Sue Haseltine
A friend sent this list of President Obama's accomplishments. Sue Haseltine
Her question is, "What part of what the president has accomplished do you not approve of?"
So you don’t like our President?
1. Saved the collapse of the American auto industry by making GM restructure before bailing them out.
2. Shifted the focus of the war from Iraq to Afghanistan, putting the emphasis on reducing terrorism where it should have been.
3. Relaxed Anti-American tensions throughout the world.
4. Signed order to close prisoner “torture camp” at Guantanamo Bay.
5. Made the environment a national priority; a primary source for job creation.
6. Made education a national priority by putting emphasis and money behind new ideas like charter schools and telling school children to do their part/
7. Won the Nobel Peace Prize.
8. $789 billion economic stimulus plan.
9. Attractive tax write-offs for hybrid buyers.
10. Authorized additional health centers to care for veterans’
11. Renewed dialogue with NATO and other allies and partners on strategic issues.
12. Restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; new procurement policies, increasing size, new technology, cyber units and operations.
13. Better body armor for our troops.
14. “Cash for clunkers” program offers stimulated auto sales.
15. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan.
16. Closed offshore tax safe havens.
17. Ended media “blackout” on war casualties; reporting full information.
18. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts.
19. Ended media blackout on war casualties and the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB.
20. Ended previous policy of cutting FDA and circumventing FDA rules.
21. Ended previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now relaxing hundreds of millions in savings.
22. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports.
23. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created 2.1 million jobs (as of 12/31/09).
24. Ended previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions.
25. Ended previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing.
26. Ended previous policy on torture. The U.S. now has a no-torture; policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards.
27. Ended previous practice of protecting credit card companies; new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practice.
28. Ended previous “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date.
29. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15 percent of their energy form renewable sources.
30. Established a new cyber security office.
31. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children.
32. Expanding vaccination programs.
33. Federal support for stem-cell, new biomedical research and new federal funding for science and research labs.
34. Funds for high-speed broadband Internet access to K-12 schools.
35. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters.
36. Launched Business.gov enabling conversation and online collaboration between small business owners, government representatives and industry experts in discussion forums relevant to starting managing a business. Great for the economy.
37. Improved housing for military personnel.
38. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals. More benefits for veterans and their families.
39. Changed failing strategy in Afghanistan.
40. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants…) after years of neglect.
41. Provided tax credits to first-time home buyers through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 to revitalize the U.S. housing market.
42. Increasing student loans.
43. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return “home” to visit loved ones.
44. Cracked down on companies that denied sick pay, vacation and health insurance to workers by abusing the employee classification of independent contractor. Such companies also avoid paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes for those workers.
45. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000.
46. Limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House.
47. Protected 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors through the Recovery Act that would have otherwise been lost.
48. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration.
49. Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act on February 4, 2009, provides health care to 11 million kids, 4 million who were previously uninsured.
50. Making more loans available to small businesses.
51. Much more media access than previous administration.
52. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit U.S. government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals.
53. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy and good government practices by Afghans.
54. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Irag/Afghanistan.
55. Re-engaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions.
56. Provided tax credits to workers thus cutting taxes for 95 percent of America’s working families.
57. Re-engaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic.
58. Helped reverse a downward spiral of the stock market. On Jan. 19, 2009, the last day of President Bush’s presidency, the Dow closed at 8,218.22. The Dow closed above 11,000 on October 15, 2010.
59. Restarted the nuclear non-proliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols.
60. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters.
61. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; re-engaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy.
62. Unveiled and program on Earth Day 2009 to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind. Wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner.
63. Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program.
64. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards.
65. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced.
66. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010.
67. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying.
68. The “secret detention” facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed.
69. U.S. financial and banking rescue plan.
70. U.S. Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast.
71. Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system.
72. Visited more countries and met with more world leasers than any president in his first six months in office.
73. Improved relations with Iran.
74. Improved U.S. policy on climate change.
75. Set timetable for existing Iraq (already removing troops.)
76. Improved relations with Russia.
77. Improved relations with the Islamic World.
78. Made progress toward greater cooperation limiting nuclear proliferation.
79. Drastically slowed down the recession.
80. Saved Wall Street.
81. Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act (equal work for equal pay.)
82. Health Care Reform. Hopefully to be fine tuned later.
Edward J. Wilson
Sue Haseltine
AFLAC-Steubenville, OH
740-264-3413