Jack & Jill Politics

Baratunde: Here's the VIDEO:

Pres. Obama "Open for Questions" Town Hall Meeting on the Economy

PRESIDENT OBAMA has really SHOWN what LEADERSHIP means! :>)

He has used every available means 2 COMMUNICATE with WE THE PEOPLE!!

Annnnd, it has been a "2-way street!" He GIVES and he RECEIVES our input!!

All of this while MULTI-TASKING on soooo many LEVELS!!!

WOW!! JUST WOW!! :>)

THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT!! :>)

Thank you, GreenLady! :-)))

spirit: U R welcome!! :>) :>)

Mr. President was on "FY-AH!!" :>)

Ohmigawd! Thanks for this GLH!!! I was sitting stewing about missing it and voila!

Wordsmith: U R welcome!! :>) My pleasure! :>) ENJOY - - HIM!! :>)

This was an impressive display by our president. He shows time and time again a command of subjects and potential solutions that we haven't seen in an American president in a very long time.

I don't how long constitutes a long time in your book, but I'd be willing to go beyond Clinton ===== back further even.

ultramagnetic: MEGA-Co-sign!!! :>) :>)

Last Question: Health Care: Pre-existing conditions & prevention? [Basically, what R your thought on these concepts?]

Pre-existing: Talks about mother. Health care must B reformed to allow 4 pre-existing conditions. Otherwise, many people will B EXCLUDED from obtaining insurance.
Some changes have been made [allowing people with pre-existing 2 obtain insurance]. And that's good. But, we must go further.

IMHO: Tackling THIS area is the KEY to giving MORE people access to health insurance!

BUT - - "prevention" is a part of our responsibility. My hospital coverage is WAY BIG on the PREVENTION side. As an example, they pay for "exercise classes" and tobacco-use cessation classes.

But one does NOT have 2 go to formal classes 2 exercise. WALKING is GOOD!! :>)

GUURRLLLL who would have known I would become this obsessed with town halls, presidential press conferences and speeches.

I must be crazy. LOLOLOL Thank you

I ask myself this all the time......2 years ago you couldn't have paid me to watch a presidential press conference - I'd watch nascar in spanish before I'd watch Dubya do ANYTHING.

Miranda,

Most of the time, I'd fall asleep during the State of the Union Address. Not this time. I'm addicted now. I come to JJP erryday to get my fix. I jones bad when I can't get here! lol

lol

Val: LOL!! :>)

U just doin' your "civic duty!" :>) :>)

Me 2! :>) :>)

Annnnnd, he didn't use a "teleprompter!" :>)

Sooooo, there goes that "criticism!" HAH!! :>)

I would argue that in using a teleprompter our President is being environmentally responsible vs. using paper just to read his speech.

I would add a disclaimer to his speeches . . . something like "No trees were harmed in the development of this program" lol

So go ahead with the teleprompter Mr. President.

Val: Co-sign. :>)

I don't have ANY PROBLEM with the teleprompter!

IMHO - - - THAT discussion - - - -BOGUS/NITPICKING!!

I IGNORED IT! :>)

Greenlady - did you get to hear the answer to the last question? I missed it. I know it was going to be a good one. I saw the guy standing by the President. What did I miss????? The guy asked about healthcare and pre-existing conditions.

Val: I think that I got most of it. Just posted. :>) :>)

tried to hold it down ya'll but gotta get on a company conference call.

see you all later.

Val: O.K. Sorry. :>)

Question 9: Will the Federal Govt be willing to unbundle some of the larger contracts that will allow more small businesses to compete?

Answer: Yes, we will look for every opportunity to do that but realistically we won't be able to do that for all contracts because. If we were able to unbundle some of these contracts ultimately it will benefit the tax payers especially based on the quality of services and costs.

Baratunde: Live audience Questions: I'm going 2 go "boy - girl, boy-girl" so no one will get mad at me! :>) :>) Is he"just 2 ca-ute!?" :>)

What are you going 2 do about the heath of the auto industry?

