This is a whole new thing for me. It’s rare I pay much attention to politics, but Barack Obama has got my attention. What can I say—– I think he could be good for us. Here are some reasons why:
- He was a community organizer and a civil rights lawyer. This says to me that he values people and fairness. That he probably cares about the right thing. It is hard to fight drugs on the street and civil rights law doesn’t pay the big bucks. It says a lot about him. There is no telling what his true motivations are but I don’t see any other potential presidents with this kind of history. I find it more likely that he has better character than anyone else up there.
- He did not grow up wealthy. This gets big points with me. No other potential president in my lifetime ever had any concept of what it is like to be a regular person. Every one of them, until now, has come from money. How are they going to “get” it… I mean, really get it? Barack Obama is comfortable now, yes, he is a Senator. But he earned his financial position, he was not born into it.
- Would make it so the first $4,000 dollars of college education is free for most people. I love this, it makes education accessible and everyone deserves a chance at it.
- He would reinstate Bill Clinton’s order to hire 10,000 new employees with disabilities. I wonder why this wasn’t followed through on in the first place?
- He has shown support for people with disabilities in his plan – too many to outline here.
- Has shown that he views undocumented immigrants as human beings, and wants them to “come out of hiding” and to become American citizens. He wants to keep families together, though he does expect those that are due to pay their fines, to do so. He thinks we should address the incentives that bring the people into the country to begin with, and to clean up the citizenship process. This is the most reasonable, intelligent and balanced approach I have heard yet.
As for the environment, here is list from his plans:
- Will REQUIRE that all large corporate polluters pay for every ton of emissions they release, rather than give the emission rights away for free to coal and oil companies. So, basically, instead letting big business polluters help other big business polluters get away with polluting, they finally have to start paying their dues. 100% of them.
- Use some of the money from the paid dues (see above) to:
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help develop clean energy (develop improvement of solar technology, for example)
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invest in energy efficiency improvements (improve ways to heat your house, for example)
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address transition costs (help families adjust to the newer ways of heating the house, for example)
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help lower income families with their energy costs (help with their heating bills, for example)
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Double federal research and development in clean technology (such as biofuel – an example) while at the same time creating more American jobs with the new inventions/advancements from the research. Example: He will put twice the money into the research of inventions, let’s say, eco friendly machines while the need for production of those machines creates more American jobs. (*note – he supports keeping jobs in America)
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REQUIRE fuel (gas) suppliers to reduce the carbon (the nasty stuff in the fuel) by 10% by 2010 (only 2 years). This may not seem like much – only 10% – but spread out over how many cars on the roads? That adds up to a lot less carbon in the environment. And this is while he would still be in office.
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With the new fuel economy standards, he will make sure that new cars are made in the US, not overseas. This will mean more, and better jobs for the American worker. The plan he has will include support for the development of more advanced vehicles (such as hybrids). Also, he believes all new vehicles sold in the US should be flexible fuel vehicles (they can run on biofuel blends like E85 – a more eco-friendly gas than the traditional unleaded).
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REQUIRE states to plan for energy conservation in transportation planning – will require governors and local leaders in our metropolitan areas to make energy conservation a required part of their planning for the expenditure of federal transportation funds. This means that local leaders, if using federal funds, will HAVE to use energy conservation measures in their transportation planning.
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REQUIRE 25% of electricity in the US to come from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2025.
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Ensure that at least 30% of the federal government’s electricity came from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2020.
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Ensure that all new federal buildings are zero emissions (they won’t give off any pollution) by 2025
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Ensure that all new federal buildings are 40% more energy efficient within the next 5 years (2013).
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Make retrofitting existing federal buildings a top priority and seek to improve their efficiency by 25% within the next 5 years (2013). So remodeling – so to speak – existing federal buildings to use energy better (such as natural lighting, natural cooling, what have you). Consider that the existing buildings in areas like DC are pretty old, too. And there are many of them. Plus, if they start that, others follow.
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Set National Building Efficiency Goals – make all new buildings carbon neutral – zero emissions – by 2030.
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Establish a grant program to award states that implement new building codes. In other words – he will have a program that gives grant money to those states that start programs of their own for green (eco-friendly) building codes.
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Flip incentives to energy utilities – Barack Obama will make it so utility companies get increased profits for improving energy efficiency instead of higher energy consumption. The way it is now, the electric company, for example, gets more money if you use more electricity. Barack Obama’s plan reverses this. His plan has it so the electric company gets more money if you use LESS electricity. This means companies are motivated to have the customer – this means you – use less.
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Phase out traditional light bulbs by 2014. He supports the effort led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources to make the more eco friendly light bulbs the norm, and to update federal lighting efficiency standards. So the roundy energy sucking bulb goes out, the swirly bulb comes in. This would help the earth so much – just as simple as changing a light bulb, huh? I know the roundy bulbs are cheaper right now, but the swirly ones will be cheaper when they are standard.
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Create a Green Job Corps (I think this one is GENIUS!) – Barack Obama will create a youth jobs program for disconnected and disadvantaged youth to improve energy conservation and efficiency in the homes and buildings of their communities. This provides practical experience in important career fields of expected high growth employment. This also gives employers and unions a chance at providing apprenticeship opportunities. In other words – a job program for at risk kids to learn how to help the earth. Whoever thought of this better never meet me because I just may plant a fat kiss on his or her forehead.
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Would have the EPA strictly monitor the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations’ (which raises more than 40% of US livestock) pollution. Barack Obama would have tougher standards for them. Basically – EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency – good guys) would be carefully watching (some of) the people that raise our meat.
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Barack Obama has a history of supporting the environment as a Senator. There are accomplishments worth noting but this post is already long enough. If you wish to find out more specific information, email me.
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Would increase funding for the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program to help farmers afford the costs of compliance with national organic certification standards. He will also reform the USDA’s Risk Management’s crop insurance rates so they do not penalize organic farmers. OK… in English …. he would make it cheaper for farmers to farm organically and help them to be able to afford the insurance. This could potentially drop the prices of organic food at the grocery market. It also would encourage more organic farming (this means fewer chemicals and nasty stuff in our food and the environment.)
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Support Local Family Farmers with Local Foods and Promote Regional Food System Policies – Barack Obama is pro farmer. He wants us to buy local and regional food and wants farming families to do the work they love. Those farmers that sell directly to their customers cut out all the middlemen and get full retail price for their food. So, basically, he likes the farmer’s market, and will implement USDA policies that promote local and regional food systems.
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There is more but this is what I have for now. It is too early now to tell what will happen but if he gets into the running, he will get my vote. I have been without television (by choice) for a while now so all of my information about him is from the internet. I have put out the call to have my television turned back on so I can watch all this going on with the Democrats making history. I will be keeping better tabs on what Barack Obama is doing too. I think I have been converted from medium to mild apathy about politics, to being interested enough to turn on the news.
I may be naive here but I might be starting to like a politician (*gasp*).
He also has a very moving speech here:
