Mardi Gras: Obama’s Fireside Chat

I guess the big buzz for the next few days (maybe months) will be President Obama’s address that he made on Mardi Gras. It was quite a landmark speech considering the vast amount of topics covered in a span of about an hour. The popular/unpopular economic stimulus plan was pretty much outlined and those of you who read the paper or watched the speech kind of get the gist of it. Obama eloquently spoke about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the responsibilities we as a nation have to carry this forward.

President Obama announced that 3.5 million jobs will be created over the next two years and 90% of them will be focused on infrastructure development, green jobs, and the expansion of mass transit. Meaning, if you’re bumming out about unemployment or just a terrible job, know that these sectors will be exploding. Also, it’s a good time to invest in some green stock.

You’ve also got your April Fools Tax Cut. No joke there, just a nice tax cut on your paychecks by the time April 1st comes around. But for those of you who are struggling with tuition, a $2,500 tax credit will be available for all 4 years of college. Unemployed? You will be given extended unemployment benefits and health insurance to help you in the meantime.

I thought Obama made an excellent defense for himself when it came to the concern of “big government”. This is a huge argument Republicans are using to repudiate the stimulus plan and muster up cynicism.

“…government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive.”

President Obama referred to the times during the Cold War when government aided in the explosion of technology and scientific research.

In the middle of  his address, Obama revealed his three pronged approach to the recovery of America: energy, health care, and education. Ever since his campaign, he’s made a real commitment to invest in sustainable energy. Though many speculated that Obama would tackle health care next year (after the economic collapse is dealt with), he revealed that he already subsidized a portion of the money to go to health care. The point President Obama made on education was, I think, the most significant because it was frank and it was fresh.

“Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish. This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow.”

President Obama then asked that all Americans commit to more than just a high school diploma whether this would be at a community college or a 4 year school. What probably was the most powerful quote he said about education was, “…dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country.”

In times of strong competition with China and India, the US is going to have to stay on top of its game when it comes to education. Obama sets up a goal that by 2020, the US will again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

This speech wasn’t all about informing American citizens of little shindigs and hootenannies in Congress. We are all called to commit to a bright future by being responsible at home and in our communities. It really illustrates how we can’t stand back and watch the government fix everything for us. This will take patience, maturity, and strength to help rebuild all the broken sectors of America.

On a different note, did anybody else respond to Governor Jindal’s response with a swift and frank “What the f***?” This guy (who, coincidentally, is looking to run for President in 2012) was a total over-rehearsed buzz-kill. What were his critiques? Raised taxes, more debt, and to quote the King of Siam, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. The package is outlined with IMMENSE TAX CUTS, not raises but CUTS. Later on, he implied that somewhere in Obama’s speech, the President mentioned that “America’s best days are behind her”. You can look up the transcript online and I think that you’ll surely find the opposite. By the way, bringing up Hurricane Katrina certainly does not help the Republican side of the argument, even if you’re the governor of Louisiana with a southern drawl.

I have a strong feeling that 218 Republicans in Congress face-palmed after Governor Jindal’s response.