Obama unveils his jobs plan - he will put you to work installing new light bulbs

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Transcript:

Remarks of President-elect Barack Obama

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Good morning.

Yesterday, we received another painful reminder of the serious economic challenge our country is facing when we learned that 533,000 jobs were lost in November alone, the single worst month of job loss in over three decades. That puts the total number of jobs lost in this recession at nearly 2 million.

But this isn’t about numbers. It’s about each of the families those numbers represent. It’s about the rising unease and frustration that so many of you are feeling during this holiday season. Will you be able to put your kids through college? Will you be able to afford health care? Will you be able to retire with dignity and security? Will your job or your husband’s job or your daughter’s or son's job be the next one cut?

These are the questions that keep so many Americans awake at night. But it is not the first time these questions have been asked. We have faced difficult times before, times when our economic destiny seemed to be slipping out of our hands. And at each moment, we have risen to meet the challenge, as one people united by a sense of common purpose. And I know that Americans can rise to the moment once again.

But we need action – and action now. That is why I have asked my economic team to develop an economic recovery plan for both Wall Street and Main Street that will help save or create at least two and a half million jobs, while rebuilding our infrastructure, improving our schools, reducing our dependence on oil, and saving billions of dollars.

We won’t do it the old Washington way. We won’t just throw money at the problem. We’ll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve -- by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world.

Today, I am announcing a few key parts of my plan. First, we will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient. Our government now pays the highest energy bill in the world. We need to change that. We need to upgrade our federal buildings by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs. That won’t just save you, the American taxpayer, billions of dollars each year. It will put people back to work.

Second, we will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.

Third, my economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.

As we renew our schools and highways, we’ll also renew our information superhighway. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they’ll get that chance when I’m President – because that’s how we’ll strengthen America’s competitiveness in the world.

In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the internet. That is why the economic recovery plan I’m proposing will help modernize our health care system – and that won’t just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor’s office and hospital in this country is using cutting edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.

These are a few parts of the economic recovery plan that I will be rolling out in the coming weeks. When Congress reconvenes in January, I look forward to working with them to pass a plan immediately. We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two and a half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who’ve lost them know that they have a future. And that’s exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States.

Thanks for listening.

[Niels Bohr 72]

He has made many valid plans.

The country, and CONGRESS must look at their operations if they need to reduce spending. Technology will provide faster methods to implement change to the economy by making sure everyone is informed through the internet. Communication is very important in a civil society. Bringing computers in the classroom will provide a means for students to interact with the world and to immerse themselves with different cultures.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Will your job or your husband’s job or your daughter’s or son's job be the next one cut?

I found that line interesting in the fact that he was appealing to women. It was a mistake to use replacing light bulbs and job growth in the same paragraph though.

[mawilson 2,133]

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

[Teacher Mark 53]

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

Canada is closer. We could save on shipping that way!

[Amby 490]

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

asks the man who only recently discovered the energy efficient ones

[mawilson 2,133]

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

asks the man who only recently discovered the energy efficient ones

Yeah, I have since grown to like them.

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

Canada is closer. We could save on shipping that way!

I have an idea how to save on shipping.

Give a light bulb to an illegal just before deportation!

[JVKn'CVO 11]

It's a good start

Saludos,

Caro

[natty bumppo 289]

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

asks the man who only recently discovered the energy efficient ones

Yeah, I have since grown to like them.

What are they going to do with the old, inefficient light bulbs?

They should sell them back to China.

Canada is closer. We could save on shipping that way!

I have an idea how to save on shipping.

Give a light bulb to an illegal just before deportation!

China or Canada ... better to send with shipping billed to receiver (destination) ...

[britty 1]

well look on the bright side, if you do lose your job, you just need to call the white house and let them know. Within 48 hours you will have a nice pair of overalls, a great ladder, keys to a federal building, and a shItload of light bulbs. You probably could sneak a few for yourself without anyone knowing too

[natty bumppo 289]

well look on the bright side, if you do lose your job, you just need to call the white house and let them know. Within 48 hours you will have a nice pair of overalls, a great ladder, keys to a federal building, and a shItload of light bulbs. You probably could sneak a few for yourself without anyone knowing too

Oh great ... then we will have another law enforcement agency ... The Light Bulb Police

[mawilson 2,133]

well look on the bright side, if you do lose your job, you just need to call the white house and let them know. Within 48 hours you will have a nice pair of overalls, a great ladder, keys to a federal building, and a shItload of light bulbs. You probably could sneak a few for yourself without anyone knowing too

[peejay 327]

How many government workers does it take to change a lightbulb? One to hold the lightbulb and a crew of 4 to grab each leg of the step ladder to screw it in.

[Ban Hammer 12,999]

well look on the bright side, if you do lose your job, you just need to call the white house and let them know. Within 48 hours you will have a nice pair of overalls, a great ladder, keys to a federal building, and a shItload of light bulbs. You probably could sneak a few for yourself without anyone knowing too

[dalegg 143]

Our government now pays the highest energy bill in the world. We need to change that. We need to upgrade our federal buildings by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs. That won’t just save you, the American taxpayer, billions of dollars each year. It will put people back to work.

So..why don't they just have the existing maintenance crews go down to Lowes, pick up what they need, and replace them one afternoon? I guess a better question might be why haven't they done that already?

We replaced all of our bulbs. We didn't make a big project out of it and we didn't bring in extra workers. They just gave us a bulb and we replaced it. Took about 30 seconds.