Monthly Archives: January 2011

Well now, let’s see. Last night the President gave his annual State of the Union address to millions of people across the nation. The speech has historically been a way for the President to recall past promises and update the nation of the status of each, as well as lay the foundation for future projects and programs yet to be passed to the congressional level for a vote. I think the State of the Union is a great tool to communicate these ideas, but in order for it to work, the President must speak effectively and with great detail, neither of which we saw in this year’s event.

During the speech, I wrote down several of the key points he talked about. I think several of them are fairly bold and can really make a statement, but again, the speech lacked the details needed to persuade the public – and Congress – to support them. Let me list some of the ones I want to talk about:

• 80% of all energy will come from clean energy sources by 2035

I think clean energy is within our reach and is a very respectable decision. There have been several radical advancements in technology over the last decade that are helping us create ways to make clean energy. Unfortunately, while the intent and the passion are both there to make it happen, the natural resources we need are severely lacking. For instance, in order for all vehicles to run using corn-based fuels, just under 98% of the continental U.S. would need to be set aside as protected farm land, growing and harvesting nothing except corn throughout all 12 months yearly. This isn’t a realistic goal, quite obviously. Even if the amount of corn needed existed in order to do this, the government would never be able to establish a program that reimbursed our nation’s farmers fairly, and very few would agree to it because of the monetary loses. There are several other methods of producing clean fuels. As mentioned last night, one is by using simple water and sunlight to produce the same effect. If these programs do in fact work, are tested extensively and proven effective, it may one day happen, but the President’s timeline of 2035 is not realistic. I would think it would be closer to 2050, at a minimum.

• 1 Million electric vehicles on the road by 2015

This is a VERY realistic goal. How we just need to work towards reducing the costs of purchasing one. More consumers would be willing to purchase if the prices were lower, and if prices are lower, the winners really are the economy, the planet, and the President for predicting it.

• 50% of Americans will need college degrees by 2021

The exact wording here was, “within the next decade,” so this really puts the estimate around 2021. I’m willing to spot the President a year here. I would argue that at least 50% need degrees NOW, and not by 2021. The job market is competitive, and if employers are even still willing to pay for the best of the best, then you really need that degree now to have a shot at any sort of long-term career. This is especially true in the professional medical fields (excluding CNAs and Medical Assistants) and increasingly so in the Science sector as well. There’s not much to add to this comment by the President, but I’m not sure if our teenagers are motivated enough to help make this one happen.

• Values begin with family – not government

This is where it gets interesting. For the last year or so, the government has really tried to intervene at the family level. The President has really directed a lot of his words towards our youth, and not towards the parents of our youth. He constantly speaks about education, morals, and ethics, but shouldn’t these topics really be covered by the parents in our society? There’s nothing wrong with an occasional pep rally to motivate and empower our students to achieve greatness, but the fact of the matter is that a parent has much more influence on their own child in the personal setting of their own home, than the President does on TV directing his message to an audience of 10 million of our nation’s youth. The days of society bowing to the President are over, and the days of fending for yourself are here. Parents must be on the front lines in this battle, and the government needs to be supportive of parents’ efforts.

• 100,000 new Math and Science teachers by 2021

The goal itself here is, again, respectable, but the time limit is not. For 100,000 new educators in these two fields, we will need to allow at least 20 years to PROPERLY train them to teach effectively. Setting a ten-year time limit is simply saying that we will cut corners and staff these fields however necessary to reach the goal of 100,000, and we’ll worry about quality later. This needs work. I highly agree that these fields are lagging as compared to other nations in competition with the United States. The proof is not in our schools itself, but in the amount of people who earn their degrees here and then move out of the country to pursue their careers. This has to change, but it won’t if teenagers and college students  aren’t seeing any benefits to staying in the U.S., which they currently do not.

• $10,000 tax credit for anyone earning a four-year Bachelors Degree

This is an example of a government program that I don’t mind putting my tax dollars towards. Anything that allows underprivileged youth and low-income parents to attend college is worth it, as long as we can ensure the program is not being abused, such as Unemployment is. The $10,000 credit is a fairly new program already in existence, and it’s still new enough to “tweak” rules as necessary to make sure it stays on track and is being used properly. This credit will surely help our community colleges more than our larger universities, but our community colleges are finally finding the funding that they need to offer quality educations to the working class.

• Improvements in Infrastructure

I honestly don’t know how to react to this point. Infrastructure is in desperate need of repair and innovation. Our highways cannot compete with China’s, and our mass public transit systems are not fast enough or cost-efficient for people to utilize. While we need drastic upgrades, the money is not there, and won’t be for several years. We are barely keeping up with basic maintenance projects, such as repairing broken rail lines and paving roads, and even some states are allowing roads to become gravel instead of funding pavement. Everyone agrees we need better, but everyone also agrees its wishful thinking at the current time. My guess is that our railways and roads won’t even begin to compete for at least 25 years, and that’s probably too short of a guess at that. The President mentioned 25 years as well…so I guess we agree there.

• Government consolidation within one year

This won’t happen. I guarantee it. The President gave some off-the-wall example of one agency enforcing salmon fishing laws inland, and another enforcing them in the ocean. Come on, if that’s the best example he could give, it won’t happen. We need to be consolidating government agencies, not consumer protection agencies. Nice try, Mr. President.

• President will veto all bills with earmarks

The President tried to slip one by the public here. The newly elected Republican House has already vowed NOT to send bills with earmarks to the Senate, so therefore, how does the President even think one will make it to him? This is a promise he can keep, because he won’t ever see one with earmarks in it! Need I say more?

No doubt President Obama wants to correct our nation’s path. All leaders do. It’s ok to try a program and have it fail than to do nothing at all, but the programs we try MUST be approved by the public. If we approve something and it fails, we’ve got the President’s back. Even the greatest of leaders have failed at something. The public is not so much angry at the failures as they are with the selective hearing most of our representatives have chosen to adopt. We’ll keep trying, and eventually we’ll get it right – we always do. It will take time, but it also will take much more than a State of the Union “pep rally” to turn things around. Mr. President, we need details and action, not a motivational speaker.

The State of our Union is marginal at best.