Issue 2013: New Year: Let’s Hit the Reset Button

by Diana Zhao

Everyone wishes that there is a reset button so that they could clear the mistakes they’ve made in the past and start a new life in a new year. It should be the same with the Congress and the President. However, the ball dropped down from the top of the Times Square Building doesn’t crush the issues they faced in 2012. They still have to deal with the existing issues and problems while preparing for more in the upcoming year.

2012 has been a tough year for the nation, with Hurricane Sandy, the shooting massacre in Connecticut, newly-issued fiscal policy, partisanship in Congress and many other remaining problems from the previous year. It’s certainly impossible to fix all in merely one year, but we can always wish for better.

1.     Disaster Response

The sudden visit of Hurricane Sandy alarmed people about the inefficiency and the lack of preparation of the government for natural disasters. Even though the hurricane has passed long ago and the remaining issue is the aftermath remedy, the government still has to work on the immediate after-disaster response, backup power and water sources, and infrastructure repair. Also, people who live in the possibly affected areas should get confirmed official warnings or even organized evacuations from local government long before the storm. There would have been less devastation if the news had talked about it more.

2.     Gun Control

The terrible shooting massacre at Newtown, Connecticut, is another tragedy of the long-existing gun issue. Congress really should work out a more strict control policy in 2013, like limiting the kinds of guns, numbers of bullets, and enforcing buying registrations. When people purchase guns, there should be a registration so that the government could track the where every piece goes. However, personal sales at gun shows and black markets have always been problematic. I don't have suggestions on this because it's hard to balance between enough background checks and gun purchase trace, and privacy protection. I wish Congress would have some law worked out. As an international student from China, I myself lived 18 years in a country without legal guns in life and I feel perfectly fine. The right to hold a gun has been part of the American experience from the very start of the nation. That’s why it’s been a very problematic issue for so many years.

3.     Environment

Issues regarding the environment and energy will be a long-term topic in the Congressional discussion. Clean energy development and efficiency improvement are definitely the way out, but the Congress needs to put pressure on specialized agencies to get it going. Simply importing intermediate goods from developing countries and leaving the “dirty” work to them is not, and never will be, the solution. 

Issue 2013: Disaster Response

by Anna Schlauch

One of the top stories of 2012 was the destructive and devastating Hurricane Sandy. Not a single person in New Jersey escaped the storm without a personal story to tell, inconvenience to their life or devastating damage to their home, property or town. Today, over two months after the storm, the devastating mark Hurricane Sandy left can still be seen all over the tri-state area. Over the past few years, storms have not only become more frequent, they have become far more powerful and destructive. Because of this recent weather trend, the U.S federal government needs to direct its attention toward disaster response in order to ensure proper preparation and protection of American lives. There are several things the government can demand to make sure Americans are properly prepared for natural disasters and do not suffer tremendous losses. The U.S government needs to call for mandatory evacuations and demand that people leave their homes as soon as a devastating storm or natural disaster becomes a possibility. This way, people cannot refuse to leave their homes, which will ensure their own safety as well as the safety of rescue workers. In addition, government needs to demand that those who own a home near the shore have flood insurance. After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA spent a lot of government money on homes that were not protected by flood insurance. Mandatory flood insurance for those who own a home that is at high risk of flooding will save FEMA, as well as tax payers, a great deal of money. In addition to flooding, one of the biggest problems Hurricane Sandy brought was power loss. The U.S Government needs to consider how many families were without power for painfully long periods of time and improve utility services. If the U.S government privatizes utility services, instead of leaving them government managed, competition between power companies will increase as private companies seek to become the most powerful company. Increased competition between power companies will lead to improved services to customers, as the companies will become more responsible and quick to act. In 2013, the U.S government needs to analyze recent storm damages and consider what needs to be done to ensure the safety of Americans in such situations. 

Issue 2013: The Big Four

by Wes DeSouza

As we enter a new year, we move into a new spectrum of issues and controversies that need to be dealt with. Some big issues that are still of very much concern are issues such as fiscal issues, Healthcare reform, and energy. But also due to recent devastating events such as the Newtown shooting and Hurricane Sandy, there are new issues on the table that Congress should very much consider in its new legislative session.

1.)Fiscal issues: After the Federal Government barely averted the fiscal cliff, and the fiscal deal was passed, Congress is forced to move forward. This includes addressing and finding necessary cuts that need to be made.

