Dear President-Elect Obama:
Last evening I watched the interview with Barack Obama on “60 Minutes.” I have composed a letter to respond to his interview.
Dear President-Elect Obama:
On “60 Minutes” you were asked about how you were preparing to be president. You mentioned you read some books about the lives of previous presidents. It appears the living presidents did not provide you with much advice. This makes sense because our country started declining in the early 1950′s. The administrations of living presidents (some Democratic while others Republican) were just part of the problem, not the solution.
Yesterday you mentioned Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). I have read a couple books about his life and presidency. He took the reins of the country when, as you pointed out, the USA was in a tough economic situation, but somewhat different to what we are experiencing today. I believe the Naive American would fully agree with your assessment. FDR was president of the US March 04, 1933 to April 12, 1945. Please note two (2) points of interest:
- the world was quite different in the 1930′s and 1940′s
- FDR’s presidency ended in 1945 which is before the 1950′s
The only policy plan that you touched on during the interview was your desire to rebuild the ailing infrastructure in the country. Living in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis – St. Paul, I can relate to your aspiration (ala. 35W bridge collapse). In an effort to immediately create jobs for the masses of Naive Americans the FDR administration put a heavy emphasis on building infrastructure. This meant more jobs for the lower/middle class and wealth for a few higher management and construction companies (some of these companies might even be contributors to your campaign). The problem with this approach is, like additional government, it does not contribute to the Gross National Product (GNP). It is palliative, but not a cure for the US economy.
The Naive American wants to see CHANGE. Perhaps you could revoke all tax breaks for all American companies. After leveling the field, you could provide a deep tax cut using a scale based on products and services manufactured in the US. Additional points could be given when the products and services are sold Outside the United States (OUS). This simple idea would provide real incentives to companies, provide jobs for Naive Americans (your voters) and help balance the budget. This will reduce the flow of US Dollars to other countries who manufacture most of the goods we consume in the US. Just stop by your friendly Wal-Mart and look in their shelves for US-made products.
President-elect Barack Obama, you promised CHANGE. This is a simple idea that could actually CHANGE our beloved country for the better.
Yours truly;
A Naive American
