Michelle Obama unveils Blueprint for America’s Working Women and Families

Wow. In one fell swoop Obama just fell off the far left side of the planet again. I can imagine the moderates and the independents are more likely to go vote for McCain even more today.

Far left social programs pandering to Hillary Clintons Women voters......

Is there no group that is safe from Obama's attempted pandering??

You can't get something for nothing...

Of the 17 proposals mentioned above, all of them except 2 or 3 of them are proposals that expand the cost and scope of existing government programs. In a time of record deficits, where, may I ask, is the money going to come from to pay for all of these things?

Promising to expand benefits to workers at the expense of employers and the taxpayer base during presidential elections is pretty standard operating procedure for the Democrats. Nothing that Obama has proposed here is something that hasn't been proposed before.

This is hardly the "change" we have been waiting for. Just recycled ideas from the Democrats.

First, I guess you do not have to study economics to get a sociology degree from Princeton. Michelle Obama makes herself look like an AA black with such a outlandish set of ideas.

After reading the list, I would guess that family run Asian business will be the only private business left in the U.S. They would have the advantages in avoiding the high costs of this set of nanny state initiatives.

Once again, I ask why would anyone want to start a new business or attempt a new enterprise whne facing the burdens that the Obama Administration is going to punt on the private sector.

Remember McCain promised to fight for a balanced budget and I think hes sincere. Obama just unveiled 250 billion dollars of NEW spending.

Gosh, if these are 'promises,' these seem like more of the same 'castle in the air material' that I as mother and grandmother, have heard from every politician since Adlai Stephenson. If this list is a wish list, so be it, but there is no way these can be offered as promises to be kept. To do so is to hold out, once again, false hope

The new president will inherit unprecedented debt in the trillions of dollars, money borrowed incidentally from Asia. The Asians are not going to forgive this debt. In fact, the trade imbalances we have with Asia already makes the US the weakest sister of the big eight. That is utterly serious. The US borrows but has no ability to repay in any timely way.

Am I living on Mars? Didnt several million people just lose their homes or are about to? Triage is needed, serious triage. We havent enough in our own coffers to finance what is bleeding to death, let alone all these. I wish it could be so, but I dont see how it can...for several reasons.

The president doesnt decide minimum wage, Congress does. The president doesnt decide any of these matters. The president certainly cant force States' rights issues.

To say all these can come to fruition, is completely out of reach ... no president can force these to occur.

regarding raising taxes to fund such programs. THe US will turn into a wasteland, the rust belt will look like child's play comepared to all the US businesses that will easily move overseas, offshore and to massive outsourcing to avoid being gutted financially. To imagine that even small operations wont move out of the US, is crazy. Many business run on narrow margins. Jacking minimum wage that quickly will definitely tilt many businesses into dramatic downsizing and many will simply close.

Global economy means people have the ability to stay here if they wish, but do all their business elsewhere... or move to places that are paradise on earth which, like Australia and New Zealand, are making huge tax accomodations to make it easy for businesses to relocate from all over the world.

Looting the hardest workers and most expansive who bring in the most jobs, is anathema when a country is literally bankrupt.... owes far FAR more than it has ready resources to pay with on time.

As a woman, as a working woman, as a mother who raised children alone, as a person who went without health insurance for years, as a woman who made it through any number of monstrous obstacles, I definitely wish for more balance and fairness.

But, my effort has to be on helping people to become better educated, more SKILLED, helping women to NOT have babies so young, to make better choices early on... to point to women seriously training for high paying jobs rather than try to strangle an employer into paying them more for jobs, many of which can be outsourced at HALF the salary to people who live in other parts of the world where cost of living is less than half what it is here. Helping women to move upward to be thoughtful before the fact, those I can put my energy behind.

But to glue the same old set of fantasies all over the gateposts when someone is running for election, I just shake my head

There already are huge amounts of money, federal, state and foreign spent on cancer research and r and d seeking cures, as there are huge amounts of money given for delving the mysteries of other diseases.

Forgive me if I am overly-realistic, but frankly, there are billions of dollars wasted in every program the Feds support, daily. Daily. No one watches moneyy versus result and decides which programs are effective and which are not.

