Did the president’s ‘State of the Union’ touch on topics that matter to you?

NewsWorks asked people at Philadelphia’s bustling 30th Street Station on Wednersday morning if President Obama had touched on topics that matter to them in his fifth State of the Union address.

NewsWorks approached approximately 85 people in Philadelphia’s bustling 30th Street Station on Wednesday morning to ask if President Barack Obama had touched on topics that matter to them in his fifth State of the Union address Tuesday night. More than half of them said they could not watch or chose not to watch.

Those who did tune in said they were not surprised by President Obama’s statements on health care, immigration and education.

However, Ardmore resident Rason Allbritton was surprised that the president didn’t say anything about the legalization of recreational marijuana in two U.S. States (Colorado and Washington). Allbritton also felt the president should have spoken more about rights for the LGBT community. He added that no matter what Obama says, true changes take time, more time than the president will have in office.

Arleen Best is a recovery coach for a mental health association. She said she thought that the president spent too much time applauding the Affordable Care Act when she knows some elderly people who are struggling with the changes in their coverage.  She also hopes the president will use his executive powers and influence to raise the minimum wage.

Bill Peterson agrees on that count, although he said Obama’s proposed $10 an hour is still a tough wage to live on. Peterson is visiting the city from Detroit, where he’s lived for 23 years and works for the United Auto Workers International Union. Peterson is an advocate for apprenticeship programs like the ones the president mentioned in his address.

“I’m hoping the job situation picks up, and he can get some of the job works programs that he’s looking for, put a lot of Americans back to work, building bridges and fixing roads,” Peterson said. “Where I come from, the roads are not in very good shape.”

Share your thoughts about the 2014 SOTU in the comments below.