Some of the things I like about Barack Obama include his quiet confidence and his talk of unity. I also like how he lays out the problem, and talks about a solution. I’m seriously hoping that the vast amounts of money that he plans to spend on economic stimulus will be more than just throwing money at the problem. And it certainly sounds like President-elect Obama means to try to make thoughtful, useful expenditures. He focuses on:

• Infrastructure.
• Health care reform.
• Renewable energy.
• Tax cuts.

My favorite points are infrastructure and renewable energy. Investing in these items will actually help us prepare for the future, as well as put people to work and give them a chance to help stymie the foreclosure problem. I like the idea of actually investing in our infrastructure and developing renewable energy. These are vital elements to our national security, as well as our economic vitality.

Tax cuts are nice, and I am glad that they are expected to be aimed at helping the middle class. It’s more of a “trickle up” approach that will hopefully work better than the “trickle down” approach that has been dominating so far. It would be nice, though, if our leaders, rather than trying to encourage us to spend the money, would advise us to pay off credit card debt and make wise investments, rather than engaging in another round of consumer spending. And, of course, I don’t think that Obama’s health care reform goes far enough.

At any rate, the address was reasonably encouraging overall. But we’ll have to wait until later this month, when the pork starts being inserted into the economic stimulus bill and battles erupt as the new administration comes in.

What do you think of the economic stimulus plan laid out by Barack Obama?

Post from: EveryJoe

What Do I Think About the Economic Stimulus Plan From Barack Obama?