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What Will Obama Change?
(This article first appeared in the July/August 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Editor’s Note: Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has thrilled audiences with his inspiring calls for hope and change. But his stirring speeches have prompted some voters to ask: If elected, what will Obama change?
Change the Way Business Is Done
Perhaps Sen. Obama’s most sweeping promise is to “change the way business in done in Washington.” But what does that really mean?
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Obama has promised to eradicate the undue influence of powerbrokers and “special interests” by refusing to accept campaign contributions from lobbyists and “political action committees.” And within 48 hours of clinching the nomination, he announced that the same rules would apply to contributions to the Democratic National Committee.
This policy sends a clear message: Insurance companies will not set healthcare policy; the oil industry will not write energy laws, and our nation’s wealthiest individuals will not establish tax policy.
Obama has vowed to end the partisan bickering that has paralyzed Washington for years and prevented the nation from adequately addressing the many serious problems we face — from skyrocketing fuel prices to global warming to the enormous deficits that jeopardize our economy.
He has refused to pander to voters by endorsing “feel good” solutions that won’t work. When other candidates proposed temporarily suspending federal gasoline taxes, Obama refused to go along, noting that virtually all the experts agreed the action would not reduce consumers’ costs at the pump; it would increase gas consumption, and it would drain transportation funding.
And Obama’s ability to bring new voters into the electoral process shows he has the potential to be the kind of “transformational” leader our country so desperately needs.
End the War in Iraq
Sen. Obama has opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, before the start of the war, Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that the invasion would lead to an occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. He has continued to condemn the war, saying it is “distracting us from what should be our number-one priority, the war on terrorism.”
Perhaps the saddest irony, he has said, “is that the Iraq War has left us less safe than we were before 9/11.”Obama notes that Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants have rebuilt a base in Pakistan; the Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and Iran has emerged as the greatest strategic challenge to America in the Middle East in a generation.
If elected, Obama has promised to remove one to two combat brigades each month and to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq within 16 months. (He would keep some servicemen in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats.) If al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he would keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on them. And he would redeploy at least two combat brigades to Afghanistan to reinforce our counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Improve Treatment of Veterans
Barack Obama believes America is honor-bound to provide our veterans with the top-notch benefits they deserve. Obama will improve the quality of healthcare, rebuild the VA’s broken benefits system, combat homelessness among veterans, and improve mental health treatment for service members suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.
As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Obama helped passed legislation to improve care and slash red tape for our wounded warriors recovering at military hospitals like Walter Reed and at VA centers nationwide. He backed laws to help homeless veterans and has offered an innovative solution to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness.
Obama helped pass legislation to stop a VA review of closed PTSD cases that could have led to a reduction in veterans’ benefits. He assisted in the passage of an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for traumatic brain injuries.
Protect Homeownership
Obama will make sure that homebuyers are protected from fraudulent practices, and plans to implement a 10 percent universal mortgage credit to provide tax relief to homeowners who do not itemize. This average $500 credit will affect approximately 10 million homeowners, most of whom earn less than $50,000 annually.
Obama-introduced legislation provides the first federal definition of mortgage fraud, increases funding for both federal and state enforcement programs, and stiffens penalties for those mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud.
Obama will create a fund — partially paid for by increased penalties on irresponsible and fraudulent lenders — to help people refinance their mortgages. He also will work to eliminate the provision that prevents bankruptcy courts from modifying an individual’s mortgage payments. The subprime mortgage industry, Obama says, has engaged in dangerous and sometimes unscrupulous business practices. It should not be shielded by outdated federal law.
Provide Tax Relief for the Middle Class
The Bush administration has given those who earn more than $1 million a tax cut nearly 160 times greater than that received by middle-income Americans. If elected, Sen. Obama will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers tax relief. He will create a new “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person or $1,000 per working family.
He will simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to complete their own tax returns in less than five minutes. Obama will ensure that the IRS uses the information it already receives from banks and employers to give taxpayers the option of pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign, and return. Experts estimate the Obama proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and up to $2 billion in preparation fees.
To learn about Obama’s positions on the energy crisis, workers’ rights, and more, visit www.BarackObama.com.
This page paid for by the APWU Committee on Political Action (COPA), and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
