President Obama Can't Fix It

The calendar tells me it's time to quit whining. President Obama has been in office for one year. Like him or not I must accept the fact he is my President. There was an old Navy Chief that I remember putting it a bit more eloquently. "He may be a SOB but he is my SOB. I don't like him but I respect him and his office!"

President Obama inherited a financial mess. Unemployment is at all time highs, banks are failing, health care is in the dumper, the auto industry is loosing the war with Japan, etc. We can blame previous administrations (ie: Bush, Clinton, Bush, Regan, Ford, etc.) or we can roll up our sleeves and get to work. There hasn't been a recession yet that was fixed by a politician. It was and always will be the everyday folks that put the sweat, guts, and effort into work that turns our economy around.

Think about this... If we had 20% unemployment (God forbid) that means 80% of the folks are working. This 80% can and will inspire new jobs, small business investment, and a grass roots movement to spark a positive attitude in the marketplace. It has been done before and will be repeated again. One day at a time we will put one foot in front of the other and do the next right thing. It is a simple philosophy but it works.

I remember the story about the hot dog vendor. He had a special corner and sold good casing hot dogs with homemade relish. Each week he needed more buns and had to make bugger and bigger batches of relish. He fed his family, bought a home, and managed to put his son through college.

The college graduate comes home and pulls on an apron since he can't find a job. His first comment was "Geeze Dad! haven't you been listening to the news? There's a recession happening. You should cut back on your orders." Well his son was a college graduate so he cut his bun orders in half and didn't make as much relish. His son was correct, business fell dramatically.

U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Labor statistics published in the June 2002 Small Business Advocate show that small business:represents more than 99% of all employers; employs 51% of private-sector workers, 50% of workers on public assistance, and 38% of workers in high-tech jobs; and provides between two-thirds and three-quarters of all new jobs. They also produce 51% of private-sector output, represent 96% of all exporters of goods, and contribute over 60% of the gross national product. Yep al those Hot Dog vendors, Dress makers, craft and flea market folks are feeding our economy. Quietly one day at a time they feed our National economic growth.

President Obama, The US Senate, Congress, etc can not fix our economic problems. The coffee shop owners can. If you're having coffee and a donut, or perhaps a good casing hot dog with one of these independent business folks and grumbling about the decisions made in Washington DC. There is an election November 2, 2010 that can begin yet another change. Mizpah ;-]]>