Last night President Barack Obama offered his first State of the Union Address. One of the main issues addressed in the speech was employment. The jobs situation remains precarious, and the President wants to show that he is listening to the concerns of the people. As a result, it is little surprise that he offered some plans to encourage increased job creation, including a plan for tax breaks for companies willing to hire more workers.

In addition to addressing employment, the President also stressed the need to develop alternative energy technologies. He also talked of education reform, health care reform and financial regulatory reform. He also made sure to take responsibility for his mistakes, as well as point out that some things couldn’t be avoided, and that there is still a ways to go.

In the end, it will be interesting see whether any of his ideas can be put into play. While the President does have some influence over the direction of some policies, the bottom line is that actual legislation is in the hands of others.