Business Responsibility

In today’s weekly address, President Obama spoke of ways government and business can partner together to get our country back to work.  You can read the transcript and watch the video here.

Some of the speech was about the responsibility government has to support innovation in the areas of education and infrastructure-building. But he also addressed the responsibilities businesses have. The emphasis is mine:

Supporting businesses with this kind of 21st century infrastructure and cutting-edge innovation is our responsibility. But businesses have a responsibility, too. If we make America the best place to do business, businesses should make their mark in America. They should set up shop here, and hire our workers, and pay decent wages, and invest in the future of this nation. That’s their obligation. And that’s the message I’ll be bringing to American business leaders at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday – that government and businesses have mutual responsibilities; and that if we fulfill these obligations together, it benefits us all. Our workers will succeed. Our nation will prosper. And America will win the future in this century just like we did in the last.

The responsibility to set up shop on our shores. The responsibility to hire our workers. The responsibility to pay decent wages. The obligation to invest in our future.

Is anybody listening?