Michelle Obama Hosts Economic Roundtable with Wisconsin Women
Political Desk
September 22, 2008
Mrs. Obama Continues Series of Conversations Highlighting Barack Obama's and Joe Biden's Commitment to Economic Security for Women and Families.
Wausau, WI – Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama, hosted a roundtable discussion with working women in Wausau, Wisconsin, today to hear firsthand about the everyday challenges that they face, as our country plunges into economic crisis following eight years of failed economic policies.
Earlier in the day, Mrs. Obama hosted a rally in Madison where she talked about her husband, and why he will be an extraordinary president, and she emphasized the importance of registering to vote and taking part in this critical election. She will host a similar rally in Milwaukee Monday evening.
Mrs. Obama´s activities were part of statewide outreach today, as the Obama campaign blanketed America´s Dairyland with campaign activities. Senator Obama was in Green Bay Monday, where he delivered a speech on government reform, detailing his plans to reform the greed and excesses of Washington so that we never face an economic crisis like this again. Obama and Biden will reform our government by taking on the spending habits of both parties and going after the tax havens and loopholes that big corporations use to avoid paying their fare share while American families pay more.
At the Wausau roundtable, Mrs. Obama talked about how Barack Obama and Joe Biden will change Washington, so that instead of just talking about family values, we actually have policies that value families.
"Barack has seen firsthand how people are impacted when the economy suffers. And that´s why he wants to change Washington, so that it´s on your side - instead of standing in your way. When I look at the two candidates and their plans for America, the choice is clear. Barack is the only candidate in this election who has built his economic plan around the middle class. He wants to give a tax cut to 95 percent of all working Americans, reward companies that create jobs here in America, and ensure that women are paid fairly for our work," said Mrs. Obama
Today´s roundtable wrapped up the campaign´s "Women for the Change we Need" week, a nationwide effort to highlight the issues that women and families care about most – like equal pay for equal work, the right to make their own family planning choices, and the challenges of balancing the family budget in the face of skyrocketing healthcare and energy costs.
Mrs. Obama heard the stories of Wisconsin women who are shouldering a heavier burden than ever before, and shared her husband´s plans to support hardworking American families.
Barack Obama will bring the change we need by reversing the policies of the last 8 years and rebuilding an economy that works for the middle class. He will break the grip of the special interests, and put the middle class first by giving a tax break of up to $1,000 to 95% of hard working Americans. Under Barack Obama´s plan, middle class families will face the lowest income tax rates in over 50 years. You can read the Obama-Biden Blueprint to support working women and families HERE.
For the last year and a half, Mrs. Obama has met with women from around the country to hear firsthand the impact that the policies in Washington have on the lives of everyday Americans. She most recently met with working women in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 18th.
At this morning´s event, Mrs. Obama was introduced by Michelle Brunelle, and was joined by the following women:
Michelle Brunelle is a 33 year old mother and wife has lived in the Wausau region for 11 years. She completed her bachelor´s degree in Geography at the University of Wisconsin, Steven´s Point. She then taught high school social studies at D.C. Everest High School in Weston until the birth of her first daughter. She now raises her two daughters, Sierra – 7, McKenzie - 4, and is also taking an online course to receive her master´s degree in teaching K-12 reading. Michelle´s husband is the Directing Business Representative for the Machinists´ Union District Lodge W3, and represents union locals in arbitrations and negotations with employers. In the last year, Michelle and her husband´s disposable income has gone toward gas, food, and healthcare at the cost of enrolling her children in more activities and financing regular trips to Oregon where Michelle´s family lives. Michelle´s husband also recently discovered that he has a hereditary cholesterol blood disease which will require bi-month treatments costing $5000.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan, Michelle´s family would receive $1,000 per year in direct tax credits, including an $800 mortgage interest deduction. Her family would also be eligible for an emergency energy rebate check of $500 to help with gas and groceries and up to $2,500 every year in health care savings, as well as the opportunity to buy health insurance in a new public program that offers a robust benefits package.
