Our Nation Needs Local Leadership Models to Quell Our Anger
There is a lot of fear in our national neighbors, and we in these clear skies could help. But first, why are people afraid?
People are afraid of Obama. Why? Because he’s his main priority is not ours and he trusted Congress to deliver health care reform.
People’s priorities are the economy and the deficit. The Robert Wood Anderson Foundation’s June 2009 health report said while most people see major problems with our health care system, they don’t see it as a crisis. It’s far less important than the economy, which Obama recognized in his health care speech.
But before his speech, Rasmussen polls about Obama’s priorities show twice as many people favor cutting the deficit in half by the end of his term compared to reforming health care. At the same time, two out of every three people believe Congressional reform would increase the deficit. Obama said his plan will cut healthcare costs, but the Congressional Budget Office is the trustworthy voice.
Second, Obama foolishly has confidence in Congress. Rasmussen asked people: Who could do a better job, a random selection of names from the phone book or the present Congress? The result was a tie: 42 percent each. The rest couldn’t decide.
Asked if they’d vote to keep the present Congress or replace it and start over, 57 percent said start over. Twenty-five percent said keep them. For what, entertainment?
There’s an opportunity here. Suppose we add an odd year election to be held after each new session of Congress had ten months to prove they can work together. If not, we vote to replace every member. Eventually members would cooperate to solve our problems.
Congress may pass health care reform that promises lower costs, better health care, and universal coverage, and I hope they do. But Congress’s greatest skill is promising, not delivering, on all three promises.
Until we get a replacement election, what can we do locally? Model fiscal, constructive problem solving and promote our local governments that are doing it.
As consumers, we’re spending less and cutting debt. Maybe our behavior is leading us to insist this administration and Congress do the same. We blissfully excused the last administration and four Congresses that set record deficits as our vice-president insisted the public didn’t care. We do now.
We need to remind Congress about the problem solving of contentious issues by our local governments. We have plenty of examples. Waterville attacked mosquitoes with plans that created heated controversy, but people are living with the results. Douglas County and the justice system resolved an angry dispute over low-income housing at Vista Del Rio and Buena Vista. Eastmont Public Schools had fiscal problems several years ago, but won voter approval for an operating millage and balanced this year’s budget with tolerable reductions in services.
Have no fear we can solve our national issues if we keep demonstrating how we solve problems in our own lives and demand it of our local governments. Eventually we’ll demand solutions from our national leaders.
People are afraid of Obama. Why? Because he’s his main priority is not ours and he trusted Congress to deliver health care reform.
People’s priorities are the economy and the deficit. The Robert Wood Anderson Foundation’s June 2009 health report said while most people see major problems with our health care system, they don’t see it as a crisis. It’s far less important than the economy, which Obama recognized in his health care speech.
But before his speech, Rasmussen polls about Obama’s priorities show twice as many people favor cutting the deficit in half by the end of his term compared to reforming health care. At the same time, two out of every three people believe Congressional reform would increase the deficit. Obama said his plan will cut healthcare costs, but the Congressional Budget Office is the trustworthy voice.
Second, Obama foolishly has confidence in Congress. Rasmussen asked people: Who could do a better job, a random selection of names from the phone book or the present Congress? The result was a tie: 42 percent each. The rest couldn’t decide.
Asked if they’d vote to keep the present Congress or replace it and start over, 57 percent said start over. Twenty-five percent said keep them. For what, entertainment?
There’s an opportunity here. Suppose we add an odd year election to be held after each new session of Congress had ten months to prove they can work together. If not, we vote to replace every member. Eventually members would cooperate to solve our problems.
Congress may pass health care reform that promises lower costs, better health care, and universal coverage, and I hope they do. But Congress’s greatest skill is promising, not delivering, on all three promises.
Until we get a replacement election, what can we do locally? Model fiscal, constructive problem solving and promote our local governments that are doing it.
As consumers, we’re spending less and cutting debt. Maybe our behavior is leading us to insist this administration and Congress do the same. We blissfully excused the last administration and four Congresses that set record deficits as our vice-president insisted the public didn’t care. We do now.
We need to remind Congress about the problem solving of contentious issues by our local governments. We have plenty of examples. Waterville attacked mosquitoes with plans that created heated controversy, but people are living with the results. Douglas County and the justice system resolved an angry dispute over low-income housing at Vista Del Rio and Buena Vista. Eastmont Public Schools had fiscal problems several years ago, but won voter approval for an operating millage and balanced this year’s budget with tolerable reductions in services.
Have no fear we can solve our national issues if we keep demonstrating how we solve problems in our own lives and demand it of our local governments. Eventually we’ll demand solutions from our national leaders.
Posted by JSR at 9/10/2009 3:51 AM 
Categories: Serving Others,Health,Politics,Build Better Communities,Common Sense
Tags: Health Care reform Douglas County Eastmont Obama Waterville Deficit Spending Congress
Categories: Serving Others,Health,Politics,Build Better Communities,Common Sense
Tags: Health Care reform Douglas County Eastmont Obama Waterville Deficit Spending Congress
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