Answer: Good question. I have plans which will be revealed over the next few days.
The model that the auto makers use now has 2 B restructured. Yes we can help.
They have 2 make some pretty drastic changes.

He said that he won't throw $$$ after the SAME old model that didn't work. YES!! :>)

Question 8: What about auto industry vs. the tax payers? Is it fair. (my summary)

Answer: will give a high level philosophical answer will give you details of the plan in the next few days. It is appropriate to provide help to the auto industry to get through these times BUT the auto industry has make changes and give a little bit and recognize that the costs/current business models are unsustainable. Auto industries will have work with us to make drastic changes otherwise the tax payers will not help.

Question: "For students graduating from college and graduate school, many of us have obscene amounts of debt. Do you have any plans to help alleviate some of that debt, given the current state of the job market?"

Answer: This is included in the budget to address these high cost to ensure folks who do graduate college will consider it before walking away from becoming teachers, or scientists and instead making the decision to go on wall street. The budget invests in education to allow our students to grow in the future to tackle these high cost of education etc. etc.

Got kicked out of JJP and it also kicked me out of the townhall.

will try to get ya'll back up to speed for those who could'nt listen in.

Baratunde: Just got here! :>) :>)

Question #6: Help 4 college costs & Service project.

Service Project: Soon.

College Funding: Increase Pell Grants; decrease loans

This is a better system. :>)

Hi Val!! :>)

hey Greenlady. Thanks got kicked out and missed some of it. Trying to keep others in the loop. appreciate the help.

Val: Ohhhh! I'm sorry!

I just got a telephone call & MISSED some 2. :>)

Well, there will be some VIDEOS. :>)

Back 2 work!! :>) :>)

Question 5: Do you think that legalizing marijuana is a good strategy to grow the economy?

Answer: No. it isn't a good way to grow the economy.

I personally want to add (Val talking not the president) -- that the person facilitating the town hall attempted to skip the question. The president interrupted and said 3.8 million people voted and the question ranked high so the President read the question and answered it.

That was amazing to me.

Question: "Why can we not have a universal health care system like many European countries, where people are treated based on needs, rather than financial resources?"

Plus - keep in mind the size of "many European countries." Some smaller than one of our states. But then there's Canada.

Answer: Fix Medicare/Medicaid and control healthcare cost.
Goal is to get universal healthcare. Variety of ways to get to universal healthcare so although we may not adopt European style policies, we can get to universal healthcare.
Instead of scrapping current build on current processes, cut costs by being more efficient and use extra funds to fill the gaps.

Question 3: When can we expect jobs that are currently being outsourced overseas to come back to the US.

Answer: create new high wage – high technology jobs that can’t be outsourced. I.e. Smart grid, we need to go after the high wage opportunities and train our people. Be patient and persistent on job creation. I don’t think we lost all the jobs in this recession this year. When the economy starts seeing substantial recovery, it takes a while before they start hiring so there may be a delay but we are taking the steps to create new jobs.

Question 2: "President Obama: What benefits from the stimulus plan are there to those of us who are paying our mortgages, but living paycheck to paycheck?"

Answer: Help for responsible homeowners. Plan includes:
a. Lower mortgage rates
b. Opened up FHA loans to allow other homeowners to refinance who were not qualified for FHA in the past.

Question 1: "The Founding Fathers believed that there is no difference between a free society and an educated society. Our educational system, however, is woefully inadequate. How do you plan to restore education as a right and core cultural value in America?"

Answer: 2 things: Resource and Reform
a. Invest in early childhood education
b. Focus on the teacher (i.e. pay them more money, support and training, work with teachers to provide measures of effectiveness).
c. become more open on innovation (try new things i.e charter schools etc.)

This isn't about me it is about you. it is about your letters I receive and read . . . .

Go President Obama.

I am on. Watching the Open For Questions forum on the site.

Thanks for the reminder Jack.