2.)Energy: Congress needs to start making progress in the arena of climate change and energy conservation. It may seem like there is little political force to push climate change reform, but I think that there needs to be significant conversation about carbon emissions and alternative energy sources.

3.)Gun control: Due to recent events in Newtown Connecticut, this ahs shed light on the major issue of gun control. This means dissecting the Second Amendment and developing polices on automatic weapons, ammunition, and background check requirements. After the horrible shooting, I think that the public is ready and willing to adhere to new gun laws and I think Congress should too.

4.)Disaster response: In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Congress should bee looking at changing and looking into making new response systems, disaster planning, and looking into more effective relief systems.

Issue 2013: New Year, New Congress, New Resolutions

by Val Renda

2013 is starting out as a big year – a second term for President Obama and a new Congress. My most general hope for the coming year is cooperation among parties in Congress because there is an ever-increasing divide between parties, and it seems more and more difficult to reach compromises. In 2013, there are many political challenges in front of us, and I believe the two main ones that we should focus on in the New Year are the economy and disaster relief reforms.

I think the economy should be an important priority in the first few months of the new term and new Congress. Much of the election was based upon economic policies, job growth, tax policies, and rebuilding the economy because this is the greatest concern to the majority of American families. If I were an advisor to the president I would first suggest that he fire me as an advisor because he needs someone more educated in politics and the economy… Then, I would advise him to push forth compromise in Congress to resolve this crisis and to stick to the promises of a better economy that he stressed in the election. I think Congress needs to regain the confidence of the American people in this upcoming year, because it seems that people are increasingly blaming Congress for not being responsive enough to the economic problems that our nation is facing. I think that the government needs to cut spending and reach a compromise on deficit spending. Financial turmoil is something Americans DON’T want to see in 2013, which is why the economy is the biggest issue for this year.

Along with economic reforms, I think disaster reforms are greatly needed this year. Hurricane Sandy left many people upset with the national and state government for not acting quickly enough for relief, which is why I think there needs to be some sort of national policy for disaster relief and aid, in order for the government to be more prepared if something like this should happen again.

I think gun control will be a popular topic in the New Year for Congress. I don’t have a solution to this problem because I think there are so many factors that are involved that I don’t know enough about, including the impact that the gun industry has on the economy and whether or not losing jobs in this industry would greatly affect the economy or not.

In 2013, I think there is a lot of pressure for Congress to step up their game and focus on the big issues – not avoid them. I hope that we see a lot of progress in 2013. 

Issue 2013: My Political Pipe Dreams

by Stacy McMillen

I have asked my government students to identify the big issues of 2013.  By big issues, I mean the issues that they believe our national leaders should deal with in the coming year.  This is exactly the sort of thing that I think about all the time (scary, no?), so it seems fair for me to also participate in the assignment.  So I have made a political wish list for 2013.   Mine is one part practical and two parts pipe dream.  I'll leave it to readers to figure out which is which.

1.  Climate change: Real action on climate change, including conversations about our resource consumption habits and policies to change them, especially water conservation and oil and natural gas extraction.  As part of this, I'd like to see us commit to alternative energy development and use.

2.  Infrastructure improvement: An updated and modernized national electric grid, a commitment to national Internet access, significant road and bridge repairs.  This commitment would involve short-term costs in exchange for immediate job opportunities and long-term economic growth.

3.  Disaster preparedness: Now more than ever, a national conversation about disaster preparedness is in order. This is exactly the sort of thing that should accompany real action on climate change.  It could certainly facilitate policy proposals to enable progress in emergency planning.

4.  Gun control:  My list here is long.  Count me among those who would cheerfully vote to remove the Second Amendment from the Constitution.  Short of that, I'd like to see national bans on automatic weapons, national limits on bullet purchases, and vigorous background checks.  These solutions will not fully cure our violent nation, but they would be a start.  My greatest political fear at the moment is that none of it will materialize in the current political climate.

5.  Healthcare costs: A serious effort to come to terms with healthcare costs.  In all honesty, this is truly a pipe dream because the only reasonable solution on this front is establishing a national healthcare model, a sort of Cleveland Clinic writ large, and our nation is so unwilling to understand that this is our obvious solution.

I'm ending my list here, though there are many more issues I'd like our leaders to tackle.  But reality dictates that only a few big policy changes will move forward in a given year and I'm likely already over my limit.  Even so, these New Year's Resolutions made on behalf of Congress are a solid start on moving our nation in the direction I'd like to see us head.  

Okay, Congress, you've been given your marching orders.  Now get to work.