Since the outsourcing of jobs to other countries is creating the job shortage in the US which is causing unemployment where there need not be unemployment in this country. Make those companies causing the increase in unemployment and the need for extended benefits pay for this increase through an unemployment subsidy tax that target only the companies outsourcing jobs rather then create more deficits for the general population of taxpayers.

Location: New Jersey

Instead of making stamps for collecting, we should put advertisements on the stamps and have the companies who want to advertise on the stamps pay the government to cover the print costs. i think that would be a win/win for the government and companies who want to advertise to millions of people.

Martha Smith
Swansea, Illinois

Location: Swansea, Illinois

Mr.Obama,

I would like to suggest you a three easy steps to improve the economy and jobs right away as follows;
1.Lower all house morgage interests from avg of 6.3% to 2.3%.How?Not allowing brokers to charge consumers all the want from .25-.50(Federal’s Rate)to 6.3%.This will leave about $1,254 savings or higher a month for all American Families all across USA.Consumers will start spending a creating jobs.
2.Healthcare budget creation to control an affordable health insurance for all Americans’ companies,and individuals by not allowing health companies to charge premiums that avg $1,200 a month per family.If budget is created then gov & families/companies can contribute 50%/50% leaving another $600 savings a month or higher.
3.Gasoline prices must be control by finding new ways not to depend on gasoline so much.We all need a car to be able to drive miles,and miles through this beautifull country,and we have no choices unless you leave in mayor cities where you can find another way to move around so,I suggest you create a budget to develop solar power electric cars,and use all this free energy all across USA to finally create this by partnering with all mayor car inductries to start really doing something about it.
It is all about changing ways of doing things.

Best Regards,
JS

Location: California,USA

I think the President should fight for the postal service.
As Americans, mail delivery is one of the things we
value highly. I don’t want to see the day when that
service, at an affordable rate, is compromised. Post
office jobs have traditionally been good paying jobs
with good benefits. War vets have a high priority
when applying for post office jobs. Why would our
government not fight to preserve this great service
that Americans have needed and enjoyed for so many
years? Mr. President, ask Congress to pass legislation
that would preserve our postal service. If it’s all about
jobs, jobs, jobs this makes perfect sense. I am so dis-
couraged when i think of the postal service being in
jepoardy, not only as a vital service, but also in regard to
the good job it has always been. I can see wages and
benefits going down for postal workers not to mention
job losses. This is not
good. It seems like all the cost saving measures going
on in the country are lowering wages, lowering the
standard of living for the middle class and continuing to
hurt the economy. Mr. Obama, please speak up for the
postal service.

Location: Norway, Mi

A huge drain on the economy still continues to be underwater or potentially underwater home mortgages. As long as someone is worried about making mortgage payments, they are highly unlikely to buy anything but absolute necessities. As long as lenders are trying to work through a portfolio of non-performing loans, they are less inclined or able to lend. As long as the housing market is full of foreclosed and defaulting properties, housing prices will stay depressed. The value of the housing stock in this Country has dropped a huge amount compared to what it was prior to the economic meltdown

The Federal Government could fix this situation all around for a relatively small cash outlay and a much smaller absolute expenditure. The Government (for a specified period of time – say five years) could make mortgage holders’ monthly payments for them when they cannot. The Government then gets a lein against the property for the amount of the payments that must be paid back when the property is sold. The payment is then technically a “loan” rather than an expenditure so in this way it shouldn’t even count against the budget deficit. Until the homeowner paid back all these “loans”, no mortgage interest credit could be taken as a dedeuction from Income Tax. In this way, the cash outflow would be somewhat moderated and this might even be regarded as reducing the deficit.

With this program all home mortgages would be considered “performing” under banki9ng regulations freeing up related capital reserves allowing the banks to lend more. Housing stocks become more valuable. Property values increase, improving state and municipal government tax revenues and somewhat relieving these entities’ budget deficits reducing the need for the Federal Government to provide funding. Individuals get to keep their homes and preserve (at least emotionally) their assets. Individuals will have more to spend and feel more like spending. The economy will improve and its the little guy, not Wall Street that gets the direct benefit. It’s also the little guy who votes.

The best thing is the cash required is only a small fraction of the value of the housing stock in this Country, since it is only for monthly mortgage payments and would only be for a fraction of all the houses.

