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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Baldur Fjvlnisson who wrote (334954)	12/30/2002 9:26:06 AM
From: Baldur Fjvlnisson	Respond to of 769670

Energy is the single greatest symbol of the wrong choices being made by this Administration. They think we can drill our way out of our energy problems - they stand pat as $1.8 billion in federal largesse is lavished on oil and gas while alternative energies compete for the scraps of a mere $24 million in federal venture capital - and they remain content to let hardworking Americans be held hostage by a handful of nations that rig the world’s oil market. As a founding member of the OPEC oil cartel said years ago, the Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stone, and the oil age won’t end because we run out of oil. We can’t drill our way out of our dependence, we have to invest our way and we should start in earnest now. In fact we should accelerate all our efforts in technology -- speed up the development process -- push the curve - and join the competition so that American ingenuity can again lead the world. For Americans who work in engineering, design, and industry the growth of wind, solar and geothermal would spark a surge in production. And since developing new energy technologies is a research-requiring, pathbreaking activity, we can create thousands of well-paying new jobs. The machines of renewable energy will be made of steel, aluminum and glass. They will be machined, manufactured, distributed and maintained. I don't think we should take a backseat to the Germans or the Japanese in that effort. This new direction for America should create jobs for Americans, and it's up to us to insist it does. Let’s do it - let’s intensify research and development of technologies that will help us detect, prevent, contain, and counter biological and chemical agents that could be used by terrorists. Today there’s little incentive for private investors to enter a tiny market where government may be the primary customer. So why don’t we take federal seed money and create a privately managed venture capital fund for the development of anti-bioterrorism technologies, and for the encouragement of new companies to enter this market? Let’s help unleash all of our creativity on new health research. Postponing the onset of Alzheimer's disease by just five years would empty half of all the nursing home beds in America and our overall health care costs would plummet. Let’s set out the challenge - invest in Research and Development - empower the National Institute for Health - and let’s make it happen - lets embrace an all out effort to cure these diseases which rob our parents and grandparents of their savings, their dignity, and their golden years. These are all critical investments in our future - choices too long deferred by this Administration. And you can’t talk about investing in our future, without talking about investing in the workers whose labor will define that future for us. America’s success has taught us the extraordinary capacity of American workers. We have the most talented, productive and persevering workers in the world. But the world keeps changing around them. And for some the effort to keep up can seem insurmountable. We also know business needs access to good workers. So we need to work with business, state and local governments to provide a seamless system of worker training. I know we can give people the opportunity and the incentive to chart a course of lifelong learning and education. We need to end-run the bureaucracy and simply provide any dislocated worker with up to $4,000 in qualified job training services. Scholarship funds could be used not only for skills training, but also for resume writing, job-hunting, interviewing and career research. We also should create Empowerment Accounts for low-income Americans. Each dollar saved in the account is matched and funds can only be withdrawn to get additional education or worker training, start a business or buy a home. This innovative tool would help millions of American families start paving their path to economic success. So America has a choice between two competing visions. The Bush Administration sees an America where tax cuts for the wealthy are the only priority - even if they prevent any real investments for economic progress, bust the budget and violate the very value of fairness. I see an America where every working family has real opportunity for a better life¼an American where when it comes time for tax cuts, the middle class are first in line The opportunity to find a job that enables them to care for their family¼ to buy a house¼ to create a nest-egg¼ and enjoy a secure retirement. I see an America where our government stops slanting the field towards the special interests - and starts representing fairness for all Americans. I see an America that focuses on the economy today - not a decade from now. I see an America where we actually focus on growing the economy¼ invest in our workers¼ help small business, and lead the world in cutting-edge technologies and research. We can do it - I know we can - if we have the character, the commitment and the courage to follow through -- the kind of courage demonstrated time and again by one of our greatest Americans, John Glenn. John Glenn learned lessons in combat about responsibility -- and leadership. His generation learned how to meet the challenge of difficult times at home and around the world -- and they succeeded in meeting both. I believe we can do that again in our country. I believe our generation can rise to this challenge - that even as we win a war, we can rebuild our economy, we can create jobs and we can drive a new wave of innovation in a new century. There are a couple of old sayings that John Glenn and I both learned in our military days: The Army says they never leave their wounded. The marines say they never leave even their dead. I say it's time we joined together in our country - all of us as Citizen Soldiers - committed to a cause greater than ourselves -- to make certain in deeds, not words, that we have an economy where no American is left behind. That's the mission we have to undertake - all of us - in the days ahead - never stopping until our dream is a reality for every American. Now let's go out of here and get the job done.