Face to face agreements and deals between heads of state and government don’t just happen. Weeks before there are scores of memos, phone calls and meetings between diplomats and officials working out the agreements and deals announced by the heads of state and government.
Before President Barack Obama sat down with his Chinese, Russian, French and German counterparts at the G-20 Summit in London and the NATO Summit in Strasbourg, the hard work had been done, reaching consensus and understanding.
You didn’t see or hear Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on TV, but she was a major player in helping the president reach those positive agreements.
Let’s understand clearly what happened.
President Obama met face to face with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and both agreed to work on a new treaty to reduce both nations’ large stocks of nuclear bombs. Then the president followed up with a major speech in the heart of Central Europe, in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and stated as an American goal the abolition of nuclear weapons and to fight nuclear profliferation and black marketeering.
With the Chinese, our president agreed with them to improve lines of communication with a nation that holds billions in American debt and which relies on American consumers to keep their communist-cum-capitalist economy afloat.
It wasn’t much, but President Obama got NATO to agree to send 5,000 persons to bolster the fight against the real terrorists in Afghanistan. While most won’t be troops, the 5,000 will help American and other NATO forces deal with an increasingly deteriorating situation.
Last week, the world saw an America that was leading. Not in the Bush/Cheney “our way or else” style. But in the style of a major nation, ready to lead and work with others for the good of our nation and other nations.
President Obama, as he has done here at home, told Europeans that while America made mistakes that caused the economic crisis, America stands ready to help get its economy moving, and since the world’s economies are interconnected and interdependent, help get the world back on its economic feet.
While Michelle Obama got plenty of play for her display of style, elegance and down home demeanor, including a hug from Queen Elizabeth; it was President Obama’s handling of a dispute that best exemplified our new president.
The G-20 summit’s final report was delayed by a bitter dispute between France and China over handling tax havens. Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were literally shouting at each other.
President Obama calmly went first to President Sarkozy and talked the dispute out. Then he did the same with President Jintao. He then brought both presidents together and fashioned a diplomatic compromise.
“W” could never do that. But Obama did, demonstrating to the world that despite the economic crisis it faces, there is new leadership in America. Leadership we can be proud of.
What I’m Hearing
in the Streets
Contrast President Obama’s firm leadership with the leadership of Mayor Greg Ballard. After weeks of the mayor’s minions working with Republicans in the State Senate to fashion a compromise solution to the Capital Improvement Board (CIB) funding fiasco, Luke Kenley, chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee thought he had a deal.
Then Ballard undercut him.
During an hour’s testimony before Kenley’s committee last week, Ballard bobbed, weaved, ducked and dodged saying that while there must be a solution to the CIB mess, he wasn’t sure about tax increases. Mayor Ballard said the City-County Council should have some say over what kinds of tax increases, but didn’t say what kind of tax increases the council should propose.
In short, the mayor told senators that “a lot of this is anathema to me.”
Mayor Ballard’s top aides, including CIB Chairman Bob Grand and super lawyer Joe Loftus (both many believe are really running the city) and other mayoral aides have lobbied fiercely for weeks trying to cut a deal. Last week, a deal was on the table that included tax increases and cash from the Pacers and Colts.
But the Mayor’s minimal support sharply undercut the deal.
The Colts also undercut the plan by flatly refusing to acknowledge some responsibility to help solve this crisis.
The city’s hospitality industry, frightened that with hotel occupancy and restaurant traffic, Indianapolis would have the highest hospitality taxes in America, also blasted the proposal.
Now the CIB rescue/bailout is on life support. Interviewed Friday on “Afternoons with Amos,” Senator Kenley was frustrated that Marion County legislators had “no consensus” on the issue.
Mayor Ballard has few options. Republicans in the legislature and the City-County Council are extremely reluctant to back any plan that involves tax increases.
And Democrats…
Given that Mayor Ballard has given council Democrats the back of his hand for the 16 months of his term and ignored Marion County Democratic legislators, the price for their support will be high. Higher than Ballard may be willing to pay.
President Obama spent all his 70-plus days in office personally building consensus with world leaders on critical world issues.
Mayor Ballard spent the same time doing nothing with lawmakers on Indianapolis’ main legislative priority.
The mayor’s failure shows – big time!
Last week, Governor Mitch Daniels announced an innovative use of $21 million in stimulus money to provide jobs for 16-24 year olds through a Hoosier Youth Conservation Corps.
But as the governor personally told me, Marion County wasn’t included. “They get a direct $3 million grant,” Daniels said, “for their own youth jobs program.”
The money’s funneled through the Indianapolis Private Industry Council (IPIC). So, I asked IPIC’s PR maven Melissa Todd what the plans were for the $3 million.
“I can’t confirm that amount,” Todd haughtily said. When I told her Indiana’s governor told a press conference the amount, Todd huffed and puffed, refusing to even say when IPIC would announce a youth employment plan. Even though April is when any summer youth jobs plan should be up and running.
IPIC’s haughtiness with stimulus plans is symptomatic of the city’s incompetence in maximizing stimulus spending for Indianapolis. At this rate, Indianapolis will have the worst record of receiving stimulus cash!
See ‘ya next week!
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM
