Real Solutions NOW...
Before I say anything else, let me explain why what "I" have to say should be taken seriously...

The first reason is ; I have nothing to gain or to lose...If the entire "plan" I have put together is immediately adopted, or completely ignored, I will likely not see any benefit to my life...

The second is ; I don't "like" everything in the plan, but the effects and benefits far outweigh any personal feelings I may have...

The third is ; I am one person (though not the only one) who had virtually nothing to do with the mess our country & our world is in...I never abused credit, in fact, I've only had (1) credit card and I destroyed it in the late 1980's when I saw how easy it would be to get myself in over my head...I never bought a home, mostly because I owned a motor home and traveled the country for business reasons, but never bought more "motor home than I could afford"...

The fourth reason is ; I am not asking anyone to believe me...In fact, I would much rather have people "try to disprove" what I offer...That doesn't mean to merely disagree, but to actually research facts and follow where the facts lead...

The fifth and most important is ; my "plan" is designed to help save "My country for my son"... I have a son (not yet 5 years old) that deserves to have a world to grow-up in, preferably one that doesn't resemble a post apocalyptic "Mad Max" movie...My "life", as I worked hard to create and many others benefited from may be gone, but my son hasn't even had a chance as of yet...

The U.S.A. is "my" country, but she's no longer the country I grew up in...Not only has my country changed, but so has the entire world around us...The days of plentiful jobs, plentiful opportunities, plentiful food, plentiful energy, self-reliance, self-respect, respect and concern for our neighbors, our family, our environment, our very existence has rapidly given way to ; the addiction to the moment...Drugs, alcohol, money and sex are used to satisfy the desires of the moment, with little or no concern for the consequences..."Personal responsibility" appears to be an outdated term of the past..."Political correctness" appears to be overriding all common sense and "Freedom" itself is being dismantled and sold, given away or thrown away...Our lives, our future and the very existence of humanity itself is in danger of disappearing...

America is not just a place, it's an ideal...America is an experiment...To be an "American" is to be a person, from any country, any culture, any religion, where the desire to be "free" to speak out, "free" to worship and to live as you wish as long as you don't infringe on another's right to do the same and "free" to rise to your own personal potential, without having your very existence dictated to you by others...Those who hate Americans, fear the "free spirit" America stands for because "freedom" is the biggest threat to "power & authority over others" that the "intellectually & politically elite" think they have some right to...These same people who hate or fear what America stands for and want to bring our "spirit" to it's knees are also standing in line to take advantage of what America offers...

I do not believe in American interference around the world, though I did try to reenlist in the Army before the first "Gulf war" (before I got too old) and believe that Saddam should have been deposed at that time...I still believe that would have saved hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, as well as prevented the cost in thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars during the second "Gulf war"...I believe that NOBODY "wins" a global nuclear war...I believe that technology has made warfare impersonal and I believe that the survival of the human race is at great risk...I am not a "warmonger"...I do however believe in defending freedom, defending "my" country and defending the lives of my loved ones from anyone who actively attempts to destroy our country, or people and our desire to live free from the dictation of others...I do not own a gun, but I am not defenseless...I do not believe in war or forcing beliefs and control on others, but I do believe in self-defense and the defense of freedom...I do not want others to bring violence and the intention of destruction to our continent, but if that happens, I will defend the freedom that others fought & died for...I have no misguided belief that "I" will survive what I believe is coming, but I will not run either...I'm not a "hero", I'm an "American"...

Humanity itself is facing many problems, more than we have ever had to face at one time...The "intellectually and politically elite" have no real clue when the problems started, what the causes are or what to do...There is a limited number of people in this "elite inner circle" and the same people involved in creating and escalating our problems are turned to in order to find the solutions...Money we don't have is thrown in the general direction, like tossing "flash paper" in the direction of a bonfire...Not only is the money not targeted at the problems themselves, the money is given to those who are devastating their own business industries solely for the sake of their own wealth...We are engaged in a war with multiple fronts, known and recognized as "theological", yet the historically proven tactics to beat the radical theology at it's source are the tactics NOT used (as if nobody wants to win against those who want to bring about the destruction of mankind)...Although over 70 years has past since the beginning of the "great depression" and exhaustive research on it has been done, there is still no agreement on the causes or the solutions...The one specific action that is agreed to have brought about recovery is WW II and the manufacturing industry supporting the war machine, which provided employment to those not fighting in the war...Yet our manufacturing industry has all but been dismantled and the President is planning to cut defense spending by at least 50%...

There are many more examples of various, possibly catastrophic, that we face...I don't claim to have all the answers to all our problems and I'm not going to say "I" can save humanity...I can however show how we can solve some of the problems, so that the "intellectuals" can concentrate on solving others that are within their realm of expertise...

Now before I'm categorized as a "doomsday fanatic", I want to offer "real hope"...To understand what I'm trying to say and to understand why what I say should be taken seriously, I believe you need to know me and where what I'm trying to say comes from...If you take each piece from the whole, you will agree that much of what I say has already been said and you will miss the point...It's not as confusing as it appears...What hasn't been done however, is to make the connections..."Real Solutions" are found by making the connections, like putting the pieces of a puzzle together..."That" is what I will try to do...

I encourage scrutiny...I will offer you ways to verify each major point I try to make, so that you will have the opportunity to come to your own conclusions...Before I begin, I would like to make my simple "plea and challenge"...

My "plea" : I need the information I offer heard by the public masses...I am asking ALL of you to pass on this blog to others...I am publicly offering to have everything I say "exposed"...All I ask is that you not make judgments until you have actually looked into the information I offer...The more people who get behind the "exposure to the masses" I am aiming for, the better chance I have of achieving the goal of my "challenge"...

My "challenge" :
I have been attempting to contact officials and the "national media" for years...I am "challenging" CNN & FOX specifically to give me the opportunity to speak to a panel of experts (off camera)...I want what I have to offer heard and scrutinized..."IF" what I offer is verified as accurate and beneficial, then I challenge the media to help me reach those I cannot reach on my own...There is some information I will not speak publicly about for "national security" reasons...I respectively request to be contacted by someone with the CIA, DHS or NSA, as these are who I was referred to by the FBI...I don't take this request lightly...Someone needs to hear what I won't speak publicly about...

If supposed "experts", who admit they have no real clue what to do, won't take the time to listen to options offered by someone not under the pressures to find solutions as they are ; if these "experts" aren't willing to engage in a conversation that could have positive results ; why should we listen to anything else they say? If these same "experts" are afraid to examine information that they themselves have stated as facts and refuse to put pieces together and reveal the specific steps we can take right now to establish security, stability and to become an example for other countries facing the same issues ; what gives them the right to publicly admonish others for their failures to find solutions?

About me : I'm a 50 year old, single father of a young son (not yet 5) with "special needs"...I remember at least the end of the "cold war", as seen from under my school desk...Like fire drills, climbing under our desk is what children were taught to do...I have often wondered since then if it were someone who lived through the same experience that coined the phrase, "bend over & kiss your own ass goodbye"...I remember adults having bomb shelters built underground in backyards of their homes, good for the economy but not very effective...I remember air raid sirens and "nuke drills" and even as a very young child, after seeing movies about what nuclear explosions do, I often wondered what good any of that would really do...As an adult I came to the realization : None of that would really do anything, except ; it gave the public masses the feeling that "we were doing something to save ourselves", a calming effect was created in order to keep the masses from erupting in nationwide chaos and the economy was stimulated in a way that would not bring about economic disaster if a nuclear war did not occur...

I remember when man landed and walked on the moon...I remember the assassinations of both John and Robert Kennedy...I remember the invention of color televisions...I remember record albums and 45's, 4-track and 8 track tapes, cassettes, reel-to-reel players and video projectors...I remember the first "cell phone", the size and weight of a brick...I remember Vietnam and most of the military actions since...I remember President Nixon, the Iran / Contra affair and "Watergate"...I remember Jimmy Carter and the initially known rise of the Taliban...I remember Bill Clinton...I remember his signing the creation of "NAFTA", balancing the Federal budget, multiple failed encounters with an increasingly violent "Taliban" and of course his redefinition of the word "sex"...I remember Ronald Reagan, as an actor, as a Governor and as a President...I remember George Bush Sr. and the first "Gulf war" (which I supported & tried to reenlist for)...I remember George Bush Jr...I remember both attacks on the twin towers, the second on 9/11, resulting in our invasion of Afghanistan in the search for Bin Laden and Al Queda...I also remember the years of failed U.N. resolutions and all that lead up to our second "Gulf war"...I remember our most recent election and I remember watching a man fly across the English Channel to the White Cliffs of Dover with a jet powered wing strapped to his back...

I ran my own small business, based on a "hobby" for over 26 years...The main focus of my business was the re-creation and restoration of items made pre-1600, which required extensive research into the cultures and ideologies of those in the "known world" as it was then... My business required expertise in historical research, task analysis, product development, product production, safety testing and of course shipping & receiving...This business failed for two reasons : (1) The inter-net boom of 2000/01, during which almost everything was purchased online ; (2) My lack of knowledge about computers and the inter-net...Many much larger businesses failed during that period of time, such as Montgomery Wards (main competitor of Sears & J.C.Penney's)...The entire way people shopped changed...The days of "malls" being the main way of shopping at multiple stores in one location almost vanished...I literally lost everything I owned, much of which was irreplaceable including patterns, documents, certificates & awards and much more...I have never been able to recover...I not only lost a business, I lost the only way of life I knew and my job skills didn't transfer well to the job market...In 1985 I tried to advance my business education...Interestingly I received an (A+) in "business principles", but failed the required "typing & accounting" classes...As a business owner, I would hire a secretary and accountant, but that's the reality of business, not what is required for an educational degree...

In 2001, with the loss of my business and way of life, including my motor home, I became "homeless"...I moved from the east coast in September 2001 to Arizona, where a friend tried to help me figure out what to do next...It turns out that many of the people I knew were "computer geeks" (I wish I had known that before the loss of my business because I wasn't "on-line")...I returned to my home state of California in June 2003 and gained employment as a flooring installer...Spending most of my time working on out-of-town jobs (mostly "public works", ie; schools & federally funded contracts) and as it turned out, my employer was violating "Federal Public Works Rules" by underpaying employees...In my case, I was paid $8 per hour, not the $28-$33 per hour required for "public works projects" and none of us were paid for transportation to of from out-of-town jobs..."Loopholes" in enforcement rules allowed my ex-employer to profit from under paying employees...My then fiancé' and biological mother of my son was financially supported, but left alone during most of our relationship...Unknown to me, she drank during her pregnancy...My son was born premature and has "full FAS/D" (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, aka Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)...Just (13) days after my sons birth, I became a single father and had to stop working in order to care for a newborn with "special needs"...My son is now almost (5) years old...He receives Social Security Disability, I'm still single & unable to work and we are forced to live in a hotel, because we don't "qualify to rent" a much less expensive apartment...We don't own a vehicle and our only mode of transportation is our bicycle...Owning my own vehicle wasn't needed until recently and by the time we had any need for personal transportation, gas prices were increasing drastically and a bike seemed like a much better idea for us, though it does create some serious issues with moving or travel for any real distance...

Virtually all of my adult life has been focused on research, problem identification, task analysis and the creation of viable solutions...As a single father of a "special needs" son, these skills have proven to be vital in my ability to deal with specific "issues"...My extensive research into FAS/D has uncovered many facts that are not only disturbing, but directly related to some of our biggest problems, ie; Social Security crisis, Education crisis, Social Services crisis, Criminal issues, State Budget crisis, unemployment crisis, homelessness and much more...I'm not saying FAS/D is the main cause...I am saying that research uncovers "connections" and combined with other known factors, identification of the core problems IS possible...

It is common practice to separate big problems into smaller issues and assign responsibility for applying techniques by specialists to address each issue...This is like separating a large puzzle into what appears to be like pieces and having multiple people put their own section together and claim the puzzle is being assembled by specialists, with extensive education and experience in appropriate areas...If pieces are missing, experts claim the puzzle cannot be solved, or they guess at what the puzzle represents, according to previous puzzles assembled and without consulting other specialists working on other sections...Some may claim that the solution of the puzzle can't be completed without knowing when the puzzle was made and what company made it...Real Solutions are found in the connections...Simple concept...

Now, let me try to bring all of this into focus and apply this concept to what I believe are the unrecognized "Real Solutions" to many of the sections of our current Global Crisis...After identifying the main sections and making the connections, we can reveal the big picture...It's really not as hard or confusing as it's been made out to be...

First ; You'll need something to write with and write on...In order to "see" the reality of my "plan", you need to write down the pro's and con's...You may very well think of things I've forgotten to include here and you should definitely think of things (from your perspective) that I haven't...Your input will be valuable in coming to your own conclusions and thus, have a greater impact on how actively you seek to pass this on to others...

Second ; You have all been told, "there are no silver bullets" and "there is nothing that can be done on the short term" : Just because (1) person says this on the National Media (CNN) and it's then repeated by everyone following, doesn't mean it was or is true...

Third ; Keep in mind, "None" of the intellectually or politically elite (supposedly the smartest people in the country) have a clue what to do...Not only are they guessing, but worse, they are repeating what has been done, in numerous countries including ours and failed...Just because we are the U.S.A. or because we are combining multiple failed attempts into one or two bigger attempts, doesn't mean we will do anything but create a bigger problem with even bigger failing results...

We simply can't afford to be wrong...Seeing that nobody else has put the pieces together, or has the backbone to speak the truth, there is no harm in at least examining the "Real Solutions" I am trying (and have been since 2003) to offer...

Now, let's "work the problem"...Start by writing down the problems we face :

War : based on a globally expanding radical theology (radical religious belief) :

Economy : break this one into it's various pieces to make examination easier if you want to, ie ;
(housing / mortgage crisis, credit market freeze, loss of stock market values, loss of market confidence, loss of home / property values, unemployment, etc.) :

Environment : whether you believe in "Global Climate Change" or not, it needs to be listed :

Energy : even if you think the crisis is past, it needs to be listed :

Entitlements : ie ; Social Security, Medic-aid, Social Service Programs (welfare, food stamps, etc.) :

Health care : coverage, costs & availability :

Deficit : the money our country owes to other countries :

If you feel like adding more to the list, feel free, but you'll just end up crossing more off in the end as connections are made...

Start the next step by putting as many on your list with other related problems : Hint ; when you're done, there should only be one...

After racking your brain, you still can't find all the connections to just (1) issue left to resolve? It's ok, the next step should help...

Step two : "Work the problem" : Look at each issue and list the end results desired...Don't look for solutions, those will reveal themselves...Just try to look past whatever method could be used and just list the desired results themselves...

Step three : This one can be really hard for some people, but, say to yourself, "Personal opinions are like assholes, everybody has one" : In the end ; our opinions, what we believe or don't believe, especially if based on religion or formal education, doesn't mean it's correct and may only serve as an obstacle to reaching our goal...

Back to the list : War, Economy, Energy should be your biggest three...Economy and Energy are connected, but which is connected to the other and leaves only one? The answer IS as easy and obvious as it looks...Energy...

Before I explain my detailed "plan", it's important to remember ; I have no vested interest in anything but doing what I can to see our world survive, for "my" son's sake...I'm not part of any lobbying group (in fact, I think most are scams)...I won't benefit from acting or not acting on what I offer as a plan of action...I am not "religious" and have no affiliations...I have nothing to personally gain or lose, no matter what is decided...Finally ; I'm not asking anyone to believe me...I'm only asking you to examine the facts for yourself and pass this onto others, so they can examine and evaluate this for themselves...

