Consensus is good; leadership is better.

by The Rev. Mmoja Ajabu
Associate Advocacy Team Leader
Coordinator of the Indianapolis O'ffice
Disciples Center for Public Witness

Mr. President, First let me thank you for the opportunity to address you and the world at the town hall meeting you held in Elkhart, Indiana on this Monday the 9th day of February. I just got through listening to you press conference. It occurs to me that you are trying to bring about a consensus with people who do not want to come together. I and the people are in full agreement with you that a change has got to come to Washington. However, that change will come through your leadership, not through trying to get certain people in Congress to do what is good for the nation. Don’t worry about leading Congress, lead the people. I don’t think anyone would argue that the nation needs to come together now more so than at any other time in its history. Yet, because people in Congress want the power that you now have, they will display unnecessary divisive behavior to make difficult your task to govern. Mr. President, It is time for a change. Those intransigents are supposed to be representatives of the people, but they are not the people. Go to the people. And, in my humble opinion, this is how you have to go.

With all due respect, what you are offering the people in your stimulus package is not enough. You heard the gregarious ovation that the little people gave my words at the town hall meeting when I stated to send the money to their mailbox. The reason why they responded so overwhelmingly is because I was talking about a stimulus package that made their well being the priority. You must be the champion of their well being. To my understanding, you are offering a $100 dollar increase per month on unemployment benefits for those who are eligible to get unemployment. Plus you have extended the time that the unemployed can get unemployment. In addition you are going to put an extra $1000 dollars in the little man and woman’s pocket. Some, who have children in school, will get $2500 to help offset school costs. Mr. President, all of this is good but not good enough. The little person is out of work, about to lose their home, and don’t have the money to put a child in school so that they can get the $2500 dollar rebate. And here in Indiana, to make things worse, property taxes are out the roof. If you compare the amount of money that you are giving to the little people to that money that you propose to give to the fat cats the money you propose to give to the little people pales in comparison. Mr. President, give the money to the people and make the stipulation that the people who have homes in foreclosure they must pay off their mortgages with the money. This way the debt of the bank and the little person is satisfied. In other words, give the money to the banks through the borrower. This is trickle up economics. If you propose this in your stimulus package the little people will follow your leadership to the end of time and make their so-called representatives do the same. You got to take the bulk of the stimulus to the people.

Quit having those press conferences. Those people represent special interests and the fat cats. Let them get their stories by following you to town hall meetings while you talk to the people. Just like your campaign slogan was “yes we can” now your governing slogan should be “For the People.” Give the money to stimulate the economy through the people. You should still give business tax relief. Now business has incentive to stay in the country and will make a profit by the people who no longer have a mortgage payment. With the people being out from under the debt of a mortgage they will consume money on other things. This spending becomes the engine that will drive the economy and cause it again to begin to grow. Also stipulate that the money given to the little people that 10 per cent must be put in a savings account that cannot be touch for two years. This plan removes the mortgage debt of the bank and the little person. Plus you make the little person save so the banks have more money to lend. If the people want to make a major purchase then the people will be borrowing their own money that is held and invested by the banks. Make the money trickle up, not trickle down. If you support the little people now that you are elected, because the little person elected you, the little people will make it much easier for you to govern. It is noble that you want to bring everyone together. And they should come together. But because of their thirst for the power that is now yours they will intentionally thwart your noble efforts. Consensus is good, but leadership is better. Lead the country by taking care of its people.

Once you have lifted the debt off of the banks through the people then give money to state and local governments to rebuild America’s infrastructure. Now you will put Americans back to work. However, rebuilding the infrastructure is a temporary fix. The key for America to be a leader is it has got to be innovative. Education stimulates innovation. Spare no money to schools that show the will to educate innovative students. Economic success won’t happen overnight, but by golly it will happen!! The key is to stimulate the economy through the people. The people want to have a consensus. The people want to come together. Your leadership is the key to the people coming together. You must consider the fat cats. However, the way to consider them is through the well being of the people. You are the President. Make those reporters at the press conference address you as Mr. President. They must recognize the office you hold and the power and responsibility that comes with it. YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT!! It is time for a change. The government must be placed back into the hands of the people. The government must put the well being of the people first. The last regime put the fat cat first. That philosophy got the country where it is today. It is time for a change from fat cat being first and little people being last. We elected you to lead the change. Mr. President, lead the change.

If you put us first, you will not have any trouble out of representatives in Washington. It is still us who cast the votes. If the present representation doesn’t want to get in line then in two years we will send you a whole new crew. Just put our well being first. We will make it easier for you to govern. You are The President. We are the people. In a democracy the power rests with the people. We will exercise our power to support you if you will put our well being first. It is alright to help the fat cat but put the little people’s well being first. You must govern for the people. We will give our power to you in return.

The government must be given back to the people. You, Mr. President are the man we chose to do so. We pray that God will continue to order our steps.

Thank you for listening to AjabuSpeaks.

The Rev. Mmoja Ajabu is the Minister of Social Witness at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN. He is also the Associate Advocacy Team Leader of The Disciples Center for Public Witness and the Coordinator of The CENTER's Indianapolis office.