The Transition Memo

Vice President-elect Joe Biden and President-elect Barack Obama (Obama-Biden Transition Project/Creative Commons license)

When President Barack Obama takes office on Tuesday, he will inherit some of the most pressing issues the country and the world have ever faced. It is logical that Obama is putting the economy at the top of the agenda; however, there are many other issues that should be made priorities as well, some of which can help alleviate the economic crisis if addressed. As someone who is part of the Millennial generation that helped vault him to victory last fall, I have deep concerns about how Obama might handle my future. I fear that unless several of these problems are addressed immediately, democracy and our planet will be in serious jeopardy. Here is a list—in no particular order—of the issues that need the most urgent attention.

(1) Education: The disparities in the quality and level of education between the rich and poor are steadily growing, and due to the rising costs of post-secondary education and the shrinking amount of federal aid, many young Americans are getting priced out of a college education. Obama must keep his promises of revamping public education by repealing or drastically overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act and making college more affordable by increasing the amount of federal aid available to college students. Also, he must change the ways federal funding is allocated to poorer states and school districts and increase teacher training and qualification standards. The best way to invest in our country’s future is by ensuring that all children are given every educational opportunity to succeed.

(2) Health Care: Our health care system is the most expensive and inefficient in the industrialized world. Obama has promised to radically change the system, but the plan he proposed during the campaign isn’t enough. What America needs is a universal healthcare system which provides equal care to all Americans. Such a system would save our country an estimated $1 trillion over ten years and would ensure that every American receives the medical care they deserve. Instead of treating healthcare as a commodity, we should treat it as a basic right, as Obama said during a presidential debate. The only way to accomplish that is by instituting a universal healthcare system that doesn’t discriminate.

(3) The Climate Crisis: Our planet is in peril. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide have wrecked havoc on the environment. Obama needs to end our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil and to invest in cleaner, more sustainable sources of renewable energy like wind and solar. On top of the solutions he has already put forth, Obama should strengthen existing environmental laws and enact new ones to solidify our commitment to environmental sustainability. Obama should raise fuel-efficiency standards on cars and trucks to 37 miles per gallon, create more national parks, protect more threatened species of plants and animals, and vow to cut our carbon emissions in half by the year 2025. The United States must take the lead on this issue and guide the world toward a more sustainable standard of living. Time is running out.

(4) Inequality: The United States has the highest rate of inequality and poverty in the industrialized world. Likewise, we still struggle with issues of race, gender equality, and gay rights. Therefore, it is crucial that Obama keeps his promise of instituting a more progressive tax code that benefits the struggling middle and lower-class Americans instead of the wealthiest 10 percent. He should continue to fight for laws such as the Equal Opportunity Employment Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which guarantee equal employment opportunity and pay to all Americans. Furthermore, he ought to abolish the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and recognize the rights of gay couples to marry. We can’t truly say that we consider that all men and women are created equal until we enact legislation and policies which guarantee equality.

(5) World Poverty and Hunger: Nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day in the world, and every five seconds a child dies of hunger. Yet the United States gives only .16 percent of its gross national income (GNI) toward humanitarian aid, the lowest proportion in the industrialized world. Poverty and hunger are our most morally imperative issues and the United States should take a leading role in eradicating them. We have to commit more of our GNI to foreign aid, forgive debts that many developing countries can’t afford to pay, stop supporting corrupt regimes and failed policies that put developing countries into further debt and despair, and end the practice of tying humanitarian aid to our own foreign policy interests. We also need to do more to end the ethnic conflicts in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and most especially, the Middle East. We can eliminate poverty and hunger, and when we do we will also end many of the problems they create and intensify.

(6) Restore our Democracy: The “imperial presidency” of George W. Bush has done brutal damage to our democracy. Blatant violations of our Constitution have restricted our civil and political rights. Moreover, the use of torture and the illegal invasion of Iraq have severely harmed our national security. First, Obama must stand by his commitment to end the military occupation of Iraq. Furthermore, he should focus more on diplomacy instead of military escalation in Afghanistan. Obama has promised to close Guantánamo Bay during his first week in office, though many estimate it may take much longer. He must give those prisoners a fair trial, as well as end the use of torture and reestablish our country’s adherence to the Geneva Conventions. Lastly, Obama must respect the laws of the Constitution and return Americans’ rights in full. If Obama abolishes the ways of the imperial presidency not only will our democracy be restored but so will our standing in the world.

Obama and his administration have a tough road ahead. The problems they must confront keep mounting by the day. But the truth is many of these issues have reached a critical point where they can no longer be overlooked or underestimated. On behalf of future generations like my own, I implore that all available tools and resources be used to solve these crises. Obama will have the support of those that helped elect him; however, we need to see real action and an actual commitment to the change he has promised. I have faith that under Obama’s leadership, we will begin to overcome these obstacles.

Lauren Yingling is a freelance writer and proud Millennial. She graduated from the University of Delaware in 2005. She can be reached at lymd22@yahoo.com.

Related Stories

• The United States of Business Appeasement
• Commentary: Jobs Plan Good for Students, Young Americans
• With Congress in Gridlock, Obama Should Raise the Debt Ceiling Himself
• Obama’s LGBT Support a Stark Contrast to Past Presidents
• DeSean Jackson’s Anti-Gay Slur Defended by Radio Host