(Community Matters)Not quite sure how I’d missed this. Regrettably, we have woefully underperformed securing Congressional approval for new environmental initiatives, though one shouldn’t underestimate the progress made by an EPA simply enforcing existing rules & regulations (vs the previous administration’s ignoring and not enforcing existing rules).
Thomas Friedman: This is a Big Deal
He [President Obama] backed his great E.P.A. administrator, Lisa Jackson, and Department of Transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, in producing a deal with all the top U.S.-based automakers that will go into effect in 2017 and require annual mileage improvements of 5 percent for cars, and a little less for light trucks and S.U.V.’s, until 2025 — when U.S. automakers will have to reach a total fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon. The current average is 27.5 m.p.g.
Community Matters 
I wanted to post on Thomas Friedman’s NY Times article, but it’s closed to comments. I understand that Obama hasn’t made everyone happy… yet. As someone who’s life was changed dramatically when a mistake was made to our payment history in the chaos that followed the raid of Taylor, Bean and Whitaker and Colonial Bank, and (because we’re self employed) as someone who’s Blue Cross insurance premiums has seen dramatic increases over the last 12 years, Obama is taking care of America’s most important challenges first. At least in my eyes.
No doubt environmental issues are crucial, but some things are critical. The president is doing a great job of keeping all his many many plates twirling in the air by focusing on issues that need his attention most, before moving his full attention to the next.
We truly were innocent bystanders who were caught in the line of fire when the bad guys were taken down in 2009. I’m certainly no economist, but the suffering we’ve endured at the hands of the banks over the last two years gives me the right (and experience) to judge Obama’s job. I would like to say to Thomas Friedman…. back off and let him do his job. Please.