State of the Union

Last night President George W. Bush stood before a join session of the US Congress and delivered his annual State of the Union Address. In my estimation quite likely the best state of the union speech that he has delivered and certainly one of the better ones that I’ve heard.

The President spoke last night of what he intends to try and accomplish in the coming year and in his second and final term as president. However, he made a very important distinction in his speech … he is focusing on the long term stability and growth of this country. We have here a man that is taking the responsible approach to government and doing, not what needs to be done to meet current needs, but what must be done to ensure that those needs are met for generations to come.

Too often our leaders seek only to guide us through the waters of the here and now, with little or no regard to positioning us into calm and steady waters for the future. Too often they only worry about what needs to be done to ensure that they get re-elected in 4 or 6 years, concerned more with maintaining their power than doing what is right for this country and its citizenry.

Do not mistake me here. Both parties share an equal blame in that short coming. Just as most of our problems are the results of short sightedness of both parties. The state of the Social Security system is a prime example of this. It’s not just one party that has been spending the surplus income to the Social Security system … both parties have willingly borrowed that money from the future of the country in order to fund their little projects here and there. ‘Republicans’ are not saints, and ‘Democrats’ are not demons … they are ALL something much worse … they are politicians.

The President spoke at some length about the need for the congress to reform the Social Security system, and provided some landmark dates where certain problems are projected to arise. He did a very good job in explaining WHY we need reform, and why that reform should come sooner (now) rather than later (after the system collapses). The American people heard him and, largely agreed. Polls run just after the State of the Union showed a 10% or more increase in the number of people that agreed with the President that reform was needed and that he had made a convincing case of it … moving the percentage of people that agree with the President into the 60-70+% range … a clear majority of those polled.

He is receiving a lot a ‘flak’ today in that he did not detail a specific reform plan, but it should be remembered that while the President can SUGGEST a plan, it would be just that … a suggestion. Congress has to write the law … ultimately it is THEIR responsibility to come up with a plan. Certainly the President should present them with a plan, but to speak of specifics in the State of the Union would be somewhat irresponsible in that he can’t say “I am going to do this” and then have Congress do something else entirely … the American people would feel lied to and betrayed.

The President also spoke of the need to reform the “archaic, incoherent federal tax code.” Something I’ve already mentioned here that I believe is one of the most important things that need to be done for the future of this country. I have more to say about the specifics of tax code reform but for now I will simply say that I support the Fair Tax Plan (Currently proposed as HR25 and S25 in the House and Senate respectively) as the plan that I feel provides the best tax reform.

Of course he also spoke of the War on Terror on going in Afghanistan and Iraq, honoring the sacrifice of our soldiers and the courage of the Iraqi people. Many of those present showed their support for the President and the Iraqi people by dipping their index finger in purple ink as the Iraqi’s did to ‘sign’ their ballots last Sunday. One of the most touching moments in the televised coverage and for those present was when Safia Taleb al-Suhail, an Iraqi human rights advocate present at the speech who lost her father to Saddam, turned and hugged Janet Norwood who had lost her son, a Marine corporal, in the assault on Fallujah.

The President, however, brought up several points that I disagree with and I did want to take some time to talk about those as well, and explain why I disagree with the policy.

First, the President spoke of the need for the government to make it easier for more Americans to afford college. I don’t believe that is what the country needs … First off you are, in essence, talking about increasing a government spending program, but more than that, I believe that in this country we place too much ‘value’ in a college diploma and too little on apprenticeships and work training programs. Too often colleges do not really prepare people for the ‘real world’ that they are going to have to work in, and the common nature of the diploma ultimately devaluates the degree in the end.

There was a time in this country where anyone could get a job in a mail room and with hard work move up in the company … learning the skills needed through immersion and practical application. Now … if you want to be a mail room or shipping clerk you need at least an associate degree … and the pay rate can’t cover the student loan payments.

No … I don’t think we need to make it easier to pay for college … we need to get back to college is required less. The government needs to get AWAY from the income re-distribution plans, not add to them. We need to strengthen the education so that a High School diploma is a valid starting point and prepares our children to start work.

While I will agree that the government needs to stay out of the realm of teaching morals, I also believe that the government needs to stay out of defining marriage as well. I do not support a constitutional amendment that DENIES people rights. If a religion wishes to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, then that is the right of the religion, and the government should have no say in the matter. I do not believe that government should prevent the union two adults on the basis of sex.

The right to be joined in a legal union should not be denied to a group of people solely on the basis that they wish to be joined to a member of the same sex. It is discrimination, pure and simple. Now, if religions do not want to ‘wed’ the two individuals due to the beliefs and teachings of the religion, then that is the right of the religion … but the legal status of two individuals should not be dictated by religion.

Basically, if two people … be they man and woman, man and man, or woman and woman … go to the courthouse to be legally joined they should be able to do so. If you want to call what is done at the legal level ‘civil unions’ instead of ‘marriage’, fine do it that way. The legal ‘rights’ of such should be the same in the eyes of the government, courts, and law to ensure that ALL groups have EQUAL protection under the law, and are not discriminated against.

The President also spoke about reform to the outdated and highly ineffective immigration system. I agree that something needs to be done to immigration, I don’t, however, believe that the temporary worker program is the proper answer to the situation. Boarders and immigration are a huge issue though with many levels of complications and no easy answers. I believe, however, that for any serious and meaningful reform in this area can be achieved that the government must work to better secure our borders to better manage illegal immigration.

People have begun to take offense to the term ‘illegal alien’ but, lets face it …. That is EXACTLY what they are. They did not come to the country by legal means and are, therefore here illegally, and they are from a foreign country which makes them aliens … so illegal aliens. Maybe it would be preferable to call them criminal foreigners? I’m sorry … they don’t respect the laws of this country enough to come here through the established legal channels then I don’t CARE if I offend them when I call them illegal aliens.

The problem I perceive with the Temporary Worker program is that it seems to reward those who have entered the country illegally while sticking those who have used the legal channels into an archaic system that is hopelessly backlogged. Meanwhile illegal aliens continue to come to the country and many send money back ‘home’ to take care of their families … money that is siphoned from our economy … money that is earned largely without tax paid on it (also a reason I support the Fair Tax legislation) … by people who often draw from government social programs as well.

Despite my disagreement with some of the President’s plans, I believe that he has an optimistic view for the future. He has set himself and this country on more responsible course trying to steer us into the calmer, safer, waters in the future. Trying to build a stronger country not for us, but for our children, for our future.