The People We Are Becoming

The Intel Fab 42 Building slated to be one of the most high-tech production facilities in the world welcomes President Obama

INTEL NEW FAB 42 FACILITY Photo taken by ShaRae Walker

The Valley of Sun will welcome President Obama on Wednesday January 25, 2012, less than 24 hours after he delivers a State of the Union Speech.

Obama is scheduled to visit the construction site of the new Fab 42 facility for Intel in Chandler, Arizona. According to Ralph Kalian, a subcontractor for Intel, “We weren’t aware President Obama would visit the job site until lunch today. We were simply told there would be no work tomorrow because the president would be here.”

The $5 Billion Intel project broke ground early 2011 delivering thousands of jobs in construction, factory production, engineering and office jobs for the unemployed and newly graduated students.

“Think about the America within our reach.” President Obama said as he addressed the nation. “We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by.” “Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot…”

Less than a year ago, Kalian was one of those Americans barely getting by.

“Money was scarce. I had very little hope.” Ralph stated. “Now that I’m employed at Intel, I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel”.

Chandler, Arizona Construction Workers prepare for President Obama's Arrival: Photo taken by ShaRae Walker

Although the unexpected visit of Obama to the Intel site hasn’t been widely publicized, his State of the Union speech extensively covered the need for jobs in America and it’s presumed that he’s using Intel as a role model for the rest of big business in America.

According to Intel’s Newsroom, the remarks of President Obama will be streamed live at whitehouse.gov/live around 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, January 23, 2012.

All signs point to a deterioration in American schools.

According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. ranks 14^th in reading, 17^th in science and 25^th in math. Countries such as Europe and Asia are rapidly expanding their educational systems. The U.S. high school graduation rates are also lower today than they were a decade ago.

Should we care? According to the Hoover Institution, “Weak educational systems won’t ruin the country overnight, but prolonged incompetence will eventually prove consequential”.

Boosting America’s Education system won’t be easy, but if we all join together America will have a fighting chance.

Visit the U.S. Department of Education at ed.gov for a listing of educational resources and get involved.

If you are an educational advocate and would like to share information for others to get involved, contact me and I will list your resources.