0822 College AffordabilityBuffalo文档格式.docx
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Well,itisgoodtobebackinBuffalo,goodtobebackinthenorth.
IwanttobeginbymakingsureweallthankSilvanaforthewonderfulintroduction.Giveherabigroundofapplause.Hermomanddadareheresomewhere.Wherearethey?
Iknowthey’reprettyproud.Theretheyarerightthere.Givemomanddadabigroundofapplause.
AnumberofotherpeopleIwanttoacknowledgehere--firstofall,ourSecretaryofEducation,ArneDuncan,who’sdoingagreatjob.Oneofthefinestgovernorsinthecountry,yourGovernor,AndrewCuomo,ishere.YouroutstandingMayor,BrianHiggins,ishere.Givehimabigroundofapplause.
AUDIENCE:
Congressman!
What?
TheMayorisByronBrown!
ByronBrown.That'
s--I'
msorry,Byron.WhatImeantwas--yourCongressman,BrianHiggins,ishere.YourMayor,ByronBrown,ishere.Thisiswhathappenswhenyougettobe52yearsold.WhenIwas51everythingwassmooth.ButyourCongressmanandyourMayoraredoingoutstandingwork.Wejustrodeonthebusoverfromtheairport,andtheyweretellingmethatBuffaloisonthemove.Thatwasthestory.(Applause.)
AcoupleotherpeopleIwanttoacknowledge--SUNYChancellorNancyZimpher,ishere,doingagreatjob.UniversitypresidentSatishTripathiishere.Andwe'
vegotallthestudentsinthehouse.Thankallthestudentsforbeinghere.
Now,todayisacheck-indayatthedorms.SoIwanttothankallthestudentsfortakingafewminutesfromsettingupyourfutonsand--(laughter)--yourmini-fridgesjusttocomeouthere.IhearthatthelastsittingPresidenttospeakherewasMillardFillmore.Andhewasactuallychancelloroftheuniversityatthesametime--whichsoundsfun,butI’vegotenoughonmyplate.
Thisisourfirststoponatwo-dayroadtripthroughNewYorkandPennsylvania.AndafterthisIheadtoSyracuse--yay,Syracuse--tospeakwithsomehighschoolers.TomorrowI'
mgoingtovisitSUNYBinghamtonandLackawannaCollegeinScranton.ButIwantedtostarthereatUniversityatBuffalo.
AndIwantedtodoitforacouplereasons.First,Iknowyou’refocusedonthefuture.AsIsaid,talkingtotheMayor,hewasdescribinganewmedicalschool--andnewopportunitiesforthehigh-techjobsoftomorrow.Sothere’sgreatworkbeingdoneatthisinstitution.IalsoknowthateverybodyheremustbefearlessbecausethefootballteamkicksoffagainstNumber2,OhioState,nextweekend.Goodluck,guys.It’sgoingtobeagreatexperience.It’sgoingtobeagreatexperience.Itcouldbeanupset.
Andthird,andmostimportantly,Iknowthattheyoungpeopleherearecommittedtoearningyourdegree,tohelpingthisuniversitytomakesurethateveryoneofyou“FinishesinFour”--makessurethatyou'
repreparedforwhatevercomesnext.Andthat’swhatIwanttotalkaboutheretoday.
Overthelastmonth,I’vebeenvisitingtownsacrossthecountry,talkingabout--yes,feelfreetositdown.Getcomfortable.
AUDIENCEMEMBER:
Weloveyou!
Thankyou.Iloveyou,too.
OverthelastmonthI'
vebeenouttheretalkingaboutwhatweneedtodoasacountrytomakesurethatwe'
vegotabetterbargainforthemiddleclassandeverybodywho’sworkinghardtogetintothemiddleclass--anationalstrategytomakesurethateverybodywhoworkshardhasachancetosucceedinthis21stcenturyeconomy.
Now,Ithinkallofushereknowthatforthepastfourandahalfyears,we’vebeenfightingbackfromabrutalrecessionthatcostmillionsofAmericanstheirjobsandtheirhomesandtheirsavings.Butwhattherecessionalsodidwasitshowedthatfortoolongwe'
veseenanerosionofmiddle-classsecurity.So,together,wesavedtheautoindustry.Together,wetookonabrokenhealthcaresystem.Weinvestedinnewtechnologies.Westartedreversingouraddictiontoforeignoil.Wechangedataxcodethatwastiltedtofarinfavorofthewealthyattheexpenseofworkingfamilies.
Andadditallup,todayourbusinesseshavecreated7.3millionnewjobsoverthelast41months.Wenowgeneratemorerenewableenergythaneverbefore.WesellmoregoodsmadeinAmericatotherestoftheworldthanever.Healthcarecostsaregrowingattheslowestratein50years.Ourdeficitsarefallingatthefastestratein60years.
HereinBuffalo,theGovernorandtheMayorweredescribingoverabilliondollarsininvestment,riverfrontbeingchanged,constructionbooming--signsofprogress.
SothankstothegritandtheresilienceoftheAmericanpeople,we’veclearedawaytherubblefromthefinancialcrisis.We’vestartedtolaythefoundationforastronger,moredurableeconomicgrowth.
