My Take on Obama policies (I)

... as taken from his official homepage:

Civil Rights:

Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement

Obama will reverse the politicization that has occurred in the Bush Administration's Department of Justice. He will put an end to the ideological litmus tests used to fill positions within the Civil Rights Division.

What exactly is meant by this? He wants to introduce his own minions instead of the GOPs? Well, that'd just change the goals not the overall directions, so 0-0 McCain to Obama.

Combat Employment Discrimination

Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Fuck this, it doesn't work with women and it won't work with "racial minorities". Actually, the only thing that changes these issues are two things:

a) time and social adaption

b) more successful women and racial minorities who pave the way

Expand Hate Crimes Statutes

Obama will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.

Actually one of the most incredibly un-liberal things to do. Yes, Patriot Act is not enough, let's have another set of civil liberties abolished, like the right to free speech. Worst thing in the Obama legislature

End Deceptive Voting Practices

Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.

His information? Wow, incredible, and "Democrats" and "Liberals" actually like him? Did they read all this bull-shit? This means national ID and tracking plus the information depends on the conceiver of this information.

End Racial Profiling

Obama will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.

Actually, a good thing to do, though it doesn't say how he wants to accomplish this.

Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support

Obama will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender employment and job retention rates.

Actually, data says that this is not a good idea, what about a life-long sentence, Mr. Obama. Ah yes, the offender is as precious to society as the victim. IN fact, that is moral relativism and a very low regard of humans in general. (Read Aldus Huxley please)

Eliminate Sentencing Disparities

Obama believes the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.

Does this mean that he wants to abolish the war on drugs? Or does he want to strengthen the sentences?

Expand Use of Drug Courts

Obama will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.

Interesting idea, expensive idea and ultimately useless, because actually the only thing that changes drug-users are they themselves and a new drug-free environment.

Economy:

Really the biggest part of the issues.

Jumpstart the Economy

• Enact a Windfall Profits Tax to Provide a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American Families:Barack Obama will enact a windfall profits tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families pay rising bills. This relief would be a down payment on Obama's long-term plan to provide middle-class families with at least $1,000 per year in permanent tax relief.

Stupid thing that shows his economic illiteracy. What kind of illegitimate profits does the oil business make? And why only this branch of the energy market? Yes, ideology at work in disregard of reason. Bravo O'Biden.

• Provide $50 billion to Jumpstart the Economy and Prevent 1 Million Americans from Losing Their Jobs: This relief would include a $25 billion State Growth Fund to prevent state and local cuts in health, education, housing, and heating assistance or counterproductive increases in property taxes, tolls or fees. Obama’s relief plan will also include $25 billion in a Jobs and Growth Fund to prevent cutbacks in road and bridge maintenance and fund school re­pair - all to save more than 1 million jobs in danger of being cut.

Government fund, like the Russians or Norwegians have created? Actually, no, it is more a huge redistribution program. I don't know where he will get this money?

Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief

Obama will cut income taxes by $1,000 for working families to offset the payroll tax they pay.

• Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.

Actually a good idea, I like it. This will help the poorest and make basic jobs lucrative again.

• Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less than $50,000: Barack Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This proposal will eliminate income taxes for 7 million seniors and provide these seniors with an average savings of $1,400 each year. Under the Obama plan, 27 million American seniors will also not need to file an income tax return.

My approval for this, too. At least it is a start, since those people actually should be exempted from taxes altogether.

• Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans: Obama will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes. Obama will ensure that the IRS uses the information it already gets from banks and employers to give taxpayers the option of pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and return. Experts estimate that the Obama proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.

The European way it is then, seems like a lot more national id and loss of privacy stuff. The idea is honorable, but the plan stinks of socialism and stupid nationalism.

Trade

Obama believes that trade with foreign nations should strengthen the American economy and create more American jobs. He will stand firm against agreements that undermine our economic security.

What is it then, free trade or protectionism. Inconclusive statement.

• Fight for Fair Trade: Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Obama will also pressure the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements and stop countries from continuing unfair government subsidies to foreign exporters and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports.

What the heck does he mean by that? Fair Trade? Seems like our new Emperor-in-Chief wants to "control" the economy. Utter bullshit again.

• Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama believes that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. Obama will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.

Actually, it does work, but hey, just say it doesn't work and it is so, right? RIGHT? Well, open the border to mexico and it will be even better!

• Improve Transition Assistance: To help all workers adapt to a rapidly changing economy, Obama would update the existing system of Trade Adjustment Assistance by extending it to service industries, creating flexible education accounts to help workers retrain, and providing retraining assistance for workers in sectors of the economy vulnerable to dislocation before they lose their jobs.

Government jobs again, and I believe somehow the tax credits by Obama won't be that high given the money he plans to spend.

• End Tax Breaks for Companies that Send Jobs Overseas: Barack Obama believes that companies should not get billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving their operations overseas. Obama will also fight to ensure that public contracts are awarded to companies that are committed to American workers.

Actually, companies shouldn't pay taxes at all. this would also strengthen the economy, but hey, that's a concept long lost. The other part of the statement seems to deal with pork barrel issues and government subsidized work and a bit of nationalism (German-style).

• Reward Companies that Support American Workers: Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 with Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to reward companies that create good jobs with good benefits for American workers. The legislation would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America if it has ever been in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.

Ah, yes, even more patriotism and stupid ideas that won't save one work place but create unemployment.

Invest in the Manufacturing Sector and Create 5 Million New Green Jobs

Read laber statistics first. There is no chance you can create that many jobs. Well, you can create those new green jobs, but you will lose the same amount in different sectors. Bravo, Obama, strengthen stupidity any further and you really will make a difference.

• Invest in our Next Generation Innovators and Job Creators: Obama will create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to identify and invest in the most compelling advanced manufacturing strategies. The Fund will have a peer-review selection and award process based on the Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund, a state-level initiative that has awarded over $125 million to Michigan businesses with the most innovative proposals to create new products and new jobs in the state.

Since I am working in the manufcaturing sector, I think this is utter bull-shit and won't solve a thing. Actually, it might even give breath to new lean manufcaturing techniques, which will make production much faster and more self-reliant, at the expense of workers of course.

• Double Funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership: The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) works with manufacturers across the country to improve efficiency, implement new technology and strengthen company growth. This highly-successful program has engaged in more than 350,000 projects across the country and in 2006 alone, helped create and protect over 50,000 jobs. But despite this success, funding for MEP has been slashed by the Bush administration. Barack Obama will double funding for the MEP so its training centers can continue to bolster the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.

Actually, it does not. Ultimately, it has protected the jobs that existed and disallowed new jobs. The few new ones that came are due to general growth of the sector.

• Invest In A Clean Energy Economy And Create 5 Million New Green Jobs: Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, invest in low emissions coal plants, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid. The plan will also invest in America's highly-skilled manufacturing workforce and manufacturing centers to ensure that American workers have the skills and tools they need to pioneer the first wave of green technologies that will be in high demand throughout the world.

As said above, utter bullshit.

• Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies: The Obama plan will increase funding for federal workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training, such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans find and retain stable, high-paying jobs. Obama will also create an energy-focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth.

see above

• Boost the Renewable Energy Sector and Create New Jobs: The Obama plan will create new federal policies, and expand existing ones, that have been proven to create new American jobs. Obama will create a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that will require 25 percent of American electricity be derived from renewable sources by 2025, which has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs on its own. Obama will also extend the Production Tax Credit, a credit used successfully by American farmers and investors to increase renewable energy production and create new local jobs.

see above

will be continued, but I am too disgusted right now.