Mr. President, Don’t Forget About

This past Labor Day marked the turning point for our economy specifically and our nation more broadly.

The recent employment figures released at the beginning of the month suggested that our economy has officially stalled; the President delivered his postponed jobs speech to a joint session of Congress a couple days after Labor Day, the GOP candidates have given us and Saturday Night Live much to chuckle and gasp about and as the month of September closed there is no doubt that we are off and running into the 2012 Presidential Campaign Season.

As the President travels across the country to speak to “his base” and to rebuke those who voted for him, but are not pleased with his job performance there are a few things I hope President Obama keeps in mind.

While motivational speeches, reality checks about his battles with the GOP and its wicked step sibling – The Tea Party and the near stagnate economy are the dominating themes of his speeches. There are a number of things that our President needs to consider and address – our country needs jobs, jobs and more jobs no matter what else he lists as among his daily frustrations.

Given that the President’s jobs speech was delayed by a day and he has been pushing this new jobs bill as he travels around the country we all need to speak up and let him know what it is we would like to see in his jobs bill. Personally, I want him to shake off the dejection from the Solyntra bankruptcy and push for green energy jobs. Don’t let this very essential initiative become yet another sacrificial lamb offered up to get a microscopic concession from the Tea Party’s “offset for progress” mentality.

The President needs to stand his ground on services for children, the disabled and older adults. He needs to push for the same energy efficiency and Green Innovations that are currently on display at the Solar Decathlon down on the West Basin in Washington, D.C. We all have time to make our voices heard and to offer suggestions to the President for what he needs to include in his bill and to ensure that our economy is rejuvenated, our nation soon back on track toward innovation, invention and prosperity.

Personally, I would like to see the President take a bold step toward a commitment to renewable energy that he appears to be considering abandoning. Also, I would like to see him offer greater opportunities c for workers such as myself who need to be retrained for the emerging economies and retool our skills in preparation for the anticipated tens of thousands of layoffs that as recommendations from the newly formed Super Committee come to light in November. 

All the advances we have realized in equality, education and community resources for persons with disabilities are under threat if we do not raise our voices. History has shown the United States to be innovative, compassionate and philanthropic enough to build our economy and care for the least among us. Today’s economic struggles notwithstanding, we do not need to abandon all our legislative advances and throw our common sense and compassion under the bus with the unemployed, disabled and fragile seniors.

To start, Mr. President please share with us again where you stand on Green Technologies. Yes, Solyndra has become the third solar company to seek bankruptcy protection in the last 2 months despite the more than $1 billion injection it received just less than two years ago. We all know what is happening around us – please tell us what you plan to do about it!