The President of the United States must be a skilled ‘juggler’ – not of balls but of serious issues of both national and international significance. It is a 24/7 commitment to 314 million people to take the best of our rich past and create an even more fulfilling and enduring future for all. Here are some of the issues that, starting on January 20, 2013 our President must ‘juggle’:
The national debt. At more than $16 trillion must be reduced starting immediately. For starters, a congressionally approved annual budget has to be developed that spends less than the government receives from all sources, mainly taxes.
Can we become energy independent? Energy allocations must be prioritized. If coal is to be eliminated, we must have a plan for the vast number of displaced workers, abandoned mining sites and unused equipment. Will there be enough renewable sources? Will drilling permits on federal land and coastal waters be increased? Should EPA regulations be intensified or diminished in scope? Will ‘Cap & Trade’ be instituted on a national and world scale?
Since WWII, the USA has been the most powerful nation on Earth. Will we, the third most populous country in the world retain that status? Should we disarm and relinquish our position as arbiter between nations? Can we find financial resources to maintain our powerful military?
Jobs and training are linked. We have at least 47 separate federal training programs. None of them have oversight to determine the effectiveness of these courses. Duplication in programs cost taxpayers more than $100 billion annually. As needs change, employers seek men and women with skills to seize job opportunities. Positions often go unfilled due to the lack of candidates with matching skills.
People have become more dependent on entitlements; unemployment benefits, food stamps, housing subsidies, childcare assistance, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability, complimentary cell phones and a host of other freebies. Most of these benefits are earned but some are the result of joblessness, chronic illness or careless conduct. Fraud and waste, where they exist, must be uncovered and eliminated.
International trade has become a hot topic. A weak dollar promotes exports, while a strong dollar encourages imports. The US had a trade imbalance (deficit) of nearly $560 billion in 2011. The EU with almost 500 million residents and 27 member countries is the world’s biggest market but is in disarray. The value of national currencies is an important issue – as are tariffs, trade agreements and intellectual property. China has been singled out as a manipulator of their currency to gain trade advantages.
President Ahmadinejad of Iran is covertly moving closer to developing nuclear weapons disguised as energy development and is threatening to cut off sea-lanes in the Persian Gulf. Korea is a constant threat to peace in Asia. Russia and China have vetoed efforts to help rein in rogue nations and their rulers.
A critical driver of healthcare costs is obesity. Both obesity (body mass index of 30+) and morbid obesity (BMI of 40+) continue to rise (BMI = weight X 703/height” 2). Obesity and associated problems cost from $150 billion to more than $300 billion annually. What will a new or revised healthcare plan look like?
More than one million legal immigrants became US citizens in 2011, a number greater than immigration to all other countries in the world combined. Estimates of illegal aliens (aka undocumented immigrants) are between 11 and 30 million strong. While 641,633 were apprehended in 2011, some find their way into high-security retreats called prisons. Incarceration costs more than a $1 billion per year.
These and other pressing problems are formidable. The question that remains is this: Do we need a better ‘juggler’?
