Congratulations
What an amazing day America had yesterday. No matter what happens next, yesterday will go down in history as the day everything America stands for was proudly on display. A great deal of work is ahead of you, and all of us, but for today at least it feels like we are all working together for a change.
President Obama:
Are you more comfortable with Excellancy or perhaps His Majesty? All kidding aside: I have a suggestion for handling The President of Russia especially on the point of the missiles near Russian Borders. The beef with the Russians is that they suspect that these missiles will be used on Russia. To defuse their fears and perhaps bewilder them, offer to have Russian techs help run the American sites! After all these missile sites are to protect incoming missiles fired at Europe AND Russia from Iran.
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Dear Mr. President-elect,
I am not gay, I do not believe in gun ownership, I do like NRA's methods, I am not a christian, I do not eat any kind of meat, I am a pacifist, I am a male feminist. Having said that:
Charity begins at home: Please embrace a fiscally conservative policy.
Please have a socially progressive policy.
Respect our constitution: That means even respecting the second amendment. Get NRA on board. And respecting life (I do, in all forms, hence I am a vegetarian).
And choose good cabinet memebers: not by part by by intellegence. John Kerry for State Department - give me break!! POWELL is the man!!
Good luck! Many of us libertarians are behind you!
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Dear President Elect Obama,
Congratulations and maybe condolences, I don't envy your your task as we have a lot of hard work in front of all of us! You need all our help to start instilling trust in the U.S.A. again, Internally and abroad! Now, we think we know your abilities, and you will need everyones support. Since the previous two elections, my wife and I, just like a most Americans have seen our life savings and retirements go down the drain! I have no answers, but like you I have ideas, but we really must ride out this storm together and pray we all survive. Some suggestions, a flat tax on income set at 20% exempting the first $25,000 of each tax paying member of the household salary or pension. No other deductions! If they really care to help the poor and elderly this is one way. We need to talk about this first, one on one and then as a nation. Health costs are bankrupting the poor and middle class. I don't advocate socialized medicine, but! We also need to put a stop to the outragous givaways that the executives get for doing poor to terrible jobs! No golden parachutes, no gift bailouts, all monies used to bail out corporations must, I repeat must, be repaid in full with interest in a set time otherwise the plan fails. We must not support and cannot afford corporate ineptitude. We must become energy independent by using all the resources and systems available. Our friends and neighbors around the world as well as our enemies are watching us, we need some common sense. We do need a strong military preparedness but not just for fighting, but also for aid in times of disasters near and far. Maybe not an army in uniform but acting as a civilian force lending a humanitarian hand. Maybe, we do need another great white fleet of ships, plane and trains full of people and material to help out as needed. I have lots of ideas most of which you have heard many times but who knows. Your biggest task is to unite this country, we cannot be Democrats or Republicans or Independents we must be AMERICANS first last and always! Lets do away with party politics and do what is right for America.
As my family has said if we're talking we ain't shooting. Please let's talk! You see, we have many questions, few answers but many ideas. Let's talk as Americans and act as Americans united in faith, hope, charity and love.
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1) Do not put too many Clinton Cronies in the White Houes staff
2)Let all people now recieveing Social Secuity recieve some sort of financial compinsation for every hour of volintering their time in a fereral accepted system and feeling like they are part of the american spirit again
3) Arm all ships
4) Review teen age sex offenders by case and release them from a life they never deserved
5)Take some of the bailout money and build bridges and invest in green plants that will help the public see, with their eyes, the accomplishments made as soon as possible.
This will go long into showing the people the economy is sarted up!
6)Elementary Green Education Fund set so that if they complete their education they will be garanteed a job when they get out.
7)Eliminate money from lobbists. Allow lobbiests to do what they were ment to do. Promote their product. You, the representitive or senator, are able to make a simple desion without getting money for it. For or not.
9)We, the people, have the right to be healthy. We need a nationalistit approach for temporary healthcare . In time people could use whatever was taken out of their checks and use it to buy health care or a guarnteed policy that is backed by law to obtain a licence under federal that meets thier needs.
10) Retain all national parks and the wildlife they support and don't allow drilling, wind tunnels created by wind generators.
12)How long can the world stay on our side without Obama doing a world tour, diplomacy? It is necessary to think of a global cultural acceptence of freedom. This idea was what the USA was founded on.
13) Patriotism is busting. People want to believe again! We do. We need a leader. We voted and and found such a leader. We need to see and feel it. It should be seen in the improvements made to the country's infrastruture.
