State of the Union Response.....

[CaptainHaplo]

An American's Response to the State of the Union Address, 2010

Mr. President, Senators and Representatives of the American People, Honored guests and my fellow Americans,

We as a nation have dug ourselves an awful lot of holes. It didn't happen in one year, or 10. It's been an ongoing process for decades. Yet looking back and pointing fingers doesn't fix anything. So we must simply resolve to look at our history and learn from it, so that we don't make the same mistakes. This is what provides us the ability to make our future better. Mr. President, I listened to your speech tonight. You made mention of a lot of the issues that face our society. America heard some of your ideas for fixing the problems. The concern is that your ideas are the same ones Americans have already rejected.

Mr. President, you said you wanted jobs to be your number one focus. Thats good. But you said the same thing a year and a half ago, on the campaign trail. Since you have been in office, your efforts have been put toward bailing out big businesses and financial institutions that have been the sources of the economic problems. You start talking about green jobs, and how we must invest in cleaner energy, mentioning "clean coal", nuclear power, solar and wind energy as well as offshore drilling. Mr. President, these are things you talked about when you were running for the job you now hold. How much has really been done on this front in the last year? Literally nothing that means anything to Joe and Jane everyday citizen. In everday America, people get things done when they need to. So far, all we have heard from you is more talk on these fronts.

For the record, Mr. President, there is no such thing as "clean coal", its still dirty and polluting, its just not as bad as the alternative. Nuclear power building is so covered in red tape (and environmentalist lawsuits) that it would take drastic changes to the licensing requirements to get a ground breaking within the next decade, and your not asking for those changes. Drilling offshore or using domestic supplies of resources? Forgive me for being cynical, Mr. President, but I'll believe you really want that when I see you truly pushing for it instead of giving it lip service. Solar and wind energy are great and we can pursue advances in the technology as well as looking at putting them to use where they are economically feasible.

Which brings up a huge issue that makes alot of people think you have no idea how an economy really works, Mr. President. No sooner than you start discussing how America needs to be first in a global economy, you say you want a "comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America." Mr. President, the reason "green" energy isn't in massive use today is because its NOT profitable. If your going to "make" it profitable, your going to have to do one of two things - either of which leaves US, the American taxpayer - paying for the difference. Either you subsidize "clean" energy with taxpayer dollars - or you raise the taxes on all the other kinds of energy so that it costs more than "clean" energy does - which means that costs gets put back on US - the consuming American citizen. No matter what, we end up with paying the bill on energy that is too costly to win out in an open marketplace. How is making US pay more for energy - whether in taxes or through our electrical bill, good for the economy or the man on the street Mr. President? That's right, we the American people say - ITS NOT! Continue to spur investment in technological research so that this becomes a profitable solution, but don't arbitrarily try to "make" it into one when we end up footing the cash for your attempt.

Also drop this "climate" bill nonsense. Regardless of whether or not climate change is real - putting the US at a disadvantage with countries like China, who pollutes more than we do, is not a way to make us the leader of the world's economy. Ideally we could have both, but we live in a real world, not an ideal one. You can't restrict businesses and then expect them to outperform the competition. Its like tying a 500 pound weigh to a runner and then asking him to go win you the Olympic Gold medal. Common sense says it won't work, and you know it as well as we do.

What we need to do is make it worthwhile for industry to make our economy the cleanest it can be. That means tax reductions for companies that VOLUNTARILY move toward green operations.

Mr. President, you talk about how the deficit must be addressed, then you start pushing for bigger government with increased control of health care, a new "jobs" bill, fees on banks, all the while you admit that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security costs are going to be "skyrocketing". Your suggestion of a domestic spending freeze is nice, but it really does nothing more than pretend we are doing something about the problem. The American people are not all idiots, Mr. President, and bigger government means more costs - and we are paying more than we really can currently, so your agenda means a growing deficit. Lets get serious about the deficit Mr. President, and not just freeze spending, but STOP spending on all but ESSENTIAL government tasks. What is essential? Defense and security, international and federal trade. What is really amazing is that these essential tasks are the same ones defined on that really old document you may have heard of - the United States Constitution. If the federal government would get out of things such as trying to control the education of children at the local level, you wouldn't have to be asking for $46.7 BILLION for the Department of Education this year.

Mr. President, you mentioned changing the tone of politics. That is an admirable goal. But don't look to the "other" side when you say that. Doing so negates the attempt. Stop talking "Republican" or "Democrat". Start talking ISSUES that we can all disagree on without labeling. Ignore the letter by the person's name, and deal with the substance of the discussion instead. Only then will the American people see an end to the "gotcha" game in Washington.

You want to stop earmarks, Mr. President? Then tell congress that ANY legislation that hits your desk with a single earmark gets a veto. Stick to that. Lead in the ways that are meaningful, instead of ASKING congress to behave. If you were to do that, your standing with US would definitely increase. If you were to address the nation and look at the people through the camera and say "This bill has 211 earmarks in it - other than that its a good bill. I am vetoing it so that it comes back to me without spending your money on stuff that isn't good investments" - people would believe that something has in fact changed, and they would support you in that with congress. Do you have it in you to stand up to congress and remind them to be good stewards of our money?

Mr. President, you want affordable health care. You also want to get rid of the existing conditions clause. You have said that we need to require insurance for everyone so that insurance companies have more customers to offset the cost of pre-existing conditions. Mr. President, just open the playing field. Let insurers sell nationwide - but ONLY if they drop the pre-existing conditions clause. This delivers them a huge customer base, gets you what you want, and the competition will drive down the costs of insurance. Its a win for everyone - and doesn't require some big government agency or governmental control that makes We the People rather uneasy. Plus, it won't cost a dime!

Next Mr. President - we need to get serious about national security. Members of your administration have been floating various "immigration reform" ideas recently. Make no mistake, WE will not tolerate amnesty. National security starts with secure borders. If we have secure borders, then we don't have to worry about some foreign terrorist detonating a bomb or poisoning our water supply. Plus, secure them along with enforcing the laws we have regarding the hiring of illegal workers, and there would be more jobs for those of US out of work. It all ties into the economy too - do the right thing and it affects more than just one sector in a positive way.

Our country can dig its way out of the holes its been tripping into. But it will take discipline and a respect for the individual, self determination, and personal responsibility instead of an insistence on big government and the nanny state. These are not "Republican" or "Democrat" issues or problems. These are the issues that face every American, and only by using common sense can we solve them.

Lastly, a word about, and to, our service members at home and abroad. There is work still to be done in almost every facet of our efforts on this front, but never doubt that your sacrifice, and those of your familes, is one that we all are humbly and deeply thankful for. It is your work that enables us, from citizen to government, to continue and strive to reach our utmost potential. While we have major disagreements at home, we have entrusted to you our safety and interests in the world, and you continue to prove that you are extremely capable in representing us. While we have our differences amongst ourselves, one need only look to you to see the example of the State of our Union. Even in our differences, you show us how strong the Union can be - and it is to you we say thank you.

Thank you, and God Bless the United States of America.
- Captain Haplo

[Seth8530]

I agree with a lot of your points, i like your idea of insurance companies being able to exist in more than 1 state. Very well written and heart felt