Now that I have everyone's attention … all ten of you, I would like to talk about jobs, the lack thereof in America, infrastructure, and going through things.
Being unemployed gives one time to sort out all the things in life you never get around to doing, like the spare bedroom. My brother has a friend from overseas coming next week and the room must be spruced up. Begrudgingly I have thrown away some items previously stored there. I have no idea what to do with the magazines and books. I had planned to donate the magazines to a library but that library reversed its policies and no longer accepts. The books, assorted readings, children's, textbooks, etc I hoped would be exchanged at a book swap, somewhere, anywhere. I suppose I may have to part with them without ever seeing them be of use to anyone.
How does this tie in with Obama, sex, and jobs? More after the fold …
While I'd like to be working or going back to school those opportunities may be lost due to the high costs of austerity championed by the so called ”job creators”, Congress, and Obama. “No jobs here anymore,” they explain, faking sadness. “We cannot afford infrastructure.”
Yet three years ago someone by the name of Barack Obama, in an interview with AAA and printed in the September/October 2008 issue, declared that, “The federal government should take lead in the same way that it took the lead with the Transcontinental Railroad system, the same way it took the lead in building the Interstate Highway System. The federal government has to take the lead on large-scale infrastructure upgrades that the country so desperately needs.” Obama then offered a $60 billion investment bank idea “smart growth” similar to the proposal floated so many times since and not acted on. Of course the country desperately needs jobs too but that has not been acted on either. In case anyone is wondering John McCain was asked the same series of questions as well and his response was a vague, “manage our infrastructure resources effectively” comment followed by “No more Bridges to Nowhere,” and finally the states should decide.
Further along in the discussion Mr. Obama was asked about what would his administration transportation policy be and how would it rank alongside other things, War in Middle East, economy, health care, etc.
“Modernizing American infrastructure is a critical component of my long-term economic growth agenda. While China, India and other countries are making significant investments in upgrading their roads, bridges and ports, Washington, D.C., has not only provided too few resources to maintain our existing infrastructure, but also paid little attention to building new infrastructure to accommodate a growing population and the demands of a 21st century economy.” Obama noted that the American Society of Civil Engineers had given the current infrastructure a “D” grade and needed at least a trillion dollars of investment. He said it was “unacceptable.”
We know now that these concerns he had then are not present unless his poll numbers start to slip. Americans need jobs and building up this country would be a major win-win. Alas President Obama seems content to rebuild some of the bombed out countries in wars he either started or continues to support. The $60 billion he has batted around as a possible, maybe, if I really have to I might, effort is chump change compared to the costs of sending “Freedom Bombs” to Libya, Iraq, and whichever nation he wants to target next.
Building or rebuilding this country is what is needed. Old bridges can still find new homes, restored with grants to provide transportation on low traffic streets or use on a pedestrian trail. Restoring those, building new infrastructure, creates jobs, J-O-B-S, a subject apparently so toxic that no politician wants to touch anymore. I would like a job. I would like to restore a certain rare truss bridge in the process. One can only dream though.
Oh but having sex with Obama? Nearly 7,000 were asked or filled out forms for The Stranger's 2009 Sex Survey. The results were printed on April 30, 2009 and 41.77% that answered said they would do it with Obama.
I think I need to clean out that spare room more often. It has been interesting to see what got put in there temporarily and forgotten about. But now that have shared with all ten of you some interesting factoids I rediscovered, I can recycle them and not feel all that bad.
Source images: