PD Editorial: Why locals should tune in to the State of the Union

Watching the president’s State of the Union address is not exactly a high priority in many American households. That’s no secret.

Last year, President Barack Obama’s annual address drew 33 million viewers, far below the 52 million who tuned in for his 2009 talk and less than half of the audience that listened to President Bill Clinton’s first address. Last year’s State of the Union drew the second lowest rating since Nielsen began tracking audiences 23 years ago.

In addition, the president suffers from below-average approval ratings - although Obama is seeing a bump lately thanks in part to an improving economy - and low expectations that he will be able to make headway with any of initiatives given that he’s now working with a Congress entirely controlled by Republicans.

But there’s still plenty of reason for Americans to tune in at 6 p.m. P ST, particularly for middle class Americans and those on the North Coast.

The cornerstone of Obama’s address will be his $320 billion, 10-year plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help lower- and middle-class families by boosting capital gains and dividend tax rates on couples making more than $500,000 from 23.8 percent to?28 percent. The president also is expected to discuss imposing a fee on the liabilities of the nation’s largest financial institutions and significantly expanding the number of inheritances subject to taxes.

North Coast residents should pay particular attention to two other key initiatives that are on the president’s plate tonight: Making two-year community colleges free for most students and helping to expand broadband in rural areas such as Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte counties.

In what would be a boon to students at Santa Rosa Junior College, considered one of the top two-year institutions in the nation, the president’s plan calls for giving an average community college student $3,800 per year, which would benefit up to 4 million students.

Meanwhile, the president also seeks to boost broadband access by creating a low-interest loan program that would allow remote areas to create such systems, something that’s particularly needed for rural school districts. According to the Federal Communications Commission, two-thirds of all school districts nationwide are incapable of meeting the long-term Internet needs of its students because their learning environments are supported by virtually the same level of service as one wired home.

But, for once, the most important message of the night may not come from the president with his emphasis on middle-class economics, but will be contained in the Republican response to follow. This year, the GOP leadership has given that responsibility to Sen. Joni Ernst, who in November became the first woman elected to federal office from Iowa.

Viewers will be looking to Ernst to explain her party’s agenda, how it plans to use its new-found control in both houses and whether, as GOP leaders have indicated in recent ways, Republicans truly are interested in working with the president and finding common ground.

Overall, viewers may not come away this evening with a true picture of the state of the union. But given the combination of the two speeches, they’re likely to have a good understanding of the state of our nation’s politics - and whether anything the president hopes to accomplish in the two remaining years of his administration has a chance of success.

We have our doubts. But we look forward to being proven otherwise .