Happy New Year


Many of us are taking a look at the last year and reflecting on what we did right and wrong and how to improve for 2010. I hope our government is doing the same, taking this time to reflect and improve its performance. Annually I make goals, not resolutions, but goals. After making a list of goals I prioritize and determine the actionable items needed to succeed. Unfortunately, I feel our government and country fall short similarly because there is no long-term vision, no goal. In contrast, President Kennedy did an excellent job of creating direction for the country when he set a goal of putting a man on the moon before 1970. Since then our Presidents have spoken in grandiose prose with no answerability thus allowing them to avoid political failure.

The past year, with a new administration, and significantly reshaped Congress offers an excellent opportunity for reflection. One year ago today we had no stimulus plan, no healthcare plan, no Copenhagen Agreement, and less troops committed to Afghanistan. At the same time, the U-6 unemployment rate was 13.5% versus 17% today, the new Whitehouse forecast unemployment to increase if stimulus was not passed, we were promised the automotive companies would not file bankruptcy if we bailed them out, and housing markets were forecasted to improve along with foreclosures dropping. Sadly, America has become sicker as unemployment skyrocketed, housing foreclosures hit historic highs, credit stopped flowing to consumers, commercial real estate markets teeter on collapse, the dollar is losing favor as the currency standard, and consumers curtailed their retail spending more than expected.

As individuals when our goals and plans do not work we have to reassess and change course. The most successful people consider this not a failure, but an opportunity. Watching and listening to pundits from political and financial news shows brings a plethora of analysts willing to pontificate blame. What we need is a leader; a year ago President Obama promised “Hope and Change”, but today’s polls show his approval rating at the lowest ever recorded for a first year president, disappointing even his most avowed supporters. I think the President’s single biggest failure has not been his desires for Hope and Change, but his insistent rearview perspective of placing blame on his predecessors. Leaders do not focus on blame, instead they own their circumstances, develop responsible goals and plans, and move forward.

Our government needs to change focus now and save our society before we fall like the empires of the past. Our Founding Fathers had a radical vision for a new republic and famously changed the world with the Constitution. President Roosevelt navigated the waters of the depression with specific actionable programs. President Kennedy motivated an entire generation to put public service first and a man on the moon. Mayor Giuliani cleaned up New York City and gave its residents hope after 9/11. The consistent leadership trait among these leaders is vision and accountability.

With a new year upon us I hope our leaders in government, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi, will focus less on their political future and stop blaming those who have been gone from power for more than a year. The minority leadership can help craft a vision side by side too and the majority must understand that dissent means debate and not continue to plow forward over unanimous objection. A new year brings new opportunity and can erase thoughts of the past; I hope our government leadership, looks forward and stops looking backward.