Friday, February 6, 2009

Dear Barack Obama

I hope you don't mind a bit of unsolicited advice.

Right now, you are doing exactly what I expected. I was amazed when you allowed Nancy Pelosi to write the "economic stimulus" bill that has been attached firmly at the hip to your good name.

You entered office as the most popular politician in the world. I voted against you, just as hard as I could, but even I understand that such a trait can be valuable. And you promised "hope" and "change."

Unfortunately, the monstrosity that Pelosi et al. drew up was not hopeful or changeful. It was a dramatic, stomach-sickeningly magnification of everything that is bad about Congress. They take out loans we can't afford to spend money we don't have on things we don't need. And those things don't really do any good, not in the long term.

My suggestion is probably too late: You've invested so much in this giant, heaping pile of garbage that you might not be able to turn about now. But it would be good if you did — good for the country, and good for your image.

You ought to tell Congress you will veto the bill they are considering, and write your own (which you should have done in the first place, at least that's what I would have done in the first place) and submit it as an alternative.

Your bill should include a variety of tax cuts to promote business growth — eliminate the capital gains tax and the alternative minimum tax for the next five years, as well as cutting taxes on investment. And your bill can include infrastructure projects that genuinely will improve the lives of the people who need them.

And it should include absolutely zero pork projects. No sod for the Washington Mall. No waterparks. No STD protection research. Tell Pelosi and Co. that if they add those things, you'll veto the whole damn thing and hold a press conference describing their excess.

You're the most popular politician in the world. There is only one person on the planet that can make this happen, and it's you. And if you do it, you'll have gone a long way to deliver your promise of change.

We're all rooting for you.

2 comments:

Amelia said...

It is so scary the money we will continue to spend these next few years. I honestly have given up hope. I feel helpless and outnumbered as a conservative, even here in the southern state of Tennessee.

Steve said...

Will, Your "young man energy" combined with an active, strong mind and a great heart puts you in the perfect situation for writing good input for the rest of us to think about; the world always benefits from hearing the thoughts of such men. Can you please write a missive on what actions you think would help our country and the world? Put as much detail into your writing as you can, use multiple parts or segments to give yourself enough words to tell your thinking. Tell us what individuals can/should do, in your opinion, to make our lives better, our country strong and vibrant, and the world a more humane, kinder place for all mankind. I'm not talking about sweet platitudes or dreamy wishes, I mean real, concrete actions we can take as individuals to help us work toward those goals. Sane people know that to reach any goal takes effort, and to reach the goals I outlined will take tremendous, striving efforts for centuries, maybe forever. But we need a plan, a pathforward, so we can get started. Can you give us your ideas on a good pathforward?