There have been no sweeping predictions of the oceans beginning to recede or the planet starting to heal that were boasted in 2008. The words ‘hope’ and ‘change’ lay dormant in the gray matter of millions of listeners and in the deep recesses of the mind of the speaker. Mr. Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 28 promoted an increased minimum wage that will have little effect on the economy. He leveled a threat that if he doesn’t get what he wants from Congress, he will activate his pen and issue executive orders by telephone.
The speech by the President was an excuse, an impotent apology for the failure of achievement by his administration. Because of the troublesome introduction and skyrocketing costs of the healthcare law and regulations, the President may be foraging for a replacement legacy in lieu of his signature legislation. As their terms of office recede into history, Presidential contributors start raising funds for the venerable library named for the immediate past President. In the case of Mr. Obama, there may be two such pretentious repositories for his purported achievements; one in Honolulu and another in the Windy City.
One of President Reagan’s most memorable speeches ended with these words: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” That speech on June 12, 1987 was the augury of the end of the cold war. George Bush, commenting on the attacks of a few days before, said on 9/14/01, “This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing.” This statement was a precursor to the Iraq conflict that has been a contentious legacy.
Statements in the 2014 State-of-the-Union address probably were flares sent up to test the acquiescence toward a more enduring legacy. One of these test samples is certainly ‘inequality.’ The reference is aimed at compensation variances between rich and poor that exposes a gap of awesome proportions. In his speech, the President also spoke of ‘opportunity’ for all. That is the metric where inequality should be calibrated; equal opportunity.
What Mr. Obama didn’t mention in his speech is that we already have at least 47 federal and thousands of corporate training programs and construction trade apprentice programs that are under-utilized. Another reason is that unemployment and disability compensation are so generous financially and so effortless to qualify for that many would-be workers take the carefree monthly checks signed by Treasury Secretary Jacob ‘Jack’ Lew.
Employment opportunities have been wasted. Mr. Obama’s first stimulus named the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law on February 17, 2009. The main spending was to be for shovel-ready jobs. After a few months acknowledgement was conceded that there wasn’t any shovel-ready work. Infrastructure projects require design plans, economic and environmental impact statements, funding approvals, bidding by contractors operating under the Davis-Bacon Fair Labor Act of 1931 and local and state permits.
According to ‘The Christian Post’, Washington, D.C. received $7,602 per capita, the largest per person dole of any state. The report adds that 80% of the funds in Wisconsin went to public-sector unions and right-to-work states got $266 per person less than states with union membership requirements.
Currently the Keystone XL pipeline application papers languish on the desk(s) of liberal bureaucrats. Thousands of construction jobs and about as many permanent jobs hang in the balance. It is notable that the President rarely mentions this issue however others in the administration make vague comments of disinformation about the project.
The healthcare law is a job killer in the private sector due to uncertainty and high costs. For example, current government software does not have access to earnings data thus individual subsidies cannot be accurately determined. By 2023, the OMB estimates that $3 trillion will be spent on Healthcare and Social Security. This will require layers of fees, penalties, budget-busting subsidies and confiscatory taxes.
This country-or any country-cannot function effectively based on misleading statements, false promises and empty words.
– Dick Baynton
