State of Our Union...Where We Stand

It is that time of the year when the president gives his annual address or state of the union. Now that the speech has been given what did President Obama say and where do we stand from a year ago and going towards next year.

As most presidents do, President Obama framed where we are today from where we were a year ago or years ago. He reiterated the type of pressing issues he was facing in January 2009: an economy affected by a recession, a financial system that needed the government's assistance to stay standing, two wars in the Middle East, and a growing national deficit among other issues.

As no one president can be a miracle worker. From a cursory look, things do not look much better. Unemployment is still near 10%. Businesses are finding it difficult to survive and home market is not improving. Working families who make up a vast majority of the population are struggling to get by. Clearly, Main Street" is not getting the same benefits of Wall Street.

That is where Obama began this speech on the issues: the economy. He reiterated the importance aiding the banks a year ago. Also, he looked to convey that it was an unpopular option to move forward with the bank bailout; but it had to be done. The bailout, no matter how unpopular, was need to stop any more bleeding. A year later, many will voice opposition against still because of the lack of official results we are seeing from it. Compared to a year ago, the markets look to be more stabilized. The next step to reign in Wall Street and their spending is a fee on the biggest banks and overall, financial reform.

Additionally, unemployment benefits for over 18 million Americans have been extended. Taxes were cut for 95% of working families. Taxes were cut for: small businesses, parents caring for children, first-time home buyers, and the millions who are paying for college. From that, more money has been spent on gas, food, and other necessities without having to charge anyone anything higher than they were originally spending. We see roughly 2 million workers who would otherwise be unemployed without the measures taken a year ago. They jobs cover the spectrum from city workers in schools, fire departments, and police stations to construction workers. If all goes to plan, there should be nearly as many jobs created a year from now.

As part of the next initiatives, President Obama would like to see a new jobs bill. This one centered around taking $30 billion from the Wall Street banks' payments and use it on community banks that would subsequently pass that money on to small businesses to aide their survival if necessary. Moreover, Obama wants to see a small business tax credit for small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. If we take lessons from the Great Depression we will also solve part of the unemployment and hiring problem. Our nation's infrastructure is constantly in need of refurbishing. While we are at, we are becoming a stronger nation that can dominate on the world stage. From the Recovery Act, we see people working on railroads and construction projects across the country.

After job creation and holding Wall Street, businesses, and banks accountable through financial reform, clean energy is of major importance. Through clean air plants and clean energy jobs, we will see better efficiency and a safer environment for future generations. There is a need for for opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. A continued investment in clean coal and overall an energy and climate bill that will make clean energy the best option for multiple reasons. Decades of dependence on foreign oil has handicapped us as a nation.

Next, the nation's children is our future and we must invest money and time in them. If schools are failing, they must be improved. Failure has been rewarded or allowed to continue; that must end. We must also target those schools that are succeeding and reward them. There must be as many schools as possible for youth; especially those in inner cities and other urban parts of the countries. There has to be attention given to elementary schools through universities and community colleges because a high school diploma does not mean the same thing it did 40 years ago. More money will be put into student loans. More money will be allocated for tax breaks for families with college students and allow for an increase in Pell Grants. As someone who has recently graduated, this next part is something that I especially like: one million students will be required to pay only 10% of their income on student loans and all of their debt will be eased out after 20 years or 10 years (if they take a career path that involves public service). If the money is there, it is wise to reward a nation of struggling graduates.

Next, the president turned to possibly the most talked about topic after jobs in the last year: health care. This issue and the problems that exist have spanned Democratic and Republican administrations. After two votes late last year, the legislation and health care reform is the closest it has ever been. With this legislation, pre-existing conditions will no longer stop someone from getting proper care. Insurer will finally be monitored from their abuses. Uninsured Americans as well as small businesses would have a chance to obtain affordable coverage. Alongside this, the first lady is tackling an epidemic in this country: obesity. This is especially dangerous amongst the younger generation and she is working to create healthier alternatives for children. Under this legislation, Americans who have insurance can keep it as well as their doctors. Costs and premiums would be lowered. And once implemented, it will allow for the deficit to decrease by possibly $1 trillion in two decades.

Continuing, President Obama turned to the national deficit. At the beginning of the last decade, America had a budge surplus of over $200 billion. Ten years later, the deficit was over $1 trillion with projections of reaching $8 trillion by the beginning of the next decade. How did we go from one extreme to the other? Mostly the result of not paying for two wars, two different tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. That was all bad enough before the recession hit and added $3 trillion to the hole. All of this was before January 2009. Unfortunately, in order to meet the demands of a year ago; the president had to add an additional $1 trillion to that deficit. In order to start to bring that figure down, there must be somewhat drastic measures. Starting in a year, there will be in place a government spending freeze for three years. This freeze will not involve defense spending, matters of national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. This would be the equivalent to a family having to cut out certain items of spending every week, month, and year. If families and businesses are doing it; why shouldn't the federal government do the same.

