How could have Obama created more jobs?

[safirah chinwe]

I'm watching Michael Moore on Larry King Live and Larry King stated that in a previous interview he was told that NO ONE really knows a solution to the job creation quagmire. I agree with this sentiment. If a company has learned to survive with job cuts (whether they've outsourced, adopted machines, or doubled/tripled workload of remaning employees), what incentive could Obama suggest to a company to ditch such a tactic to spend meager profits on "unnecessary salaries". I wish Obama attacked the unemployment issue like the people desired but if he (and his advisors and his opponents) didn't really have a game plan what could he have done?

[Steve Carlson]

These are interesting ideas, but they are not necessarily done by the federal government. These are investments that can be applied for by local governments, sometimes through state governments. And they cost a lot of money, and it's not clear how they are going to pay off. In fact, they can create a cost burden for local governments and tax payers.

The basic idea of modernizing energy and business infrastructure is a sound one. But the private must lead on this, not a federal government ordering everybody around here instead of ordering everybody around in Germany.

So....what do you think about that?

Jennifer Warren said:

Uh... Obama knew while he was running for office. His solution was simple...and would be quite effective had it ever been put in place :

1: Shift some of the funds from the military to fixing our infrastructure. Roads, Bridges, etc.
2: Make the roads and bridges "smart" roads and bridges which report to the states when and where they need repairs. This would greatly reduce maintenence expences.
3: Take the annual 40 billion dollars in revenue from oil companies who are supposed to be accessing oil in federal waters and put that into building a new, smart energy grid ..powered by renewable energy and built by folks who are learning on the job - creating not only good jobs in the short term, but also skills that can help them find jobs in the private sector...or open the path to owning their own business.

And what about the poor military? Where is the money supposed to come from?

Well, for one thing I think we could get rid of our base in germany. Come on, the war is OVER....and I'm pretty sure Hitler is dead now. At least, thats the rumor in the history books.

We could also stop the war in Iraq. We shouldn't have gone there in the first place. But we got Saddam, he's dead. Time to apologize and move on.

There is a laundry list of things that we could do to save money (like stop building bombers to go after people who want to blow themselves up. I mean...how insane is that? Bullets are a helluva lot cheaper) And I'm pretty sure we don't need any more nuclear weapons. How many times can you blow up the planet, anyway ??

Speaking of which, blowing up the planet is probably not a good idea. I dunno about you, but all my friends live here.

But on that note, I'll shut up.

[Jennifer Warren]

If memory serves, Obama said during his campaign that the way to create jobs was simple :  Stop pouring money into endless protracted wars and use that money to rebuild and repair the infrastructure - Upgrading our roads and bridges with sensor technology that would save the nation billions in repair costs every year.  In addition, using some of those funds to invest in public utilities based on renewable energy such as solar and wind -- so that we can start exporting energy instead of importing it.

 

Ultimately, these ideas (while initially costing hundreds of billions) would lower the deficit by saving us money in future repair costs and energy bills - as well as the income derived from exporting our excess energy.

 

Sadly, Obama chose to staff his cabinet with the same old tired faces that have been seen in every other democrat administration ... as well as leaving people in charge of both the treasury and the fed whose loyalties are with Goldman Sachs.

 

Mind you, I am still hoping that Obama changes his ways and starts fighting for those of us who fought so hard to help put him in office.  But change cannot come from a cabinet whose loyalties are to doing business as usual.  It has to come from people dedicated to holding banks and billionaires accountable - instead of rushing to kiss up to the GOP.

 

Let us never forget that the GOP has a long history of fighting on behalf of the interests of the rich and powerful.  In my lifetime (and I'm 54) they have NEVER cared about anyone else.  According to studies I've read, they are incapable of it.  Their brains are hard wired so that selfishness and a cut off from caring about the plight of other humans is just not possible for them.

 

I for one hope that Obama will wake up and fight for change.  If he doesn't, he'll just be another empty suit to me.  Someone who speaks well, but ultimately is no different than what we've seen before.

 

Of course, thats just my opinion.  Feel free to flame me if you must.