BHO is my new BFF!

It's still sinking in that we have a new president. The campaign went on so long that I got caught up in the process of electing a democrat (I first supported Richardson, then Obama) that I'd forgotten what that outcome actually means. I see Obama on TV and it's slowly sinking in that he's president now. I was talking about the gestation time between new episodes of Lost being so long, but it pales in comparison to this last presidential election cycle--it was, what, more than two years?

I keep seeing the little news blurbs on Yahoo! re: Obama and think, "boy, he's not wasting any time." Then my alter ego/evil twin says, "No, Stupidhead--he's had more than two bloody years to figure out what he was going to do as President!"

I know this is clearly the honeymoon period; I mean, the man has been president only a few days. But he's getting right down to it, isn't he? Today he signed an Executive Order that overturned the ban of giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information. This will no doubt be controversial with some people, but it shows me that he's not going to shy away from these kind of controversial issues.

Of course, he's got to work on the E (Economy), but what would you like to see Obama do? These days, I'm all about another E: the environment. My ideas include:

• bumping up (or initiating) tax credits or zero percent interest loans on people installing solar panels, wind turbines, solar-heated water tanks, or other clean energy appliance, or buying energy star appliances, such as an energy star refrigerator.
• providing tax credits and/or zero percent financing on people buying hybrid, all electric, or natural-gas fueled vehicles (new or used!).
• Increasing the luxury tax for those who continue to buy cars that don't meet a minimum MPG.
• providing tax credits for those people who car pool or take public transporation to work (don't know how you can prove this, but BHO is a smart guy and he can figure it out!).

Of course, there can also be similiar incentives for businesses. And while I don't personally support a bailout of the auto industry, I am pragmatic enough to realize that they're going to get the loans they need.

But - let's put some tough conditions on the money, like producing more fuel efficient cars and not allowing their CEO's to spend over a million dollars redecorating their office, like the former CEO at Merrill Lynch (you can see why they needed that bailout). Even local "nonprofit" UPMC has the presence of mind to spend a more appropriate $65,000 or so for CEO Jeffrey Romoff's new office (although the new signs on USX Tower cost $750,000). I think other companies can show similar restraint...