If I were President, I'd start there. Several weeks ago I went to the Feds website to read the National Budget. You would not believe how unreadable it is. Nothing is laid out clearly. Your own tax returns are logical compared to the messy and illogical way the US budget is laid out.

enough. enough.

dr.e

McCain offers fewer vote-buying entitlements compared to Obama's lib-Dem grab bag of goodies and, yes, recycled nonsense, some fluff ("encourage," unless it is more sinister, whereby PC goals are tied to things like highway funds) and standard weasel words ("right to choose" WHAT that would be funded by Washington and the taxpayers?).

"This is hardly the 'change' we have been waiting for. Just recycled ideas from the Democrats."

It's the predictable regression many of us have anticipated.

And it's something that McCain, if competent, could exploit and get votes thereby.

"I can imagine the moderates and the independents are more likely to go vote for McCain even more today."

Yes, those who are more sensible and who PAY THE TAXES and who would otherwise be affected by these things.

"Where, may I ask, is the money going to come from to pay for all of these things?"

1. "The rich" (extending down to an income level approaching $20,000 annually);

2. The evil military once all our troops are brought back home ASAP.

"To say all these can come to fruition, is completely out of reach ...

But to glue the same old set of fantasies all over the gateposts when someone is running for election, I just shake my head."

We're all shaking ours here.

The fact that he would even unveil this at a time of massive budget deficits and show no compunction or even a willingness to say he will balance the budget is just insane.

He really needs to look at his advisors. His judgment in them is sorely lacking.

It's the change women have been waiting for, and they not only vote, they matter
It's the change unwealthy working Americans have been waiting for, those who can't get ahead and can't even stay afloat, no matter how hard they work.

We're in this situation because of the folly of thinking that 'no taxes and no government is a magic potion, even when we're fighting two wars and adjusting to the effects of globalization.

We've been dependent on a top-down economy for a long time, and it hasn't worked. It's not an economic success when upward mobility is choked off and the middle class is sliding backwards. It's not an economic success when more poverty is created than deleted.
The people least reponsible for creating our deficits have borne the burden of paying for them too long.

Now, it's time for a change. This change is one I'm anxious to see arrive.
I don't depend on the magic of formulaic thinking. I look around and see what's happenining in the country.
What I see can't be fixed by digging the hole deeper with more of the same.
Now is the time to try building an economy that is more bottom up oriented, so that everyone has a shot at reaping the benefits and, also, a share in paying the costs.

I say don't sell the Obamas short. You never know, the sixth time around for these programs might just work.

Archangel and others:

To mistake a policy platform for a promise is either extraordianrily naive or deliberately misleading. A policy platform is a statement of goals and principles, no less and no more.

So, let's compare fantasies.
One fantasy is to think that doing nothing, i.e no solution, is a solution.
Another fantasy is to think that continuing policies that have dug us Into a hole will somehow dig us out.

Then there is the archangel fantasy: no, we can't do anything, but we need education and we need training and we need and we need and we need.
Well, what we need costs money. So, which is it, archangel?

All these fantasies remind me of the dreamiest of progressives, who also have excellent goals and unbendable principles, but too often lack a pragmatic plan for how to get from point A to point B..

All the fantasies consist of rejection; reject whatever anyone else proposes and reject the very real consequences of current policies.

What is clear is that our economy is in serious trouble and it needs rebuilding, just like a business needs an overhaul when it's in trouble. Business has an option that a country doesn't: selling out to a bigger business. Unless we're ready to sell the whole country to another, we're stuck with overhauling ours to be more economically viable.

So, the argument is really about how to go about it.
There is the bandaid, short-term view, and there is a long term strategic view.
The lattter, which I endorse, and I believe Obama's platform exemplifies, involves the principle of inclusion. The more numerous the people who become productive, tax paying citizens, instead of draining resources, the better off we'll all be.

Like any business overhaul, this will require some investment. The tricky part is to invest wisely and in a measured way, and to have measuring results as an integral,continuous part of the process. And, btw, investing in people, the work forrce, makes every bit as much business sense as investing in more efficient machinery.

Obama's strategic long term policy platform is by far the most pragmatic and forward looking I've seen. I hold no truck with keeping our heads buried in the sand for another decade or more.

Casual,
Not too many new ideas can be forthcoming. It is quite possible, however, to execute old ideas in new conditions-sensitive ways.
Never sell Obama short on his ability to recognize and implement new and better methodology.

DLS-
if you don't like paying taxes, you should be encouraged at the prospect of enlarging the pool of taxpayers, decreasing the burden on single individuals. Or, do you prefer keeping taxpayers as members of an elite club?

The age of circular thinking is upon us, and many are even proud of how averse they are to breaking out of the bubble.

YOUR dreams are nice Runasim.

But there is still the cost. Where are we going to pay for this. We are going to have a 500 billion dollar deficit this coming year.

Everyone WANTS something. There is just not enough money to go around for all this stuff that Barak Obama wants.

But yours is nothing more then pushing yourself and your DREAMS to the head of the line because you think its what is the most important. Im not going to say its not. Im not going to say its not admirable.

Its just impractical given a 500 billion dollar budget deficit and a 10 trillion dollar debt to the world. Its time to balance the budget not go off on spending sprees.

And yes Im the one whose calling for ALL the troops to come home. Im the one calling for a drastic cut in the military. Im the one that says raise taxes and cut budgets.........but all that does is just balance the budget. It does not give us much money to go off on Barak Obama;'s dreamy spending spree.

Reality is reality. Incidently I paid 632,000 dollars in income taxes last year. How much more of my money do you want? I'm in a 35 percent tax bracket. Why is it that people resent success so much in this country?

dear runasim, in answer to your question: I try to do what I can daily to help. Much of my work with others is pro bono. I have been helping those who started with little and face cruel twists of fate for over 40 years. No one in the kinds of work I do can wait for governments, committees, et al, to 'do right' by others. The needs are too great. Too immediate. I wont go into what 'agendas' have been offered by politicos over time, ones that let's say even the best intentioned, did not come through with once they were in office, or came through with for a few months and then funding was cut. For me, just my personal opinion, we try to tend to what is within our reach, ever hoping, but not waiting.

dr.e

Neocon, I don't see people resenting "success", but they sure as hell resent it when they work hard, play by the rules, and are still lucky if they can barely tap into the fringes of the so-called American dream - with combined incomes at that. When their trust in political leaders is thrown back in their faces, that doesn't exactly sweeten the pot either, neither do news stories about people who get rich via Wall street who never produce anything or give anything back to the country that allowed them to get rich in the first place. Needless to say that also applies to any soul-less corporate entities who have obtained their riches by operating without conscience and by making money their one and only true god. So yah, I'd say there is a little justification for cynicism.

Dr E, I understand your concerns about the national debt and the weight of their reality crushing down on the country, but if ever there was a time for vision and a call for change then now is the time. I think Runasim is exactly right about the failure of the current top-down economic model. It's worked in the past, but it was also guided by different people with different sensibilities than we see these days. Where is it's most recent incarnation taking us????? It's an understatement to say there is room for improvement. If the neo-America is to be predominantly poor to lower-middle class, a small percentage of affluent and rich, with little in between, then I'd say we are on track for that "achievement". One thing is certain, anything that smacks of the status quo will only allow a continuation and worsening of the problems we've been facing.

No, I don't imagine the Obama's are any kind of saviors, and I don't think most people see them that way (despite all the absurd rhetoric to that effect), but John McCain is most certainly a continuation of the downwardly mobile status quo. Are there any other viable choices? If so drag them in here and let's work them over.

Being an Obama supporter I am familiar with this and the whole view of women by Barack Obama. He is very progressive and sensitive where women are concerned.
I do think Michelle is fantastic. She is going to be a fabulous first lady.

Yes, change is needed, but the above advocated by Michelle is idiotic and unattainable. What is needed is a drastic program to change the mindset of America so citizens become more self-supporting and less dependent on others for their support. The country has a vast number of support programs which have created a dependent class. The expansion of these programs started with the the Great Society program of President Johnson and his supporters who wanted to create a more equitable lifestyle for our citizens, but he and his democratic supporters have created a massive meltdown in large segments of our citizenery.
Recently a program was telcast on television labeled "Being Black in American" which presented instances of irresponsibility without associated responsibility. Many of the same consequences apply to other segments of our society "whites" who are irresponsiblity. Many of the policies of the 60's and thereafter promote irresponsiblity. Many males, father children without responsiblity time after time with no consequences. Mother continually become pregnant and then look to government programs for their survival and support. The result is that we have a massive problem that requires tremendous amounts of money to alleviate the problems that democratic programs have created.

Obama wants to enact change and he told his black supporters they must become more responsibility for their maintenance. But other actions must be taken to solve the continued prepetuation of failed government programs. In the past, Senator Mororgan of New York, spelling in not correct, warned of the consequences of continuing failed programs, but he was called a racist by the likes of Jesse Jackson.

