Crisis requires unity and compromise
Editorial Board
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: Ed-Op
President-elect Barack Obama visited Philadelphia Dec. 2, but for a different purpose than in previous months - to convene with the National Governors Association, discussing a variety of issues, most notably the economic crisis.
According to the NGA, this is the first time a president-elect has met with this organization. Obama has maintained a higher profile and been more active than past presidents during the transition period, as the issues facing the nation today require an especially smooth administrative changeover.
Since Obama's election to office, he has fostered a climate of change to attempt to overcome the divisive partisanship that plagues American politics. This was only furthered at the NGA session, where both parties gathered to discuss the issues, and both walked away feeling confident.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Dec. 3: "Several governors praised Obama for being willing to listen to them at the meeting. [Gov. Mike Easley (D-N.C.)] said the president-elect frequently used the word 'partner.' "
Even GOP members such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) said, "[Obama] was interested ... to see how the federal government and the states can learn together and also to learn from the states … because the states are the laboratories for the federal government."
This is a time when our country needs leadership in the economy the most. InvestmentNews reported Dec. 1, "The National Bureau of Economic Research Inc. today confirmed what most Americans have been feeling for many months: The United States economy has been in a recession for a year."
Economic activity peaked in December 2007 and has been in a decline since then. The NBER estimates that over 500,000 jobs have been lost since the beginning of October, and Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman, said that we might be losing 500,000 a month.
Considering these monumental challenges, it is encouraging to see the president-elect begin preparing so early for the trials he will face in office. President-elect Obama has taken the lead, even receiving more daily intelligence briefings than our current president.
As this recession grows, the federal government will need to utilize its enormous resources to help state and local governments keep their communities together. Philadelphians are no exception to economic hardship, as we will soon see the effects of City budget reduction in library closings, layoffs and fire department cuts. Mayor Nutter has been an active player among others in seeking assistance from the federal government, and we hope that his efforts will keep the City and its people on their feet in these tough times. Only by working together, across all levels of government and all party lines, can we make it through this crisis.
According to the NGA, this is the first time a president-elect has met with this organization. Obama has maintained a higher profile and been more active than past presidents during the transition period, as the issues facing the nation today require an especially smooth administrative changeover.
Since Obama's election to office, he has fostered a climate of change to attempt to overcome the divisive partisanship that plagues American politics. This was only furthered at the NGA session, where both parties gathered to discuss the issues, and both walked away feeling confident.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Dec. 3: "Several governors praised Obama for being willing to listen to them at the meeting. [Gov. Mike Easley (D-N.C.)] said the president-elect frequently used the word 'partner.' "
Even GOP members such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) said, "[Obama] was interested ... to see how the federal government and the states can learn together and also to learn from the states … because the states are the laboratories for the federal government."
This is a time when our country needs leadership in the economy the most. InvestmentNews reported Dec. 1, "The National Bureau of Economic Research Inc. today confirmed what most Americans have been feeling for many months: The United States economy has been in a recession for a year."
Economic activity peaked in December 2007 and has been in a decline since then. The NBER estimates that over 500,000 jobs have been lost since the beginning of October, and Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman, said that we might be losing 500,000 a month.
Considering these monumental challenges, it is encouraging to see the president-elect begin preparing so early for the trials he will face in office. President-elect Obama has taken the lead, even receiving more daily intelligence briefings than our current president.
As this recession grows, the federal government will need to utilize its enormous resources to help state and local governments keep their communities together. Philadelphians are no exception to economic hardship, as we will soon see the effects of City budget reduction in library closings, layoffs and fire department cuts. Mayor Nutter has been an active player among others in seeking assistance from the federal government, and we hope that his efforts will keep the City and its people on their feet in these tough times. Only by working together, across all levels of government and all party lines, can we make it through this crisis.
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