-- by Wenonah Hauter [3], Food & Water Watch [4].

[5]Did you see President Obama's State of the Union? While the President had an optimistic tone, again and again, I saw the same theme of giving more power to corporations at the expense of the people.

President Obama told us once again that he wants to fix income inequality in this country. He even announced a minimum wage increase for government contractors, which is one step in the right direction... but if he's serious about better pay for ordinary Americans, he shouldn't be pushing for trade deals [6] that will bolster corporate profits and let corporations move jobs overseas, not to mention taking away communities' rights to protect themselves from corporate abuses.

If he succeeds, these deals (including the Trans-Pacific Partnership) would lead to more imports of potentially unsafe foods and the export of fracked gas. It would put corporate profits ahead of people's health and safety. Let President Obama know you're disappointed that he's supporting trade deals that put corporations above communities. [7]

When it comes to fracking, President Obama's State of the Union speech touted his "all of the above" energy plan as a success, even though his administration has repeatedly scuttled investigations into the damaging impacts of fracking, like water contamination. He also said he doesn't want to leave our children with the impacts of climate change, but fracking hurts communities and it's not a solution to our energy woes or the climate crisis.

Even though President Obama said he wants to protect our pristine public lands, his administration is still considering opening them up to more oil and gas fracking. Send President Obama a clear message: it's past time that he changed his mind on fracking. [8]

President Obama mentioned the debate over the proper size of our government. We can't let that debate compromise the safety of our food by cutting funding that the USDA needs to properly inspect our poultry. In the State of the Union, he spoke about his interest in streamlining the government, but he's doing so at the expense of our health and safety when he lets the meat industry do their own safety inspections. That's letting the fox guard the henhouse, and it's no way to keep our food safe.

Please take a minute to let the President know that you want him to put the health and safety of American communities ahead of corporate profits. [9] Let's send a strong message to President Obama after his State of the Union speech.

Wenonah Hauter is the executive director of the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch [4].