At the least, I can say he's trying. Of course, all of us would be up in arms if we thought he wasn't. Or at least I would be.
Personally, I am worried about all the stimulus. Tax payers bailing out everyone that sticks out a hand for some. I wrote about this in previous posts.
But now Obama is saying that the deficit will be cut in half in 10 years. A lot can change in 10 years. I'll almost be 40.
And thinking about that, I want to look back over those last 10 years and say, "Wow, I'm amazed we came out of that mess. I am thankful for the steps that were taken to avoid catastrophe."
I definitely don't want to be saying anything else.
I'd like to make a few points in regards to the speech. Points he made that really hit home.
First off - and typically most importantly to me is the bottom line.
Recovery.gov I think is an interesting step. I am skeptical of it - I think the government can give us 80% of what they're really spending - I mean for security precautions alone we don't want to air out our financials to the rest of the world just because for transparency sake.
I don't like the fact that 95% of US tax payers will be receiving a tax cut in a month. Will I take it? Yes. But give responsible Americans like myself who love this country (more on that later) the choice. The option. Do I want a tax credit of a little over $1,300 this year? Again, I will take it. But if we had the option to? I honestly believe there are Americans out there who believe if their money is put to good use, they don't mind giving up these tax breaks. Even if we get a small minority of Americans out there who can check the box that says, "Keep my money US government. It's better for our country." I can almost guarantee that 20% of the 95% of US tax payers that will be getting that cut are willing to do it. It might take a movement...but it could happen. I have even suggested to friends that I'd be willing to not receive tax returns for the next few years if it meant keeping this country afloat.
The tax break is money I never had - nor expected. A tax break isn't really going to do me any good. The stimulus we received last year was promptly deposited in to savings. As long as I keep my job and continue down my same financial path, I will be just fine (or even better than fine). I understand that there are those out there who are doing worse than me, and instead of giving me a tax break, I'd rather let them have my money. Seriously.
I believe the 3 things Obama touched on during his speech are extremely important - Energy, Healthcare and Education. I couldn't agree more with focusing on these 3 items. I love the idea of renewable energy and not relying upon other countries for it. We'll need a strong focus on healthcare as the largest generation ever to live in this country is quickly approaching retirement. And the school systems in this country are a joke. Without a focus on educating those who will be contributing to an American society in the future there will be no future for this country.
2 parts that hit home from the speech on education:
"And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself; it's quitting on your country."
"I speak to you not just as a president, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home. That is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. That's an American issue."
Amazing. When I look back at my formative educational years I see my parents. Getting me excited for reading. For math. Congratulating me for performing well in school. It is not just on the schools to teach the children. And to think of all those kids dropping out of high school. No longer seeing the point. Becoming dependent upon a government that subsidizes their lives instead of contributing. It's sad that it's come to this.
Obama once again harped on hope. He talked about the crossroads at which we stand. On this I have to be skeptical too. Again, I would prefer to be sitting here 10, 20 or even 40 years from now saying we did it right. But after reading excerpts from The Fourth Turning (for cliff notes you can read this) I realize that this might be bigger than all of us. The pattern appears everywhere you look in nature. Each living thing must have a period of growth, then stagnation, then decline and finally death. As I have been saying to those that are close to me - I don't want my lifetime to be during the "decline" or even "death" phase of the United States. Sure it sounds a little bit dramatic (and I hope it ends up being only that), but if things don't start turning up in the next few years we could be headed down a very scary death spiral.
But I want to believe.
I realized tonight what I was going to do once I had enough money to be comfortable. I realized I would spend a good amount of time/effort and money in service. Because before I just wanted enough money to not have to work anymore. But I never knew why I wanted that money. I'm starting to understand now why so many of the "successful" people in this country have gifted their time and money to charity. It's not just to feel good about themselves - but it's to leave this world a better place by being here.
To end this post, I'm going to quote the speech once again because it was probably one of the strongest oratorical closes I have ever seen or heard:
"I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina, a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom.
She had been told that her school is hopeless. But the other day after class, she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this chamber. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp.
The letter asks us for help and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself, and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina, but also the world. We are not quitters."
That's what she said: "We are not quitters." These words...
These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that, even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres, a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity.
Their resolve must be our inspiration. Their concerns must be our cause. And we must show them and all our people that we are equal to the task before us.
I know...
I know that we haven't agreed on every issue thus far.
There are surely times in the future where we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed.
I know that.
That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.
And if we do, if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis, if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity, if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then some day, years from now, our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, "something worthy to be remembered."
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