The First 365 Days

The day after the inauguration, both the pundits and the public start the customary countdown. The First Hundred Days. Historically, the President and his administration hit the ground running. Judgment is rendered on day 101.

Commitments which were made during the campaign are front and center in the minds of all and the implementation process commences.

But these are not normal times The veneer no longer shields the harsh reality of what is happening in the United States today. That hypothetical aura which prevails in the storybook world where promises translate into certainties ceased to exist.

President Obama has inherited a Pandora’s box of troubles: The debacle of the TARP bailout, banks camouflaging reddened balance sheets - reticent to lend to zombie companies, high unemployment, states who cannot meet payroll, insolvent car manufacturers with outstretched hands heading a potential line up for future bailouts from other industries, a health care system which doesn’t work, under funded social security, statistically too low a percentage of University graduates as compared to other countries in the developed world, a road and bridge infrastructure which is literally falling apart and two wars, (not to mention the on going Israeli Palestinian problem and a potential situation in Pakistan).

We won’t discuss America’s sullied reputation now.

We should give him 265 days grace and not pass judgment until January 21st, 2010. The previous administration made several dubious decisions without thinking through the consequences. Hundreds of billions of dollars was spent with little positive impact on the economy.

Perhaps President Obama might consider dividing his stimulus package into three tiers with well defined goals. Short-term (as defined by 6 months), where tax cuts would give ownership of their spending power to the average American, address the health care system with an eye to government funding as opposed to business and facilitate the ability of the average student to get a University education, mid term (6 months to 2 years) where the infrastructure of the country is concentrated on, and long term (2 to 4 years) where social security is the focus.

I am willing to wait for 365 days before judging, are you?

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