President Barack Obama covered several topics that included minimum wage, education and implementing policy with or without the cooperation of Congress during his fifth State of the Union address.

The most sweeping reform Obama addressed in his State of the Union speech, among his many reforms, was his proposal to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time since 2009.

President Obama proposed giving America a raise by changing the minimum wage from its current value of $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. He went on to cite the fact that when adjusted to inflation, the current minimum wage is 20 percent less than when former President Ronald Reagan was in office.

The prospect of an increased minimum wage excited some Syracuse students.

“I think that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour is a really good idea because it shows respect to the middle class,” said Taylor Conklin, a freshman communication and rhetorical studies major.

But other SU students thought that raising the minimum wage would be bad for the United States.

“I am not a fan of minimum wage. An employer should have the right to pay someone what they think their work effort is worth,” said Jonathan Phillips, a sophomore architecture major.

Obama also promised that, as a country, America would progress through a “year of action,” and touched on other issues like education reform and immigration, as he hopes to move past sagging approval ratings and to revive his presidency.

“We’re working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career,” Obama said in his speech.

In addition, the president supported extending quality early childhood education opportunities for everyone. Obama plans to work with elected officials, business leaders and philanthropists to help offer these programs. He added that investing in early childhood education was one of the best investments a nation could make as it was proven to pay out eventually.

President Obama also reaffirmed a proposal he made in June called “ConnectEd,” which aims to offer high-speed Internet to 99 percent of schools in the next five years.

President Obama also reiterated his support for immigration reform.

“Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades,” Obama said. “And for good reason: When people come here to fulfill their dreams — to study, invent, to contribute to our culture — they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everybody.”

That discussion of reform concerns New York State, as an estimated 875,000 undocumented immigrants reside in the state, according to Pew Research from 2012.

Obama also touched on Guantanamo Bay, vowing to close the Cuban prison for the first time in five years.

Said Obama, “We counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action but by remaining true to our constitutional ideals and setting an example for the rest of the world.”

Published on January 29, 2014 at 2:18 am