President Obama ending the work of the 111th Congress by Roger Caldwell

The leaders of the 111^th session of Congress are working at a feverish pace to complete unfinished business and bills. Many of the lawmakers are well aware that they will not be back, so they are leaving their legacy: be it bad or good. The Democrats have from the beginning had an agenda and a strategy, and time is running out.



Harry Reid, Democratic Senate Majority Leader



Senator Harry Reid has threatened the Republicans that he is willing to work until December 30, and get the work completed. Many Republicans and Democrats know that is not realistic, but Reid knows that the tables will be switched in 2011. With the Republicans with more power in the Senate and a majority in the House, Reid wants major bills passed now and not later.

Reid wants to complete an approval of ratification of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, legislation to repeal the military's "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy, a "package of land, water, and wildlife" bill, the passage of the Dream Act, as well as the confirmation of several presidential nominees. It is obvious that Reid will not get all this done in the next 10 days.

Usually the main reason that the lame duck sessions are so important is to complete its work on the spending or appropriation bills that form the basis of the annual federal budget. President Obama was personally involved in this lame duck session, because if the Bush tax cuts deal was not finalized, all Americans taxes would have increased by at least $2,500.

One of many bill
 signing ceremonies

The Senate passed the Bush tax cuts on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 by a vote of 81-19, and the House approved the measure by a vote of 277-148 on Thursday, December 16, 2010. Without the president getting involved the tax cut bill, it would not have passed so rapidly.

President Obama and congressional Democrats agreed to compromise in their opposition to extending the lower tax rates to the wealthy Americans, and also agreed to a lower estate tax than had been scheduled to take effect. In return, Republicans agreed to extend unemployment benefits with payroll tax cuts and other tax breaks, which conservatives generally opposed as government stimulus measures.

Many political experts believe that this is an indicator of how President Obama will operate with a split Congress, during 112th session. Instead of change, President Obama is talking about compromise, and he is ready to make deals to initiate a bi-partisan conversation and a sharing of power.

At President Obama's 29^th bill signing ceremony for the Bush tax cut legislature, there were representatives from both parties at the event. At the signing ceremony President Obama said, "The final product proves when we can put aside the partisanship and political gains, we can get a lot done. If we can keep doing it, if we can keep that spirit, I'm hopeful that we won't just reinvigorate this economy and restore the American dream, I'm also hopeful that we might refresh the American people's faith in the capability of their leaders to govern in challenging times."

The president has acknowledged that he was not completely satisfied with the tax cut deal, but his goal was to get the work done before the deadline. It is obvious that the "to do list" for the 111^th Congress will not be completed this year.

Obama signing another bill

With 29 bill signing ceremonies completed, there was unprecedented work done, and the implementation of the groundbreaking legislatures will take years. But now there is a different Congressional session getting ready to start, with different representatives, and with a different set of priorities.

The work of the 111^th Congress will never be completed, because one session carries to the next session and it takes months and years to get new bills operating and implemented.

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Should Democrats Support President Obama Tax Cuts Deal? …by Roger Caldwell

As Congress concludes its business for the 111^th session, the "Bush Tax Cuts" will determine if taxes are raised, and hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by the loss of unemployment insurance. The Republicans and President Obama have made a deal that the Obama administration can work with, and they believe it is good for the country and our depressed economy.

 

President Obama is aware that the new Congress will have a majority of Republicans in the House, and it will be necessary to negotiate and compromise. As a pragmatic statesman, President Obama is reaching out an olive branch to let the Republicans know that he is listening, and he is their friend.

 

He is aware that there are ideological and core differences in their philosophies, but the goal is to make America better for all Americans. The president is ready to make concessions to move forward the committee meetings and debates. There are going to be intense discussions on the direction the new Congress will take, and the Republicans in the House possess the votes to have their policies accepted.

Nevertheless this week in closed-door meetings, the Democrats made it clear to President Obama that they are not in support of the tax deal he made with Republicans. The words "Just say no" were the new mantra being espoused by many of the Democrats. They felt that President Obama was changing boats in the middle of the stream, and they were angry and upset.

 

Many Democrats believe that the wealthy are in a position to pay higher taxes to help improve the economy. If the tax cuts are extended for two years, it will cost the economy $120 billion that it will be missing in tax revenue, and over 10 years it will impact tax revenue by $800 billion.

I have no idea how the Joint Tax Committee comes up with its numbers, but it was my understanding that extending the tax cuts were only for two years. President Obama's plan according to most economists, is supposed to boost the economy. At the end of the two years, the administration and the Congress would sit down again and make an assessment of the economy and determine what direction to take.

At this point by extending the tax cuts, the administration would increase the money supply, reduce consumer uncertainty about raising taxes, and continue keeping the consumers spending money. In order for the economy to grow, it is necessary for the consumer to spend more money, and help put more Americans back to work.

President Obama understands that in politics, there are no permanent friends and there are no permanent enemies. In order to arrive at a compromise, everyone must be willing to give up something. Everyone has a wish list, but they understand at the end of the day they will only get a portion of their demands and wishes.

The tax cuts end on December 31, 2010, and the Democrats can be stubborn and refuse to compromise, or allow the wealthiest two percent of Americans keep their tax breaks. By letting the wealthy have their tax breaks, millions of Americans will continue to have unemployment insurance, and millions of Americans will not have to worry about their taxes increasing.

The Democrats need to get on board and support the "Obama Tax Cut Deal." The Senate Democrats are on board but the House Democrats are angry and grand-standing. Many of these Democrats will not be back in the new session of Congress, because they lost their election.

It is my hope that the House Democrats support President Obama's Tax Cut Deal, so everyone can go home and have a wonderful and healthy holiday.

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Republicans Initiate Gridlock during “Lame Duck Session” by Roger Caldwell

As the 111^th Congress and Senate finishes its session before it recesses for the holiday season, the Republicans are drawing a line in the sand. They have developed a strategy and agenda that is based on the philosophy of cutting spending, not raising taxes, and stopping all earmarks.
Everyone in the country is well aware that the 112^th Congress and Senate session is the beginning of the conservatives taking back influential leadership positions in many major committees. The Democrats will only have the majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives can stop major bills from being passed, because the two parties are on different sides of the fence.

The Republicans are determined to initiate their vision of a smaller federal bureaucracy while cutting spending, and repealing the new healthcare bill. The 42 Senators in the 111^th Congress have been circulating a statement that says, "We are not- we are going to block every piece of legislation that comes our way unless it's related to tax cuts or government spending." The gridlock of this week may be a sign of things to come next year.

The Republicans are adamant about expanding all of Bush's tax cuts and are refusing to give an inch on their position. This week President Obama had a summit at the White House with leaders of the Democrats and the Republicans to create a "spirit of cooperation." This was the first time since the Democratic beating in the election that there was a bipartisan meeting.

President Obama admits that there are "real philosophical differences" between the two parties and this is why there are Democrats and Republicans. While the summit was going on, the Republican leaders were agreeing to work together, and the other members were passing around a statement to block Democratic legislation.

President Obama and his administration are well aware that this past election is the beginning of a new dialogue with the Republicans. Getting bills passed in the next session of Congress will be very difficult and diplomatic negotiations will be the key. During the 111^th Congress, the Democrats had the majority in both houses and it was easy for the Democrats to railroad their agenda through without much resistance from the Republicans.

 


John Boehner



The Republicans will takeover as John Boehner becomes the Speaker of the House, and the numbers will be 242 Republicans to 192 Democrats. With this major shift in the dynamics of the House of Representatives, the Obama Administration will no longer have the numbers to get their bills passed.

The Republicans are now in a position to be a spoiler and create gridlock in the legislative process. In order to get anything done in Congress, the two sides will have to compromise and talk to each other.

Tim Geithner, Treasury Secretary

President Obama has appointed Jack Lew, the OMB budget director, and Tim Geithner, Treasury secretary to sit down with members of the House and Senate to find common ground and ensure middle-class Americans taxes don't go up.

Jack Lew, OMB Budget Director

 On the other hand, the Republicans want an extension on tax cuts for everyone. he Democrats no longer have a majority in both houses and there is now a level playing field. The next couple of weeks are an indicator of the chess match that will be going on in Congress. Maybe our representatives will find some common ground and eliminate a total gridlock and stalemate.             


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The tax cuts are slated to conclude at the end of the year, and the Republicans want a two-year extension on all tax cuts. This is a top priority for the Republicans in the Senate, and they are holding firm on their position. This is the beginging of a stalemate in the Senate, and there is a possibility that this gridlock will continue during the 112^th Congress.

Congressman Rangel Still Defiant After Censure by Roger Caldwell

On Thursday, December 2, 2010, Congressman Rangel from New York received a formal censure from the House of Representatives. A censure is a formal statement of disapproval of the practices and ethics of a member of the body. The member must give up any committee chair they hold, but they do not lose their elected position.


Congressman Rangel

  Congressman Rangel was the chairman of the Way and Means Committee and he is a 20-term Member of the House. The House found that the congressman had failed to pay taxes on a vacation villa, filed misleading financial disclosure forms, and improperly solicited donations for a college center from a corporation with business before his committee.

 

Rangel acknowledged some mistakes, calling himself sloppy, but he felt that the sub-committee had gone too far with censure. He admitted that at times he was overzealous, but said he never enriched himself while trying to help minority college students at City University of New York.

 

"I was not found guilty of corruption, I did not steal any money, I did not take any bribes, and that is abundantly clear." Nevertheless the House sub-committee found Rangel guilty of 11 ethics charges.

 It is really ironic that the chairman of the committee that sets up the procedures for taxes has problems paying his own taxes. After 20 terms in Congress and being eighty years old, maybe it is time to move over or find better accountants who can help the congressman with filing his taxes and tax preparation.



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Will North Korea and South Korea Start Another War? by Roger Caldwell

During the Thanksgiving holiday, President Obama was playing basketball and received a swollen lip which required 12 stitches. The media is digging and trying to find out who gave the president a swollen lip on the other side of the world. South Korea and the United States are implementing military exercises with the 70,000 ton aircraft carrier, USS George Washington accompanied by 10 other smaller warships.

This operation is a direct response of North Korea shelling the small island of Yeonpyeong, on Tuesday, November 23, 2010, which killed four people and destroyed dozens of houses. The North said it was responding to live fire from the South into its waters.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again war exercises targeted against the North," said North Korea's news agency. "The army and people of North Korea are greatly enraged at the provocation of the puppet group of South Korea, if they dare encroach again upon North Korea's dignity and sovereignty even in the least."

President Obama and the United Stated have aligned itself with South Korea, and China has aligned itself with North Korea. There are 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, and the Pentagon is quick to point out the naval exercises are "defensive in nature." The Pentagon also acknowledged that this joint exercise is a reminder of U.S. military strength and American's allegiance with South Korea.

The Korean peninsula is a very complicated region, and the Yellow Sea impacts the borders of the country of China. China has been low-key with its response to North Korea's shelling of the island, and there has been a flurry of diplomatic activity with the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Chinese diplomats.

President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao have a scheduled meeting in January 2011 in Washington DC, and a war between North Korea and South Korea would make the meeting extremely awkward. As a result, both countries are asking for restraint, and the world and the citizens of the United States are waiting for an official statement from President Obama.

China is protesting the United States and South Korea's joint exercises following North Korea's artillery attacks on Tuesday. China opposes any military operations near its territorial waters. "The Korean peninsula situation is highly complicated and sensitive, and all parties concerned should stay calm and exercise restraint," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei in a statement.

As this tense situation continues, President Obama must walk on a tight rope, because China and the United States have common interest with the economic factor being the most important. The United States has a trade deficit with China of $226 billion and Chinese businesses are heavily invested in American markets. China needs American businesses and American businesses need the Chinese population to grow their business markets. The difference in ideological and government systems explains why the two countries do not trust each other and are neither friends nor partners.

The war exercises in the Yellow Sea started on November 28, 2010, and will last for four days. There are six South Korean War Ships and four other U.S. vessels: the USS Cowpens, USS Lassen, USS Stethen, and USS Fitzgerald. The participating forces will carry out firing and bombing drills, and these exercises will involve thousands of service personnel in the four-day drill.

No one can predict the outcome of this drill; however it is not helping to resolve the crisis and problems between South Korea and North Korea. Playing war games during a tense explosive situation can turn into an all out war where no one wins and everyone loses.

 

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What Is the Importance Of The NATO Summit? by Roger Caldwell

 

In Lisbon, Portugal during the third week of November 2010, there was a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). At this summit, the leaders of 48 countries decided that there would be no pullout in Afghanistan in July 2011. There are 150,000 troops deployed in this U.S.-led war, and the United States has 115,000 to 120,000 troops in the country.

At this NATO summit, it was decided that the target date for the end of this war would be at the end of 2014. In 2011, it would be the beginning of a transitional period where the Afghan troops would begin to take a more active role in the security of their country.

Presently President Obama, U.S. officials, and NATO leadership has decided to remain vague about their departure from Afghanistan. The U.S. has decided that NATO will play a larger role in the conflict, but the bigger question becomes, "Who are the U.S. and NATO really fighting?"

The U.S. has decided to partner with the Afghan forces; the majority of the Afghan soldiers are either new or they are paid Taliban soldiers who have decided to join forces with Americans, where they know they will be getting paid. Many experts believe in the entire country, there are only 200 to 250 Taliban soldiers fighting in the country.

Since 2001, there have been 1.6 million U.S. military personnel that have been deployed in the Afghan War, with the cost in the trillions of dollars. Some American soldiers have been deployed to Afghanistan three or four times; after nine years, it is not stopping.

Many thought that the purpose of NATO Summit was to decrease the size of the troops, but instead they have decided to become more entrenched. President Hamid Karzai who is increasingly upset by the Western Troops presence will continue to get rich along with his family by remaining in power.

There has always been an allegation that the Karzai family is involved in selling drugs, but it has never been substantiated. Nevertheless, with other illegal charges surrounding the president, the U.S. remains one of the president's prime supporters.

The Afghan country has no air force and navy, but the U.S. and the NATO forces have decided to remain in Afghanistan and train the police and troops, even though there is a trust factor. These Afghan troops and police can decide at any time they are going to quit and walk off their post. They can slip back in to their village and never be heard of again.

The U.S. and NATO can call this a war, but when there is no definitive enemy, it is hard to define if your strategy is winning or losing. For President Obama to tell the country that he is keeping our country safe by fighting the Afghanistan war is fraudulent and ridiculous.

The real reason for the NATO summit is for the countries to get on the same page and develop a strategic partnership. The world is changing and it is important that the alliance is internally cohesive, and strengthen the security and prosperity for all the member countries. By enhancing the cooperation of Europe and other Western countries, the United States does not have to stand alone, and can extend the Afghan War into 2014.

At the summit meeting in Lisbon, NATO leaders adopted a new "Strategic Concept" that will serve as a roadmap for the next ten years. The new "Strategic Concept" offers partner countries around the globe more opportunities for dialogue, and commit NATO to reinforce cooperation with Russia.

We all thought the Afghan War would end in July 2011. Maybe you can figure out why our president needs three more years to end the Afghan War, because I sure can't.

 

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Obama Gets Serious With Jon Stewart On “The Daily Show” by Roger Caldwell

President Obama made an historic appearance on Comedy Central’s “Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” This was an unprecedented performance for the president and a special format for the show. It was the first time that one guest was scheduled for a single episode, who happens to be the sitting president of the United States.

Jon Stewart has recently been described as a talk show host, a comedian, a media critic, America’s anchor in waiting, the court jester, and the mouthpiece. For the president to be a guest on a comedy show indicates the collective power that television programming and stars have, and how they influence our country’s thinking. Jon Stewart has become famous by making jokes about politicians and prominent people and built his show into a successful media franchise.

On Wednesday October 27, 2010, President Obama was the featured guest, and even though there were some laughs, the tone of the show was serious. It was no mistake that President Obama was on the show six days before November 2, 2010: Election Day. Jon Stewart is a progressive liberal whose show’s demographics can help mobilize Democratic supporters and deliver the vote.

Their discussion was respectful with a touch of humor, but candid, political, informative, and educational. The show started with some humor from Jon Stewart asking the president why the Democrats were begging the country for votes by saying, “Please baby give me one more chance.” The mood of the country has changed from two years ago when the country was excited about change and the new president.

President Obama responded to this humorous question with a serious answer, and the friendly sparring was on. Obama indicated that he was well aware that the “honeymoon” with the American public would not last. He was not surprised when there was a backlash, and when the economy was not improving fast enough.

Obama talks about the unemployment rate at 9.6% and over a quarter of all the homes in America, where the price of the house is more than the market selling price. He realized that many Americans are frustrated.

Jon Stewart is extremely articulate and he kept the president on the “hot seat.” “Is the difficulty that you have here the distance between what you ran on and what you delivered? You ran with such, if I may audacity, yet legislatively it has felt timid at times,” said Stewart.

The president’s answer to this question was, “Jon I love your show, but this is something where I have a profound disagreement with you, this notion that the health care was timid. Many people concentrate on the 10% we didn’t get and forget the 90% we did get.”

It was obvious there were contentious moments during the president’s interview with Jon Stewart. As a spectator, we will never know what was rehearsed for the 30 minute program, but the host never backed down. There are questions on the American public’s mind and our president was transparent and communicative.

The president is aware in the last 18 months his administration has been extremely busy getting new laws and reforms that will fundamentally change our system. The major problems with many of the reforms are that they are still in the formative stages and they have not gotten to the citizens, on the grassroots level.

Moving forward the president made it aware that he never promised that change would be easy and it would happen overnight. In 18 months, the president is content with his accomplishments, but is not satisfied with meeting his expectation level. There are many promises that the president made during his campaign that remained unfulfilled.

When Jon Stewart asked the humorous question if the president was planning a surprise party filled with jobs and health care, I really thought for a minute, maybe the president’s second term, he could make this happen.  I bet the president didn’t think this was funny.

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Can President Obama Finish What He Has Started? By Roger Caldwell

Voting in the November 2010 election is paramount, because the 111^th Congress was one of the most productive legislative bodies in our country's history. Many of the conservatives who wanted to turn back the clock understand that President Obama came to Washington with an agenda. The progressive legislation that he was able to get passed has forced the Republicans and conservatives to challenge his agenda.

One thing that Democrats know in the 2010 election is that the Republicans and Conservatives will vote in record numbers. When they say they want their country back, it means that there is political transformation taking place in America. In the years to come, our leaders must be visionary with a plan for our country's future.

The conservative special interest has spent millions on these elections to defeat incumbents, stop workers rights, and progressive thinking. Many of these conservatives are against innovative programs that allocate federal funding because they want to go backward to a smaller government.

Americans are very angry, but the problems or the recovery act did not start with the Obama administration. The recovery act was started by the Bush Republican administration, because he knew that the economy needed an infusion of federal funding to jumpstart and save the financial, building and jobs markets.

Wasteful spending, ineffective leadership, and no succession planning have left our country with an outdated infrastructure, and systems that are broken. The Obama administration and 111^th Congress started their session with an avalanche of problems, but the Democrats were the majority party in both houses, and this was their advantage to get things done.

From the very first day of this congressional session, Congressman Steny Hoyer said the Democrats had a plan. "The choice we made was in support of the American worker, American taxpayer, and the American consumer. From day one Congress had the overriding goal of stopping the free fall of the economy, creating jobs, and building a solid foundation for the future."

The 111^th Congress was able to get laws passed that will fundamentally change the course of history and support the middle class, seniors, children, women, and disadvantaged Americans. President Obama and his administration were able to get laws on the books, but this is only the first step. His administration now has the responsibility to implement the laws and make them functional.

President Obama and 111^th Congress was able to get the first comprehensive health care reform legislation in decades passed, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Children Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Worker Homeownership and Business Assistance Act, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, and many more bills were passed. This is one of the most productive Congresses in our country's history.

Special interests are trying to buy this election by inundating the airways and media with the message, that President Obama is wastefully spending our future generation's livelihood and dollars. But the truth is that President Obama is creating the groundwork for innovative investments for future jobs, businesses, and systems.

President Obama is a visionary who needs more time to complete what he has started. Voting in this election is one of the most important responsibilities, which everyone has to do as a citizen. Regulating the power of multi-national corporations and large corporations must be controlled by the federal government, because we live in a global society.

The Republicans, Conservatives, and the Tea Party are focused on going back, instead of forward. Let President Obama continue with his plan and vote for the Democrats.

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Anti-Incumbent Mood Has Swept Across the Country by Roger Caldwell

In the mid-term elections, it appears that the Democrats and the Independents are extremely apathetic about the race. There has been some positive movement with the Democratic base, but the younger voters in the party is lacking in its intensity. The Republicans are more animated and motivated, and they will be out in large numbers to vote in this election.

Gallup polls indicate that the Republicans enjoy a 13% to an 18% turnout advantage among voters likely to vote. All across the country there are races that are too close to call and either party can win.

Many Democratic candidates are refusing to use President Obama's agenda as the platform to connect their campaign too. Instead these candidates are projecting their independence and distancing their relationship with the president.

In a magazine article, President Obama admitted that his team failed to communicate effectively to American voters in his first two years of office. His team only focused on policy, while ignoring an effective sales pitch to the public. This was a major mistake because the public did not always understand what the Obama administration was trying to accomplish.

The Republicans were able to make President Obama look like the same old tax and spend Democrat, who spend and spend without results. When President Obama was trying to sell the stimulus package, he was always talking about the shovel-ready projects that would bring millions of job. Many states and city leaders are wondering what happened to all the "shovel-ready" jobs?

President Obama has not been able to deliver and many of the Democratic candidates are frustrated with the president's promises. In our microwave society, the president has been forced to talk out of both sides of his mouth. In this same article, President Obama admits that shovel-ready jobs are not as plentiful as he first indicated.

No one can predict in this mid-term election which party will gain the most seats. The conservatives are divided and polarized because of the Tea party and the splitting of the vote. In many of the races there are three candidates and the Tea party are candidates in 128 races during this mid-term election.

Every incumbent is in a major battle for their political life; the Democratic base and the younger voters can change the results of this election. The youth have power in their hands and there appears to be a limited focus on this segment of the Democratic Party. Many of the incumbents have always won and have not changed their strategy and used networking/internet marketing.

The reality of 2010 election is that many of the incumbents did not use the internet to get their message to their constituents. As a result, their constituents did not know their record, and understand what they have accomplished.

President Obama has stated that his next two years will not focus on trying to pass new legislation, but implement and coordinate what passed in the first two years of his administration. American is looking for results and they want to know how a particular bill is helping their family. Americans are tired of the doubletalk and want solutions that they can touch.

President Obama will continue to travel across the country and energize the Democratic Party and get the vote out. He will help raise money, but many of the incumbents are moving to the middle and are against many of the president's policies.

As the November 2^nd gets closer, it's best to get out and vote. The worst thing that all the voters can do is not have a voice and not vote. The vote is our voice and will determine the future of our country.

 

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President Obama Thinks Longer School Year Makes Smarter Students by Roger Caldwell

With almost every school system in the country laying off teachers and cutting expenses, the President is proposing longer school days and possible additional weeks to the school year. Education is the key to move our country forward and help our children realize their dream with a good paying job. Almost every job is connected to a computer, or some form of advanced technology, and our president received a good education.

At three and four, children learn how to operate a computer and some already have an email. Learning and knowledge will be based on the student's individual commitment to achievement, and twelve year olds will have the ability to operate on an advanced high school level.

Nevertheless, there is a crisis in public education and in certain school districts where forty percent of the children do not graduate. Our schools are failing the American student and on a global scale, our children are behind in every subject. In math, our 15-year old students lag behind 31 countries in a recent international educational study.

The Secretary of Education states, "Our children have stagnated educationally, putting our long term economic security at-risk." The president is correct when he wants our educational system to stay competitive on a global level. But the major issue is "How do you transform a system that is failing our children and is deteriorating every year and not able to pay its bills?"

Children who do not graduate are 8 times more likely to go to jail and earn less. Black 12^th graders read on a white 8^th grade level and this generation will be less literate. In our communities the system is broken, and our children are set up to fail.

There is a fundamental problem with the educational system today and making the school year longer will not correct the problem. Education will have to become a priority in every school system in the country with excellence as the focus. The parents and teachers will have to stop giving lip-service to excellence, and practice it on a daily basis.

Inner-city school districts should receive a larger percentage of financial expenditures and resources, and the administrators improve the educational facilities. If the leaders and administrators do not take pride in world class facilities, how do they expect the children to function on a world class level?

President Obama and his Secretary of Education are big supporters of the charter schools and parents are taking their children out of the public schools because they are failing and broken. There is a crisis in the public school system that can turn into a catastrophe, and it will be impossible to learn in an inner-city school. If the students at charter schools can learn, than the public school system can be fixed.

It is time for a dialogue with school administrators, teachers, parents, and resource employees. The time that we waste using antiquated teaching skill practices can be achieved in least time with individual computer work stations. Instead of making the school day longer, the school day can become shorter.

Learning and education can become a joy and the student is motivated and inspired. It is time for our educators to get outside of the box and make education fun. Once we stop operating our schools like prison, the students will start treating knowledge as a gift.

There is power in partnerships and our schools have the ability to make learning practical and applicable to real life situations. Making the school year longer will only frustrate the teachers, parents, and students. Using technology and individual study will create a better student who has a goal and purpose with his education.

 

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Adults Need Training To Respond To Bullying by Roger Caldwell

In the month of September 2010, there were four US teens that received local, regional, and national exposure from the media, because they committed suicide as a result of bullying. It is obvious that there is a fundamental problem in our culture, when teenagers are threatened, intimidated and abused because their sexual orientation is different.

These tragic incidents indicate that our society is failing in protecting our children, and parents, teachers, administrators and leaders are looking the other way and not doing their job. For example, in Florida, James Jones, a father decided to take matters into his own hands and admitted getting on a school bus, and threatened students who were bullying his daughter. There is an epidemic in our schools and it is terrible that someone has to die or almost die before laws are enacted.

At a federal seminar this year, the Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave 2007 bullying statistics, which are appalling and an indictment on safety in our schools. In 2007, 1 out of 3 students in middle school and high school during the school year reported being bullied. Over 2.8 million students said they have been pushed, shoved, or spit on during the school year. Over 1.5 million have been threatened with harm and 900,000 high school students reported being cyber- bullied.

In every school system, there is a need for diversity training and respect for alternative lifestyle choices. It is important that parents and teachers receive training with the students and learn what to do when there is a problem. The parents and teachers must be aware of the signs, when a student needs help.

New Jersey student Tyler Clementi jumped from a bridge after his roommate allegedly taped him having sex with a man and posted it on the internet. Asher Brown, a 13 year old from Houston,Texas shot himself after being accused of being gay. Seth Walsh and Billy Lucas of Indiana hung themselves for being bullied for their sexual orientation.

Teasing and practical jokes is something that teens and young adults do when they are having fun. However, there is a thin line when the teasing is vicious, malicious, and becomes a criminal act. Laws will have to be enacted to stop and control bullying in our schools.

Opening the lines of communication with the students is vital, if our society accepts respect for everyone. Because someone is different or sick does not condone disrespectful, bullying, and aggressive behavior.

 

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White House Economic Advisor Leaves Obama’s Team….by Roger Caldwell

        

With the mid-term election 20 days away, President Obama is starting to make changes with his economic team. There has been no change with the unemployment numbers, over 120 bank closures this year, and foreclosures are at an all time high. The economy is barely growing and the voters are frustrated and angry.

As President Obama's popularity continues to decline, there are 3 major departures from his economic team that indicates that there are problems with their programs. When President Obama made four of his initial appointments to his economic team, many voters expected that the economic conditions in the country would improve. No one expected drastic changes, but expected a feeling that we were starting to rebound and there was confidence in the economy.

In stead of a reversal, the situation is not changing, and Peter Orszyg, budget director, and Christine Romer, head of the council of economic advisors have left the administration. These two advisors have been replaced by Jack Lew and Austin Goolsbee, but Larry Summer is also leaving at the end of the year. That means that three of the four of the president's initial appointments have left or are leaving.

Larry Summer is the Director of the Economic Council and the top White House Economic Advisor to President Obama. Larry Summer was the Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration days, and is the architect of the recovery act, the job creation measures, and the financial stability programs.

It appears that Obama's administration is busy congratulating themselves that they didn't have a second Depression, instead of developing programs that are making significant changes in the economy. Many economists think that Larry Summer and Timothy Geithner is too busy protecting Wall Street and bailing out large corporations, instead of working for every American. Summer has always been tied to Wall Street and hedge funds, where he made millions of dollars as an advisor.

Some believe that President Obama should also give our present Treasury Secretary his walking papers, because Geithner is the chief architect of the administration's failed economy policies. The present economic plan is not working, and the majority of citizens are still struggling to make ends meet.

It is time for a major shake up in the Obama administration. Polls show that angry and frustrated voters are moving away from Democrats, which could shift control in one of the houses in Congress. President Obama's economic team must do more to improve the economic recovery and tackle the critical financial problems facing the country.

The government needs to act and stop sweeping problems under the rug, and bailing out our banking system with bailout funds. It's time to address the toxic assets on the banks balance sheets, so there can be confidence in the economic system. Until banks are healthy, they will continue not to lend money and the financial system will remain paralyzed.

The issues facing the country must be confronted with progressive economists, who are working for the entire country. High joblessness, toxic assets on the banks balance sheets, negative real estate markets, and slow economic growth is creating a major gap between the rich and the middle class.

With Larry Summer leaving, President Obama has the opportunity to bring fresh ideas to the table and move the country forward. We need economic leaders who understand the entire financial landscape and align themselves with more than just large corporations and Wall Street.

Forcing the rich to share more of their income through taxation makes sense. Income and wealth in America is concentrated in the hands of a few and Main Street needs a helping hand. It is time to shake up our economic advisors and make them come down from their glass ceilings.

 

Check out other blogs by Roger's at http://presidentobamawatch.wordpress.com