OBAMAS FIRST 100 DAYS

The first 100 days of the Obama Presidency are going to be crucial.

The very first step the administration has done is make sure the public knows just how bad our economic situation really is and that the economic recession is our most pressing matter, but not the only problem. The deregulation of the 80's era brought us the current housing and banking crises and both mark the death of the Reagan-Thatcher finance-centered philosophy that merely resembles a reverse-Robin Hood paradigm. The American public truly allowed this catastrophe to happen by ignoring the warnings these past five years.

Obama will be judged a success if he keeps the country from falling into a depression during his tenure. He will also have to get American troops out of Iraq and offer a functioning national health care program.

Obama’s good fortune as he enters the oval office, is the public's concept of government intervention in the economy, along with massive deficit spending, has for the moment, become Republican as well as Democratic policy. So the lines have been blurred to the point where neither party can cry about the success or failure of this bold government intervention they are planning.

The stimulus program for the banks and lending houses, should only get money from an Obama administration if they increase their lending and do their best to avoid foreclosing on the houses of their borrowers. There shouldn't be any breaks for the auto industry either. Detroit needs to come up with fuel-efficient cars that Americans can afford and want.

Close the health-care donut hole that leaves out those household with children who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford their own private coverage. The original Children’s Health Insurance Program of '07, which would have cost $35 billion over five years, had bipartisan support, but was vetoed by President Bush. What a shame. This would be a good first step toward universal health insurance for all children.

The media is abuzz with all his appointments as January 20^th approaches, but the hard work is has yet to begin and the need to act has long passed. Its going to take 12 – 14 months to see real change in the economy, and thats only if big industry and the American workforce are willing to work together toward a more equitable life style change.

Are you ready to change?