Looking for the light switch - wisdom

To President Obama

 

I have read that you are very competitive.  In politics, it’s winner
takes all and winning is better than losing.  However, winning isn’t
everything. G. W. Bush won re-election but it was a hollow win.  I
feel the same way this time, Obama wins, but America is burdened with
his limitations.  Christie said Obama walks around in a dark room
looking for the light switch. The Republicans claim that Obama does
nothing for the next generation, his childrens’. This resonates with
me.

There is a difference between intelligence and wisdom.  I know wisdom
when I see it but can’t define it.  While you and your staff are
intelligent, I don’t sense wise decisions in economic matters.

Having admitted I can’t recognize wisdom, I believe it is unwise not
to reach out to critics who are allies.  I think time has validated
certain of their concerns and it would be wise to incorporate their
concerns for a better future.  Some smart Democrats have been shunned.
I think it is a fair to criticize the shortness of your Rolodex file
of people to consult.  There was an unreasonable delay in replacing
Goolsbee and his replacement seems stifled.  Moreover, you went for
inferior replacements of S. Bair, E. Warren and possibly L. Summers.
It seems you pick your basketball co-players and teams but for the
real world you don’t know how to pick an economic team..

I don’t know why you are so thinned skinned to shun people like Eliot
Spitzer, Robert Reich, James Galbraith and James Carville.  I wouldn’t
say they are wise men, but they have a public record to care about
everyday Americans. They mean well.  The same cannot be said about
you, V. Jarrett or T. Geithner.  The outsiders feel they have been
forced to go public to promote heart felt concerns knowing full well
the sentence of ostracization.

I think you should try to improve for a second term.  I think adapting
ideas from this selection of outsiders would be good.  I feel you are
a reasoned person and can find merit in this idea but I feel you don’t
want to be disloyal to your band of thin skinned advisors.
It is not living dangerously rather, living wisely.

My previous suggestion was to make H. Clinton head of your transition
team..  You have to admit she has a better Rolodex of people to call
upon than you.  It will be your legacy to have appointed such a
cabinet of losers, Geithner, Holder and non descript Chiefs of Staff.
Clinton was a winner, but she’s leaving and Gates was already in
place.  I fear Clinton is leaving for the same reason Romer and
Summers left, jump a sinking ship.

Wisdom is such an intangible, but I think you should up your game and
build a council of wise advisors and strive to act wisely which is a
step above making intelligent decisions.
Go beyond Geithner, as intelligent as he is, he lacked the wisdom to
keep in mind the big picture in the decisions he made and he failed to
apply his intelligence to find a voice to communicate effectively.
Volcker doesn’t have Geithner’s communication handicap and they deal
in the same subject. Look at the Clintons.  They have found their
voice and can transmit values through their communication.

Someone has to tell the President

I think you were wrong to side with Geithner instead of forcing compromise with Romer and Summers regarding the breakup of too big to fail banks.  Under Geithner they have only gotten bigger.  Geithner fails to anticipate the destination.  You failed to heed the warning signs when Volcker publicly criticized Geithner. Volcker used his own influence to get the Volcker rule despite Geithner.  That was a period where you believed you and Geithner knew better. You didn’t understand the need for competent advisors, who would have told you that a wise person doesn’t bet against Summers or Volcker.  I don’t think Goolsbee, Axelrod or Jarrett ever told you that.

It was a mistake not to force the Banks to write down mortgages by using Tarp money as carrot to offset the writedown, to salvage homeowners whose homes were underwater but could pay a mortgage reset to market value.   In March 2009, Geithner’s plan for the housing industry wouldn’t work on paper and time has proven it.  Instead of criticizing it, I spent my energies offering an alternative which I sent to you.  I tried to pass my plan to the Treasury department but all I got was a message telling me their mailbox was full. You failed to recognize the value of constructive criticism and drowned with Geithner’s gifts to Wall Street while so many everyday Americans suffered the consequences of homes under water.  You have tried two unsuccessful programs to help owners whose homes are underwater. Geithner was dismissive of the importance of the housing market.

You didn’t understand that Management is about making plans and executing them. So you failed to evaluate Geithner’s plan, especially compared to mine.  A bad plan ends with bad results.  You are not getting sound advice on the effectiveness of plans.

