Saturday, February 28, 2009

Keeping Promises

Saturday, February 28th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Keeping Promises
In the Weekly Address this morning, President Obama explains how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate. On fiscal responsibility, a fair tax code, a clean energy economy, real health care reform, and education, this budget sets out a new vision for our country.

But having put his priorities on paper and having stood behind them, the President recognizes that there are those who will fight against change every step of the way.


"I realize that passing this budget won’t be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

"So am I."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Washington, DC

Two years ago, we set out on a journey to change the way that Washington works.

We sought a government that served not the interests of powerful lobbyists or the wealthiest few, but the middle-class Americans I met every day in every community along the campaign trail – responsible men and women who are working harder than ever, worrying about their jobs, and struggling to raise their families. In so many town halls and backyards, they spoke of their hopes for a government that finally confronts the challenges that their families face every day; a government that treats their tax dollars as responsibly as they treat their own hard-earned paychecks.

That is the change I promised as a candidate for president. It is the change the American people voted for in November. And it is the change represented by the budget I sent to Congress this week.

During the campaign, I promised a fair and balanced tax code that would cut taxes for 95% of working Americans, roll back the tax breaks for those making over $250,000 a year, and end the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas. This budget does that.

I promised an economy run on clean, renewable energy that will create new American jobs, new American industries, and free us from the dangerous grip of foreign oil. This budget puts us on that path, through a market-based cap on carbon pollution that will make renewable energy the profitable kind of energy; through investments in wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient American cars and American trucks.

I promised to bring down the crushing cost of health care – a cost that bankrupts one American every thirty seconds, forces small businesses to close their doors, and saddles our government with more debt. This budget keeps that promise, with a historic commitment to reform that will lead to lower costs and quality, affordable health care for every American.

I promised an education system that will prepare every American to compete, so Americans can win in a global economy. This budget will help us meet that goal, with new incentives for teacher performance and pathways for advancement; new tax credits that will make college more affordable for all who want to go; and new support to ensure that those who do go finish their degree.

This budget also reflects the stark reality of what we’ve inherited – a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession. Given this reality, we’ll have to be more vigilant than ever in eliminating the programs we don’t need in order to make room for the investments we do need. I promised to do this by going through the federal budget page by page, and line by line. That is a process we have already begun, and I am pleased to say that we’ve already identified two trillion dollars worth of deficit-reductions over the next decade. We’ve also restored a sense of honesty and transparency to our budget, which is why this one accounts for spending that was hidden or left out under the old rules.

I realize that passing this budget won’t be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. In other words, I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

So am I.

The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don’t. I work for the American people. I didn’t come here to do the same thing we’ve been doing or to take small steps forward, I came to provide the sweeping change that this country demanded when it went to the polls in November. That is the change this budget starts to make, and that is the change I’ll be fighting for in the weeks ahead – change that will grow our economy, expand our middle-class, and keep the American Dream alive for all those men and women who have believed in this journey from the day it began.

Thanks for listening.

10 comments:

  1. I as should most be, am very encouraged that the subsidies to the Oil industry in tax breaks, is to stop and be redirected to sustainable energy projects. Well done Obama and lets get to building a change. Yes we can.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is almost scary watching the tea part protestors. These hard working men and women who have been hoodwinked by a corrupt right wing leadership. One that only serves mammon, who have been beguiled into following this course in all they hold as true and holy.

    They fail to see we live in a different world. One where if America fails, we quite porbably will not rise to the top of a new order from the choas. They can not, and will not accept that America lies close to losing her position in the world. They will do all they can to fight agaisnt the best course of action that can redeem us and carry us forward as the leader of the globe in this century.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The pyramid scheme of Reaganomics has finally reached it's end, and just like Madoff, was always only a scam.

