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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Transparency

As time moves forward and additional information is made available, one must seriously question what is going on in Washington.

Between the TARP bank rescue package initiated by Paulson and Bernanke and the GM, Chrysler and GMAC bailouts promoted by Congress, tax payers have to start asking questions and insisting on answers.

The lack of transparency and oversight on the part of the government is unacceptable.


Obama has said on multiple occassions that he would like to have the stimulus package on his desk, for signing, the day he takes office. Yet, listening to the Sunday political shows, several comments have been made insinuating not only that there will not be sufficient time for both parties to read through the entire bill but that the Republican voice has not been heard.


Obama's platform had been based on change and transparency. Let the transparency show through and post the stimulus package on the Internet for all to see before pushing it through the house and commons. There is little question that there will be dissenting opinions by many but after the past 3 months it is imperative that we know how and where the money will be allocated.

Knowledge is a powerful tool. The elected officials answer to their public.

There is talk that this stimulus will be in the vicinity of $1,000,000,000,000, an incredible amount of money to spend. Will there be pork barrel spending?

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