The president then turned to special interests and lobbyists. There must be a limit on their power on the federal government and President Obama has monitored that they are not on certain boards and commissions. He also referenced the recent Supreme Court decision that will allow corporations and special interests to spend freely on behalf or most likely against candidates. This decision on paper seems to enable free rights for CEOs of corporations, but it also enables those with the biggest pockets to influence an election the most; that shouldn't be the case. Alongside the same path, the president turned his attention to earmark reform. Earmarks, too, have become a problem in Congressional and Washington politics. The more the public knows from both sides; it will allow for a more transparent government.

The speech then turned towards national security. National security is fairly strong and we are achieving success in protecting our country. The gaps that exist; they are being addressed and fixed. In Afghanistan, the proper training and steps and being taken to ensure that the forces there can take over and lead a safe and terrorist-free country in the summer of 2011 when U.S. troops are expected to be completely out. At the same time, the necessary steps are taking place in Iraq so that we may leave there as well in a similar condition. Combat troops are expected to be out by the end of this summer. Working alongside the provincial government there, we are cleaning up the corruption and have a strong leadership in the country with a partner whom we can trust. While addressing those issues, attention is on nuclear weapons and a disarmament. The U.S. is working with Russia to renew a non-prolification agreement of two decades ago. Accordingly so, the U.S. is also giving proper sanctions to countries like North Korea and Iran, who continue to break foreign agreements.

Equality in this country has been a trying project that continues to this day. Hate crimes are punished. Equal pay law have been implemented and monitored. We will see early this year the removal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in our military. The immigration system is certainly not ideal or close to it and immigration reform needs to be addresses as soon as possible. Our borders must be secure and laws enforced in order that our nation does not falter. We must at the same time value that this country has been built on immigrants for the last century and then some.

Our nation was built on tough decisions. Our nation was strengthened through wars, recessions, and setbacks. Our nation has progressed in terms of equality based on race, gender, religion, or age. President Obama knew that things were not going to be easy and setbacks during the last year tried his administration. The last year is behind us and we now have the coming year and decade to build off of last year's successes and failures so that in a year's time things will hopefully be better. In closing, he reached down to the depths of a JFK and called for us to start anew in order to allow for the necessary change to come as we move forward.

Looking back on the speech, President Obama covered all his bases. It didn't appease everyone, but that is impossible. It was not perfect. I heard a lot of good things from the past year and moving forward in 2010.

The bailout has not been perfect but there have been positive results. Money is slowly working its way into jobs and giving foundations to corporations and banks. It is hard to see it, but the bottom 95% have seen small tax cuts. As we move forward through this year, a new jobs bill is a top priority for Congress. Since we have helped the big corporations, it is only right that $30 billion is invested for small companies to stabilize themselves. At the same time, those small businesses that create jobs should be rewarded. Of those jobs, some should and could be clean energy jobs because the energy is also of need of addressing and it will aide with job creation. We must not let the recession slow us down as our countries facing the recession are working to dig themselves out. Wall Street and banks got us into this recession and major financial reform should also be a major incentive taken up by Congress in the first few months of this year. Our dependence on foreign oil is not healthy as is the potential safety hazards of oil rigs off shore. Thus we need to invest money and time in clean energy plants and off shore areas for developments. That alongside with an energy and climate bill will bring major change to what we have now.

Education is the foundation for our future. We need to reward schools that are doing the right things and punish the ones that are not. The more children succeeding the better. The money needs to be there for loans. The opportunities need to be there for community colleges. Health care reform as been a trying process this last year, but there are only a couple hurdles left to the biggest health care change and bill since Medicare in the 1960s. Our nation has gone from a surplus to a large deficit in ten years time and now we cannot stop spending completely. But we will have to monitor where money is spent the next ten years in hopes of elimating part of that deficit.

As a student of politics, I am very much aware that politics is a cycle of elections, But that should not be a handicap on creating major change. Both parties instead of moving closer have decided to move further apart then they already were. That type of behavior only hurts the country and gives a negative perception of politics. The president has attempted to work with the Republicans. His own party at times has hindered potential moves. At the same time, it would be foolish for them to give too much if they want to regain power.

Overall, the president gave the sense that he has learned from his mistakes of the last year and despite an election year ahead; we will see major legislation and change the first few months of this year. Health care reform looks very likely. Don't Ask, Don't Tell will be erased. Financial reform has potential. A jobs bill and unemployment extensions could happen. And possibly, energy or immigration may be addressed. These certainly are not the best of times. And from a year ago to today, things seem to be going in the right direction. Whether your political philosophy, you should see that much.