Bonnie Anderson is a 62 year old working mother and grandmother. She has been working for 20 years as a dental hygienist in Wausau. After raising two children, she decided to go back to school because she knew it was the only way to increase her independence and the economic standing of her family. She went to North Central Technical College (NTC) while working part-time in a dental office, as a dental assistant and front desk appointment coordinator. Following graduation from NTC, she worked there as a dental hygienist until being hired full time at her present dental office. In 1999 Bonnie received her associate´s degree from UW Marathon Center.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan, Bonnie would receive $500 in matching tax credits on the first $1,000 of retirement savings. She would also receive $500 in direct tax relief, through the "Making Work Pay" tax cut to help relieve in the rising costs of living expenses. Bonnie and her daughters would also benefit from the Obama-Biden health plan which will create a new national health exchange that will allow individuals without access to affordable insurance coverage, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plans available to federal employees.
Rosie Carlson is a 26 woman who is enrolled at North Central Technical College´s nursing program and also working part time at a local restaurant. Every two weeks, she drives 60 miles to Westboro, to visit her to help her run errands and with household chores. Rosie serves as State Ambassador for North Central Technical College and after she graduates would like to work in a hospital in Wausau. She is concerned about making ends meet to pay for her education.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan Rosie would receive $663 in direct tax relief. Specifically, she would also receive a $500 in direct tax relief, through the "Making Work Pay" tax cut to help relieve in the rising costs of living expenses and $163 in expanded relief under the Earned Income Tax credit (EITC), as a result of the Obama-Biden EITC expansion proposal.
Gladys Langenhag is a 70 year old mother of four children and grandmother of 10. Some years after she was married, Gladys, then 34, bought a dairy farm with her husband – a crop farm Gladys´s eldest son continues to live on and lease out. Farming did not provide their family with adequate benefits so Gladys went to teach as a cosmetology instructor at State College of Beauty Culture in Wausau, she also ran a beauty salon out of the farm because her youngest was in Kindergarten and needed a parent at home in the afternoons. When her husband retired, she was no longer covered by benefits so she had to change careers so she began to work in customer service at Liberty Mutual. She had to retire at age 67 due to macular degeneration, as a result of which she is now legally blind. Gladys has felt the impact of the economic downturn, as her 401k and college funds for her grandchildren have steadily lost value.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan, Gladys would not pay any income taxes, nor would she need to file, because she earns less than $50,000 a year. She would also be eligible for an emergency energy rebate check of $500 to help pay for gas and groceries.
Wausau, WI – Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama, hosted a roundtable discussion with working women in Wausau, Wisconsin, today to hear firsthand about the everyday challenges that they face, as our country plunges into economic crisis following eight years of failed economic policies.
Earlier in the day, Mrs. Obama hosted a rally in Madison where she talked about her husband, and why he will be an extraordinary president, and she emphasized the importance of registering to vote and taking part in this critical election. She will host a similar rally in Milwaukee Monday evening.
Mrs. Obama´s activities were part of statewide outreach today, as the Obama campaign blanketed America´s Dairyland with campaign activities. Senator Obama was in Green Bay Monday, where he delivered a speech on government reform, detailing his plans to reform the greed and excesses of Washington so that we never face an economic crisis like this again. Obama and Biden will reform our government by taking on the spending habits of both parties and going after the tax havens and loopholes that big corporations use to avoid paying their fare share while American families pay more.
At the Wausau roundtable, Mrs. Obama talked about how Barack Obama and Joe Biden will change Washington, so that instead of just talking about family values, we actually have policies that value families.
"Barack has seen firsthand how people are impacted when the economy suffers. And that´s why he wants to change Washington, so that it´s on your side - instead of standing in your way. When I look at the two candidates and their plans for America, the choice is clear. Barack is the only candidate in this election who has built his economic plan around the middle class. He wants to give a tax cut to 95 percent of all working Americans, reward companies that create jobs here in America, and ensure that women are paid fairly for our work," said Mrs. Obama
Today´s roundtable wrapped up the campaign´s "Women for the Change we Need" week, a nationwide effort to highlight the issues that women and families care about most – like equal pay for equal work, the right to make their own family planning choices, and the challenges of balancing the family budget in the face of skyrocketing healthcare and energy costs.
Mrs. Obama heard the stories of Wisconsin women who are shouldering a heavier burden than ever before, and shared her husband´s plans to support hardworking American families.
Barack Obama will bring the change we need by reversing the policies of the last 8 years and rebuilding an economy that works for the middle class. He will break the grip of the special interests, and put the middle class first by giving a tax break of up to $1,000 to 95% of hard working Americans. Under Barack Obama´s plan, middle class families will face the lowest income tax rates in over 50 years. You can read the Obama-Biden Blueprint to support working women and families HERE.
For the last year and a half, Mrs. Obama has met with women from around the country to hear firsthand the impact that the policies in Washington have on the lives of everyday Americans. She most recently met with working women in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 18th.
At this morning´s event, Mrs. Obama was introduced by Michelle Brunelle, and was joined by the following women:
Michelle Brunelle is a 33 year old mother and wife has lived in the Wausau region for 11 years. She completed her bachelor´s degree in Geography at the University of Wisconsin, Steven´s Point. She then taught high school social studies at D.C. Everest High School in Weston until the birth of her first daughter. She now raises her two daughters, Sierra – 7, McKenzie - 4, and is also taking an online course to receive her master´s degree in teaching K-12 reading. Michelle´s husband is the Directing Business Representative for the Machinists´ Union District Lodge W3, and represents union locals in arbitrations and negotations with employers. In the last year, Michelle and her husband´s disposable income has gone toward gas, food, and healthcare at the cost of enrolling her children in more activities and financing regular trips to Oregon where Michelle´s family lives. Michelle´s husband also recently discovered that he has a hereditary cholesterol blood disease which will require bi-month treatments costing $5000.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan, Michelle´s family would receive $1,000 per year in direct tax credits, including an $800 mortgage interest deduction. Her family would also be eligible for an emergency energy rebate check of $500 to help with gas and groceries and up to $2,500 every year in health care savings, as well as the opportunity to buy health insurance in a new public program that offers a robust benefits package.
Bonnie Anderson is a 62 year old working mother and grandmother. She has been working for 20 years as a dental hygienist in Wausau. After raising two children, she decided to go back to school because she knew it was the only way to increase her independence and the economic standing of her family. She went to North Central Technical College (NTC) while working part-time in a dental office, as a dental assistant and front desk appointment coordinator. Following graduation from NTC, she worked there as a dental hygienist until being hired full time at her present dental office. In 1999 Bonnie received her associate´s degree from UW Marathon Center.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan, Bonnie would receive $500 in matching tax credits on the first $1,000 of retirement savings. She would also receive $500 in direct tax relief, through the "Making Work Pay" tax cut to help relieve in the rising costs of living expenses. Bonnie and her daughters would also benefit from the Obama-Biden health plan which will create a new national health exchange that will allow individuals without access to affordable insurance coverage, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plans available to federal employees.
Rosie Carlson is a 26 woman who is enrolled at North Central Technical College´s nursing program and also working part time at a local restaurant. Every two weeks, she drives 60 miles to Westboro, to visit her to help her run errands and with household chores. Rosie serves as State Ambassador for North Central Technical College and after she graduates would like to work in a hospital in Wausau. She is concerned about making ends meet to pay for her education.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan Rosie would receive $663 in direct tax relief. Specifically, she would also receive a $500 in direct tax relief, through the "Making Work Pay" tax cut to help relieve in the rising costs of living expenses and $163 in expanded relief under the Earned Income Tax credit (EITC), as a result of the Obama-Biden EITC expansion proposal.
Gladys Langenhag is a 70 year old mother of four children and grandmother of 10. Some years after she was married, Gladys, then 34, bought a dairy farm with her husband – a crop farm Gladys´s eldest son continues to live on and lease out. Farming did not provide their family with adequate benefits so Gladys went to teach as a cosmetology instructor at State College of Beauty Culture in Wausau, she also ran a beauty salon out of the farm because her youngest was in Kindergarten and needed a parent at home in the afternoons. When her husband retired, she was no longer covered by benefits so she had to change careers so she began to work in customer service at Liberty Mutual. She had to retire at age 67 due to macular degeneration, as a result of which she is now legally blind. Gladys has felt the impact of the economic downturn, as her 401k and college funds for her grandchildren have steadily lost value.
Under the Obama-Biden economic plan, Gladys would not pay any income taxes, nor would she need to file, because she earns less than $50,000 a year. She would also be eligible for an emergency energy rebate check of $500 to help pay for gas and groceries.
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