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Dear Mr. Obama,
Congratulations on winning the election!
A suggestion:
Instead of asking us to spend money we do not have, how about some old fashioned common sense.
I suggest you start to encourage us to open savings and offer tax incentives to do so.
I would even go as far as to say whether we save $5 or $1000 per month getting the nation back to saving money would do the following:
1.Increase funds in the banks.
2.Reduce the size of these so called incentives.
3. Most importantly train people to be a lot more savvy with their income, whether they be students, workers or retirees.
A concerned citizen.
Regards
Arnie Toshner
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Mr. Kennedy suggested we go to the moon in 10 years, and we did...
It's been mentioned that you want to start a public works project, and while that would be good for the country, what is our GOAL ?? To survive the ill effects of a toxic economy???
If I were king for a day, my effort would be to give Americans a vision of a better tomorrow and show them the path to that goal. To be the leader in clean, renewable energy... Making something again that we could export to the rest of the world.
Covering the rooftops of America with AFFORDABLE solar power, the plains of the Midwest covered with wind turbines, and every other way to eliminate this countries destructive addiction to foreign oil.
Granted you have inherited a real mess, but this goal would create jobs, reduce our dependence on others and increase our manufacturing base to help offset the massive trade deficit.
Most importantly, it gives this country a clear goal, something that benefits all, and makes us a stronger country in the process.
Please, prove yourself different than what we have come to expect from Washington DC and be a true leader with a little vision. Give Americans a vision of something greater than themselves.
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In the mid '60s I spent 4 years in the Air Force serving the greatest country in the world. I was a computer programmer in basically a 9 - 5 desk job. I went to work for the government as a programmer. The was a young man there my age doing the exact same job as I did in the service. He was exempt because of a 'trick knee' and making a lot more money than I did in service to my country. This is the greatest country in the world. I feel that every man and woman regardless of physical attributes should spend 2 or 3 years in service to this country. I would suggest being in one of the three service areas. The armed forces, Peace Corp or VISTA. Only the most severely handicapped (physical or mental) would be exempt. In VISTA the volunteers could help in recycling or green programs etc. A program like this would take people out of the unemployment rolls and lower unemployment benefits and create employment opportunities for those who have already served their country.
Thank you for this forum.
Alan J. Hacker
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l. Get out of Afghanistan, you cannot win. I lived in Peshawar, Pakistan 45 years ago and have, as an historian, been interested in the region. I have paid attention to the history and have some understanding of the culture. If you decide to pursue military goals in Afghanistan, you will fail and find yourself in the same situation as Lyndon Johnson, who campaigned against the war but got sucked in and it was his downfall. Lots of lives, millions counting those in the far east, died for a fools errand.
2. I am a big fan of yours. But I was a big fan of Bill Clinton and in his first hundred days, with the congress on his side, was perhaps the worst days of his life (aside from the Monica thing.) You should have gotten rid of Geithner. No man is indispensable. Remember, "Change you can believe in.!" You looked foolish criticizing Wall Street when you are framed with a person who knowingly did not pay his taxes.
3. I have been a big fan of Daschle. But, sadly, get rid of him. "Change we can believe in."
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I am pro Obama, but am becoming a bit disillusioned. I see the president came out today in support of Tom Daschle. First was Geithner with his tax problem, now Daschle. Thus, I do not think the administration can continue to stand by the campaigned slogan, "Change we can believe in." That has been compromised and adulterated in less than two weeks.
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Everyone is tired of hearing about Wallstreet, Fortune 500 Companies, and Banks needing bailout money. There should be regulation imposed that clearly states no extra compensation retention or bonus or anything in excess of salary unless the company is succeeding and making a profit for that year. Otherwise they should receive nothing. Also if bonuses or any other compensation is given a certain percentage of profit is required to be reinvested in said company or given as dividends for stockholder distribution. Further, Wall Street and CEO pay should be a set standard percentage and maybe also set to a percentage of stock issuance that could be sold only upon retirement or termination from said company. Additionally stockbrokers need to have a fee or tax on every transaction (say $1.00) that would be put into a separate fund for rainy or stormy times like this one. Addressing these two issues would stimulate the stock market as individuals would see the executives are no longer robbing the stockholders and companies may re-invest more within themselves. I'd be more inclined to buy stock if I new the executives weren't taking all the profit.
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