Belated Congratulations

I offer my belated congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama. You have proven that yes, indeed, we can. I am glad that I was able to do my part as one of the 66 million+ Americans who voted for you. That said, the time for celebration is over.

I am glad to see that you have raced to build your cabinet. Thus far, with one or two exceptions, I am pleased with your choices. I must say, I had my doubts about Clinton as Secretary of State. I have no doubt that she is qualified, but I question her sincerity. After all, she is not talented at compromise and your foreign policies differ greatly. However, you evidently enjoy the comparison between you and another former Senator from Illinois. I, too, have read Team of Rivals, and I, too, recognize the wisdom behind the old adage, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” I respect your wish to heal the chasms that have marred our political system. I just hope you have a taser and a choke chain on hand to bring the Clintons to heel.

Once you have filled your cabinet, you have much to do. Where to even begin?

There are, of course, those two pesky wars to deal with. You have set a sixteen month timeline, but you have chosen Hillary (Miss “I Don’t Regret Voting for the War”) as your Secretary of State. You also have some rather recalcitrant Republicans remaining in Congress (one from my home state, unfortunately). However, I look forward to a Christmas, not too far in the future, in which I do not have to light a candle for my fellow Americans celebrating in a war zone.

Then there is that rather pricey healthcare package you promised. I for one am most anxious to find out if you can jiggle enough change out of the national piggy bank to cover it. Perhaps once we no longer need to funnel billions of dollars into Iraq (let them spend their surplus, we’re broke!) we might actually be able to take care of our sick.

Let’s not forget our pathetic economy. Recent headlines state that we are in a recession. My reaction? DUH! Seems to me that our economists missed the scoop on that one. The housing market, the credit market, the auto industry, the banking industry, the stock market, unemployment rates, consumer confidence, consumer spending…Name one aspect of our economy that isn’t floundering! Last time we faced an economic crisis of this magnitude, it took a World War to pull us out of the hole.

Just in case we’ve forgotten, Russia is still a big, bad threat. Not long ago, every news network buzzed with thoughts of a potential second Cold War. The election and the economy have replaced such stories, but let’s not turn our backs on a rattling snake.

Of course we also face a myriad of smaller problems: green energy sources, oil and natural gas reserves, protecting ourselves from potential terrorist attacks, illegal immigration, Pakistan/India, outsourcing of jobs, taxes, the fact that the world hates us…Just another day in American politics.

At this point, I imagine you are feeling pretty overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t? So, I thought I’d offer a suggestion and here it is: Build a giant public works project.

Back in the 1930s, FDR created the Tennessee Valley Authority. This public works project killed multiple birds with one stone. First, it created at least a handful of jobs to put some of the unemployed back to work. Second, it brought electricity to Appalachia. Third, it shut people up.

Why not build a giant wind farm somewhere? We’d get jobs, so there would be fewer unemployed and uninsured. We’d get clean energy, and who doesn’t want that? And, if you build it in a really depressed area, you could bring a whole region out of the economic doldrums.

Better yet, go fix some bridges. After that bridge collapse a few years ago, studies came out showing that about one in five bridges/overpasses is in disrepair. Rather than allowing a few hundred more people to fall in a river, why don’t we put some unemployed Americans back to work and fix our bridges?

Build a new lake in North Georgia, so that the next time we run out of water, we have a backup reserve (and somewhere new to throw empty beer cans). Build anything. Build something.

The name of the game is “create jobs.” If we can create jobs while accomplishing something positive for the public wellbeing, isn’t that worth the money? Surely we can find something to cut. If not, we can always cut our politicians paychecks.