Butasanymiddle-classfamilywilltellyou,asfolkshereinBuffalowilltellyou,we’renotwhereweneedtobeyet.Becauseevenbeforethecrisishit--anditsoundslikeBuffaloknowssomethingaboutthis--wewerelivingthroughadecadewhereafewatthetopweredoingbetterandbetter,mostfamilieswereworkingharderandharderjusttogetby.Manufacturingwasleaving,jobsmovingoverseas,losingourcompetitiveedge.Andit’sastruggleforalotoffolks.
Soreversingthistrendshouldbe,mustbe,Washington’shighestpriority.It’smyhighestpriority.I’vegottosayit’snotalwaysWashington’shighestpriority.Becauseratherthankeepingfocusonagrowingeconomythatcreatesgoodmiddle-classjobs,we’veseenafactionofRepublicansinCongresssuggestthatmaybeAmericashouldn’tpayitsbillsthathavealreadybeenrunup,thatweshutdowngovernmentiftheycan’tshutdownObamacare.
Booo--
Thatwon’tgrowoureconomy.Thatwon’tcreatejobs.Thatwon’thelpourmiddleclass.Wecan’taffordinWashingtontheusualcircusofdistractionsandpoliticalposturing.Wecan'
taffordthatrightnow.
WhatweneedistobuildonthecornerstonesofwhatitmeanstobemiddleclassinAmerica,focusonthat--agoodjobwithgoodwages,agoodeducation,ahomeofyourown,affordablehealthcare,asecureretirement.Bread-and-butter,pocketbookissuesthatyoucareabouteverysingleday;
thatyou’rethinkingabouteverysingleday.Andwe’vegottocreatemorepathwaysintothemiddleclassforfolkswhoarewillingtoworkforit.That’swhat’salwaysmadeAmericagreat.It’snotjusthowmanybillionairesweproduce,butourabilitytogiveeverybodywhoworkshardthechancetopursuetheirownmeasureofhappiness.That'
swhatAmericaisallabout.
Now,therearen’tmanythingsthataremoreimportanttothatideaofeconomicmobility--theideathatyoucanmakeitifyoutry--thanagoodeducation.Allthestudentshereknowthat.That’swhyyou’rehere.That’swhyyourfamilieshavemadebigsacrifices--becauseweunderstandthatinthefaceofgreaterandgreaterglobalcompetition,inaknowledge-basedeconomy,agreateducationismoreimportantthanever.
Ahighereducationisthesinglebestinvestmentyoucanmakeinyourfuture.AndI’mproudofallthestudentswhoaremakingthatinvestment.Andthat’snotjustmesayingit.Look,rightnow,theunemploymentrateforAmericanswithatleastacollegedegreeisaboutone-thirdlowerthanthenationalaverage.TheincomesoffolkswhohaveatleastacollegedegreearemorethantwicethoseofAmericanswithoutahighschooldiploma.Somorethaneverbefore,someformofhighereducationisthesurestpathintothemiddleclass.
ButwhatIwanttotalkabouttodayiswhat’sbecomeabarrierandaburdenfortoomanyAmericanfamilies--andthatisthesoaringcostofhighereducation.
Thisissomethingthateverybodyknowsyouneed--acollegeeducation.Ontheotherhand,collegehasneverbeenmoreexpensive.Overthepastthreedecades,theaveragetuitionatapublicfour-yearcollegehasgoneupbymorethan250percent--250percent.Now,atypicalfamily'
sincomehasonlygoneup16percent.Sothinkaboutthat--tuitionhasgoneup250percent;
incomegoneup16percent.That’sabiggap.
Now,it'
struethatalotofuniversitieshavetriedtoprovidefinancialaidandwork-studyprograms.Andsonoteverystudent--infact,moststudentsareprobablynotpayingthestickerpriceoftuition.Weunderstandthat.Butwhatwealsounderstandisthatifit'
sgoingup250[percent]andyourincomesareonlygoingup16[percent],atsomepoint,familiesarehavingtomakeupsomeofthedifference,orstudentsarehavingtomakeupsomeofthedifferencewithdebt.
Andmeanwhile,overthepastfewyears,stateshavebeencuttingbackontheirhighereducationbudgets.NewYorkhasdonebetterthanalotofstates,butthefactisthatwe'
vebeenspendingmoremoneyonprisons,lessmoneyoncollege.Andmeanwhile,notenoughcollegeshavebeenworkingtofigureouthowdowecontrolcosts,howdowecutbackoncosts.Soallthissticksittostudents,sticksittofamilies,butalso,taxpayersenduppayingabiggerprice.
Theaveragestudentwhoborrowsforcollegenowgraduatesowingmorethan$26,000.Someowealotmorethanthat.AndI’veheardfromalotoftheseyoungpeoplewhoarefrustratedthatthey’vedoneeverythingthey'
resupposedtodo--gotgoodgradesinhighschool,appliedtocollege,didwellinschool--butnowtheycomeout,they'
vegotthiscrushingdebtthat’scripplingtheirsenseofself-relianceandtheirdreams.Itbecomeshardtostartafamilyandbuyahomeifyou'
reservicing$1,000worthofdebteverymonth.Itbecomeshardertostartabusinessifyouareservicing$1,000worthofdebteverymonth,right?
Andmeanwhile,parents,you'
rehavingtomakesacrifices,whichm