    President Obama has his work cut out for him. He has to salvage a looted country while the looters are still hiding in the background, waiting to sabotage his ever attempt and effort. Having him call out these traitors to America's recovery I feel was a good decision. Bring them out into the light President Obama, so all can see the cause of our current economic situation.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "For more than 35 years, every President has promised to “make the US energy independent,” but over that same period, we went from importing 24% of our oil to importing almost 70%?...
    In additional to putting our security in the hands of potentially unfriendly and unstable foreign nations, we spent $475 billion on foreign oil in 2008 alone. That's money taken out of our economy and sent to foreign nations, and it will continue to drain the life from our economy for as long as we fail to stop the bleeding.
    Projected over the next 10 years the cost will be $10 trillion - it will be the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.” –T. Boone Pickens

    The oil lobby tried to block the airing of renewable energy during the presidential debate. It took 300,000 sentient humans jamming the news station blogs to get any commercials aired during the debates. So it is not a matter of the US citizens wanting to convert over, it is a matter of fighting the foreign and domestic enemies who are trying to interfere with self-determination (oil robber barons and banking interests who have crashed the econonmy) and their control over media and government. The common people will have to fight them every step of the way and have been.

    Just last year, the US federal government tried to put a memoratorium on building solar plants on federal lands for 2 years! And this is in the face of being told by the U.N. panel of scientists that we have 3-5 years to curb globla warming. The US Congress and President have been told the world has lost 2 trillion tons of ice since 2003 according to the NASA Grace satellite. It’s just the oil interests had more money than the NASA scientists and the common people. We will have to see what Obama does.

    Now that the US is trillions in debt, we can expect it to be a hard time to convert over. Look at the example of Mexico. They have tried to move to renewable energy but the people cannot afford to pay the taxes. Another example is Nepal. They have an energy crisis now where electricity is cut off 15-16 hours a day for the next 6 years! The point to the nations who still have a cash flow is if we don’t act now it will not be cheaper in the future, it will be much more expensive!

    Peak Oil hits in 2020 according to the International Energy Agency. As the oil runs dry it becomes more expensive to drill. Consider when oil went up just 1 dollar many countries went into starvation over night and food riots broke out. We must also realize with the massive dieoff of honey bees (and them pollinating 1/3 of our food supply) will cause the food supply to become even more expensive. Many people may will likely end up starving to death. We can also expect the rise of totalitarian states to control the chaos. The DoomdDay Seed Vault should be a heads up for what the elite think may happen here. ahah

    With peak oil in 2020, global warming aside, we must convert over. For all the climate change denialsists… even if you deny the 900 some odd peer reviewed papers regarding global warming, certainly you can comprehend the very basic idea of “Peak Oil” and the impact of running out of a finite resource that is the basis of our energy, food and water supply world-wide and come to your senses!

    Oil is not renewable-- period. We need other alternatives quickly, before it is simply too expensive.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Stay Active in every aspect of life.
    To see the change we must also change.
    Thank you, Bob
    For staying active.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for posting this Bob and for all your energy on helping OUR environment. This address was very inspirational for me and I AM also prepared to do whatever I CAN and back my President 100% . It is a special time for all of us environmentalists, etc.
    The best way to end Big Oil and coals grip is to Keep creating more and more renewables( solar, etc.) and of course protesting Fossil fuels, raising awarenessetc. Thx Bob.

    So Am I !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for posting this Bob and for all your energy on helping OUR environment. This address was very inspirational for me and I AM also prepared to do whatever I CAN and back my President 100% . It is a special time for all of us environmentalists, etc.
    The best way to end Big Oil and coals grip is to Keep creating more and more renewables( solar, etc.) and of course protesting Fossil fuels, raising awarenessetc. Thx Bob.

    So Am I !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for posting this Bob and for all your energy on helping OUR environment. This address was very inspirational for me and I AM also prepared to do whatever I CAN and back my President 100% . It is a special time for all of us environmentalists, etc.
    The best way to end Big Oil and coals grip is to Keep creating more and more renewables( solar, etc.) and of course protesting Fossil fuels, raising awarenessetc. Thx Bob.

    So Am I !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for posting this Bob and for all your energy on helping OUR environment. This address was very inspirational for me and I AM also prepared to do whatever I CAN and back my President 100% . It is a special time for all of us environmentalists, etc.
    The best way to end Big Oil and coals grip is to Keep creating more and more renewables( solar, etc.) and of course protesting Fossil fuels, raising awarenessetc. Thx Bob.

    So Am I !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for posting this Bob and for all your energy on helping OUR environment. This address was very inspirational for me and I AM also prepared to do whatever I CAN and back my President 100% . It is a special time for all of us environmentalists, etc.
    The best way to end Big Oil and coals grip is to Keep creating more and more renewables( solar, etc.) and of course protesting Fossil fuels, raising awarenessetc. Thx Bob.

    So Am I !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete