It's that time of year for officials to report on the state of affairs for what they oversee.
In keeping with the custom, President Trump delivered his 2020 Annual State of the Union speech on the evening of Tuesday, February 4. It was clear from the very start and throughout his speech that he wanted to tout the great shape of affairs in the United States, particularly in demonstrating that the economy in the United States is booming.
He also touted significant achievements like the Space Force, and the girl who got a scholarship to attend a school of her choice.
He also talked about ways to continue upholding a good quality of life for the people of the United States, like providing for parents raising children, and also healthcare. It was kind of odd that when he mentioned legislation to prevent immigrants without proper status from getting healthcare that he talked about the wall. That probably could have fit better into the speech elsewhere.
As for immigration and securing the borders, his aims are good in wanting to enforce our immigration policy to not get overwhelmed by people trying to get in through means other than the proper legal channels. He would do better to talk about how to fix the immigration system so people who don't want to cause trouble can get in easier, and not just talk about keeping illegal aliens out, especially criminals.
One of the outstanding moments of the speech was when he told the story about Ellie Schneider was born at only 21 weeks, and now is a healthy 2-year-old who was there at the speech with her mother Robin--what a moment for them. If we can care for premature babies, we should work to care for all babies, including those who survive abortions. It's time that we recommit ourselves to upholding the sanctity of life, especially for the smallest and most vulnerable among us. His remarks certainly corroborated his commitment to upholding the sanctity of life just as much as when he spoke recently at the March for Life rally last month.
His commitment to those who serve in our armed forces is clear, and it was truly a touching moment when Amy William was surprised with her husband Sergeant Williams, who was back from his deployment in Afghanistan.
It was from then until the speech's end that he struck an optimistic tone about what we as a people are capable of accomplishing to be a great nation, which we already are to an extent.
And then came Speaker Nancy Pelosi's act of tearing up her copy of the speech. I definitely thought that was inappropriate, especially with the cameras on her. Certainly, she could express her disagreement in a thoughtful, constructive way. But her act of ripping it was an unprofessional way to display her disagreement, especially considering there had to have been at least a couple of parts of the speech she could agree with that would make it worth keeping the speech intact.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the Democratic response, which caught my attention since I had visited Lansing last summer, the seat of Michigan's state government. She added a personal touch to the setting by speaking from East Lansing High School, which her daughter attends, and even mentioned that she will soon be casting her vote for the first time.
Governor Whitmer stated right away she would focus on actions being taken, not just words being spoken. There's much validity to demonstrating what's being done, rather than what's being said. She highlighted a teenager near Muskegon who took it upon himself to fix a road with pothole problems.
She makes a valid point that despite claims the economy is booming, there are still people who lack the resources they need to live a good life. I am concerned about how she kept talking about what specifically Democratic leaders are doing, which came across to me as a way to exacerbate partisanship by making it seem Democrats are acting in better ways than Republicans. She could have made the point without constantly emphasizing what Democrats are doing.
Just about a week before the State of the Union Address, Governor JB Pritzker offered the 2020 Illinois State of the State Address. He offered an interesting story about the flags at the Thompson Center in Chicago, and how it speaks to the possibilities of what can happen when government takes meaningful action, and the strong effect it can have.
He talked about growth in the Illinois economy. He shared success stories, and from there, advocated for increased funding for social services, education, healthcare, and infrastructure improvements, with action already taken on some of these matters. He also mentioned actions like ending the practice of suspending driver's licenses for unpaid parking tickets and raising the age to purchase cigarettes and vaping products to 21. One major part of the speech was ethics reform, although, like others, I couldn't help but notice the lack of any mention of a fair maps amendment, which is a significantly timely issue as the Census happens this year.
He ended the speech with a nice remark about not being bogged down in cynicism. Then he shared the story about a couple in Barrington whose rainbow pride flag was stolen. Eventually, that led to his decision to have the rainbow pride flag flown from the Illinois State Capitol. While we certainly should respect individuals and the symbols they use to express themselves, I don't agree that the rainbow pride flag should have flown at the state capitol, because I feel its too geared for a particular social cause, and doesn't really speak for all people in the same way the US or Illinois flag does.
Then, 3 weeks later, came Governor Pritzker's Budget Address. A major focus was on boosting funds to social services. He also advocated for more funds for MAP grants, and highlighted several success stories of individuals who used that grant money to further their education. Some indicated that funding social services is a big expense, but it may be worth it if done in a smart way, so as to benefit the people of Illinois who could use that money. I wasn't impressed by how Governor Pritzker once again brought up the legalization of recreational marijuana use as a boon for the state, because I feel it will have negative ramifications. One other part of the speech I disagreed with was his constant criticism of those who caused the budget impasse for nearly two years. It's clear that he was indicating Governor Rauner, and I don't feel like it was all his fault, because the General Assembly didn't do a great job crafting a responsible budget in the first place back in 2015.
With the speeches now in the records of these joint sessions, it's time for the real work to happen. We'll see what this year brings.
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