A college student's letter to the president
Dear President Barack Obama,
I’m sorry, but the grace period has passed, and my Obama buzz is wearing off.
It has been more than a year since we elected you, and more than nine months since you were inaugurated. Do you remember how wonderful it was? The thousands of people in Grant Park the night of your election, the millions more watching on TV as you promised “change and progress” for America?
I not only believed you, but I campaigned for you. I did the door-to-door, I did the voter-registration drives.
But now that I’m coming down, I am not feeling as confident anymore.
I am not much different from many college students in that I saw great potential in what you had to offer. I still do.
However, the time is fast approaching to own up to the nation’s problems.
Yes, you inherited not one, but two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, you were left with an unprecedented national deficit. And yes, as we all know in Michigan, the economy looked like Luke Skywalker after his first duel with Darth Vader — dejected and crippled. But we can only blame former President George W. Bush for so long.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Web site, the US unemployment rate was 7.6 percent when you took office last January. Today, it is hovering around 9.8 percent, slowly creeping toward the dreaded 10 percent marker. The last time unemployment was this high was August of 1982.
A 2.2 percent rise of unemployment since you took office cannot be blamed completely on former President Bush’s policies. It is time to shoulder some of the responsibility yourself.
Since January, we have had the bailouts of Chrysler and General Motors, the Recovery Act and a debate on health care reform, which is becoming less productive every day.
People are starting to lose faith in your message, Mr. President. Even a member of your own caucus, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) has said he will filibuster any healthcare reform bill that contains a public option.
Responsibility and accountability were constant themes on the campaign trail. You said countless times while campaigning that you would accept responsibility for your actions as President of the United States, but I have yet to see this.
Don’t get me wrong though; I am rooting for you, Obama. I still believe in your message, for the most part. I would love to see an economy revitalized and diversified. I would love for everyone to have health care. And I would love to see the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq come to an end.
But until then, I would like to see more action from your administration and less speeches. Words mean nothing without action.
I am doing my best to keep the faith, but it is a challenge when the majority of the economic news — especially in Michigan — is more and more depressing.
Let’s see if you can turn “Hope and Change” into “Policy and Results.”
