Obama delivers on promise of change

Obama delivers on promise of change

Three months have passed since President Obama took office. How is he doing? Has he kept his campaign commitments? What does it mean to America and to Hawai'i? These are extraordinary times, with our attention shifting almost daily from our struggling economy to two wars in the Middle East. The volume and velocity of information can be overwhelming, and there is a real risk for the public, the media, and our political leadership to lurch from crisis to crisis, or to assert that we ought to take one thing at a time — to go slow.

President Obama knows that we don't have the luxury of time. He has shown clarity, energy and skill, passing stimulus legislation, stabilizing the banking system, reversing a flawed foreign policy, starting on energy and healthcare reform, and restoring the rule of law. All in less than three months.

Within his first month, the president signed the American Investment and Recovery Act, designed to inject cash into the economy, aid states, build infrastructure, and put a down payment on energy and healthcare reform. Hawai'i's state and county transportation departments have worked together to strengthen our infrastructure and supply local jobs with the $246 million dollars coming from Washington. We are widening roads, doing highway seismic retrofits, improving trails and greenways and making other improvements statewide.

At this critical time, about 15,000 Hawai'i jobs will be saved or created under the recovery act. For those who have lost jobs and need help, the stimulus bill increases unemployment benefits by $25 per week, circulating about $600,000 into the local economy each week. And the recovery act will provide healthcare to 12,300 children in Hawai'i who are otherwise uncovered.

The administration is working with the private sector and using Troubled Asset Recovery Program to stabilize the banking system — an essential step that will be followed with new rules for Wall Street that reward innovation.

At the same time, we are starting on overdue reforms in energy, healthcare and education. These are more than campaign promises; they are actions that fulfill the promise of America and solidify our preferred economic future.

Hawai'i's political stars are aligned as never before. Likely for the first and last time, we have a president who was born in Hawai'i and the Senate chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye. It's remarkable, and timely. We are positioned to move forward with Hawai'i-based renewable energy initiatives, a federal recognition bill for Native Hawaiians and solidified support for O'ahu's rail system. This is the Pacific future we have talked about and worked so hard to achieve.

The debate about how to best move America forward will go on — as it well should. No one has a monopoly on wisdom. Still, I offer three rules for the naysayers.

First, naysaying is not good enough. From Day One, the president has asked for constructive proposals, so please come up with them. This is not about Republican versus Democrats. It is about the future versus the past, about learning from rather than repeating the same mistakes. Political greatness comes from those who challenge us to be more than what we have been so far. Please join in that venture.

Second, beware of politicians who voted time and again to support the Bush administration's reckless spending, which more than doubled the national debt, and who now criticize President Obama's temporary and targeted spending designed to spur economic growth.

Third, we have a president and a secretary of state who are uniquely situated to rebuild American alliances. They project an image, style and diversity that is admired across the world and that we are proud of. We shouldn't interpret this willingness to engage in diplomacy as weakness. And we should all root for it to work.

Barack Obama ran on a campaign of change and he has, so far, delivered. He is human, and will no doubt occasionally make verbal gaffes or perhaps pick the wrong path at times.

But for most Americans, just having a thoughtful, competent, strategic and compassionate leader feels like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders.

Brian Schatz is chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i and spokesman for Hawai'i for Obama. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.


Good day Brian.

We met when you were a student with Jon Cook. I was his step father at that time.

I have a suggestion that I humbly offer. Even thought I really like Obama and even think he will change his ways to stand firm in his oath to protect, defend, and preserve our Constitution, he is off track and you know it!

He has sold us out at the G20, period.

I have no party affiliation for I know, Brian, that the system is corrupted. You have a chance to turn this around but you won’t do it pandering to the party, or people who are clueless regarding what is really going on.

I suggest you read the attached, visit YouTube and listen to Ron Paul’s address to Wake Forest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-idLqUgcfs&feature=related, and check out LaRouche’s youth movement at www.larouchepac.com

I really disagree...Obama’s Obombed!

Ron Carlson