Location: Miami, Florida

1 Get the gas companies to lower the prices at the pump. 2 Tax deduction for credit card interest. 3 Extend the unemployment claims for individuals that have exhausted there claims.

Location: washington DC

Mr. President,

On December 8, 2000, the International Monetary Fund published a document entitled, “The Impact of Oil Prices On the Global Economy”.

The gist of this work was to offer empirical data on the negative impacts that sustained oil price increases would have on the United States and the world. Even though the information modeled modest price hikes typical of the 90′s, the information equated these increases to a “fuel tax” that would shrink real incomes, and ignite inflation–bringing our economy to its knees.

In today’s terms, our nation has seen oil prices far beyond what any of the study’s writers even dreamed. Over the past 10 years over a trillion dollars of this “oil tax” has been paid in higher retail prices and at the pump. The net effect of this has removed all of the discretionary or “residual” spending power from our economy–that which supported home purchases/upgrades, the purchase of industrial goods and (above all) JOBS.

In conclusion, I humbly urge you to study the economic reports of the 90′s regarding our economy and the impact of oil prices. From these data you will discover that unless the U.S. government acts quickly to lower or cap oil/gasoline prices at “fair and decent” levels, our economy will continue its decline toward deep recession.

Highest Regards,
M. Bishop

Location: Portland, Oregon

Why not study the skills of the unemployed in the areas with the highest unemployment and the highest number of mortgages under water. Make a list of the skills that are most common and then offer incentives to companies who will open a facility that uses those skills.

So, instead of people moving to areas where there is employment available, a business will expand into the areas where the skills already exist, but are unused

My 2 cents.

Location: Sacramento, California

This recession was triggered by a crash in the housing market and the government was on the hook for billions of dollars in government backed loans. There is a way out of this mess! New homes are not being built, not because of a lack of need or demand but because banks want 20% or more down payment. Almost no one has that kind of available cash unless they sell one home to buy another and there are no buyers because of the high down payment requirement.
I purpose a two step solution:
#1) Instead of Fannie mae and Freddie mac backing an applicants entire mortgage, why not simply gaurantee something like 15 of the 20% down
being required by the bank. Instead of doing this through Fannie mae and Freddie mac, a new department within government could be created to do this. Alternatively, this money could be a loan that would be collected by the IRS in the form of an additional payroll tax collected by the persons employer and could be tax and/or interest free.
#2) We already set energy efficiency standards for everything from automobiles to TV’s and appliances so why not houses? For every new home build under this new government down payment assistance program, we should require the home to be 10% more efficient than the average home in that particular area or neighborhood. These efficiency ratings could be based on data available from the electric and heating fuel utility companies. Energy efficient appliances, heating, cooling, insulation, renewable enery sources such as solar panels and wind turbines could all be used to meet these new energy rating standards. These new homes should be required to be interfaced with the electric grid in such a way as to allow excess energy to be returned to the grid and electic utility’s should be required to pay an amount equivalent to their current production costs for this home owner supplied electricity. In addition the new home owner should get a tax credit for installing a charging system for charging an electric vehicle. This would assist and encourage the purchase of newer more energy efficient electric vehicles.
Innovation would be greatly stimulated by companies both large and small seeking to compete for these new energy efficient products being
sought by builders and home owners seeking cost effective ways to
meet these new requirements.

Location: Kanab, UT 84741

The last stimulus package included Municipal Water Infrastructure loans granted to all States for “shovel ready” projects. California was granted 320 Million Dollars. These loans were administered to various Municipal and Private drinking water agencies by the California State Department of Public Health (CDPH) through the State Revolving Fund. These loans are backed similarly to revenue anticipation bonds ensuring the highest probibility of repayment.

Application for these loans exceeded 4.2 Billion Dollars -the vast majority being rejected. These were for “shovel Ready” projects, defined as capable of being under construction within one year. If we increase the time horizon to three years the estimate demand for water projects exceeds 18 Billion Dollars.

This in one State and just for Drinking Water projects. No doubt Waste Water Municipalities could generate similar demand.

I was frankly shocked when all these projects were not funded under Stimulus One. These are after all loans, either yielding profit or costing tax payers next to nothing. The good news is here is the oppertunity to stimulate tens of thousands of construction jobs Nationwide with Federal loans. Politically a “slam dunk”, loans for the peoples infrastructure, paid for by those who benifit. So what exactly are we waiting for?

Location: Fairfield / CA