No Bailouts, No Handouts, No Copouts

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President Barack Obama gave his third State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. The speech is likely to set the theme for his 2012 re-election bid.

President Obama outlined several ideas in order to invest on rebuilding the nation. The blueprint focuses on American manufacturing, clean energy, education and the tax system.

The middle class has watched their financial security dwindle for years. Stable jobs have been outsourced to other countries. This left most Americans with the same income, despite rising costs.

How do we fix this?

First on the President’s agenda is to put more emphasis on American manufacturing. The tax structure needs to revamped to reward businesses who keep jobs here and end the tax breaks for those who send our jobs overseas. A trade enforcement unit needs to be formed to end unfair trade practices that hinder the growth of the United States.

Next, the President wants to promote skills and education. This will allow all Americans to compete in a world economy. President Obama would like to see all states require students to stay in school until graduation, or until  they turn 18. He would also like to see partnerships between colleges and businesses to train and place workers. This also calls for stopping companies from raising the interest on student loans and for schools to stop raising tuition.

Also, the President’s plan calls for native energy to be furthered. This means developing ways to develop natural gas and creating new clean energy jobs. He would like to see a clean energy bill passed. This would include eliminating energy waste and rewarding those with less usage.

The biggest issue President Obama touched on was economic fairness. He said we need to refocus our tax system to end tax breaks for the wealthy and stop tax hikes on the working man. This also includes making sure Wall Street plays by the same rules as everyone else. The President would also like to see responsible homeowners get some relief by allowing them to refinance their home at lower interest rates.

The objective of this plan is that, despite today’s economic growth, we need to keep going. We need to keep moving forward.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree/disagree with the President’s plan?

Bye, Bye Miss American Pie

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On this day in 1972, “American Pie” hit #1 on the Billboard charts.

The song was written and recorded by American folk rock artist Don McLean. The song actually began before it’s release, 13 years to be exact. On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed in a horrible plane crash. This would become known as “the Day the Music Died” as labeled by McLean in the song.

McLean has generally declined answering direct questions about the song’s meaning. The only thing he did confirm was that he learned of Holly’s death while he was folding papers for his route the morning of February 3, (the line “February made me shiver/with every paper I’d deliver”).

Others have tried their hand at guessing what McLean was trying to say. Many believe he was speaking about the events of the 60′s. It is suggested that he was speaking of the splitting apart of the youth movement, how John F. Kennedy’s death was the “loss of innocence” and how the Altamont Free Concertwas the end of it all.

Given the date the song was released, the suggested dates in the song, the loss of innocence theme, and Holly’s death, it isn’t out of the question that American Pie was inspired by the concert, even though McLean has given no indication of such.

What Would You Do?

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Thanks for joining me for Saturday Six hosted by Patrick from http://www.patrickkphillips.com/. Each week six different questions are asked and we blog our answers. Join me in the fun!

This week’s questions are:

1. While going through old boxes, you find an old library book of which you are very fond, but you realize that it was a library book. You assume that the library has long-since written the book off as a loss because it has been boxes away for 20 years or more, and the book carries a great deal of sentimental value for you. Would you return the book or keep it?

I would probably keep it.

2. You visit one of your closest friends who is battling a terminal illness. It’s clear he or she will not survive, but is in a lot of pain. Your friend begs you to briefly disconnect life support long enough for death to come. If there is no way your intervention could be discovered and no way you could face any kind of prosecution, would you grant your friend’s request?

That’s not my decision to make.

3. You have the chance to be in a parade and ride on a float supporting a cause you believe in, but you can’t appear in any kind of disguise or costume: which cause’s float would you most likely be comfortable selecting?

Either something about animals or cancer.

4. Your company’s top executive team arrives for a surprise visit, and selects you and a handful of other employees to meet with one-on-one in an attempt to get the pulse of their employees and to uncover any problems within the organization. How honest are you likely to be about your answers when they ask about specific problems you know exist, even if it means that friends you work with could lose their jobs over what you say?

It depends on the problem and the person.

5. You find yourself slated to be a guest on a talk show: which host, living or dead, would you most like to be interviewed by, and why would you choose that host?

Oprah because she is such a great inspiration and role model.

6. Your church decides to take part in a political protest, and it seems that nearly everyone feels the same way about the issue. You, however, do not share their view. At the risk of being ostracized, would you deny to participate, or would you search for a way to quietly assist, without being out in front?

I will not support something I don’t believe in.