U.S. News and World Report’s Kenneth Walsh, President Obama told guests at a private White House dinner that he believed the Tea Party movement had a “subterranean agenda” of racism against him. But Lt. Col. West summed up the movement’s transcendent, post-racial agenda forthrightly:
It’s government of, by and for the people — all the people. Not just the ones still shackled by reflexive Democratic-party loyalty. We are beholden not to our skin pigment or ethnic tribes, but to American ideals, tradition, history, and faith in the individual.
Three, two, one . . . RAAAAACIST!
— Michelle Malkin
Well said, luis 2409061.
Thanks conservative syndicated columnist, author, and Fox News Channel contributor. I’m sure Fox and GOP are admiring of your random postings on opposing sites.
What a Surprise. Republicans remove the uncertainty of last year and prevent Obama and the Dems from allowing the largest tax increases in history, and a couple of months later, jobs start to appear. Dosen't get much clearer than that.
Except jobs have been increasing for the last year. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_03/028275.php
I don't recall any plans to raise the CORPORATE tax rate. Are you still trying to sell the lie that personal income tax rates are going to affect the hiring practices of CORPORATIONS? S-Corp flow through income amounts to a 2% holding the 98% hostage scenario, don't bother going there.
paul - still promoting the lies of the left I see. How many democrats wanted to increase tariffs on imported goods or to tax those multinationals at a higher level who imported those goods. Bet it was a whole lotta democrats with maybe only a few republicans, if any.
Why has obama now embraced the republican belief that business is good for America since his self professed "shellacking" in Nov 2010.When business can see hope at the end of a tunnel it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that growth can now occur.
Nice false narrative, american. Obama isn't against business being profitable. He has compromised to the benefit of the RE-peat-the-lie-to-the-PUBLIC-ans and their sponsors on almost every issue other than the Affordable Health insurance Reform Act. He scuttled single payer public option just to get the discussion started.
Thank you President Obama for doing a great job! Keep up the good work! Don't worry about people hating you! Just remember that they hated Jesus too.
The squandering of our children's education is not an option. The Republican "Wrongs" are willing to sabotage the next generation under the guise that teacher unions should not have collective bargaining. Let's all remember this the next election cycle and clear out all who voted against teachers and unions in general.
Apparently only Obama is applauding the job numbers, neither dems or reps seem very impressed with the numbers.
So what you are saying is the previous administration had nothing to do with any of the problems we've been dealing with lately, including the deficit. It all started in 2008 when Obama stepped on the scene. Wow!! All this proves is education reform is desperately needed in our country.
The snarky MSNBC headline last week said GOP "takes credit for jobs numbers", yet your Obama headline this morning was the President "applauds the jobs numbers".
Yet Obama, as politicians do, clearly tried to take credit, claiming his policies were the cause of the jobs uptick.
My snarky headline: "Why does MSNBC snark at the GOP and treat the President differently?"
I say if Pres. Obama expects to be re-elected, he better start standing up for the Democrats and stop playing games with the Republicans. The people of Wisc. have the right idea and its time the little people get represented in this country. We elected him to make things right and all he has done is kiss the GOP's butt. I'm tired of the wealthy people getting all the tax breaks and not creating any new jobs. It is time for a revolt in this country by the little people.