By Webb Hubbell.
I think I received a pretty good benchmark today on the President’s speech when I went to the Y this morning, and the lifeguard asked me what was more exciting the President’s speech or the Packers – Saints game. My answer was a no brainer — the game. So I asked him what he thought of the speech, not knowing the young man’s politics. His response was, “I’ll believe it when I see it, right now I’m just lucky to have this job.” Yes he’s a college graduate who’s been looking for more than a lifeguarding job since I met him ten months ago.
I wasn’t asked my opinion nor do I expect to be asked, but whoever is advising the President hasn’t figured out — you don’t lead by passing the buck. You tell them what you’re going to do and tell the other guy to get in line or be left at the gate. If I told my wife that she needed get a job, spend less money, and sacrifice while I watched TV and raided the refrigerator, that is not a talk I want to have. Especially if I say, “and once you start bringing in more money I’ve got a great plan on how to spend it.” The concept of suggesting that I want to spend more money, while someone (aka the super committee) else figures out how to raise the money is hardly “not costing the American people a dime or a program that’s fully paid for.” Then to throw out the illusive, and I’ve got a plan for you super committee to do your job that I’ll get around to telling you some time later, but to give you a hint it includes disillusioning every senior approaching sixty-five and costing them over $15,000 a year in post tax dollars for each year Medicare is differed is hardly leadership. This concept — its paid for by somebody else coming up with a plan, is like my son saying he needs a car, and when I ask him how he’s going to pay for it, he tells me that’s my problem, but he needs a car tonight to impress his new girlfriend.
I believe that we need to fund infrastructure, create jobs, solve our educational problems, like 70% of the country, but a President is not elected to simply point a finger at Congress and say you do it. Here’s a few ideas. Tell America you’re calling your cabinet together, and you are going to come up with a plan where every department of government is going to create jobs within their existing budget. Tell the American people you are going to lead by example, and Congress can get on the bus or be left behind. To the extent the Executive branch can take action, your branch is going to lead by example, and to the extent corporate America is asking for something from the government you’re going to be asking them for something in return — how many jobs are you creating? Don’t ease environmental regulations, but enforce them. To comply, corporate America will have to create jobs and technology to get the job done. They’re not going to go under they’re hoarding cash, make them spend it on cleaning up the environment, not increasing the CEO’s salary. Tell Congress, the wealthy, and corporate America the day of the Bush tax cuts ends December 31,2012 – two years too late, but not too late to make a huge dent in the deficit so they better be prepared. You’re not going to listen to their whining anymore. If they send jobs overseas, expect higher tariffs on those goods coming back into the country. To the extent you want a defense contract we want to know how many veterans you’ve hired, and are you paying a living wage. Schools are another issue, but you get my point. Lead the fight for jobs, don’t go to the sidelines and tell the other quarterback it’s his job to take the team down the field, because believe me their quarterback will take the ball out of your hands in a heartbeat. Now what direction he’ll take the team is a whole different matter.
You said it Mr. President you have almost two whole quarters left to play, and it’s time to go to work. But you have to lead the them onto to the field, not let them take the field while you’re still in the locker room drawing up plays. Otherwise, we’ll believe it when we see it, but we’re not holding our breath.
