By the time you read this, America’s 44th president has been sworn in and the nation’s first African American president has taken office and set the pace for the next four years. There is speculation that during the first 100 days in office (actually the first 50) President Obama will provide a grandstanding performance for the American people and the world similar to that of the star-studded inauguration concerts and banquets essentially put on for him. For many, the closing of Guantanamo Bay will be the post inauguration equivalent of Will.I.Am. Moreover, can we expect a Stevie Wonder-esque performance from expertly placed rebates? News of peace in the Middle East or anywhere else would definitely give Beyoncé a run for her money as one of the year’s best shows, no offense Sasha.
How about a stable and effective “green” labor force, a record low unemployment rate, or an effective education initiative as the star performers after Bono, Mary J. Blige and Josh Groban exit stage left?
President Obama has an impressive program in store for the American people, and we are all the more ready to witness and cheer on the performances of hope and change produced by President Barack Obama and his government.
With all the excitement and awe surrounding the weeks leading to President-elect Obama transforming into President Obama, he still managed to pay Ohio a visit on January 16, before heading to Washington, D.C. He visited Bedford Heights, Ohio, to discuss with workers a plan to create millions of new American jobs. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan aims to create 3-4 million new American jobs and make long-term investments needed to build a 21st Century economy (Obama-Biden Transition Team).
This starlet piece of the economic recovery puzzle promises to ensure America’s competitive edge in the renewable energy industry, against more ecologically progressive countries like Spain, Japan, and Germany by making strong investments in renewable energy. Not only will the plan essentially preserve our planet but also create massive amounts of high wage jobs that would stay in America and would field a new and profitable labor margin.
“We’ll also create hundreds of thousands of jobs by improving healthcare- transitioning to a nationwide system of computerized medical records…and we’ll create more jobs in education, equipping tens of thousands of schools with 21st century classrooms…to help our kids compete with any worker in the world for any job,” announced President Obama.
All of this action and more won’t just be happening in Gotham-sized cities and wind turbine infested deserts either. Change is happening right here and now, and Ohio is receiving some of the spotlight.
“Here in Ohio and across the nation we’ve seen old factories become new clean energy producers…schools and offices are greener and more efficient than before,” Obama declared.
Citing the urgency of the matters at hand, President Obama also feels he has convinced Congress to ready themselves for immediate action. With a Sunday Congress session providing a glimmer of proof that our leaders on Capitol Hill are ready for change, perhaps President Obama’s message has seeped through the glam and glitz of these historical moments, and America and the world can look forward to a future where our President is an A-list headliner and policymaker.