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Culture, healing, politics and bullshit - Not necessarily in that order

The general, socio-political and very personal rantings and ravings of a hip hop head from the hood hustling for change... Of himself.

You all know me and are aware that I am unable to remain silent. At times to be silent is to lie. For silence can be interpreted as acquiescence.
—Miguel de Unamuno



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Thursday, April 09, 2009

79 Days



Someone named Independentvoice wrote in today's Chicago Sun-times:



President Obama’s Promises Kept:
Reverse restrictions on stem cell research
Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits
Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners
Expand loan programs for small businesses
Extend and index the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch
Expand eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)
Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners
Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq
Send two additional brigades to Afghanistan
Restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program
Release presidential records
Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.
Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires
Create a White House Office on Urban Policy
Support increased funding for the NEA
Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear
Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees
Weatherize 1 million homes per year
Invest in all types of alternative energy
Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars
Support high-speed rail
Appoint at least one Republican to the cabinet

Promises that he kept but offered a compromise:
Eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-ups
Expand the earned income tax credit
Create a tax credit of $500 for workers
Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit to offset college costs
Set a three-month moratorium on foreclosures
Earmark reform
No family making less than $250,000 will see "any form of tax increase."-Cigarette tax for SCHIP

Stalled Promises:
End income tax for seniors making less than $50,000
Call for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy
Enact windfall profits tax for oil companies
Allow penalty-free hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts in 2008 and 2009

Promises in the works:
Increase the capital gains and dividends taxes for higher-income taxpayers
Eliminate all oil and gas tax loopholes
Extend child tax credits and marriage-penalty fixes
Require automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans
Require automatic enrollment in IRA plans
Change standards for determining broadband access
Create a $60 billion bank to fund roads and bridges
Extend the Bush tax cuts for lower incomes
Repeal the Bush tax cuts for higher incomes
Phase out exemptions and deductions for higher earners
Invest in electronic health information systems
Implement and fund proven health intervention programs
Eliminate the higher subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans
Prevent drug companies from blocking generic drugs
Double federal funding for cancer research
Reduce the Veterans Benefits Administration claims backlog
Launch a supportive services-housing program for veterans to prevent homelessness
Begin removing combat brigades from Iraq
Launch robust diplomatic effort with Iraq and its neighbors
Increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps
End the "Stop-Loss" program of forcing troops to stay in service beyond their expected commitments
Set standards for when the government should hire defense contractors
End the abuse of supplemental budgets for war
Double U.S. spending on foreign aid to $50 Billion a year by 2012
End the use of torture
End the use of extreme rendition
Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center
Develop an alternative to President Bush's Military Commissions Act on handling detainees
Extend monitoring and verification provisions of the START I Treaty
Develop a comprehensive cyber security and response strategy
Increase the size of the Foreign Service
Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba
Expand Early Head Start and Head Start
Reduce subsidies to private student lenders and protect student borrowers
Expand Pell grants for low-income students
Secure the borders
Push for a college football playoff system
Allow bankruptcy judges to modify terms of a home mortgage
Appoint experienced disaster official to head FEMA
Encourage community service through online outreach and social networking
Expand broadband's reach
Double federal funding for basic science research over 10 years
Create White House performance team and chief performance officer
Limit subsidies for agribusiness
Appoint an American Indian policy adviser
Create new financial regulations
Pressure Sudan to end violence in Darfur
Create 5 million "green" jobs
Raise fuel economy standards
Work with UN on climate change
Create cap and trade system with interim goals to reduce global warming
Require more energy-efficient appliances
Reduce energy consumption in federal buildings
Require federal fleet to be half hybrids or electrical cars
Modernize the nation's electricity grid and use "smart grid" practices
Modernize air traffic system
Ensure that stem cell research is conducted ethically and with vigorous oversight



Broken Promises:
Allow five days of public comment before signing bills
Tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials
Create a $3,000 tax credit for companies that add jobs
Recognize the Armenian genocide

There are over 400 promises that President Obama has not given any action to. But give him time, he has only been in office 79 days.


You think so?

4 comments:

Gallis said...

Hmmmmm.....

Diva (in Demand) said...

The problem is....how many of us have taken the time and effort to actually research and KNOW this? Complaining people aren't going to look it up. They just want to complain. Some people just want to go with the status quo and be as informed as they can get from the local news (I fall in that category at least half the time....)

As I think about it.....how many of us even knew how many promises President Obama made while running for office!

The Second Sixty-Eight said...

Sounds like he has done quite a lot. Maybe things will improve.

achoiceofweapons said...

Man! Double BB!
Thanks for this! This is awesome! Where did you get this info?
Jaycee