Mostly-Positive Local Reviews For State Of Union Speech

It was a speech made in the midst of a deepening fiscal crisis with grave implications not just for northeast Queens federal employees, but for every taxpayer in the region.

And judging from the reaction on local Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and blogs, President Barack Obama's plan delivered at last night's State of the Union address to tackle some of these challenges got plenty of high marks — and from some unexpected quarters, no less.

"This Republican says  — SOLID," wrote Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, on Facebook shortly after the President's address.

However, in the run-up to last night's speech — Obama's first in front of a Republican-led House of Representatives — comments left by some Facebook users revealed a widening rift between those in support of public employees and those advocating the reductions of the size and role of government.

In one exchange, Queens resident Richard Alexander suggested a 20 percent cut in pay for federal workers and a 50 percent cut in pensions, prompting this following response from Smithtown, L.I. resident Brian Smith:

"Yeah thats the answer, go after the people who dedicated their lives to public service who knew they'd never get rich pursuing that line of work," Smith wrote. "Oh and while youre [sic] at it, take away their pensions which were promised to them when they signed on the dotted line."

As for the content of the President's speech, at least one State of the Union watcher, Bayside attorney Steve Behar seemed to concur with Obama's call for increased investment in certain areas to preserve America's place as "the largest, most prosperous economy in the world."

"China is building infrastrucure and educating its kids...just like we did in the fifties!" wrote Behar via Twitter. "Its [sic] about time we address that."