January 4, 2009

OBAMA OUTLINES HUGE JOB PLAN

With a sagging economy worrying many Americans, President-elect Barack Obama has encouraged Democrats AND Republicans with his public works plan.

Also, he has confounded critics and supporters by appointing seasoned Democrats and Republicans to his staff – starting with New York Senator Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State.

Obama’s jobs plan is modeled after those of former presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Roosevelt – faced with the Great Depression of the 1930s -- created jobs with a Works Progress Administration (WPA.)

Eisenhower – after World War 2 – created jobs for returning service personnel in the 1950’s with the Federal Interstate Highway System.

Obama proposes a massive government-spending program for individual states having building projects already approved but awaiting funding:

“We need to act with the urgency this moment demands, to save or create at least two and a half million jobs so the nearly two million Americans who’ve lost them know they have a future.”

A MAKE-WORK PLAN

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – who has jurisdiction over all spending bills -- has proposed nearly $500 billion for a make-work plan.

Some Senate Democrats advocate twice that amount, a trillion dollars, to speed up the recovery process.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 533,000 jobs (6.7 percent of the work force) were eliminated in November. A new number for December will be announced Wednesday.

The average since President Harry Truman invented the statistic is 6 percent.

The National Bureau of Economic Research says the country has been in a recession – more than 6 percent decline in two successive quarters -- for the past year.

In a recent meeting with Obama, state governors said they have building projects totaling $136 billion ready to go.

STAMPEDE FOR BAILOUTS

Republican congressmen are wary of panic spending. They recommend a series of smaller tax cuts.

House Minority (Republican) Leader John A. Boehner worries about a stampede for government bailouts. “Anyone who has talked to the American people knows that while they are hurting, they don’t believe more Washington spending is the answer.”

In the recent election, Republicans won 58 seats in the Senate. This is two votes shy of a slam-dunk filibuster. However, there are several “blue dog” (conservative) Democrats who regularly vote with Republicans.

Thus, Obama will have to act cautiously to get his spending plans enacted.

A LIBERAL AGENDA

Obama makes it clear, however, that he has not forgotten the liberal agenda of goodies for environmentalists.

He promises to make federal buildings energy-efficient with curly light bulbs and solar panels.

Also, the federal government would buy new computers for schools, and medical technology for hospitals and doctors.

The computer high speed Internet would be expanded “so every child will be able to get on line.” If so, some means of curtailing pornography on the privately-owned cable and satellite networks should be devised – as has been for television broadcasters using the public air waves.

BEFORE INAUGURATION

Labor unions and other Obama supporters are pushing to get his stimulus package adopted before Inauguration Day on January 21. They insist the new president should not have to carry the onus of his predecessor.

How conveniently have they overlooked the problems President George W. Bush inherited from his predecessor -- Bill Clinton -- who was impeached and famously admitted: “You know, I also believe I raised taxes too much!”

Obama will meet with congressional leaders tomorrow to discuss plans for “vigorous oversight” of an immediate federal rescue.

The president-elect did not mention President Bush by name. However, Obama said cost cutting would have to come after the economy has recovered.

NO MORE BUSH INSULTS

Certainly it is time for Democrats to give up petty insults of “Dubya” Bush. He inherited Clinton’s recession. Then, eight months later, Bush had to contend with the horrific 9-11-01 New York terrorist attack devised by Osama bin Laden under Clinton’s watch.

Bush went to war against Mid-East terrorists to end further attacks on the United States -- and quashed the terrorist regime of Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein who harbored terrorists planning further attacks on America.

Mr. Obama, Mr. Bush and former Presidents George H. Bush, William Clinton and James Carter will meet at the White House on Wednesday to talk about major issues facing the country.

Certainly, Obama – and the nation --will benefit from the counsel of four U.S. presidents.

Let us also pray for our new President, Congress and the Nation.

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist