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Quit Pro Quo

Posted by TONY CAMPBELL, Columnist in At TMV, Economy, Politics.
Feb 25th, 2009 | Comments

“We are not quitters.” That is the message that President Obama gave to the nation last night.

As you know, I print out the transcripts of major speeches so I can give you my take on the message while giving you the direct words from the address. So here is my two cents on Obama’s speech last night:

We were told that Obama doesn’t “believe in bigger government” but he is proposing subsidizing banks, the automotive industry and “creating a new lending fund to help provide auto loans, college loans, and small business loans.”

We were told that Obama has “told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable for every dollar they spend” but that the national government is moving recklessly ahead with universal health care (after nearly a century of talking about it) “so let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, and it will not wait another year.”

As a fiscally responsible moderate, I am amazed that Obama is getting away with this rhetoric. There are a lot of promises but no way of paying for these programs, plus providing a tax cut, and paying for K-12 and higher educational access to every American, while reducing the size of the deficit. Obama said “given these realities, everyone in this chamber – Democrats and Republicans – will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me.” Sounds like to me that Obama’s campaign promises of expanded funding for education, health care and job creation are still firmly on the table… so what priorities exactly has the President had to cut out?

Quit pro quo – If President Obama is still pushing his priorities through a overwhelmingly Democratic Congress… what are the rest of us going to have to quit (or give up) in return? From where I sit… it looks green and has numbers written on it.

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DaGoat

"There are a lot of promises but no way of paying for these programs"

That's typical of most State of the Union addresses, which is what last night's was under another name. You are 100% right though. It was a list of promises with little thought of financial realities. Most people are still admiring the delivery of the speech and hopefully in the next couple of days they'll start looking at the content.

HemmD

If you would please, tell me your solutions for the current credit crisis, home mortgage crisis, and our current Recession?

It seems to me I hear a lot of "he can't do that,'" but I never see what CAN be done. I'm not trying to be snarky, I just haven't heard any good alternatives.
Thanks

CStanley

HemmD, Obama is already working through those crises and while some of us have some disagreements with the way he's going about it, that really isn't the issue at hand in this post. The point is that even with all of those huge pressing problems, he added a typical SOTU laundry list of other items which will need to be funded and we're wondering how he's going to pull all of these rabbits out of his hat.

HemmD

He also said last night, "If were honest with ourselves, we'll admit we've ignored these problems for far too long." We are in a historic mess, Obama said it will take historic efforts to fix it.
Here's the problem. And I quote just two points from the article:
We were told that Obama doesn’t “believe in bigger government” but he is proposing subsidizing banks, the automotive industry and “creating a new lending fund to help provide auto loans, college loans, and small business loans.” And your solution to these problems?
We were told that Obama has “told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable for every dollar they spend” but that the national government is moving recklessly ahead with universal health care (after nearly a century of talking about it) “so let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, and it will not wait another year.” Do you not agree that the current health care system is an albatross on our economy? If not, why not. If so, how do you propose to fix it? I won't even ask about accountability.

If the conservative end of the spectrum has any answers other than ignoring these issues, I have yet hear a cogent plan.

Criticism without counter plans is just a form of Nihilism.

CStanley

Well, some of that will need to be addressed by the author of the post, because I didn't think he was saying that it came as news that Obama is proposing those industry bailouts (I took him to be prefacing his other remarks with those already known facts about Obama's agenda.)

Health care costs are definitely an albatross, but I don't believe that Obama's plan sufficiently addresses cost (in fact could exacerbate it.) I don't have a lot of time to lay out my thoughts on it but here's a link to another blog where I was discussing it a bit today, if you want to get some idea on where I stand (and if you see my comments there, I link to Dave Schuler of Glittering Eye, whom I think makes some important observations about health care costs which are seldom mentioned.)

And I suppose you were in agreement with those of us who complained that the Democrats offered no alternative plans for Iraq during the 04-08 time period? Are you consistent in saying that anyone who points out the problems with the incumbent party's plans should be silent unless they can offer alternatives?

CStanley

I'm actually glad that he mentioned small business loans though- one of the few times that entrepreneurism is even acknowledged.

My brother who owns a small printing company emailed me today describing his attempt to check out provisions for small businesses in the recovery plan. He went to the recovery.gov website and tried typing in "small business" and "entrepreneurs" into the search engine and got zero results.

So does this complaint meet muster for you, Hemm, since I'm pointing out that a job stimulus bill should include assistance for the businesses that actually fuel most job creation in the country?

HemmD

Interesting reply, and thanks for the health care link.
I'm sure the author will jump right in.

You seem to segment all our current problems as if they were separate elements to be dealt with each in turn. It begs the old hydra symbolism once again. Lop one head and two will grow.

I obviously haven't read all the health care links, but the quick scan shows that same kind of "can't be done" mentality. Examples at your leisure.
I'll just summarize my point(s).
Getting credit moving opens the economy, produces jobs where people can pay for health care if its fairly implemented. The private health industry currently milks the majority and locks out those who need it most. Until sub-primes came along, the number one reason for mortgage default was health issues.
Universal coverage will require LOTS of new health workers. Obama's commitment to Education and Student loans dovetails nicely.
The automobile industry has dragged its feet to address mileage and alternate fuels. Beside the three million or more jobs at risk, what better time to retool for the realities of the 21st century?

Obama's demand for government transparently and accountability is only about eight years too late. Do you really want to blame progressives for the lack of a battle plan when the government actively hid the truth of the military situation? Do you really want to draw equivalency between the current financial situation as it has been openly discussed by the Obama Administration with a Bush Presidency that actively lied about the Iraqi facts while totally ignoring the place where Bin Laden currently resides? Let me know.

Thanks for a reply, and I will certainly follow up on your health care thoughts.
Thanks

HemmD

Does your brother have to pay his employees health care? Resolving that could remove a pretty big expense from is balance sheet.

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