Local Meeting on Obama's Economic Recovery Plan... More

[Photo (copyrighted; by NS) from Local Party on Barack Obamas Economic Recovery Plan]

Quote From Barack Obama Speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, 12/5/07 (provided with the meeting materials):

"Your own story and the American story are not separate - they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century... I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency."

A Breakdown on the Plan as provided (reworded and condensed here) on AC360 [CNN; Joe Johns (AC360 Correspondent) Blog] on 2/7/09 [http://ac360blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/06/what-i-in-the-780-billion-stimulus/]:

$43 Billion + investment in transportation infrastructure

$76.8 Billion + targed towards investments in Education

$87 Billion to provided Medicaid Relief (targeted) to states

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Includes:

$39 Billion for "state fiscal relief" (direct target > education)

$13.9 Billion for "Pell Grants"

$13.5 Billion for "special education funding" [Geared to improve services / better serve the target population; an asset to states, in regard to increased funding at the Federal level]

$10.4 Billion for "Title I" [To meet the educational needs (a "critical element") of children living in poverty]

$8.4 Billion for investment in "public transit"

$7 Billion to guarantee loans for "standard renewables"

$6.4 Billion for sewer and water infrastructure

$5 Billion for "supplemental grants to Public Housing Authorities for Capital Needs"

$4.7 Billion for local and state "Energy Efficient Block Grants"

$4.4. Billion for "Smart Grid" (geared to "improve the reliability of electricity transmission grid")

$2.9 Billion for "Weatherization Programs"

$2 Billion for "Advance Battery Manufacturing"

$3.25 Billion > workforce investment

$3 Billion + for job training

$2 Billion for "high speed rail"

$1.3 Billion for improvements to FAA Airport equipment and facilities

$1.2 Billion for the "National Science Foundation"

$850 Million targeted for "Amtrak"

$800 Million for the "Construction of Ports of Entry"

$500 Million for grant assistance to firefighters

$250 Million for grant assistance in regard to State investment in "High speed and Inner City Passenger Rail"

$160 Million to "Job Corps"

$100 Million to the "Maritime Administration" to assist "small shipyards"

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Input / Ideas / Comments from local meeting:

We need to spend more on America's needs and less overseas [SF; Kingston]

Student loans should be issued by the government at a much lower interest rate; banks should not be granted a "risk free HUGE spread" in regard to interest rates, etc. [BH; Lake Hill, NY]

Everyone in this country should be granted access to free or very low cost health care; as well as higher eduction [programs in Europe, based along these lines, have been working for years] [BS; Kingston, NY].

"It is totally unnecessary to put all [of] these people out of their homes - the most important part of human security - mortgages @ 4% are a great idea - enough spread for the banks" [BH; Lake Hill, NY].

Ethics are at the top of my list, with the belief that if we target corruption and get some ethical people in top offices - the rest will fairly and equitably fall into place" [NS; Kingston, NY]

"I would like to see a flat tax rate for income tax [example: "15% of EVERY ONE'S income"] --- "putting 5% in three different categories of choice" [Example: 5% Health care; 5% Education; 5% Infrastructure" (others might choose to put this 15% breakdown elsewhere, such as "the military") [NT]

The devastating effects of the last administrations --- and/or Wall Street's --- "GREED" were brought up by nearly everyone present! [BH; NT; BS; NS]

"I do not think war is [a] solution, but we should take care of those who make such a sacrifice... in every way." [NT]

The radical divide between the very rich and the very poor needs to be eliminated. When individual earning reach a certain point (in the millions) - that person should have to give back to their community. Oversea accounts and other ways of hiding money should be done away with. Folks should "maybe" be entitled to just one personal checking and savings account (in the U.S.) and one checking and savings account (in the U.S.) associated with each business venture that they (whether an individual or group of individuals) own / operate. Corporate and Non-Profit Loopholes and associated front organizations should be eliminated; companies of all types (both profit and non-profit, including religious non-profits)should have stricter regulations - and violations of these regulations should be addressed promptly and effectively... [General Discussion]

"I think everyone is entitled to health care and education - the way they have been [handling] this in Europe for years" [NT]

The criminal justice system is screwed up, and needs revising.

For example, a guy that steals food one time (to feed his family) is apt (this has reputedly occurred)to serve more time in jail or prison than a corporate criminal that steals millions to billions of dollars... [General Discussion]

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Many other things, along the same line, were discussed. And even though the turnout was relatively small (I understand some folks might have gone to the wrong Dunkin Donuts?) --- it was a lively intellectual discussion, with a lot of (what I believe to be) very GOOD points and ideas put forth.

It should also be noted that some folks expressed fear of giving their full name, identifying info., etc. - due to a continued fear of "surveillance" - of the "men in black" showing up at one's door...

Sad, isn't it?

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Thank you to those that attended...

My apologies to those that got confused by the presence of two Dunkin Donuts on Ulster Avenue [I think one (the one we were at) is in the City of Kingston's limits and the other is actually in the Town of Ulster]

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Please note that people are also welcome to email their comments, photos and ideas on this topic to me [with explicit permission to utilize this information] for possible inclusion on this blog and/or uploading to MoveOn.org; one (or more) of Barack Obamas official cites and/or to other progressive sites.

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Please remember that the Economic Recovery Plan is still evolving / in transition / and subject to further discussion and votes... so the data submitted here could change...

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Respectfully posted [Please advise me if you note any factual errors and I will check into it / make corrections as called for...] by,


N.S.