I'm sure all of you remember the recent State of the Union address. You know, the one with tanned-orange Boehner (who looked too uncomfortable), smoked salmon, and the passionate emphasis of math and science (along with the snubbing of social sciences and english). Obama praised teachers, respected Muslims, and called for the negotiation and cooperation of both parties to create a better government for the people. He kept it focused, and personally, I think he did an excellent job. Or, at least, a better job than Paul Ryan in his Republican Response.
In the address, Obama stated his plans for the current economic deficit. Obama encouraged innovation and industry in this country because after all, we are a country of new, fresh ideas. Seemingly driven by the hunger of being on top, He urged America to push past China and India. Apparently, green technologies are high on the president's agenda. By 2035, Obama projected that about 85% of our electricity will come from new energy sources. He affirmed that since all Americans right now are having to live within their means, so will the government spend within its means.
Well, let's see if this eloquent president can back it up. Obama has made his sales pitch for the impending 2012 fiscal year budget, and it is largely what he promised since his proposal "contains a mix of cost cuts and targeted spending aimed at achieving Obama's twin goals of reducing the deficit and boosting U.S. competitiveness." Stripping out a lot of unnecessary waste, Obama's pitch promises to be leaner, cleaner, and more affordable.
However, his plan has been seriously criticized by Republicans (isn't that a shocker). The top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, Orrin Hatch calls Obama's freeze on governmental spending "a totally inadequate solution to our nation's spending problems." Republicans plan to propose a budget of their own as well. To the Republicans, Obama isn't taking the deficit problem seriously enough, which by the way, is projected to be around $1.48 trillion dollars at the end of this fiscal year. I think it'd be difficult for Obama not to take the deficit seriously enough.
3 comments:
I think that both sides are serious about the deficit, but compromise is slow because both sides know that they will have to give up some important things, which will inevitably lead to their constituents' disappointment. For example, the Republicans know that taxes will have to be increased, but they are unwilling to tell this to their supporters. Similarly, the Democrats know that cuts will need to made in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, but they are reluctant about this because it could affect their health care law (and this is especially difficult in the midst of this conservative talk of repealing health care reform). However, according to an article from the latest Time magazine, "strategists on both sides predict that months of quiet consultation by the White House with the GOP, business leaders and moderate Democrats will produce a historic compromise with the Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell."
Everything is much easier said than done. That goes for both sides.
With Republicans controlling Congress, concessions will have to be made in order for anything to get through at all.
I do agree Obama had an excellent speech in his State of the Union Adress. However, I do have to agree with Anthony too. Everything is much easier said than done. I feel that Obama has so many ambitions and goals that he doesn't pay much attention to one of the biggest challenges he faces: the public debt. It is good to have goals in other areas, but I feel he needs to concentrate and focus more on digging America out of its recession more than some of the things he wanted to achieve in the near future. He needs to prioritize and make unemployment decrease before he goes on and tries to do other things.
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