From Yesterday to Today, and Today to Tomorrow; We find ourselves back at Yesterday.

“There are bad people who would be less dangerous if they were quite devoid of goodness.” – La Rochefoucauld

Today sites an important example of how a Democratic-Republic is supposed to work; it is unruly, it is unkempt and it is most assuredly not pretty.

But the end result is the majority rule of individual opinions, opinions that have made us the desire and ire of onlookers for over two hundred years.

The Obama White House, made a decision over this weekend that shows that there is still an element of hope within our fragile democracy; that the civilian head of our Government still listens to the peoples majority, even at the disappointment and exasperation of itself, (President Obama), and those that follow its objectives.

The White House is now looking at privatizing a Public Health Care option instead of Nationalizing it under Government influence, which will still create the needed competition between the other private health care providers, although assumed by the White house to not be as efficient.

I applaud all American Citizens for waking the ‘Sleeping Giant’ and taking action even against those who ask us all to follow what they want, but to not do as they do.

It shows that even in an Age, where the Civilian head of the Presidency has become more and more dictatorial in action in apparent direct opposition to its Constitutional powers, (citing more than just the current presidency). That there is still hope that the Civilian head of the Presidency is just that, a Position run by a Civilian.

A position that is designed and supposed to listen to its constituents and not ignore the desire and wishes of the Nation as a whole.

Although this does not change my opinion of the current presidency’s blatant objectives, (i.e. differing forms of Socialism and the systematic dismantling of Constitutional Amendmental Rights), It shows that what our Founding Fathers laid out for us still is functioning, albeit having lain stagnant for many years. 1]

In lieu of change, the Stimulus package that was stated by President Obama as, “was not designed to work in four months -- it was designed to work over two years. “ was the same Man who when promoting the Stimulus Bill said, “We must move swiftly and boldly to put Americans back to work, and that is exactly what this plan begins to do.”, and “Most of the money we're investing as part of this plan will get out the door immediately and go directly to job creation, generating or saving 3 to 4 million new jobs. And the vast majority of these jobs will be created in the private sector -- because, as these CEOs well know, business, not government, is the engine of growth in this country”. 2]

However even the original White House unemployment predicted peak of 8% is now above 9.4%as the Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics July report shows, with 14.5 Million Americans out of work, (A National Average). 3]

During the ‘Great Depression’ of the Early 1930’s, unemployment during the first full year of the Stock Market crash, (in 1930), climbed to 8.7% nationally. By 1931 it had risen to 15.9% and it the peak of the Great Depression unemployment rose to a startling 24.9%. 4]

We are already above the unemployment rate of 1930, in our first full year of our current economic depression and it is only slated by the government to rise, projected at over 10% by 2009 year end.

Now not to be a doomsayer, I do hope that our politicians and government officials make wise choices and decisions that help stimulate our economy, bring American businesses and other business back to our shores, as well as the wise use of tax payer money.

So that we do not end up in depression peak like that at the height of the Great Depression, but outlook is not rosy and initial promises are seemingly left empty at the current stage.

I hope that I and others are wrong and as the White House now currently admonishes, that the full effect of the Stimulus won’t start to be seen until the last quarter of 2009.

But in light of a White House reversal on the importance of Government run Health care and a rising unemployment rate. We do need to worry about the current continuous global sell-off U.S. Stocks which in turn decreases or GNP and the worth of the American Dollar. And also with China’s Shanghai Composite Index in a decline that was originally shown in recovery. This puts all of us Americans under an even deeper strain since China holds much of the U.S. National Debt, (Whether it be Governmental or Individual credit debt).

And as investors already are jumping ship from the U.S. causing great strain on the U.S. Market and economy, many of these investors are now looking to jump ship from China, too. Since there is a close U.S. economic relationship with China, this spells a certain amount of disaster for not only the Chinese people but for Americans as well. 5]

“Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised.” – La Rochefoucauld

DOMA, or otherwise known as the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’, signed into being by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, is under the sights of President Obama for repeal. This act denies federal benefits to domestic partners, (Same Sex Partners), of federal employees while also allowing states to reject same-sex marriages in other states. President Obama believes this act to be discriminatory even though the Supreme Court currently upholds DOMA.

This will most certainly cause concern and ire in the conservative branch of both the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as some of the other Independents, while being a positive note for those in the liberal stance of our nation.

I personally think ‘Marriage’ is only suitable for that of a Male and Female coupling since Marriage is in lieu of physical reproduction and the continuance of our race, besides other elements faceted to coupling in the first place; although I believe this, I do not disdain my friends that are of a homo-sexual nature the burdens of marriage either.

