A Third Party

To whom it may concern,

Bipartisan politics is caused by the absence of a strong third party. Now that one of the most successful US Mayor's in modern history might have to create his own political party to run for a third term in New York City, things might be changing. While this is no Ross Perot, and the Mayor of New York City is certainly not the President of the United States, it is still a high office. Along with the organic growth of the Green party in the nation's West, winning several local elections, and an independent Senator in Congress, there are some relative, visible gains for third party interests. While party's have evolved, died, changed names, and gained favor over the course of American history, the political system has changed very little since the time of the Federalists versus the Anti-Federalists. With all the promises to end bipartisanship in Washington, the unification of the two parties portends the demise of one and the rise of another, or at least an opportunity for a third party to rise to relevance? How does this administration intend to court third parties in this new political reality?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP

The End of the Iraq War

To whom it may concern,

Thank you for setting a course to end combat missions in Iraq and pledging America's long-term commitments to peace, prosperity, and independence in the Middle East. I have only one concern; If things do go terribly wrong in Iraq after our evacuation, is the United States willing to go back into this country for a third time and stabilize it?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP

An End to the Cuban Embargo

To whom it may concern,

For over forty years, America’s embargo on Cuba has done virtually nothing to end communism and promote democracy in the country. It has arguably done the exact opposite by rallying the people of Cuba around its government and against its large, imposing super-power neighbor. In the past, whenever changes in foreign policy toward Cuba were discussed, a very small yet powerful Cuban-American exile community in Miami has terminated the debate. How can we vilify communist Cuba when we turn around and expand trade with China and Vietnam, supply humanitarian relief to North Korea, and send billions of dollars to socialist Venezuela for oil? While the proximity of a communist country is a slight to the world’s beacon of democracy, the embargo denies the Cuban people what has historically changed public sentiment and ended communism in other countries; the pervasive power of American culture. We have also denied American goods and services to a brand new market, and are currently missing an opportunity with Raul Castro. How will this administration begin to roll back this embargo, and what would be the goal of this change in foreign policy?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP

State of the Nation

To whom it may concern,

Similar to his inaugural address, during the State of the Nation, the President spoke to virtually every concern of mine then explicitly outlined a course of action that focuses on energy, education, and health care. While he cited many specific policy changes and budgetary corrections, I am curious as to the procedure that was undertaken when writing his first budget. The President spoke of how he would cut two trillion dollars out of the national deficit by eliminating programs that do not work. What was the criterion by which these programs or budget allocations were judged to be ineffective? Was there a cost benefit analysis and threshold developed or was it based more on a change in national priorities as a whole?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP

Bank Failures

To whom it may concern,

With the release of the second $350 billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Fund, many Americans are now hoping that this money will be used for its original intent. The first round of TARP funds did little more than reduce quarterly losses for major banks and in fact did nothing for the secondary market, which is where these assets began to implode and where the capital for lending is currently stagnating. If a bank is too large to fail, then it should be broken up by the government, since capitalistic competition has failed to do so on its own. Alan Greenspan has spoken on this failure of the market and these institutions to self-regulate. Now, before we inject more money into these banks, albeit with a significantly more stringent set of conditions attached, we must rethink this strategy and weight it against nationalization and bankruptcy. Will this administration allow these larger financial institutions to fail like it has allowed 19 smaller banks to fail so far this year and how will the administration of the second round of TARP funds differ from the previous? While recognizing the efforts to make the second round of TARP more transparent and accountable, how has your strategy changed in regards to both the banking industry and stemming the wave of housing foreclosures?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP

A Series of Focused Stimulus Bills

To whom it may concern,

There have been recent murmurs that one or two more stimulus bliss will be needed in order to pull the US economy out of this recession. I believe that a significant amount of the consternation surrounding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was that it was an unfocused piece of legislation. Granted, the recovery demands an all encompassing response, but through the many tax breaks and expenditures, the goal of job creation was clouded by both the Act’s sheer size and the myriad of topics that it covered. If in the future a new stimulus bill is being considered, I would propose that this bill be broken down into its component parts (transportation, energy, health care, education, environmental conservation, etc…). Through this approach, you can begin to reassess the taxes and expenditures surrounding a single subject and then more thoroughly root out what will or will not spur the economy. While many policies are interrelated, this type of approach would also have the added benefit of working not necessarily towards short term job growth, but clarifying the need to set a new foundation for a more prosperous and equitable economy and society. For example, health care is the number one expense for private companies. If health care were to be made more affordable, flexible, and equitable, then employers would have more money to reinvest in their core businesses. Additionally, I believe that this type of strategy would improve transparency and the public’s perception of what the government is doing to remedy our current crisis. Will this administration seek another stimulus bill, and if so, how will it be different from the first one? Will it be focused on short-term recovery or long-term growth?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP

Centralized Planning

To whom it may concern,

The city and regional planning profession has had a tumultuous history. While city planning originated with the ancient Greeks, the city planning profession has only recently developed as a legitimate enterprise. From its early rise in zoning law, through its descent as the implementers of Urban Renewal, to its resurgence as the promoters of sustainability, the planning profession has sought to continuously improve our built environment and protect our natural environment. While the theories have evolved over time, planning is a central component in all government actions. The role of government is to master plan our society, and the planning profession seeks to implement these policies through the design and management of the physical environment. However, planning has been a solely local affair. Most States that do practice some level of planning only regulate local government actions and guide local decision-making. There has been virtually no federal support for the planning profession outside of scoring higher on grant applications if your local community has a "plan". When will the federal government begin directing local governments, via States, to do real planning?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP