Guest View: Obama should act more like Kennedy, less like Roosevelt

Between the election last fall and President Obama’s
inauguration, there were comparison of President Obama with
President Kennedy. Both were young, both were excellent orators,
both had handsome families.
 
By Marvin Jones

Between the election last fall and President Obama’s inauguration, there were comparison of President Obama with President Kennedy. Both were young, both were excellent orators, both had handsome families. 

There was another similarity. Both inherited an economic recession from their predecessor. 

There was hope the similarity would go one step further. President Obama could follow the precedent of President Kennedy.  That was to reduce taxes and regulations on business to encourage job creation.  It worked very well for President Kennedy.  Businesses expanded, unemployment decreased, the economy prospered. 

It seems President Obama is following the pattern of President Franklin Roosevelt.  President Roosevelt also inherited a recession. Roosevelt tried to stimulate the economy with ‘shovel-ready’ public works jobs.  Remember the WPA, CCC and others.  President Roosevelt also raised taxes and increased government regulations over business. Unemployment was near its peek in 1937, four years into the Roosevelt administration. 

The recession (Great Depression) did not end until 1942, the 10th year of President Roosevelt’s administration. And it was World War II that ended the depression, not the federal government. 

President Obama has promised to shut down coal mines.  He has demonized the drug manufacturers and the insurance companies.  He has taken over the auto industry, and now proposes to increase regulations and taxes on the banking industry.  That will result is less money for banks to loan to industry for job creation.  Hopefully, he will wake up and smell the coffee.  He should follow President Kennedy’s example, not President Roosevelt’s. 

Marvin L. Jones is a Hollister resident.