My Conservative upbringing asks me to rail against the repeal of this act for the indecency it proposes without it there to protect the institution of marriage, while my libertarian fascinations urge me to be a supporter of the possibility of benefits to the homo-sexual community as long as they retain the term, ‘Domestic Partnership’ and not that of ‘Marriage’, since the two are wholly different in values and operation.

Yet in the end every Family whether one that is Married or is a Domestic Partnership should be afforded the same rights, whether or not I agree with the type of partnering. 6]

In other news, the [flag [at] whitehouse [dot] gov email address that was available for the use of snitching on those who voiced their opinions against the Health Care Plan. Is no longer available under Public pressure and complaints against the White House by Citizens who were receiving unsolicited emails from the White house after being anonymously signed up for a White House Email List and receiving emails from Senior Advisor David Axelrod.

The charges held against the White House which the White House expressly denied were that of ‘creating an enemies list’. The White House also stated it will work to reduce the number of incidences of people receiving unsolicited emails. Making an effort to blame this on third-party Advocacy groups and their online petitions.

This however does not explain the fact that the system that was being used by the White House was designed to embed the emails and names of people on these petitions into its Email lists, (presumed automatically), even if these Advocacy groups were releasing too much personal data from their petitioners and the like.

But the White House has made some changes which are supposed to prevent most future issues of this nature. 7]

And speaking of Chicago politics, if you haven’t heard Mayor Daley of Chicago came up with what seemed to be a brilliant plan at first to save Chicago and its constituent’s money. But will in actuality incur a cost of much more money than its intent to save, and this is the plan.

Chicago City workers were forced to take 15 unpaid holidays of which were in effect supposed to save the city money, all except Emergency services. Now Daley continues with more forced unpaid holidays that don’t actually all coincide with actual holidays, and has pretty much all City employees, (except Emergency Services), like the City Library, the Office of Building and Permits, Garbage pick-up, etc. to take today, (Monday), off without any special notice to the public which requires many of these services. So you need to meet a deadline and require a Permit? Sorry, Closed! So you need to do research or just enjoy some literature at the library? Sorry, Closed! So your trash is out per City guidelines for Monday pick-up, (those applicable)? Sorry, No Pick-up!

What does this mean, well it will disgruntle many I am sure, it may cause some business deals and residential/business planning to go south, (although speculative), But it means possible law suits against the City of Chicago, it means overtime hours worked for those Garbage Men and Women who now have to do double the work to pick up garbage since they were forced to be off, it means more money spent to clean up the mess of a City Government being closed on a Business weekday due to lack of informing the Public affected and also well, due to being closed on a Business weekday.

So all that money that is supposed to be saved is now purported to be of waste, since this Daley plan causes more problems than it actually fixes.

If Chicago City officials really wanted to save money for the City of Chicago, they ought to think about taking an unpaid ‘work’ day in which they actually still are working, if they want something like this to work. 8]

Finally though, Today a worthy note goes to Democratic Governor of the State of Wisconsin; Jim Doyle who is refusing to run for a third term as Governor. He believes Governors should limit themselves to two terms just like the Presidency, so that it allows new leaders to develop, stating, “It gives the voters more choices. It allows us to draw new insights and inspiration from the wellsprings of renewal in each generation.” 9]

Whether or not this is a guise to benefit Democrat candidates; the move is truly an American style, Founding Fathers brewed sort of action that is worthy of praise. Since it allows for a renewal and helps to prevent political stagnation.

So a loud ‘Hurrah’ and a big ‘Thumbs up’, goes to Governor Jim Doyle for upholding values that once inspired those that helped create this great nation.

Maybe Governor Jim Doyle’s trend setting ideas will inspire other politicians to take action in a similar or equal light…?

Well one can hope.

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Sources:

1] http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/17/health.care/

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1719676,w-health-care-obama-public-081709.article

2] http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/08/17/daily6.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56A0VR20090711

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31862376

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/28/obama.stimulus/index.html

3] http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

4] http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/Timeline.htm

5] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-lower-in-global-sell-off-materials-cos-pace-drop-2009-08-17

6] http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/08/17/obama_makes_explicit_his_objec.html

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/24/elec04.prez.bush.marriage/

7] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/17/white-house-makes-security-changes-web-site-following-complaints-unwanted-e/

8] http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/1719199,CST-NWS-stein17.article

http://www.wgnradio.com/news/top/wgnam-daley-unpaid-holiday-city-worker-072809,0,5109657.story

9] http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/08/17/daily6.html