Yes, change is needed. First, if a male fathers a child, he is responsible to support the child, a job should be provided for him to work and if he refuses, he goes to jail or he gets a vasectomy, and this idea should apply to women, if they have two children without a husband, then they get their tubes tied. I know this is a drastic suggestion, but something must be done to alleviate this climate of no consequence and the expectation of having the government solve everyone's problems.

Also, mothers on assistance programs would be responsible to ensure their children do their school homework each and every night. If they did not insure their children do their home work, then assistance to mothers would be decreased, or they could go to jail. Also, mother with school age children, on government assistance would be required to go to school and grade other homework of children which would be due every day. I realize the ideas advanced are disjointed, but drastic action is needed to implemented to start solving the lack of responsibility of our citizens. Yes, it would cost tremendous amounts of money to implement a program such as this, but maybe this could promote education, responsiblity, decrease the number of children needing assistance, and reverse the current dependency mess the country has.

dear JSpencer,well stated: a call for change... That time is indeed is upon us.

dr,e

"drastic action is needed to implemented to start solving the lack of responsibility of our citizens. " - realist4321

This idea of implementing responsibility is a good one, but how about if we make it take place across the board, among all income levels and all classes of people. Afterall, it isn't just the poor who are irresponsible.

Archangel,

I truly appreciate the work that inidviduals and charitable organizations do.
If that were enough, we wouldn't have an increasing population of the poor and the just barely officially not poor.
Neither the government nor private charity work can do it alone. There can be partnerships, however. And what it takes, at rock bottom, is a sense of the, lately despised, common good, the sense that we're in it together.

As do so many, you list all the changes that are needed to achieve, personal responsibility - by others. Good. I agree.
And what if we can't achieve it by decree? Do we ignore the children because of the sins of the parents?
No. Neither a decree nor condemnation will make poverty and disenfranchizement go away. Neither can we just put all those deemed irresponsible on a boat and sink them at sea. They will be here, affecting our pocket books via criminality, emergecy room treatemens, etc. and the pure lack of their tax dollars in our commen coffer. .
Society has a responibility, too, iIt has the responsibility to do what's necessary to build a productive society, to prevent poverty from causing crime, to guide those ill equipped to manage on their own to become productive citizens. Not for their sakes,as a humanitarian cause, alone, but for our own sake. as one nation.

Sermons and judgmentalism are only as good as the results they produce.
Actions speak louder than words, even on Sunday.

Realist.

You say Michelle Obama's pan is idiotic.
And your plan is what - shout from a mountain top: ' Okay, people, everyone be responsible!" ????
IThat's hardly realstic, realist.

Here is the gem: "Decrease the number of children needing assistance, and reverse the current dependency mess the country has."
A wonderfu idea, begging the question: How? Forced sterilization? Infanticide?
Incarcerating young, poor women in men-fee nunneries? Remember, all those programs will cost, as well.

That there have been poorly executed programs in the past , there is no doubt.
There have been poorly executed wars. There have been porly executed contracting mechanisms. There are poorly concieved criminal laws, by which a minor crime can result in a long prison sentence, removing a potentially responsible father from the scene. There have been poorly executed everything.
Listing all gripes is a satisfying experience, perhaps, but what, REALISTICALLY, speaking, is the solution?

Do nothing is hardly an unidiotic plan to improve one darmed thing on the gripe list.
it's a prescription for continuing, exponentially, on the status-quo trajectory.

As a general observation, I find it amazing how the blame for poverty is consistently placed on the poor, just like the blame for racism is increasingly placed on racial minorities. A psychologist could write an elucidating thesis about that, but that's too much for this context.

I do also remark, how little concern is displayed for the opposite end of the scale: what can only be called corporate welfare, without a shred of a responsibility or self reliance requirement.
More grist for that psychologist, I would say.

Poverty has been addressed by Democratic, compassionate congress for decades and it is still with us. It is growing worse by the year. Why? Because the democrats and the republicans alike allow illegal immigrants to flow into this country unabated for their own reasons. These people, not all but a percent of them then require our tax dollars to care for. Example would be the 1/2 estimate of the Public prison system in California is Illegal Immigrants.

Nothing government in this country is going to do will stop poverty. However it is clear the the far left wants socialism and this proposal by Barak Obama and his good wife Michelle wants this country to be like his Buddies in Germany.

