b'POINT/COUNTERPOINTPresident Biden:The first 100(ish) daysFOR THE LEFT RANDY A. FLEISCHER FOR THE RIGHT PAUL VISCOVICH Teachers must be very happy when they give a favorite student an "A"As you read this, President Biden will be completing his first 100 grade. Grading President Joe Biden\'s first 100 days is a very happydays in office. The tradition of setting ambitious goals for an admin-experience. There are many things to review in this Presidency, begunistrations first 100 days goes back to 1933 as Franklin D. Roosevelt in the most horrendous circumstances that any President has had toconfronted the national crisis of the Great Depression. Like FDR, Joe deal with coming into office. Handling the pandemic, providing reliefBiden faces a serious economic situation made worse by the COV-to those who suffer, recognizing environment issues, working on theID-19 pandemic. And like FDR, he is pursuing an aggressive agenda to improvement of civil rights, dealing with the immigration problems,correct the nations ills. As of mid-April, he has approved the massive and gun control are some of the major issues that Joe is working on.American Rescue Plan (ARP), signed 50 Executive Orders, and filled More than 600,000 Americans have died from COVID,part ofall 15 of his core cabinet positions. This is a good start.the 2.25 million people across the world who have lost their lives toHis first major crisis could have been botching the roll-out of the the virus. Joe Biden made a promise to vaccinate 100 million Ameri- COVID-19 inoculations, but these are progressing far better than any-cans in his first 100 days in office. That ambitious goal will be doubledone expected. Though the job is incomplete and complicated by the by the time Joe has been President for 100 days. The US is now con- emergence of new variants of the virus, mortality is trending down. cerned about exporting vaccines to the parts of the world that haveFor this, the administration deserves our gratitude.not received enough of the vaccine. All Americans will be able to beThe economy is also recovering nicely, with 916,000 new jobs vaccinated by the summer. If we can keep our masks on until then, weadded in March and unemployment down to 6.0%. Biden approved may actually beat this virus. legislation extending to May 31st the deadline for small businesses to A $2 billion covid stimulus bill was passed with ZERO Republicanapply for the Payroll Protection Plan, and signed the $1.9 trillion ARP votes. Most Americans received an additional $1,400 stimulus pay- with its $1,400 stimulus checks. Thats $5.74 trillion authorized since ment in early April. More money and more time has been added to un- the beginning of the pandemic, more than the entire 2018 federal employment benefits. People are not being evicted from their homes ifbudget. He is now looking to push a $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill they were unable to pay rent because of COVID. The worst pandemicthrough Congress. But with unemployment down to 6.0% and GDP in the history of the world is now the top target of an America that isprojected to grow by over 8% this year, is this necessary? Theres a real moving forward at an incredible pace.chance this will overheat the economy. The government already spends The climate emergency is finally of real concern. John Kerry was11% of federal tax revenues paying the interest on its debts. Printing appointed to spearhead the US efforts. The $3 trillion dollar infra- trillions of dollars to fund this new legislation will lead inevitably to in-structure budget legislation will work to repair many of the problemscreased inflation. When it does, the Federal Reserve will raise interest that exist across the country that will only continue to exacerbate ifrates to control it, thereby dramatically increasing the governments nothing is done. Roads and bridges must be repaired before we areborrowing costs. The administration will then have to either raise taxes no longer able to drive across the country. Electrical grids, water andor cut spending.sewer systems, telephone lines, computer lines, and cable lines all mustRaising business taxes will damage the economy by increasing the be upgraded as storms become more frequent and more intense. Gov- prices of consumer goods, forcing working families to buy fewer of ernment buildings and schools must be upgraded as they will providethese more costly products and thus reducing business activity. Or the shelter to people when the storms become too intense. Caregiversadministration could scale back spending, unlikely as that sounds. Ei-are being supported also. Joe is even working to get good legisla- ther route will siphon tax dollars away from infrastructure projects tion passed with support from both sides. That may be the toughestand social welfare programs, leading to a recession. Weve seen this job of all. movie before during the Great Depression, when similar policies kept Civil rights issues are front page news. Too many people have beenunemployment between 14-21% for seven years.wrongfully killed by police across the country for far too many de- In foreign affairs, President Biden is putting his extensive experi-cades. The prior administration did little to quell the problems, andence to work, starting with trying to bring Iran back into talks over more to agitate those who would cause these problems to get worse.limiting its nuclear program. The Ayatollahs insist they want nuclear The Chauvin trial in Minnesota is evidence that police will no longerpower for only civilian use, yet theyre refining uranium to weapons be able to murder innocent people and walk away. The chief of policegrade purity and developing long range ballistic missiles. Biden mustcontinued on page 27 continued on page 2710 #385MAY 2021BE SAFE, BE SMART, BE WELL DRWMAG.COM'