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Why does Obama not think about the Consequences before enforcing a plan of action?

Although I did not vote for Obama, I still believed he was the better choice. He was what our country needed as many of us needed hope. However, he is really doing some things that just do not make a whole lot of sense.

I recently read about Obama's helath care reform. He wants to subsidize the plan by taxing people making over $280,000.

Lets just distribute the wealth. We can be a socialized society. How many socialized societies work? The people that make over $280,000 are those who employ many of the average workers making $30,000-$50,000. What do you think will happen to the employees of the worker making over $280,000?

The problem with Obama is that he does not seem to think of the consequences before he acts. Everything just has to get done and fast with him.

An example: He went and decided to push this Housing Recovery Act. A part of the Housing Recovery Act dealt with appraisals. Normally, a mortgage broker would just call up one of the 2 or 3 appraisers he works with and they would appraise the property.

With Obama's plan, the appraiser cannot talk to the mortgage broker. The mortgage broker does not select the appraiser. The Asset Management Company does. So the mortgage broker orders the appraisal. 3 days later the appraiser calls the listing agent and meets them at the home. Then about 7-10 days later the appraisal goes into the system, and they contact the mortgage broker and the appraisal is uploaded so the mortgage broker can access it.

On the surface this looks fine. Here are the problems.

In my last 3 appraisals the appraiser did not know the area. I know the appraiser is supposed to have an office within 20-30 miles. The problem with that is many have virtual offices in many locations. So you have an appraiser that mainly appraises property 50 miles away that knows nothing of the area, and the mortgage broker cannot even speak to them.
The intention of the appraiser not speaking to the mortgage broker is right, but the problem is that the appraiser is allowed to speak to the real estate agent which has more of a vested interest in the transaction.
If the appraiser did a poor job on comparables then the mortgage broker has to submit a request for review to the asset management company which in turn will contact the appraiser. This can be a lengthy process
The time frame is just too long. Where we were able to get appraisals back in 2-5 days they are now taking 10-14 days. That does not seem like a huge difference in time, but it is as the seller is taking this home off the market for an extra 8 or 9 days.
The appraisers now make less and do more work. This system has forced out many appraisal companies because they are making half as much for the appraisal and are doing twice as much work as the guidelines of the Asset Management Company is much more detailed.

In conclusion of this program:

This system forced people to look for new jobs.
Forced seller to keep properties off the market for a longer period of time and in many cases received less money for their home because of this.
You have appraisers appraising property that knows nothing about the area, and you can't even make an argument with them as you have to go through the asset management company if you have a problem. Seem like bureaucracy to you?
Appraisers can't speak to mortgage brokers, but can speak to real estate agents.

This program has unintended consequences, and this is what I am afraid of with health care reform. We need to make sure we get it right, and have listened to every argument and consequence before instituting another multi-billion dollar program.

David Serle

Vice President/Managing Broker

RE/MAX Services

561-912-3500 Office

561-912-3502 Direct

561-756-3104 Mobile

Posted by Boca Raton Florida Homes for Sale David Serle on 07/21/2009 11:07 AM

Comments (50)

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50 Comments on Why does Obama not think about the Consequences before enforcing a plan of action?

JUL

Welcome to the Obama era... His reasons are noble, but don't work in real life. Obama is like Jimmy Carter and CRA (Community Re-investment Act), a noble idea to put every American in their own home by making loan programs available to those that normally would not qualify, hence the beginning of ARM's, ballon payments, no doc loans, etc. And of course this was the start of the housing problems that finally exploded into real problems for everyone now. Of course I always tell people that they should look up CRA and read the truth as to where the housing crisis started so that they are well informed.

But Obama is following the same path as Carter, and it will take us years to fix after he's gone....

Oh he has a plan... and it is working out beautifully.

Sorry to disagree on the point about him being the hope the country needed. really?

False hope is not the same as hope.

We need to return to our Democratic Values and beliefs that founded this country. Free market and Capitalism.

Wow...a political feature... may get a little heated. I'm gonna do what TLW does, PARK it.

Oh, but I SECOND what MISSY said!

Congrat's David.

Ken, thank you for your comment. I agree so much with the Carter Obama connection. I hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

Missy, thank you so much for your comment. WHat I really mean is that Obama gave us some positive energy. I think that McCain was just too old. I did vote for him, but I think we need more youthfulness in this country. I am just hoping that he starts taking his time a little more before printing more money.

David, I agree that the new requirements will make the process more difficult for the homebuyer. Was it devised by a panel of expert bankers who will now be able to justify increased fees for prolonging the process and locking the rate?

We had a presentation and discussion on the changes and how they will effect buyers, sellers, us and the closing date. One local lender states that the changes are expected to decrease the number of closings they do per month by 50%. We are going from 30 days to closing to 45-60.

Kat, thank you for your comment. I appreciate it. I did not know this was featured thanks for the heads up.

Maria, you are absolutely right. I have found that the days of the 30 day close are over if it involves financing. Sometimes there are exceptions, but this is those unintended consequences I spoke about. Obama's intention was to limit the fraud and length of time for closing, but it unfortunately has the opposite effect.

Atypical of a leader trying to shove agenda down our throats. We saw it from the previous president and we all wanted change, and what we have gotten is an exaggerated version. The urgency of getting decisions passed so quickly is not to allow the public to realize the consequences until after the agenda is through. The power in our country has gotten totally out of hand; but thank goodness of the system that we have is that, in time, it will correct itself. The public is finally seeing the light.

Let them try the socialism experiments. We have tried these in the a past and they implode. Some socialism may be necessary in our new society, but let's discuss it and not shove it down our throat and want a vote before anything is read. Though I was not a big Clinton supporter, even he did not shove agenda down our throat.....save the wife's medical socialism experiment. Hopefully, O will control his power ego and start listening to the people first or his career will be toast. In the interim, our economy will drag.

Tim great comment. I agree. We are in a society of the "Soft Sell" not the "Hard Sell". We are in an era of research and information so let s research and inform the public prior to as you put it shove it down our throats. Thanks again.

As my father said years ago, you can put a bunch of bookish in the government. It works on paper but not in real life. Experience always pays off, not a bunch of smart Ivy Leaguers running the country.

Rosalinda, thank you for your comment. Your father is a smart man. Experience is neccessary.

Maria -It's funny you say that about closing times going from 30 to 45-60 days. I was speaking with one of my favorite lenders the other day and she said they aren't allowed to quote anyone less than 45 days to settle.

The problems I see is that everything comes down to the wire no matter if its 30, 60, or 90 days. I don't want to start writing contracts at 45 days only to see them get further extended or barely get done. The longer the process takes the more the borrowers get worried, more problems come up. I just don't see much good coming from a longer process.

David - Your so right about the appraisal process. They seem to know less and less about the area, which on top of foreclosures and short sales just adds one more hurdle along the way.

It's call Community Organizing. You put out what you want and then leave it to your "people" to make it so.

I dont like Obama, but that said...I received a copyof a letter JUST THIS MORNING that he & now Barney Frank are not even seeing eye to eye!

Well, welcome to Washington HUH? Here's a quote I left on Mike Jones blog the other day...

"Capitalism is the worst economic system ever invented, except for all the others."

Two quickies: Appraisers only have themselves to blame TO SOME SMALL degree...now, I realize it is more time consuming and costs big money to get your FHA certification..but you know what...I dont have enough fingers &toes to count the # of appraiser I advised to get "approved" at Landsafe with Countrywide, RELS< LSI, or just their FHA /VA certification...and NONE OF THEM but one listend!!

Who's to blame?? They are no different beause they were making hay while the sun shined!

The other thing is that appraisers are NOT SUPPOSED to talk with Realtors...so point of clarification..>THEY CAN TALK ALL THEY WAY, the just cannot discuss the Value of the home, or how to get there! see the HVCC rules.

I do not care for Obama, but anyone would be hard pressed in our current situation. THere is alot more blame to pass on this subject back to jimmy carter, and especially Bill Clinton. That is not talked about alot tho.

I like everyone else in this business, would like to start looking forward, and leave the past in the past. Missy Caulk is right...so far, this President has not worked out..but , we are only 8 months into the presidency!

Action for the sake of action, is merely re-action!

Bucky

Yummy, politics! I really enjoyed reading your insight. This influences the buying expereince to an extent where the buyers get frustrated with the lender. That means our lender's customer service is really put to the test and so is ours.

FYI- I write my Congressman when I have concerns like this.

Hi David. I am so not going there to the abyss of discussing politics. However I will state that logic makes people think while emotions make people act. Vague... I know LOL Congrats on your star.

David, I think you are the one jumping all over the place. First a rant about health care and then one about socialism and distributing wealth and finally a rant about appraisals. Very quickly:

1. Most cities and states have excellent fire and police depts to serve the public, wouldn't you agree? You may not want to hear this, but those public services are examples of socialism at work in our society. Can healthcare be regulated the same way? Sure. Could rich people still visit specialists who have private practices? Yes. that is the idea behind Obama's public health care plan. Will this plan satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time? No. Just as police and fire services don't always get things 100% right.

2. Re: Appraisals. No matter who is president, most residential appraisals are still based on sold data, which is not what our sellers always want to hear. The problem is that when the market heats up, there are often not enough sold comparables to substantiate value. In those cases, sellers will either have to reduce their selling price, or buyers will have to increase their down payments, or the deal dies. If the appraiser is from out of the area, it is our job as selling agents to provide additional comps to the listing agent (if we think she isn't going to do so), or have the listing agent contact the appraiser to have it rebutted.

3. "And of course this was the start of the housing problems that finally exploded into real problems for everyone now. Of course I always tell people that they should look up CRA and read the truth as to where the housing crisis started so that they are well informed."

Misinformed people still believe the CRA loans were the cause when they have actually had fewer defaults with them. Plus most of the money was protected with mortgage insurance. Most experts agree that the reason the CRA loans have held up better over time is because the lenders either personally knew or cared about the people they were loaning the money to.

The cause of the housing crisis had more to do with a foolish, untested belief in technology and capitalism than anything else.

I'm with most people here. He pictured himself as a savior. However, I think that this one world socialism won't work here. People are leaving their money off shore because of his plans to spend it for the them. The economy? He just told us last week that it's fixed. I have a hard time taking him at face value. Feel like the old indian chief talking about "man with forked tongue." Darin D'Money Osenberg. You hit it on the head.

Let's face it and call the bottom line the bottom line. Socialism sucks. Any plan that takes away the motivation for people to work hard won't work. I hope that he's surrounded by people who are smarter than he is and I hope that he'll listen. In the meantime, we pray and watch!

David, everything I have seen about HVCC is it is not good so I agree with your points in this area. Now socialized medicine is a complex subject for sure, and hopefully we will have a good debate and improve from what we currently have. Some say what we currently have is the best in the world. I wonder.

David thank you for the comment. Yes I agree with you tell them 30 and you will get 45 day closings. Tell the lender 45 and you will get 60 days. You are right that It does create just one extra hurdle to make our job harder.

Bob, so very true. Thank you for your comment.

Bucky, I love that quote about Capitalism That is pretty funny, but there is always truth to humor. As far as realtors speaking to appraisers. Yes I know appraisers are only supposed to speak to a realtor to gain access to the property, but what actually happens is a good real estate agent may have some influence on how much the appraiser adjusts upward or downward the comparable values. That was all I was saying. Thanks for the comment.

What Rosalind said was funny...about a bunch of smart ivy-leaguers running the country...We've had four in the last 21 years. One of them I would not categorize as being smart. Only reason why he was in an ivy league school was because of a family legacy...

About your premise, well, it seems like we are engaged in a self-fulfilling prophecy: we make the statement that things won't work, and we do everything to ensure that it won't, then we say, "didn't we say so?" Quite disingenuous, and totally transparent. Although, in regards to HVCC, you are right, that has brought more confusion and complication to an already troubled process. I hope we can get it amended, and soon.

Angela thank you for your comment. I have actually have written to my congressman about the appraisal system. Not too much luck as I am only 1 person, but at least they will know that not everyone is happy with how the Housing Recovery Act is going forward. Thank you again for your comment.

Lana, thank you for your comment I appreciate it.

Billy, thank you for your comment. I do not believe I am all over the place however. The subject was about how I do not believe Obama thinks about the consequences before taking action. I started out by talking about health care and how I was concerned and then I went ahead and gave an example of where I believe health care reform could be headed. Unintended consequences. Anyway, you make some good points about police, fire, and other city services. I will say that at least in my town we have way too many fire stations, and quite a few policemen. Too many I am not sure, but I am sure that we have way too many fire stations, and libraries.

As far as having socialized programs I agree some of them will work, and are working currently, but I do not believe taxing the people who employ most of the work force in America is a smart idea. It will have unintended consequences which would be either loss of jobs or loss of benefits or a combination of both.

Going onto the appraisal process, you may not understand the current appraisal process. We are not allowed to speak to appraisers regarding comparables. We have to speak to a third party asset management company in order to make a request. Appraisals should be based on sold data, but the comparables are often adjusted downward and upward. Those adjustments sometimes are a little subjective, and the comparables they use are sometimes subjective. The problem with an appraiser from out of the area is a lot of times we do not have too many comparables in the same neighborhood so if you do not know the area you could be pulling sold data from an inferior or superior neighborhood to the subject property. I think the system is flawed and again has unintended consequences.

Your quote "The cause of the housing crisis had more to do with a foolish, untested belief in technology and capitalism than anything else"

is absurd. The problem with people is that that they keep trying to blame people or in your case an entire system. With the assertion that the belief in technology anf capitalism was the cause of the housing crisis is just plain ridiculous. The cause of any crisis is usually drawn to the supply vs. demand theory. In the case of housing, we had lenders willing to lend money with no money down, no job, and decent credit. The ease of credit and lending was there which also increased consumer confidence which in turn spearheaded the housing boom. Where there is a boom there is a bust, and when lenders stopped lending so freely confidence from consumers started to decline, and we have the housing crisis. I know it is not that simple, but you get the jist of it. It definitely is not a belief in a capitalistic society that caused the crisis.

Larry, thank you for your comment. Great points. Socialism as a whole does suck, and I agree with you that I have a hard time taking Obama at face value. I need Obama to show me not just lecture me or speak eloquently.

Gary, I too am concerned with some of the programs, and believe they should be properly researched and debated before we rush into printing more paper for more programs that have unintended consequences.

William, I do agree we do have a lot of people that love to say "I told you so", but I hope I am with the majority, and I want Barack Obama to be the very best president in our history. I really hope for the best. I am just questioning his programs that he pushes on us without forethought. Thank you for your comment.

David,

I sure think we have a much bigger problem with Obama than the appraisals.

Much, much, much bigger.

I love Billy's analysis. Fire and Police Departments are not examples of socialism. It is simply the function of the government,as you have to keep critical services in your hands, but this does not mean that it in any shape of form they are good. And who told you that private companies wouldn't do it better? If you think that everything government is great, look at US Mail. I read the analysis, and the opinion of the analyst was that private services would be doing it for 10% of what we are paying now. Actually, there are no great examples of government run businesses, none. And capitalism is not a belief system, while socialism is. Why confuse one for the other? I traded socialism when I came here from the Soviet Union in 1991. If you love socialism, why not try it there.

As for appraisals, I am thrilled that they are based on solid data. This is BS in capital letters. Information about the properties sold in the area are solid data. Real Estate is not homogeneous, so you can get as much solid data, but if you do not know the area, and do not have the feel of the area, then you can stick you data up your bottom part with the same level of success.

Only one question ... Why this statement? "Although I did not vote for Obama, I still believed he was the better choice." Let me get this straight, you went into the booth thinking he was the best choice, but you voted for someone else? I'm confused ...

As a lender something I'm seeing on the purchase and the refinance side with HVCC. More lenders are starting their own management company. All you need to do is pay a fee and register with them to get on the list of approved appraisers. I have even seen a few come back with a subcontracted appraiser forwarding it to the primary appraiser then to the bank. So now we have 3 levels down from the process and that far away from the area - so we have no idea what's going on for over 2 weeks.

David,

i just could not pass on Gene's comment. Gene is trying to get straight what could not be straight. He got you, David (LOL)

Jon, thank you for your comment. I absolutely agree with you. Private business seems to always do it better then the government. Do you know why? That is because there is competition. You have many people competing for the same business. Where there is competition (Capitalism at is finest) there is success. Businesses that compete against one another have to think about the consumers needs so they tend to do it better. The government running businesses is a "Monopoly" they do not need to think about consumers needs. They look for the easiest way rather then the best way.

Gene, I voted for McCain becuase I believe in most of his ideas especially his business and financial theories. I did not believe Obama was the better choice at the time nor do I feel that now. What I am saying is I believe Obama was kind of what many of the nation thought they needed. They wanted some hope. He may not be having results now, but I think many needed hope. He is a very eloquent speaker who portrays an intelligent president, and who is also African American. I believe he has give many of the minority population lots of hope which can only be good for everyone. I do not agree with most of his policies, and in the end I think the majority may start to dislike him, but he is what we needed at this time. Thank you for your comment.

Yourmortgageresource thank you for your comment. The governement always makes an easy process harder. They tend to be reactive rather than proactive.

There are a lot of unintended consequences if this health care plan starts forcing small businesses to pay 100% of someone's health care. It could potentially result in massive layoffs of part-time employees and non-top producers.

Maximum freedom requires maximum responsibility. Remember "Of the people, By the people, For the people"? We have the freedom but need an increase in responsibility so that the knee jerk reactions don't cause greater problems than they solve. Rushing to solve the health care issue just so we can mark it off our list of things to do is definitely not responsible. We need to let our elected representatives feel the pressure of those who voted them into office to step back and take a close look at what the ramifications of the trillions of dollars spent will do. Not to mention having individual health care decisions being made by regulators, increasing costs to those who opt out even though they have coverage, and forcing medical professionals to provide care they object to. The list goes on.

David,

Obama is NO friend of the real estate industry.

His current pending budget has a provision for reducing the homeowner's interest write-off. Sue, it will START with high income earners, but, just wait until after the 2010 elections. It's a good bet that cap will start down on it's way to zero! For details, see my 7-3-09 post.

Also, his Cap & Tax bill is the largest tax bill ever! Some tink the required home govt. energy audits have been removed, but not exactly. They put in a provision to start the audits anytime HUD sees fit!

The reason he tries to rush approval on all bills is if people have the time to really read there 1,000+ page bills, they will find provisions like the home engery audits.

I think the US went from the frying pan into the fire. Let's hope the 2010 elections send a strong message!

I have to say I'm concerned with this administration. Too many changes too fast without thinking into the long term consequences........You have an excellent post.

McCain wasn't too old. He just didn't have a clue.

Obama isn't concerned about the consequences of his action. On the contrary, the consequences of his actions were completely predictable and, IMO, are returning precisely the result he intended. He has been planning these actions for the past 20 years.

I have a much more sinister view of what is happening.

The American citizen gets the representation they elect.

I,m with Lenn, maybe even more so. This plan has been in the wpoks since Obama was a child and if he pushes these two programs though it will be working. Remeber"Never let a crisis go to waste".

David, actually it isn't a tax on the people making over $280,000 a year. It is simply rolling back their tax rate to the rate it was under President Bill Clinton. And if I remember correctly, those people and people like me did very well under those tax rates, prior to President George W. Bush's big deficits and growing the Federal government to it's biggest point ever.

As for health care reform, it's time for some free market capitalism. Let the health care industry have a little competition and see how prices go down and the quality of care goes up.

President Obama is doing what he promised to do...and the majority of American voters elected him big time. He won and this country won. Enough sour grapes from the losers...and I say that with all due respect.

David: You said: "the assertion that the belief in technology and capitalism was the cause of the housing crisis is just plain ridiculous. The cause of any crisis is usually drawn to the supply vs. demand theory. In the case of housing, we had lenders willing to lend money with no money down, no job, and decent credit."

Let me explain. Lenders normally use logic when lending money. A person needs to have a sufficient down payment to prove that they can save their money and handle their credit properly.

Enter FICO scoring, where a buyer's credit-worthiness is assigned a numeric score with a low score of 400 and a high of 850. Lenders started to love using this FICO based lending system because it was quicker and easier to approve loans and get envelopes full of money. But this technology entered during a "bull" real estate market. It wasn't really battle-tested, was it?

Now, where does capitalism enter the picture? Capitalism is a social system based on the principle of individual rights.

Thus, lenders believed that if a person had a high enough FICO score, say over 720, that meant that the borrower(s) valued their precious credit so much that they would make their payments on time no matter what happened.

Therefore, because of lenders unshaken belief in technology these high FICO-score purchasers were allowed to purchase property without needing to verify income, assets or even have a down payment. Why? Because lenders truly believed in the FICO based technology and that in a worse case scenario, when and if these high-flyers did crash, the market itself "capitalism" (insurance companies, individuals or individual investors) would bail the lenders out, and/or purchase the assets. Most lenders like WaMu thought they were too big to fail.

Common sense would tell you that if you loan somebody $3,000 you will want to verify that they are employed --otherwise they might not repay you. But did lenders making 100% no-doc loans do this? No. Their devotion to technology (Fico-based lending) and faith in the capitalistic system to rescue them, may seem like ridiculous reasons for the market to crash, but is it really so absurd to believe that it didn't cause the crisis?

Billie - in not considering consequences, that is basically no different from almost any other politician in Washington, or even in state and local governments. And he obviously is demonstrating that he is not what the country needed.

I really expected a lot of pro-Obama comments here but happily finding the tide changing...Pleasantly surprised!

Today I showed some houses that seem to reflect this post somewhat: One listing had an awesome house and "eh" land while the other had an "eh" house and awesome land. Please tell me why we can't just have the best of both worlds?

Hey he is trying in a very challenging environment. I don't think any president would be a winner here.

The Government has failed us at every turn. The SEC, the banks, GM, no oversight of stocks, housing, unemployment, the bailouts, illegal immigration so what makes you think they can do this right? The reason the economy is in deep trouble? The government! More specifically an out of control congress in both houses. America needs to wake up. We've been had.

I find it fascinating, befuddling and hilarious all at once that "some people" complain about everything, and every one when it was the actions of many who got us into this debacle in the first place. Perhaps if "some people" wouldn't have abused the appraisal system in the first place....YEAH I'm referring to Realtors, appraisers and mortgage reps....then maybe just maybe President Obama or anyone else for that matter wouldn't have had to step in to put tough and conservative measures in place to try to protect all Americans from repeating the ruin we're currently experiencing. Remember folks....trouble is easy as h*ll to get into and hard as h*ll to get out of!

I don't know how anyone can seriously blame Realtors, appraisers and mortgage reps for the problems facing us... very naive to think we have that much power... this is government at its finest messing up one way and then going helter skelter the other...

the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.... we got a 16 lane free way to hell going on right now!

Americans need to stand up and find our voice and stop this madness.... get involved... call your elected officials... do something before it is too late...no matter who you voted for or what party you are lets work together to save America, our homes, our job our land.... our freedom

JUL

Billie - in not considering consequences, that is basically no different from almost any other politician in Washington, or even in state and local governments.

I disagree. The consequences of doing nothing on healthcare now will have a far greater impact on people's lives. Why? Because of all the people over age 55. As of 2006, three years ago, there were over 78 billion "baby boomers" living in the US. That's 78 billion - not million. That's three years ago and most people aren't getting any younger. How can government help keep down health-care costs?

Think of it like this: people who buy in bulk normally get a discount on prices. If you go to Sams Club or Costco to purchase paper plates, for example, you will usually save money than buying them at a local grocery store because of this concept.

So even if nothing else changes, buying in bulk would help save money. Obama is talking about more jobs. Medical jobs are good jobs. It stimulates the economy. More importantly, though, if the cure for cancer can be found by swallowing a red pill each month, common sense tells us that drug companies will charge a pretty penny for this drug -- simply because their shareholders would gain a pretty penny as most people would be willing to pay for it. This situation is happening now for various steroids that help prolong life for Lupus patients. Some of whom will travel to Canada or Mexico to purchase cheaper versions of the same steroids.

By having a national healthcare system, government can keep these costs down as well -and make these drugs more affordable for the average person.

Yesterday I read an interesting article about his poll numbers: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32049471/ns/politics-white_house/

His numbers with ind. and dems are actually down.

Who was actually resonsible for creating HVCC?

I'm with Gene Mundt (Chicago Bancorp). You went into the voting booth, thinking Obama was the best choice, yet voted for someone else?

Obama is spot on with changing the focus of government back to what it was intended to be -- a controlling mechanism to keep big business and now multi-national behemoth businesses, from exploiting the poor and powerless.

And he's spot on in his diplomatic efforts to change the US back to what it was in the first half of the last century -- a shining beacon on a hill, committed to the ideals expressed in our constitution, and in our commitment to having a middle class. The last administration seemed to run roughshod over our Constitution, wresting control from the weak to give even more to the powerful and believing America's might comes through our military strength. It does not. It comes as a result of our economic strength and Republicans tend to forget that.

With a little luck, and a lot of dogged determination, he and his administration will be successful in fostering the longest period of economic prosperity this country has seen in at least 50 years. My IRA has already rebounded 25% since the first of the year. It had lost 50% during the last 6 months of the Bush Administration.

In a few months, we'll see employment start to expand again. Many of the campaign promises which Obama sought will be implemented through legislation. Then, watch the economic momentum get rolling in the right direction as this really well-thoughtout economic recovery plan really begin to take hold, and to spit out consistent dividends. We'll even get back to a balanced or surplus budget! You can bank on it!

Like I said, I'm with Gene Mundt. Fortunately, David Serle, you can redeem yourself in 2012. Obama for America -- I'm fired up, I'm ready to go! And by then, you will be, too!

Andrew, you misunderstood my point. I did not believe Obama was the better choice at the time I voted. I believe that people needed Obama becuase the majority needed a little boost, and some hope. I however, believe that Obama is pushing his policies and plans down the tax payers throats without consequence. I think you may be way overly optimistic. I hope you are right though. I am hoping that Obama is the best president in the history of the United States as that would only benefit all of us. I just do not not believe when all is said and done that he will accomplish much other then putting us more in debt with steeper inflation.

Lenn, I actually agree with you that Obama has a plan, and maybe he is thinking of the consequences that would be a far greater problem then not. I am however giving him the benfit of the doubt. There is no way that someone with intelligence, knowing what they know now about the current appraisal process would do it all over again. I just think it was poor judgement, and that he did not listen to many of the lobby groups that were trying to persuade him that it may have these unintended consequences.

David

Thank you! Well said..totally agree on almost all parts and positive responses as well. I personally have a health challenge and have gone through a major downturn in personal income over the last 2 years, as most have in this industry, and still do not want government healthcare. I've heard enough horror stories to know that it doesn't work anyway. Even if the poor get their "free healthcare", it doesn't do that much long term, and it perpetuates the entitlement mentality that is destroying our country generation by generation. Hey, if it's my time, I'm outta here! If I can't find a way to pay my own bills, it's not up to anyone else to pay them for me, right?!? You've heard the old saying "No work, no food!" (btw: no, I'm not yet making enough, so it's not just a saying - I live it!) And I vow that I will no longer employ people unless absolutely necessary; technology has made that possible and it's SO MUCH LESS COSTLY and reliable. Is that what this administration wants? I doubt it, but I know that I'm not alone in feeling this way.

I keep praying, like others, that Obama will learn to listen to people who know what they're doing!

Molly, absolutely right on. I hope your situation turns out for the better. You seem like a very intelligent genuine person so I wish you nothing, but the best. I have a client that lives in Canada, and he hates the health care system because he always seems to have to wait on long lines to see a doctor, and if you want to get anything major done most of his friends have come to the states to get the procedures done because many of the doctors he feels are inferior.

JUL

David, just came across this great post. First of all, Obama wants to rush his bills through before they see the light of day and the American people realize they are being duped. The cap and trade bill is another example. These bills are over 1000 pages long - and being passed through at warp speed - who has time to read them? It is 100% irresponsible for our elected officials to pass bills they haven't even read. I think we're going to have a backlash in the 2010 elections and I think Obama is going to end being as popular as Carter was when he left office. I just hope too much damage isn't done by then.

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