What I Hope For

Needless to say I am pleased with the results of last night's election. Four more years of Obama is a far superior choice than any of the competing alternatives, particularly the one that was the most likely option.

But while an Obama victory is a good thing, it doesn't necessarily mean that the country will move in the right direction. So with that in mind, I have listed the major issues that I hope the President - and what I hope will be a not-as-intransigent Congress - will address. I'll start by saying that the first and most important issue on everyone's mind is obviously the state of the economic recovery, and the parties need to come together to make real progress here, progress that starts with averting the fiscal cliff looming less than two months away.

But everyone knows and expects economic progress and even cooperation is looking good at this point! Regardless of whether they work together or not (and I'm optimistic they will), Democrats and Republicans will spend much of their either fixing or ranting about the economy. With that said, onto the list!

1. Reduce the deficit - In many ways this is linked to the economic recovery. After all if we put people back to work we broaden the tax base and increase revenues without raising tax rates. Tax hikes for the super rich must be a part of this deal, as well as a re-evaluation and reduction of entitlement programs and spending. Maybe this means experimenting with some of Paul Ryan's ideas, maybe it means raising the retirement age or Medicare eligibility age. Maybe it just means dedicating less money to those programs. Most likely it means something new and creative that is beyond me. But it has to happen. Once we've raised taxes on top earners, reformed the tax code and curbed entitlement (and military) spending, we will have taken a very solid step towards putting our country on a sustainable path.

2. Fix education - I work in education, so this is near and dear to me, but no amount of fiscal solvency will overcome the problems we face if we don't train and educate Americans. I have seen what good schools look like as both a student and as a teacher, and I have seen what horrible schools look like. The difference between the two makes the Grand Canyon look tiny by comparison. Without an educated populace not only will good jobs leave the country, but the principles on which the country was built will become meaningless. Democracy works when informed citizens make analyzed decisions about competing ideas. If citizens are not informed, then lies and propaganda take the place of facts and data. We saw a lot of this in the last few months when both candidates, but Romney in particular, lied to the American people time and time again. We need an educated workforce and an informed electorate.

3. Energy independence - With a strong focus on green and renewable energy sources. I wish Obama had approved the Keystone Pipeline, and I think he may now that he has been re-elected. I have come out in favor of fracking in the past, and I will support it in the future as well so long as it is done safely, but I've also said repeatedly that fossil fuels are the energy sources of the past. To retain our competitive economic and technological edge, we need to live in the present and look to the future, not settle for lower gas prices because we found a ton of oil under Alaska. I expect the President and Congress to work together to help us harness our natural resources and begin the transition from the old, dirty, and limited to the new, clean, and renewable.


These are but a few of the issues facing America. The list could go on and on, but in my opinion, these are the things that are most imperative after fixing the economy. I think Obama can be the man to start fixing these problems. In some ways he already has. And while I remain excited and happy about the outcome of last night's election, all of that is meaningless if we don't make ourselves better over the next four years.