I Think Obama Waited Too Long
by James Glaser
December 16, 2009

President Obama wanted to help out Wall Street, and then he bailed out the banks that were too big to fail, and then there were the insurance companies that needed help. On top of that he was running around talking about global warming, something called Cap and Trade, and his military surge in Afghanistan.

Then just to keep his eye off the ball, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans have lost their jobs, their homes, and every bit of savings they had. So, this month President Obama started talking about having a jobs summit, and he did.

Yes, President Obama had his one-day job summit, and that was pretty much it. One day to talk about what a shame it is that so many Americans are out of work. Today, President Obama was telling the nation what a crime it is that 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance every day. Well, that might be true or it might not, but the truth for sure is that if people were going back to work, many or most would be getting health care along with their new employment.

As long as Obama can keep people from working, and thus not having employee health insurance, the better his chance is to pass his health care bill. I know that sounds bad, but Obama has no job bill. He has no big plan to put people to work, and the truth is he only spent one day talking about the plight of those out of work.

I see it every day now, and I bet a lot of you do, too. More people out on the streets. More people walking along the freeway with a pack or duffle bag. Most are not even hitch hicking.

When a person loses everything they have, it is going to take a lot more than a job to get them back to where they were. I think millions of Americans are going to need some mental health treatment. Hitting bottom is a life changer, and you don't just bounce back up from skid row.

I don't know what it is like to be homeless, but for sure I don't want to find out either. It is by the Grace of God that I have a home and work to do. I thank Him every day for that. I can only imagine that when you get to the point of taking that long walk to nowhere, it becomes very hard to keep your faith and your sanity.

Many people in America have been out of work for a couple of years now, and many or maybe most will never make the kind of money they were making before the economy went South. Corporations know that they don't have to pay like they used to, because there are so many people looking for every job offered. You don't like the pay... well, somebody else will. Corporations are seeing productivity going up, as those remaining in the work force will bust their butts to keep their jobs, but how long will they be able to keep up that pace?

America needs jobs now. Not tomorrow, not after some commission makes its report, but right now. If a road job is shovel ready, park the bull dozers, and had out the shovels and put people back to work.

Washington has waited too long already. Put that health care bill and everything else on the back burner, or we will have such a mess in this country it won't matter if we have health care.

We don't want to see what America is like in this 21st century when we have several million men walking around the country with nothing to do and no hope for their future. It was bad in the last depression, but we have a much bigger population today.

President Obama, sure better get on the stick, because he has waited too long already. Those in Congress and the rich people in their gated communities better start calling the President if they want to continue to live the good life they have today.




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