You failed to recognize the importance of the contributions of S. Bair and E. Warren.  These two exceptional women were doing huge good for everyday Americans.  I hope the Republicans spin this issue to show your government is against women.  There was no reason to push them out. It is my hope that they get the Eric Shinseki treatment and get to come back to government after being wronged.

You did not have competent personnel to deal with Congress and suffered humiliation as a result.  The most obvious was the Jobs bill of mid-2011 which became a total capitulation to the Republications.  What you signed was a Jobs bill in name only. More subtle was the failure to roll back the tax cuts to those earning over $250,000 in the fall of 2010.  It was another bad Geithner idea that cost you.

There has been mismanagement in the Office of the President.  Emanuel neglected the administrative duties of Chief of Staff and you shouldn’t go through 4 Chief’s of Staff in 3 years.  There is no impression that the Chief of Staff is an enforcer on people like Geithner and Holder to make them shape up.

 I am annoyed that for the past 2 years, Geithner repeats every 3 months that  he will announce a plan to deal with Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac.  We know Wm Daley was on the Board of Fannie Mae.  The New York Fed, under Geithner created the belief that housing only goes up. Tom Donilon, National Security Adviser, was at Fannie Mae. Tom Nides, at the State Department, was at Fannie Mae. Jim Johnson was the CEO of Fannie Mae, was on the selection committee for your vice presidential candidate and is currently on the board of Goldman Sachs and head of their compensation committee. You kick the can down the road.

I am surprised by your outbursts against the Supreme Court regarding Citizens United and their review of the Healthcare law.  It is so futile for the Executive Branch to tread on the Judicial Branch’s territory.  While you’re passing wind you fail to stack the lower Courts with Democratic appointments for 2 years. You are doing a poor job minding your business.

I am also surprised by your dismissive attitude towards Romney as if you never see your own failings when you look in the mirror.  I believe he affords you much more respect than you afford him.  It makes you the lesser person.  By extrapolation, you consider my concerns worthless.  Can you see that I feel Romney affords me more respect than you?  Maybe that’s why you have made things worse for me now compared to 4 years ago.  You don’t get it.

In the primaries, I was impressed with your counter-punch retorts.  There was a feeling that you knew better than you attacker.  After entering office, you have wilted under criticisms.  I have thrown many punches at you and have struck some technical knockouts. 

I am deeply disappointed in your lack of conviction to stand by your words.

You said:

- hope and change

- build an economy on solid foundations

- your administration would hit the ground running

- you would not run for re-election for sake of running

- eliminate waste from government

- immigration legislation by the end of the first year

- close Guantanamo in a year

Your failure to select the right people to deal with Congress has arrested hope or change.

There is little progress on building an economy on solid foundations.  I distinctly remember your first few weeks of office where you referred to it as “my economy.” The economy is so big and complex that you cannot claim personal stewardship and you failed to build a cohesive team to navigate the economy.

Your administration did not hit the ground running.  Government was on hold for several months until you and Biden worked out an Afghanistan policy because you weren’t happy with the Gates/Clinton plan.  Maybe history will show they were right.  Then it took a year to do Healthcare, a plan criticized by Bill Gates because of ineffective cost controls.  Holder hasn’t addressed the years of Bush destruction to his department and stumbles on day to day business. Clinton had to turn around a battered department as well as moving forward on policy.  That’s what I call hit the ground running. 

You said you would not run for re-election for sake of running.  Well, I’m worse off now than I was 4 years ago.  I’ve just listed my view of your record.  I can’t see what you would do differently for the next 4 years.  Ten years ago companies adopted a philosophy of continuous improvement.  You lack any sign of improving leadership.  There is no problem solving in dealing with Congress. You never talk about attacking the $85 billion agricultural subsidy.  You don’t attack reducing the cost of post secondary education or healthcare. 

The notion of eliminate waste from government has been made a farce by the GAO, the supposed enforcers.

I hope the Hispanics understand what to do when they hear immigration legislation by the end of the first year.  Just sitting on their hands will send a message.

My 82 year old neighbor is a very kind, gentle person who told me she didn’t think Obama was up for the job.

Last but most impactful act of public service

Dear Ms Clinton

I hope you feel my concern for the country, as I write you.
If Obama wins the election we will be burdened with his weaknesses.
You have strengths that overcome his weaknesses.
What will be needed is a competent transition team… The last one was a
disaster - Orzag, Romer, Summers and Goulsbee could not play team
because Geithner was teacher’s pet and had to leave.  They were good
people.
You are a much better judge of good people and would select a better
team so you should forcibly influence the transition team selections
for the next four years.  It truly is a loss not to have S. Bair and
E. Warren in government.  Consider it your last but most impactful act
of public service.

Of the many key positions to be reviewed, the most important is a top
notch Chief of Staff.  I wrote Obama many times that you are the type
of person he should select.  It is an irony of life, that for Obama to
be an effective President he would need you to be his Chief of Staff
but if you were President, Obama would be a weak Chief of Staff.  I
think one of the most important tasks of a Chief of Staff is to let
the President know who is doing a bad job and have enough clout to
keep the troops in line.  His last three choices are gentleman but
lack the mean streak to protect the boss.

Here is my list of posts that need to be filled by competent people.
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Attorney General
Secretary of Agriculture.

You have served well as Secretary of State but you may understand how
some choose to believe that the other three posts have been
ill-served.
It is one of Obama’s weak points that he enjoys the intellectual
repartee of Geithner and Holder while failing to recognize the
weakness in exercise of power, by the two men.  It is clear that Obama
lacks experience in the dealing with these matters.

I hope you understand that my concern is genuine and hope that Obama
has the wisdom to recognize your strengths to enable you to pick the
right replacements. Obama takes too long to make tough decisions and
lacks the ability to anticipate staff performance.  Picking a team is
a hard job with no guarantee of success but it is clear that you would
do better than Obama.  He is a slow learner when it comes to economics
and management, hardly hit the ground running as you did.

Thank-you for your dedication to the good of everyday Americans.

April 1

The FDA has classified as controlled substance, the Democratic video of Obama’s accomplishments. With the shortage of sleeping pills, old age homes and daycare centers are using the video to put their charges to sleep. The producers of the video have admitted that they had added some filler to the 23 seconds of content. The FDA didn’t want the public to be able to see the video prior to heading off into morning rush hour traffic.

A once dignified educator, E. Warren has fallen on hard times after being stifled by Treasurer T. Geithner. In stooping to the lowest esteemed profession in America, lower than a lawyer or prostitute, she seeks to join the gang of 535, ie Congress. She pleaded that she needed the health insurance. This is in stark contrast to Senator O. Snow, who chose to regain her dignity.

Eliot Spitzer has declared he will run as a third party candidate for President. His record against big business appeals to the Occupy Wall street crowd. To pander to this crowd, his platform includes legalizing marijuana and prostitution. He claims legalizing marijuana is what is needed in these times of discontent and legalizing prostitution addresses the unemployment crisis. His national fund raising activities are run by ladies domiciled in hotel rooms who are not referred to as bundlers but rather as madams. He claims that he will have less difficulty with the gang of 535 because of the mellowing effect of the scent of marijuana in the chambers and the deep discounts he will offer, for services provided through his hotel based fund raising organization. Having had success with a blind, black running mate he is seeking a deaf, mute Latino contortionist as Vice Presidential running mate though he did approach both M. Bloomberg and D. Trump, neither fit the contortionist requirement.

The CIA and Homeland Security have rated Washington DC as the biggest threat to America's economy and well being. The UN is preparing a resolution that declares that the government in Washington commits crimes against humanity. General Patraeus, a specialist in counter-insurgency, will head an insurgency task force to save the world by "persuading" the unruly gang of 535 to serve the people of America rather than themselves. The operation, named "J. Edgar Hoover", will use FBI and IRS files, wire taps, surveillance devices and break-ins to get the goods on the malefactors. Other forces will spread across the country to disrupt accomplice organizations such as the companies that make campaign contributions to whom the representatives are beholden, in a battle to win the hearts and minds of the American people.

Some of the malefactors have been known to group in small clusters with names like the Gang of 14 or the Gang of 6. Others formed impotent groups called Committees that have all but failed.

Robert Gibbs’ autobiography, about his time in the White House, can be found in the bargain bins for 49 cents. His autobiography gave insight into racial relations in the White House. He says there is a rule that whites cannot fire blacks but blacks can fire anyone. He noted that D. Axelrod had complained to Obama that V. Jarrett was not carrying her fair share of the advising duties. Axelrod was fired. In his own case, Gibbs reveals that V. Jarrett had launched a whisper campaign that reached M. Obama to have him terminated. He implies that Agriculture Secretary T. Vilsack (white) could not fire Shirley Sherrod (black) and reasons that the firing was initiated by a black White House adviser. Gibbs describes how the black women of the White House arranged that S. Bair not be re-appointed and E. Warren be ousted from government. He noted that both women were white but worked for the people. He felt that if they had been nominated in together, they would have gotten Congressional passage since one was Republican and the other Democrat. He recounted how C. Romer once said, in a meeting, that T. Geithner was an idiot. She was fired for revealing a state secret.

Scholars note that Obama’s management style is a mix of Southern plantation owner and cocky black rap star. He only ever thanked R. Gibbs and Wm. Gates. The rest were whisked out as though they were lazy slaves. There were so many firings in the White House, that staff feared that their chairs were ejection seats from fighter jets. J. Lew had his chair screwed to the floor. G. Sperling insisted that a safety belt be installed on his chair. J. Favreau weighed down the top of his desk to prevent lift off. One day the White House computer broke down, everyone in the West Wing thought they were fired because they couldn’t login to their email accounts.

A. Goulsbee has filed a suit against the Obama government for breach of promise. He has received no offers to work on Wall Street for millions of dollars after he left the White House, a la P. Orzag. He has blogged that the very least they could do was present him a Medal of Freedom, a la Geo. Tenet. He claims in his blog that he screwed up even worse than Tenet.

Goldman Sachs is setting up an office in the Maldives where T. Geithner will be posted. Goldman Sachs was grateful for the $13 billion that Geithner passed their way but didn't want him near any of their core operations.

PS
I have finally understood my frustration with you. You read differently than I do. Last year I wrote you.
The GOP has shelved plans to impeach Obama. Results of focus group studies conclude that the public will blame the GOP for the decline of America because of Joe Biden screw-ups, if Obama’s impeachment succeeded.

You read it your way. Try to take Bin Laden’s point of view, or any primary voter who was against Biden’s Presidential candidacy.
The GOP has shelved plans to impeach Obama. Results of focus group studies conclude that the public will blame the GOP for the decline of America because of Joe Biden screw-ups, if Obama’s impeachment succeeded.

The same words have a totally different interpretation. I hope you see why I feel that you don’t understand me. I have yet to understand what you mean when you say hope and change, close Guantanamo in a year, eliminate waste from government, build an economy on solid foundations, immigration legislation by the end of the first year.

Question - Am I better off now, than 4 years ago?
Answer - Bread price quadrupled, milk price tripled, interest income down 65%.

The public has learned that you spend time projecting yourself into the context of history. In viewing your management failures, I estimate that 60% of the Presidency is management, 5% introducing game changing policy and 35% politics and spinning. I resent the time you spend on fund raising and campaigning, especially in the 2010 elections which were not Presidential. This is a failure to delegate and abdicating the job of President. You have the dignified choice not to beg for money at all.

Another major management failure is the selection and recruiting function. Four years ago a lot of good people raised their hand, to volunteer to serve in cabinet. The economic people selected demonstrated a total failure of teamwork ie Summers, Romer, Geithner, Goulsbee, Jarrett and Orzag. Contrast that, to the teamwork of Gates, Clinton and you, disseminating your Afghanistan policy after the initial disagreement in policy. It is a reflection of your leadership that none of the good people volunteered for the subsequent vacancies.

The Republican Supreme Court has powerful influence over the Healthcare law. You failed to fill the lower courts with Democratic picks for a whole year and will not be able to fill this years’ vacancies. The failure of the Integrity Department of the Justice Department is shameful. There is an unacceptable list of failings from the Justice Department, abuse of power in the Alaska prosecution, failure to bring to court the Blackwater and DSK cases, no meaningful convictions from the 2008 financial corruptions and questionable FBI work. It gives me a feeling of a case of rotten management.

The Executive Branch disrespects the independence of the Judicial Branch, by assuming that the Healthcare law will be upheld. When you were candidate for the Democratic nomination, you had doubts about an individual mandate. A civil Executive Branch would say the decision rests with the Court and the government must prepare for either outcome.

I may have to revise my prediction that riots will result from Occupy Wall Street protests. I’m surprised that the Travon Martin incident hasn’t sparked riots. There weren’t riots over the Bush vs Gore decision or Citizens United but maybe the Healthcare law decision will do the trick. Your legacy will be that you failed to stack the lower courts with Democratic judges so the Supreme Court pool of candidates will have a Republican bias, especially after 8 years of Romney.

Walk the talk

You don’t walk your talk about fairness.

You are the promoter of socialism for the big guys and capitalism for everyday Americans.

This was most evident when you paid off the insurance policies (CDS’s) of Wall Street with Tarp money, but never repaired the damage being insured, the homeowners forced to continue to pay a mortgage greater that the house was worth.

Your 2013 budget you doesn’t address farm subsidies that profit the large agricultural companies to the detriment of family farms. The benefits and disadvantages of these subsidies are now so obscure that a taxpayer has to right to consider it a government sink hole. I have written you several times that family dairy farms have been slaughtered because the subsidies favor factory farms that produce the most quantity of milk yet milk is out priced because of the drinks made from fructose from subsidized corn farmers. Remember Republican Congressional District 23 in New York voted Democrat in 2009 hoping you would help dairy farmers.

We can understand how nature can ruin a farmer’s business. Capitalism would let him fail. Prudent farmers would save for a rainy day. The big agra-business farms don’t make provisions for bad times yet want subsidies in good times. Where is the fairness in that? Why are you forced to provide socialism for the big guys and capitalism for the little guy?

Some of the subsidy does lower the cost of food but the distribution of the subsidy appears to be based on political favor. Some of us care about the people and would prefer helping the people with foodstamps rather than let big agra-companies pay off politicians

I know so little about where government spends our money and how it’s wasting it.

Who is minding the store?

Why aren’t you on top of these problems?

You can bet that if Mitt Romney were President he would have a top right hand man – a hand picked Chief of Staff. Both Jim Baker and Howard Baker made their boss look good. You have gone through 4 Chief’s in 3 years, frankly none of them come close to the two Bakers.

You are very poor at defining the problem and solving it. You don’t understand that Congress is your problem. You can’t see that relying on the old hierarchy of power is failing, just relying on Egyptian leaders. You must use brains to address the problem. The Military is trained to address this kind of problem. You need to build a whole war room dealing with Congress. You need special ops forces on the ground dealing with each member of Congress on a bill by bill basis, Intelligence Agents who know of skeletons in the closet, secret liaisons, illegal bribes and earmark weaknesses. You need to hire Tom Delay.

You claim to be a student of Ronald Reagan. He said “Trust but verify.” You trust your staff but a Chief of Staff must verify. I have often written about the incompetence of members of your staff. I predicted the Occupy Wall Street movement. Has either the Attorney General or Secretary of Homeland Security warned you of the riots coming this summer? Ever heard the expression “Long, hot summer?” Rahm Emanuel says 5% of Chicago is lawless with no sense of civics. Both Pennsylvania and California have clusters of these ghettos.

You are failing as coach, general manager and owner.

Dear Hilary Clinton - Thankyou for your public service

Last Thursday, you told your staff, that you will leave at the end of
the President’s term. I would like to thank-you for your public
service and commend you for doing an outstanding job. Your job has
enormous scope, involving diplomacy, 24/7 readiness in a world of
minefields, playing policy chess in 3 dimensions, rebuilding a
battered organization, advocating for an increased budget, working
with Cabinet colleagues and dealing with a management with elements of
distrust who appointed czars in the middle of your field of command.

You are a team player, a true problem solver- knowing to define the
problem and doing what has to be done, a person of boundless energy
and leader of a large organization.

I know your true passion is caring for Americans. On Jan 21, 2010, I
suggested to Obama that you switch with Joe Biden. There are real
problems dealing with poverty and injustice in housing, education and
health.
As I write this I am reminded how cruelly Geithner deals with women.
He was part of the gang that lynched Brooksley Born. He was at odds
with Sheila Bair and stifled Elizabeth Warren. Two hugely competent
women dealing with the most incompetent member of Obama’s government.
Obama has no eloquence when it comes to gratitude, so I thanked
Christina Romer for her service. I know you appreciate people who do
their best but Obama never thanked Bair, Romer, Orszag, Summers,
Daley, Rouse and Goolsbee.

I will always remember how eloquently you pointed out that women have
extra hurdles to overcome. The press has pointed out that Obama is
hounded by angry black women in the East Wing and the West Wing
(Valerie Jarrett). You, Bair and Warren show how to battle and one
day the war will be won. That campaign let you find your voice, may
your rest let you find your hairdo … just kidding.

America is better because of the service of you and your husband.
Thank-you.

huddled masses

Last April 1, I wrote you.
“The CIA has reported that Russian sleeper agents have infiltrated the
senior ranks of the Treasury Department and American Banks. President
Medvedev has denied Russian infiltration. He said “The policy of
socialism for the too big to fail banks and capitalism for blue collar
Americans was a made in America policy.” The CIA alleges that Russian
planted policy makers arranged the bailout of AIG and Chrysler and
made sure that Tarp funds did not help ordinary Americans whose homes
were underwater. It is well known that former President Putin was
obsessed with restoring Russia to a world power and schemed for the
demise of the US. In a twenty year plan, he plotted for the rise of
oil and food prices and lower standard of living for everyday
Americans. Phase two involves rising crime rates and engaging Egyptian
and Tunisian revolutionaries to use Facebook to start uprisings in the
US, such as class revolts reminiscent of the Watts riots.”

Occupy Wall Street is the outcome and violence comes next summer.
It stems from the American value “Don’t tread on me” - the Wall Street
bullies, elitism in the education system and greed in medicine.

You are too young to know living history, but this was the condition
in May 1968 in France.
The people revolted.
Access to the best Universities is now determined by national
competition exams, not your family tree. Teachers are paid less than
bus drivers but are given more benefits, reduced bus and train fares
(government agencies) and housing allowances.
They opened up the med schools so that there are so many doctors, that
medicine is just a regular profession like engineering.
Politicians were sent a message that government was to serve the people.

People like Goolsbee, Summers and Romer have overly comfortable tenure
jobs with sabbaticals and are truly overpaid. Scholars should live
like monks. Scholarship is not about ransoming the people for
knowledge.

The problem with the medical system is greed. America has lost the
moral value that helping the ill is a noble notion. To profit from a
human’s misfortune is now the American way. We should strive for cost
effective healthcare for the people. The rich can take care of
themselves.

Housing a key economic driver
Geithner has served as Wall Street’s lapdog. A large part of the $800
billion Tarp money went to Wall Street. They never wrote down the
mortgages resulting in undeserved suffering for people who have to
foreclose today but who could afford to pay a mortgage reset at market
value. All because Geithner gave away money stupidly. He should
update anti-trust laws to take apart too big to fail companies. They
truly are bullies and he is a wimp.

Justice
You are responsible for the failure of the People to present an
acceptable case to the Courts regarding the Blackwater affair.
You are responsible for the failure of the People to present an
acceptable case to the Courts regarding DSK.
You are responsible for failing to provide KSM a fair trial.
You are responsible for failing to nominate replacement justices to
the courts for a whole year.
You are responsible for failing to close Guantanimo
Incompetence in the Justice Department fails a just Society.

Power
Your office forced Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to fire Shirley
Sherrod. A total abuse of power and display of cowardice not to own up
to it.
You are promising to Veto the recognition of Palestine in the UN. Why
waste power trying to deny destiny?
Geithner used government money to create a wage czar to dampen Wall
Street pay. This was an illusion of power and a waste of money.

When it comes to serious important matters like a jobs bill, you fail.
With Thanksgiving coming, bread crumbs, for stuffing costs today, the
same as one and half loaves bread when you entered office.

Hilary and Bill Clinton would channel all their powers to improve the
lot of the 46 million on foodstamps. It is what calls them to public
service.
You channel half of your time to fund raising. You said, hope and
change, close Guantanamo in a year, eliminate waste from government,
build an economy on solid foundations, immigration legislation by the
end of the first year.

You have made Americans tired, poor, homeless - huddled masses
yearning to breathe free.