The quotes below were paraphrased to the best of my ability, they are not as accurate as I would like as I was typing on the fly.
The video is now archived. To get to the action, fast forward to about 25 minutes or -45:00 depending on whether your youtube is doing something weird like mine is. Then the program will start. It's a good 25 minute Q&A session which deals with some tough policy issues. I recommend watching.
I jumped in during the first question which is about immigration reform.
Steve in Santa Clara asks: "Last year I filmed a documentary about Chernobyl, I met a lot of good friends. Those friends are living under soviet type rules. What is our stance on the ongoing protests in Kiev right now, and what can we do?"
11:19 AM PT: Obama: "Rules that restrict protest and free speech are counter productive. There has to be a way to restructure the Ukranian government in such a way that the folks on the streets can be heard, and that creates a government with greater legitimacy and unity.... the people of Ukraine are looking towards Europe and the west as a partner in a more free-market-based econonmy."
"What the people of Ukraine do not want to see a situation where behind closed doors their aspirations for a free society is [derailed?]"
We live in an age where smartphones and the internet create freedom of information. You can't bottle up information like we used to.
I'm always worried about violence, but we're working with the Ukranian government daily to find a solution."
11:22 AM PT: Art, Tempe: Net Neutrality. "Do you support net neutrality, and how you feel about the recent court decision and how it will affect the US economy and the internet."
Obama: "Nice Marley Poster!"
"Net Neutrality is something I care deeply about. My campaign was powered by a free and open internet. The capability of our citizens to engage and create... couldn't have been done with commercial barriers and roadblocks. I'm a strong supporter of net neutrality, and the new chair of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, is a big supporter of Net Neutrality.
He says they're looking at every tool including appeals to vindicate the idea of an open internet.
There are a lot of technical issues...
The one good piece of news... was the court did confirm that the FCC could regulate this space. They have the authority. The question is is how do they use that authority.
11:22 AM PT: New location: central US/ heartland.
11:24 AM PT: Darnell Summers, works in fast food industry.
"I have been on strike four times, I'm only making 7.25 an hour, to get an increase in wages and a fast food union to no avail. What can you and congress do for people in this situation to help us survive."
"Darnell, I agree with you."
11:25 AM PT: "We gotta make sure that the economy is growing and creating jobs, but we also gotta make sure that work pays... the one thing that most americans agree on is that if you work full time, you shouldn't have to live in poverty. What I'm doing now is to make sure that every federal contractor pays minumum wage. I'm also putting pressure on states to raise their minimum wage..."
11:28 AM PT: Obama discusses costco, says that higher wages are good business. Higher paid workers are happier and more productive, and its good for all business, because if people have money, they spend more of it."
11:29 AM PT: New question: "What is your plan for inclusion of persons with disabilities in the work force." The woman who asks grew up in poverty, is blind, and has a graduate degree.
"People with disabilities have a higher unemployment rate, and we need to break down barriers for them."
11:31 AM PT: "I've asked federal agencies to look at "What more can we do to recruit people with disabilities...." but what I'm also doing is working with employers. Today I met with employers who pledged to hire more of the long-term unemployed. They have trouble because their long-term unemployment means they don't get called back... One employer mentioned the work he's doing hiring people with disabilities... at one distribution center where 50% of the employees have some sort of disability, they're 20% more efficient than any other distribution center he has, which just proves that if you give people a chance, they will perform."
11:33 AM PT: Curtis in Texas.
"Corporations receive tax subsidies for their CEO bonuses, while many of their employees are on food stamps. What can we do to make sure that the burden of paying for those food stamps falls on the companies like McDonalds that are creating this situation?"
The President discusses increasing and expanding the EITC, closing tax loopholes. Mentions that the EITC doesn't work well for single folks or young men,
11:35 AM PT: An exchange between Curtis and the president blasts Citizens United and corporate personhood.
11:37 AM PT: My question regards Obamacare which a lot of people agree was a premature rollout... I'm getting wrong answers and conflicting information, a lot of people are struggling with the rules... what are you doing to fix this?"
"First of all, it sounds like you were in the individual market... your concern is how does this affect you and your kids. What I make sure is make sure first of all, someone from this white house will call you and it will BE the right answer. You don't have to pussyfoot around, the rollout was a problem because the website wasn't working properly."
11:38 AM PT: "What we've done is first of all, the website's working, the place you can go is Healthcare.gov... to see if there's cheaper options, and you do not have to wait anymore... For someone like you, your health insurance will be cheaper or comparable, and you'll have better healthcare..."
11:39 AM PT: The president discusses the issues with specialists, and says he's going to make sure that if you can't find a specialist, you'll be able to stay with your current one until one becomes available on your network.
11:43 AM PT: "Surveillance is an issue that is very important to me... you said that you are making changes to NSA surveillance programs... from the surveillance of muslim americans to the culture within the NSA, mistrust has developed between the people and the NSA. What are you going to do to regain the trust of the people?"
The President claims that the NSA is not legally allowed to conduct surveillance on American Citizens without a court order. Discussing the phone records, "If all those numbers are held in one place, isn't that subject to abuse down the road." He says he will reform the system so that the government isn't holding on to all of that data, but still chase down leads of a terrorist attack. He says he's made it so that no one can access that database without judicial approval.
He also says that the US needs to protect privacy rights not just in the US, but outside of it. Wants everyone to be treated equally under the law, including Muslim Americans.
11:44 AM PT: The best defense to terrorist actions is a strong Muslim community that works with us.
11:44 AM PT: Last question is about how rapidly presidents age.
11:45 AM PT: The actual question is "How are you?"
11:46 AM PT: Obama says he's happy because he has an amazing wife and two unbelievably terrific daughters that are growing up too fast. That keeps things in perspective for the president, he says.
11:46 AM PT: This is an extraordinary privilege, this job... every single day I wake up and I have the possibility, the opportunity, to make things a little bit better for people out there.
11:51 AM PT: So here's what we can take away.
On net neutrality, the administration is considering an appeal and wants to undo the rule change. They're still seeking advice on what the decision actually means.
On the NSA, Obama says that none of that information will be accessible without court order, he wants to make sure that privacy is protected at home and abroad, and is waiting for the NSA and FBI to get back to him on a way to achieve their goals without violating American privacy or collecting so much data.