January 20, 2009: the beginning of the Obama administration. At the time, the Democrats sat pleasantly in control of the House of Representatives and Nancy Pelosi held the position of Speaker of the House. Well, times have certainly changed. The housing market is in shambles, and the American dollar just can’t hold its own anymore. I think it’s time for some changes.
There are lots of things Obama has done- yes, he has certainly done loads: he has spent loads of money on loads of subjects that don’t plan on unloading significant profits anytime soon – at least not soon enough.
For example, stressing over the environment- imposing maximum effort in an attempt to address global warming. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions and pushing corporations toward the use of renewable sources are just a couple of the projects Obama continues to work on vigorously. I have to say, these actions impress me; what’s much less impressive is the way such actions drain our federal budget. For now, the environment is a non-issue.
Obama claims that these environmental projects will create new jobs and even new industries; unfortunately, these new opportunities won’t emerge for another 30 or 40 years. Mr. President, you need to understand something: Americans are stubborn. We want to see changes now. Besides, didn’t you run on the policy of change? Time is running out fast.
The Democrats controlled the House initially, but now the Republicans hold power. Face reality and concede to their demands. Maybe advocate offshore drilling. Our national government needs the money to fund all your pricey programs, like the $787 billion Recovery Act and the Dream Act. Spending that kind of money will hold back all your other projects like supplying cheaper health care and improving infrastructure.
The Recovery Act truly humors me, with our government trying so hard to increase unemployment benefits. It’s simply illogical, when high unemployment is here to stay. According to Zachary Karabell, a writer for TIME magazine, the problem of unemployment is structural rather than cyclical, an issue the United States has never dealt with. So unemployment benefits just can’t continue.
A single, unemployed American can practically live off of unemployment benefits by playing their cards right. Without benefits, one would be forced to get a job or live off the streets, and for most, the latter isn’t a favorable option.
The jobs are definitely out there- just ask the aliens. And I don’t mean unworldly creatures; I’m talking about all the illegal immigrants that pour into our country and perform tasks that unemployed Americans are too stubborn to do themselves. They complain about the unfavorable pay and conditions, but they have to realize that life isn’t fair (every time I use that phrase I feel like Bill Gates is preparing to come snatch me up and imprison me for copyright infringement). They put themselves in this position, so they need to find their own way out.
Hopefully, in the remaining years of his term, Obama can muster up the energy to stop unnecessary spending and restore faith to those foreseeing, and rightfully so, continued economic struggles. Extending the Bush-era tax cuts was a start, but he still needs to do more. I don’t have all the answers and frankly I’m not sure which ones are the right ones. Maybe he needs to increase offshore drilling, a means still far less expensive than attempting to transition to renewable sources. Maybe he should finally create a national policy on illegal immigration, something that has plagued our society for the past ten years. Or maybe he needs to legalize marijuana and place its regulation under FDA control like tobacco.
Either way, one thing remains assured: President Obama needs to do something significant soon. The hour glass is slowly but surely ticking away.
