We may be in the middle of the worst economic crisis our country has ever seen since the Great Depression, but hope may still spring eternal.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
Barak Obama's plan to rescue the economy is outlined in the link above, from his own website section "on the issues": This includes plans to rescue housing, heating and other survival needs by federal aid, with funds obtained by taxes on big oil companies; a plan to increase jobs in the green movement, particularly aimed at disadvantaged youth; to improve the highways and bridges as a basic means to assure economic movement; plans to crack down on mortgage fraud as a criminal act; to withdraw from Iraq, and more.
For those of us who have been concerned about looting, homelessness, etc Obama's plan to help with federal aid should bring some hope. Because it would look like at least a certain number of dependent people would not lose their homes due to cutbacks from federal aid being prevented by Obama's proposed funding. Thus the whole mess we may all be fearing could be prevented by Obama's plan.
That is, so long as Congress at large backs it. That' the key issue, of course. More about this later, in bold print.
http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Barack_Obama_Budget_+_Economy.htm
In this website link above, Obama is quoted at length and in detail about the economy by On The Issues Dot Org. Very interesting read.
As for the mainstream news reports that, from Obama's own mouth, "The economy will get worse before it gets better", I read several articles by mainstream sources and had to notice one detail which contrasted sharply with the Washington Post's report on December 8, 2008. That is, that other mainstream reports truncated one significant part of Obama's statement, which resulted in the typical media spin: That the mortgage crisis is partly responsible for creating the economic situation and that Bush has not been addressing it. Thus, by addressing it directly, Obama is saying the situation will improve, and that it is "going to get worse before it gets better" because Bush is currently not addressing it.
Could other media sources be spinning Obama's statement to smear a black Democratic president, by cutting off one significant part of his statement? See the Washington Post's unabridged and less biased December 8th, 2008 quote of Obama and decide what you think, for yourself:
President-elect Barack Obama warned yesterday that "things are going to get worse before they get better" with the economy, and he pressed the Bush administration to act more urgently to help homeowners struggling with mortgage payments."We have not seen the kind of aggressive steps in the housing market to stem foreclosures that I would like to see," Obama said at a news conference in Chicago, where he announced his choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. "My team has had some conversations with the administration about that. If it is not done during the transition, it will be done by me."
Thanks, Washington Post! Phew...that's a different spin on Obama's statement, isn't it? Seems to me that where other media sources are concerned, Obama may just be famous enough to be (deliberately?) misquoted.
For those of us who have greatly and understandably feared a repeat of the Great Depression or god forbid, something even worse, here a note of hope, according to the same report in the Washington Post on December 8th:Artists and scientists may gain new recognition in an Obama administration, and it's about time: Hooray!Obama continued to portray the economic crisis as an opportunity to rebuild the country, structurally and culturally, and he said the situation today is not as grave as that facing Franklin D. Roosevelt before he took office in 1933, in part because of "social safety nets" created by Roosevelt's administration.
But he mentioned that he and his wife, Michelle, have discussed opening up the White House to musicians, artists, scientists and poets.
"Historically, what has always brought us through hard times is that national character, that sense of optimism, that willingness to look forward, that sense that better days are ahead," Obama said. "I think that our art and our culture, our science, that's the essence of what makes America special. And we want to project that as much as possible in the White House."
I suggest that in order to assure passage of Obama's (genuinely!) hope-inspiring plan for the economy, we all commit to teaming up with local activist groups and meeting face-to-face with Congress members.
Yes, friends, this can be done. Simply call your Representative or Senator's office, ask to arrange a citizen's meeting, and they will put you through to the appropriate Aide.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
