Hillary Clinton Campaigns In San Jose, San Francisco Championing Education, Health Care
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- At a Bay Area campaign rally Thursday afternoon, Hillary Clinton told more than 200 supporters in San Francisco that she is the
presidential candidate who can unify the United States, command the armed forces and get results.
Clinton came on stage at about 5 p.m. below a gold gilded ceiling and between gold gilded walls at The Hibernia Bank at 1 Jones St. in San Francisco, to cheering, sign-waving supporters on nearly all sides.
Clinton, also a former U.S. Senator from New York, spoke about the economy, equality, education, energy and healthcare.
"Our economy does better when we have a Democrat in the White House," Clinton claimed.
She harkened to the 90s when her husband was president and the U.S. had a budget surplus.
Clinton wants America to manufacture the inventions made in the U.S.
She wants to invest in renewable energy jobs, raise the national minimum wage, make community college free and get students through a four-year college or university without student debt.
She got especially loud cheers when she spoke about mental health and addiction.
Stigma still surrounds people with mental illness, Clinton said.
Part of what she said she is focused on is creating support and treatment for people with mental illness and addictions.
"They do not belong in jails and prisons," Clinton said. "They belong in treatment facilities."
Earlier Thursday, in San Jose, her supporters shook blue signs pasted with Clinton's campaign slogan, "Fighting for us," when she stepped onstage at
Parkside Hall.
In her 30-minute remarks, Clinton made numerous comparisons between herself and probable Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
She criticized Trump for his plans to decrease taxes for billionaires and build a wall along the Mexican border.
Trump's insults have attacked a variety of groups such as immigrants and individuals like U.S. Senator John McCain.
Clinton said Trump has not said what he would do to improve education, but she wants to provide more opportunities for technical education in addition to free community college and debt-free four-year degrees.
"We need more ways for people to get the skills that will be competitive for themselves and for their families," she said.
Clinton would also lower costs to help improve the Affordable Care Act.
"Before there was something called Obamacare there was something called Hillary care," she said.
Clinton also took time to describe what happened in the Situation Room when she was part of a small group of officials that assessed the intelligence in the raid on Osama Bin Laden in 2011.
"No president wants to seek out those kinds of situations but every president faces those hard choices," she said, adding she'd take care of those serving in the military.
Clinton laid out her intentions to pass reforms on immigration and gun safety. She also promised to defend marriage equality and LGBT rights.
Clinton called on voters to cast their ballots as soon as possible with the state's primary election less than two weeks away.
"We've got to start right here in California making the future that we want to see for our country, for our children and grandchildren," she said.
Alexis Lewis, 62, of San Mateo has seen Clinton speak five times and has been drawn to the presidential candidate's sense of "inclusion."
"Everybody's a part of this great country and she feels like we've all done our part no matter what race you are," Lewis said in San Jose Thursday.
San Ramon resident Melinda Daly was at today's rally with her husband, 9-year-old son, 6-year-old daughter and 8-week-old infant.
Daly started crying when she saw Clinton, who she considers a smart and dedicated person fit to become president.
"I can't think of a person more qualified or a person I trust more to be in that most important job in the world," Daly said.
Daly's 9-year-old son Shae was excited to see Clinton for the first time because he got to miss classes today at Golden View Elementary
School. What stood out for Shae was how Hillary was "truly" talking about Trump and discussed what she can do better.
After the rally in San Francisco, Josh Ragos said, "I think she is the most qualified candidate we've had in a very long time," citing Clinton's
experience as Secretary of State and U.S. Senator.
Hayward resident Radonna Scott agreed.
"She knows what it takes to do the job," Scott said, also citing Clinton's experience as Secretary of State. "She will have worldwide respect
and that's important."
"I want Hillary to be the first woman president because she's for immigration," native San Franciscan and first generation Mexican-American Rose Bravo said.
Bravo said she's really thankful that her parents crossed the border when they were just teenagers and she is proud of her nieces and nephews who are in the U.S. becoming professionals.
With Clinton in office, Bravo thinks her nieces and nephews could be president.
"There's so much hope for the next generation," Bravo said.