President Barack Obama takes questions about the economy during a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, on February 9, 2009. President Obama will hold similar town hall meetings in California this week. (Photo: Brian Kersey/UPI/NewsCom)
On the Road Again
President Barack Obama is holding town hall meetings in California this week to talk about the economy
President Barack Obama is taking his economic message directly to the people.
Today and tomorrow, the President will hold town hall-style meetings in California to discuss what's happening with the U.S. economy.
The first meeting is today in Costa Mesa at 4 p.m. PT. The second town hall meeting will take place in downtown Los Angeles.
This isn't the first time President Obama has taken questions and heard concerns about the economy from everyday people. Last month, he held town hall meetings in Indiana and Florida to try to generate support for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Obama eventually signed that economic stimulus into law on February 17. It will provide tax relief and money for spending on things like roads, bridges, and unemployment benefits.
The effects of the stimulus likely won't be felt for a few months—and Americans are getting anxious. Businesses are still shutting down, jobs are still being lost, and homes are still being foreclosed.
"The President looks forward to [talking] directly with the American people about the many challenges that we have," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Gibbs added that the President also wants to talk about working with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to lay a foundation for long-term economic growth.
The economic recession has hit California especially hard. The unemployment rate is more than 10 percent; home foreclosures have soared; and the state budget has a large deficit.
Gibbs expects Californians at the town halls to ask the President questions about the housing crisis, home foreclosures, and overall financial stability.
Once he has concluded the town hall meetings, Obama will take questions in a different forum: a late-night talk show.
On March 19, Obama will stop by The Tonight Show and speak to host Jay Leno and his viewers about the economy.
With this appearance, Obama will become the first United States President in office to be a guest on a late-night talk show.
The Tonight Show is known for its comedy. But Gibbs assured the press that Obama wasn't going on the show to be funny.
"We don't look at it as a process of demonstrating the President's sense of humor," Gibbs said. "We look at it as a way of discussing the economic situation that we find ourselves in."
By appearing on The Tonight Show, the President, according to Gibbs, also hopes to reach a wider audience, one that might not follow politics as closely as people in Washington do.
Scholastic Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan will be at President Obama's town hall meeting in Costa Mesa. Check Scholastic News Online tomorrow for her full report!
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