Obama and the High Life

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama was in Arizona, one of the state's hardest hit by the foreclosure tsunami with the end not yet in sight. It is interesting to note that of the top five states with the highest foreclosures, four of the top five are border states or West or Southwestern states with high illegal immigrant populations (Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada). Maybe President Obama statisticians should dig a little deeper as to the combination of factors which has resulted in these mortgage foreclosures rather than listening to CNN's sound bites.

Mr. Obama's entourage was scheduled to make a short speech at a high school shortly after signing the largest spending bill in the history of this country. Included within the bill were sums largely directed to upgrading technology in the federal office buildings, and redecorating the National Mall. Arizona residents for over ten years now have been petitioning their state and federal government, especially post 9/11, to get the nation's borders secured which has had an increasingly detrimental affect on the quality of life and safety of the border state residents in escalating crime and job loss. Instead, Mr. Obama grants several billions to curing the damage which was created by his inaugural event which was the most expensive inauguration in history - four times that of the Bush administration and had the trappings of a coronation in it's excess.

In order to be well rested for his presentation, Mr. Obama had scheduled an overnight visit in Arizona prior to his speaking engagement on the "Sell the Stimulus" tour. Where did Mr. Obama choose to stay while in Arizona, with all those vacant $500,000 homes in Scottsdale and Mesa (the site of his visit) to choose from? According to the Arizona Republic, he was booked into one of the recently built international resorts with rooms in the vicinity of $3,000 per night for a private cabana or executive room. (Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2009/02/19/20090219obamahotel0219.html) Not even a local or U.S. owned hotel. An international hotel, similar to his campaign stops seeking the support of the global community in his presidential quest. The hotel was booked solid with his entourage, from all reports. The sums for that one night visit alone would have purchased three homes in the community surrounding the hotel in which Mr. Obama caught a few Z's prior to his propaganda whistle stop.

This is the example of a president who can relate to the lower and middle classes now struggling to both either stay in their homes or hang on to their jobs? While Mr. Obama has frozen salaries of some of his staff members as a gesture in support of the reality of the American economy today, the First Lady has chosen a California decorator to redo the White House post Bush at a cost that would feed most of the homeless community in D.C. and Arizona for well over a month.

Throwing crumbs to the masses is not going to cure what ails America right now, nor padding spending bills in order to payback corporate campaign contributors such as Microsoft and enlarging the public sector at the cost of the taxpayers and private small businesses now struggling. It does seem fiscal conservatism in light of this economic downturn doesn't jive with Mr. Obama's or the computer generation's idea of a "recession." I'm wondering, since the last major recession was in the 70's, and also due to the progressive declines unfortunately in our public educational system, if perhaps the reality and the defintion of the term "recession" is not quite sinking in. Or if perhaps Mr. Obama was at that time not aware or in the U.S. during that period of time to have some experience and knowledge of just what the personal ramifications on the citizenry is of these loosey goosey spending expenditures and policies at the cost of those who are losing their homes right and left? Just who does Mr. Obama think is providing or will be ultimately affected by those inflationary taxes that come along with spending deficits of that size now and in the future? Haven't these strategies been tried before both by Bush last year in his stimulus, and during the 1980's recession with respect to the S&L crisis?

As one writer in Arizona reported, Mr. Obama could have stayed down the street with the number of empty half million dollar homes on the auction block for free.

This is change?

SOURCE: Arizona Republic "Obama Bucking Biltmore With Stay"
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2009/02/19/20090219obamahotel0219.html