"Energy" is the one everything else is connected to...It's at the top of the pyramid...Solve that and "most" (unfortunately not all) of our biggest issues will be resolved along the way...No? Let me ask you some simple questions :

If "access to oil supplies" are under the control of Middle Eastern countries, Venezuela and Russia, is that or is that not the biggest reason for military conflict, now and/or in the near future?
If we (the U.S.) are relying on 45% of the oil we import from these three, at a cost of $800 billion (plus) each year, does this or does this not appear to be the most important issue to solve?
What if just one or two specific actions would "eliminate" or "need" for importing that 45%? What if the same one or two specific actions would create "energy security" for our country and be an example of what other countries can do to resolve the issues we all have in common?
What if these specific actions would create "millions" of jobs, resulting in incomes that give people the ability to reduce debt and pay mortgages?
What if the creation of millions of jobs would create new tax revenues for the government, without raising taxes? What happens to the threat from foreign countries that rely on oil revenues to pay for military funding, if oil revenues drastically decrease?
Whether we believe in "Global Climate Change" or not, the fact is if "man" has any chance of making any effect what-so-ever, humanity as a whole must make a drastic change in the "energy infrastructure"...If attacking the "energy issue" would create millions of jobs, make a positive effect on the global economy and create "energy security", which reduces the likelihood of continued military conflict, would it or would it not be a good place to invest for our future?

Before I state what "I" see as obvious, please ask yourselves just a couple more questions...
What would happen if there were just two or three well placed bombs (backpack size) that damages unprotected (and unprotectable) electricity transfer stations?
What would happen if a larger attack disrupts electrical supply to large areas of our country for an extended period of time?
What would happen to you, your lifestyle at home, your ability to work, your ability to access money or shop at the grocery store if there is no electricity for any extended period of time?

Now ; what happens if each home and business can be 60%-65% (minimum) "energy independent", even if multiple major attacks on our current energy system were to happen?

By now it's obvious that I like to create "mental images"...Let me create two more...I apologize for these in advance...

I told you previously that as a child, I remember being taught to get under my school desk in case of a nuclear attack during the "cold war"...

Picture in your mind an "ostrich", bent over with it's head in the sand and it's ass exposed to whoever wanted to take advantage of the unprotected position...

Consider someone tells you that at any moment you ARE going to be hit in the groin with a baseball bat...It'll hurt at the very least, or it could knock you unconscious, or if hard enough it could kill you...Are you going to waste time trying to find out who, when, where & why? Are you going to ignore the threat or cower like an ostrich? Or, would you put on a "cup" (athletic groin protection) if it were offered?

Personally, I want the "cup" and whoever hit me better hope they can run faster than me because I'm not going to let myself be hit again...Of course, just being prepared and being able to withstand such an attack would cause the attacker to fear what they may have just done, with little or no effect...

We have already been warned, many times...I'm offering the "cup"...Put it on, or not...It's your choice...

IMPORTANT NOTE :

After finishing the section I wrote yesterday, I watched Pres. Obama's speech last night...My points were made for me...I have been saying for years now, "I" don't want to have to talk "about" what needs to be done ; "I" don't want to rehash what has already been said by every President since Jimmy Carter ; "I" don't want to say what the masses have already been saying for years : "I" want to offer a "Realistic, Verifiable, Actionable Plan"...Pres. Obama said as plainly as he could last night, He knows "what" he and the masses want to do (supported by 82%), but He doesn't know "how"..."THAT" is precisely what I'm offering...The Plan...

Not everyone is going to like everything in this plan (I don't "like" it all myself), but we "need" most of the following specific actions...Some may be cast aside, but the plan, as a whole, is based on what experts from many fields have been saying for decades...

My "Plan" :

Foundation : In order to turn the economy around, on a global scale, the very first step is to re- instill a sense of "confidence" so that those with money will begin investing again...The term "confidence" in this case amounts to : a sense of security for your investments, while feeding the sense of greed for profit, by supplying openings in the market and compelling reasons to invest...

Greed was at the heart of the economic meltdown and only greed can get the gears of progress moving again...Security for investments must be achieved with regulation...In the end, our way of life and desire for progress must be protected by modernizing our economic and energy infrastructure...

Society reacts positively, even when faced with outside threats and adversity, when the masses feel they can take part in their own security, when the government shows concern for the country and takes actions that instill a sense of pride and hope...

In order for Governments around the world to reduce "National Debts" and to afford new spending requirements of modernizing infrastructures and programs with social benefit, more revenues are needed...Increased tax revenues must be achieved by increasing the amount of people employed and must not come from increasing tax rates on those currently employed...To reach this, I propose as part of my "plan", a "Government Diversified Joint Venture Program", which if implemented will give government profitable investment and lending opportunities and at the same time, encourage "private industry" to once again become involved in the progress of America's economic stability and security...

Regulation :

(1) Eliminate or limit "mark to market" exposure and restore "up tick" rules :
(2) Freeze "golden parachutes" in cases of corporate failures and/or Government intervention :
(3) Expand "usury law" to include credit cards & cap interest rate levels :
(4) Expand "usury law" to include mortgages & cap interest rate levels :
(5) Until "usury law" is modified, freeze interest rates on existing credit cards & mortgages :
(6) Cap percentage of "hedging " and "leveraging" :
(7) "NAFTA" : close loopholes allowing employment outsourcing, or, cap percentage of foreign employment and offer incentives for companies who participate in returning production and employment opportunities :
(8) "NAFTA" : sanction or deincentivise companies who outsource employment, especially to adversarial countries :
(9) Cap percentage of foreign workers allowed to be employed by companies within American borders, "expand E-Verify" and offer incentives for participation :
(10) Freeze or limit pay raises for ALL government officials and employees :

"Government Diversified Joint Venture Program" :

Foundation : The purposes of this proposed program are simple and straight forward...

(1) Put America back to work...
(2) Modernize various aspects of America's infrastructure...
(3) Create profitable ventures and increase revenues for our Government...
(4) Create economic stability and opportunity for private industry and individuals...
(5) Create National Security measures for the country and our citizens...

Proposed Programs & Joint Venture Projects :

(1) Solar Energy Infrastructure Program :

The "Big One"...Governments and private industries most profitable opportunity...Government "loan" program for start-up and expansion of solar system manufacturing, transportation, installation and maintenance...To strongly encourage "private industry" to participate in this venture, Government would require all homes and business structures to have solar energy systems installed...With government requirement, payment for the system will be made directly from the program to the installation company, with verification of completion...

This will accomplish multiple goals...

First ; This will offer low-interest loans to encourage expansion of solar energy system production, provide low-interest loans for start-ups of installation companies, help to stabilize business & home structure values and provide "individual energy security" at no cost to the structure/home owner...Loans would be repaid by the companies manufacturing and installing the systems ; the consumer end of the program would be paid for through increased income & property tax revenues by increasing employment and property sales...Employment opportunities will be created in construction, manufacturing, product transportation, installation and repair/maintenance...

Businesses, both large and small would be encouraged to participate due to the guarantee of government funding, thus causing a quick thawing of the "market freeze" and with increased employment incomes, and result in a thawing of the "consumer credit freeze"...

This will make our country "energy secure" through independence from any interruption of energy supply and save hundreds of billions of dollars currently paid to foreign countries we purchase oil from...

In breaking our addiction to oil and ending our vulnerability to those who would use energy resources as a weapon, this would also reduce funding from oil revenues used to fund military threats and terrorist group activity...

(2) Security & Surveillance Program :

Another known threat to all of us are our "soft targets", ie ; schools, malls, hospitals, parking structures, theaters, etc...This program is much like the “Solar Energy Infrastructure Program”, with many of the same “loan” and incentive programs for manufacturing, product transportation and installation business and employment creations...The difference is that this directly focuses on potential attacks by denying access in applicable cases, with the installation of security doors and in all cases, with the installation of video equipment, produces video surveillance and recording for law enforcement use and quicker apprehension of suspects, as well as video evidence...

(3) Transportation Modernization Program :

This program replaces future automotive industry bail-outs by offering a “trade-in” program for the consumer...This program would be intended to help take the worst polluting, gas guzzling vehicles off the road and replace them with more fuel efficient, cleaner vehicles...This would help the automotive industry by helping to reduce inventory and provide capitol, just as if they were selling vehicles under normal circumstances...

As with the other programs, the intent is to save and/or create jobs, boost the economy and take steps towards energy conservation, with less impact on the environment and a benefit for average Americans...

(4) Neighborhood Reconstruction Program :

This program simply encourages small business creation and expansion to form and/or grow businesses that clean-up distressed areas and put many individuals in the construction industry back to work...More people working locally, more consumers with money to pay for products & services...More people employed, more tax revenues, more credit worthiness, more overall economic stimulation...Not to mention cleaner, safer neighborhoods, resulting in stabilized property values and the likelihood of home sales, resulting in increased property tax revenues...

(5)Renewable Energy Resource Program :

This program is meant to encourage the investigation into land use for renewable energy sources where the land itself is otherwise unusable and uninhabitable...This program would also help fund the replanting of plants and trees, more fire resistant and water efficient in areas hard hit by wildfires...

Not only do we need to use land efficiently to grow renewable fuel sources, we need to not use land where food is grown...Another point not covered by the media or intellectuals is the fact that we get the oxygen we breath from the plants & trees that are being destroyed by fires and deforestation...

Final Note : Though I am going to end here for now, this is not “all I have”...There is a lot more...We all know “something” needs to be done, but that doesn't mean we should just do “anything”...We may not be able to prevent “pet projects” from being funded at this point, but a “targeted approach” will be needed to get our country out of the deeper hole that we've been thrown into...I make no secret of the fact that I did not support Pres. Obama's candidacy, but that is no longer important...This is “My” country and for the next four years, Pres. Obama is our only hope...If you believe his rhetoric, Pres. Obama “gets it” and he is supposedly looking for a “targeted plan” with specific actions...Pres. Obama is not the problem...The Congress and Senate are...Think about it : Did Bush Jr. have control of what got us into this mess? Presidents don't read bills once they pass the houses, Presidents sign them...Has Pres. Obama read the bill he just put his name on? Or was he convinced to sell us all a used Yugo with a Mini-Cooper or BMW emblem on it? Lipstick on a pig? Even if what we have been told is true and this “recession” began in December of 2007, I think that means the current houses were in control...Personally, I believe we are now suffering the effects of the recession of 2000/01...The “elite economists” say it magically ended on 9/11...If anything, that recession ended when Pres. Bush told everyone to “go shopping” on 9/12...But what caused that recession? Answer : The “inter-net boom” of 1999/2000 and with it, the greed and wild spending brought on by the “dot-coms”, which was also the beginning of rapidly escalating unsupported property values...The “inter-net boom” caused many business failures, such as Montgomery Wards...It severely hurt “malls” and did “untold” damage that nobody talks about...I lost my business and entire “life” directly because of the inter-net boom...We are doomed to repeat past failures and each will grow in severity, unless we examine the true causes and “fix” the problems...Band-aids only put off the effects, like alcohol or drugs can cause distraction...But after you deal with the hang-over, the problems are still there...So is drinking more AND taking more drugs too the solution? Combining things that failed in the past just cause a bigger hang-over...Why not fix the problem, so you can enjoy partying and only have a hang-over to deal with later? Maybe that's a bad analogy for some, but it fits...There are more problems to deal with than I covered here, but if we don't “fix” the ones we can, we can't even touch the others...To borrow Pres. Obama's saying, “Yes We Can” fix many of our big issues and “Yes We Can” do it quickly...The stock market can turn on a dime, with just a good speech or announcement of a “Real Solution”...A “recession” can end without most recognizing why it started, when it started or exactly what caused it to end...I want to do my part to save “My” country for “My” son...I need “everything I know” to be heard and examined by the people who can understand and use the info...I need “Your” help...I started trying to reach out to be heard in 2001 and I was labeled an “alarmist”...I'm not going to quit trying, because I believe WE CAN make our voices heard...I believe WE CAN make those in power listen to our voice and if it's loud enough, make those in power actually DO what is right for our country and our world...I believe : Yes We CAN...