Socialist. Perhaps he should form his own party. The Socialist Progressive Party and run on the platform we all know is lurking behind that moderate, lets all get along mentality.

A vote for Obama is a vote for Socialism in America. What more evidence do we need then this??

A vote for Obama is a vote for Socialism in America. What more evidence do we need then this??

Obama is a commie!!!!! And he's black!!!! And probably gay!!! And he doesn't wear a flag pin!!!

You're just being absurd. Again, I've noticed that you don't seem to mind when our government SOCIALIZES the dangers of big business, Fannie Mae, Bear Stearns, AT&T, etc. But god forbid we ever try to give a helping hand to poor people. No, we should save our largess for Wall Street investors and CEOs.

Yep we know that those supporting Barak Obama are commies when they want the corporations to go broke.........to be punished and they want the government to give them more welfare, foodstamps and day care.

What more is needed to know then to look at your point of View Chris. You want welfare and you want to punish the corporations and rejoice when they go bankrupt?

Is that not communism?

Time for you to take off those pink glasses and take a careful look around Neocon. All those who don't buy into your personal ideology don't really hate America, regardless of what your talk radio guys keep telling you.

"if you don't like paying taxes, you should be encouraged at the prospect of enlarging the pool of taxpayers, decreasing the burden on single individuals. Or, do you prefer keeping taxpayers as members of an elite club?"

Why is the left so logic-challenged?

What was on this list of goodies of Obama's, in addition to constituting regurgitated old nonsense, is a set of items that would be propitious only if you wanted to harm an economy that already is suffering and ideas that would be bad and be rejected (as they wisely have been before) under normal, sane circumstances?

"Do nothing is hardly an unidiotic plan to improve one darmed thing on the gripe list. "

"Do something" is not rigidly and instictively (and childishly) defined as offering more entitlements to buy votes that are paid for at least initially by economically destructive and unsound policies, or from the potential recipients: "GIMME, NOW!"

GIMME, NOW!"
Gimme tax breaks now
Gimme my SS benefits now
Gimme cheap gas now
Gimme now the benefit of what previous generations have erected without my contribution to the future
Because it's all about me, me, me, and gimme gimme gimme

Childishness personified.
My grandchildren outgrow it.

"Yep we know that those supporting Barak Obama are commies when they want the corporations to go broke.........to be punished and they want the government to give them more welfare, foodstamps and day care."

Actually, Obama in practice has been more pragmatic than that, just as he has shown a more moderate than insane stance on Iraq, FISA, etc. -- at least he has made reassuring statements (who cares if it offends Move On, ANSWER, and the real Commies and other equivalents in this country).

What Michelle Obama did reveal is retarded, retrograde thinking and recycling of stuff going back to the stupidity of the Sixties, which not only featured radicalism and strife and degeneracy of liberalism, but also excess ambition and conceit as well as naivete and typical business-and-industry-bashing (and expecting lifetime employers to be paternalistic or materialistic in addition to having government be that way).

Do we want a retreat to more regulation and economically punitive and destructive ways, a revisitation of the Carter era economy, a problem-ridden economy made much worse, stupidly by intention?

As for Realist, within only a few years of Great Society generosity, we saw in New York City, crown jewel of liberalism (led to bankruptcy from liberalism eventually), the following:

"Each of these [five] children has a different daddy. It's my job to have them, Mr. Mayor, and it's yours to care for them!"

"Another Carter" or "Another McGovern" (which this agenda reveals) is more alarming to normal Americans than any references (including dishonest ones about McCain) to "Another Bush."

It's not quite as you say with your collectivist and once-again-logic-challenged squalling, Runi, though the GOP are guilty about the other side of things ("this won't cost you anything").

Well I had actually started to buy the koolaid that the Obama were selling when Obama moved to the center to pander to the moderates.

Then this. He could not sway from his socialist roots for longer then a few weeks before diving headlong into the far left/socialist agenda and bathing himself in the warm fuzzies that welfare provides.

Wow! I have nothing to add substantively but might suggest that people start writing blueprints of their own for each other to review - esp. if you had negative critiques of Obama's blueprint.

So - what would yours look like?

I think reading the document Jill linked to the piece is useful. It fleshes out Jill's synopsis, and gives a broader view

dr.e

archangel

My underlying critique of this is based in one irrefutable fact. We are going to have close to a 600 billion dollar deficit come next year. Taxing the crap out of the rich and then just giving it back to the poor in the form of these policy proposals will not solve the budget deficit.

Therefore I refuse to even give this the time of day. Good or bad is not relevant given a 10 trillion dollar national debt and a 600 billion one year deficit.

"regarding raising taxes to fund such programs. THe US will turn into a wasteland, the rust belt will look like child's play comepared to all the US businesses that will easily move overseas, offshore and to massive outsourcing to avoid being gutted financially"

Get ready to see New York join Michigan and other places in exporting jobs and people. (See New York news below.)

If we hear Obama say New York or the city should get "help" from Washington, he doesn't deserve to be elected. Not the Big Three, not self-destructive Blue Nation. But of course many in New York would demand a bailout ("rescue" if you want to be dramatic, or "meeting the nation's responsibilities" if you want to be silly as well as dishonest) as many believe this is when government growth is needed most of all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/nyregion/29pa...

If you are asking what new programs and interventions I'd advocate, Jill, I'd say we need to reduce and end many existing such things, not add any list of new ones and make the situation worse; the last thing we need is any big ambitious list of federal government things at all. I'm fighting a gout attack currently and any kind of new policy agenda with new government goodies for people (largely at the expense of the more affluent and the business community) is like my being asked to drink a keg of beer accompanied by all kinds of rich foods as the "cure."

dear neocon: I see it. The cyclopean headlight.

I think you prob remember we're military. Daily up close views of families already drowning in the underlayers of fiscal gov't mismanagement... I remain hopeful and hands on. But, I see the headlight.

Just a mention: I note too, because military brings servicepeople together from many different economic backgrounds, one of the other under-reported stories in big media is how very much well off people and their families help others in need. So very much, in my experience. And in so many different ways. I've also been researching how much corporate gives in program support to others; was just talking to a Coor's exec. It is huge. The facts of the Ken Lays and the Chainsaw Als of the world are despicable. But, I also see the immense good done by many corporations, regardless of whether 'red or blue' or neither, or both.

I find I'm drifting way off original topic of Jill's post, so I'll end here

thanks
dr.e

Many posts are opposed to further expenditures by the government with the intent to allievate poverty and enhance the lifes of many under achieving persons. As a conservative, I'm also opposed to further grandoise government programs, but what is the alternative?. The growing hopelessness of the underclass eventually will have dire consequences for the survival of our country. Currently, dependency programs get larger and larger, the prison system is getting larger and larger, and problems get more severe each and every day. What is the answer? The country must enact a program that has several aims and objectives.. First, we must alleviate and curtail the current system that furthers and complicates dependency programs. As noted on a previous post, we must enforce responsiblility on people that have children, and then shirk their responsiblities for the care and support for their children. Again, vasectomies and tying of tubes for fathers and mothers who act irresponsible and fail to provide for their children would create more responsible parents, decrease children born to irresponsibile parents, decrease the dependency rolls, and lessen government assistance. Mothers and fathers should be responsible to ensure their children do school homework that is assigned. Benefits received for children would be connected to responsible parenting for their children. Fathers without jobs would be provided some type of job for them to help pay for their children; and if they fail to cooperate and act responsibiltiy they go to jail or get a vasectomy. Mothers with children who attend school during the day would be required to assist teachers in grading homework and monitoring the performance of children in terms of the learning and assigned school work. Again, I know the suggestions are rudimentary at best, but at least the ideals advance are drastically different than our current failing policies. The country must implement some type of program that reduces our dependency programs, promotes responsibility, and enhances the education of our children. The mess that we have now, basically started in the 60s and has continued for 45 years and has created a massive dependency class. We must get control of the situation and enact some type of program that lessens the potential disruption of our society. I believe we are sitting on a potential powder key of social unrest that is experienced by third world countries. Again, the country must implement some type of program what reverses the growth of dependency programs, promotes education, and creates a more independent class of citizen.

I absolutely see the logic in this analysis, dr. e. Its from the roles I've had in the juvenile justice system and child welfare and mental health organizations that make me sympatico with many of the implicit goals of this blueprint. But it is necessary that we be analytical and think about how they impact other goals for our country. In contemplating agendas like this one, I often think about how, when we say yes to one thing, we're saying no to something else, somewhere along the way.

I love the national budget/tax return analogy. Oy.