But . . .

He is showing signs of missing the boat in the economic and social part of his growingly complicated and wishful agenda.

Two things worry my right now.? The first is his lack of attention to the single biggest economic and social issue of our era . . . Social Security/Medicare.? The second is his continuing lack of concern about unemployment.

Some words of wisdom on both.

I believe that BHO has it right when he points at NOW as the time to implement universal health care.? How can we even consider ourselves a great nation, let alone the greatest, if we fail to provide basic health care for every single one of our citizens?? We can’t.? So that is high on his agenda.? However, he is completely neglecting the pending failure of Social Security and Medicare and they are inextricably related.? Everyone in this country who is not in the highest tax brackets has a varying degree of reliance on these social programs.? Yet, we know they will fail.? Sooner rather than later in the case of Medicare (2017 or earlier).? Our governments unfunded liabilities in these two programs make the current bailout and stimulus package pale in comparison (in the tens of trillions of $$).

The problem here is that even the government has recognized this for a least a generation.? No one wants to do anything about it.? How is BHO going to implement a ’self-funding’ universal health care system if all retirees are bankrupt and living under the nearest freeway overpass? Frankly, I’m already staking out my spot.

This problem has to move to the forefront now.? We have to stop delaying the debate and move on it before it is a bigger crisis than energy independence.

Unemployment.? Jeez Louise, haven’t I said enough about this already?? China has the bulk of their stimulus package tied up in infrastructure projects that are creating meaningful jobs.? There economy is growing still.

And, remember there is a multiplier effect with any new jobs (as in every new job created by the government’s stimulus creates another? half a job or so in the service/retail sectors — the people with new jobs are going to eat and spend somewhere!).? What has BHO done.? Any infrastructure money is limited and mostly out at least 12-18 months.? He’s more worried about the money flow than who it needs to flow to!

Unemployment is 8.9% today (later this week I believe we will see it at 9.3% or even higher).? We have to do something.?

Bail out the banks? Done.? Bail out GM and Chrysler?? Done.? Bail out other financial firms that have close ties to Washington through their lobbyists (AIG, GE, airlines etc.)?? Done.?

Create jobs for the average Joe.? Haven’t even started.?

We are still sliding down that slippery slope with increasing speed.? At the bottom is one heck of a concrete wall and we are heading right for it.

Create jobs Mr. President.? Save our retirement? funds and medicare.? Help out the average American, not those knuckleheads who pay the most taxes but don’t shop at Walmart and the Dollar Store witht he majority of us.

There is an economic forest out there.? Real thick admittedly.? But look for the biggest and weakest trees in the economic and social food chain.? Social Security.? Medicare.? Unemployment.

Please Mr. President.? Please, Michelle.

Don’t care if the markets are taking off.? Don’t care if the future looks bright to Timothy Giethner or Larry Summers or the CEO’s of our corrupt banks.?

Do care if we won’t have anything waiting for us at the end of the 66 year rainbow.

Start with the issues just discussed.?

Then, in 4 or 8 years your legacy will be genuinely positive.? Give us all a future.

Thanks for listening folks, and keep those $$ pouring into the social tax buckets, I’m going to need them sooner than later.

And, you will too someday!

?

Thanks to flickr’s mgspiller for the foto

Currently the problem that strikes me nearly as critical as the economy is the mid-east problem.? Fix that and a lot of other related problems would go away.? I mean, what are the extremist Islamic jehadists going to ‘go off’ on if the Palestinians and Israelis can be made, or encouraged, to live together in peace.?

That is the mantra Ahmadinejadiboob in Iran dwells on more than any other.? Sadly?there are a lot of his same ilk in the region.

The thing is that peace is possible.? It takes some effort.? Just ask the folk in Northern Ireland.

If people will? sit down and figure out solutions rather than lobbing bombs at each other think what might happen.?

Secretary of State Clinton and her able assistant (the former Pres.) should make that goal the ONLY thing they work on for the next few months (or even years).? The average Joe (even a few who are plumbers) in Gaza and in Israel want peace.? It seems only a few horribly misguided leaders (and followers) on both sides are so intransigent that they can’t see the damage that further conflict is doing to this and future generations.?

The U.S.?can help by giving economic aid so that education and jobs are available to counter the indifference (jealousy)?that the impressionable, uneducated, unemployed?young people in the region experience and that guides (forces) ?them into extremism.?

We must also insist that the wealthy Arab/Muslim nations step up to the plate and provide hope (jobs/education) for good people? who just want a ‘life’ for their families.??By the same token those who abuse the teachings of the Bible or the Q’uran must be punished by all governments and religious leaders until they ‘repent.?’

Peace is possible, if all direct parties and third parties join together to solve the problem.? That means political, economic and religious leaders must be forced to work together using persuasion, logic and the peaceful teachings most accept anyway.?

This isn’t rocket science, and we don’t need a Manhattan project to push it.? We do need leaders who will use Islamic, Christian and Jewish virtues to trump the falsehoods that hatred, mistrust and?perverted history have made all to common.? Change despair to hope.? Change the all to common view of an awful past to a promising future.

Prove you can do it Obama.? Set hillary and the attack-peace-dogs on the problem and?keeping pushing until it is done.?

The world would be different and?Many?of our other problems would go away at the same time.? ?

And by the way. . . . don’t forget the economy.??I have another neighbor who just lost his job.? Multitask, my man BHO.

?Whoaa! Don’t get upset if you’re a republican –?I voted the ticket most of my life. But, four years ago?I realized I’d made a mistake in 2000. Gee,?I thought, shouldn’t we have the best and brightest minds and souls in the Whitehouse and in the Capitol? So, the last two elections?I voted against anyone and everyone in office.? Booo! to all incumbents!!

Now we are having a long winter that actually began about?four (or maybe eight)?years ago. Our elected officials ‘pretend’ to care . . . but only for the camera and really, how the heck could they care,? They don’t even understand.? I mean, almost none of them live regular lives and suffer from the same problems all of the rest of us do.

Let’s hope Obama (BHO) brings in some sunshine and wakes up the politicos. We need change, we need help, we need unity on important issues and we really need SUMMER in Washington D.C..? Though, you know what? I’d settle for just an early spring!!