What is the biggest challenge America faces?
Our country is faced with challenges as we enter into the 21st century. I am prepared to effectively deal with these challenges and lead our country as President on Day 1. Please let me know what you view as the biggest challenge America faces and how you would like your President to address this challenge.
More Answers (2,816)
Peyton B
Director, Partner Programs - Deltek, Inc, CPA, experienced technology Channel leader
Several things come immediately to mind.
Illegal immigration is bankrupting our nation. Economically, socially and within our health care and educational systems. Illegal means against the law. We must enforce the laws of the land.
We need to keep the Bush tax cuts and maintain our military commitment in Iraq.
Thank you for asking
The greatest challenge we face as voters in this country is our ability to maintain trust and belief in our political candidates before, during and after the election. Far too often we place our hearts and homes in the hands of elected officials only to be disappointed in their delivery once in office. The ability to vote is an enormous privilege that is not taken lightly. We, the voters, expect that same level delivery on the promises candidates make. To read the responses that have come earlier (and I've read a bunch) none seem to be looking at this.
The economy is of most concern to me. Fix the energy cost issue, fix the housing issue, the cost of gasoline. I went to the gas station this morning, and gas was $3.50 per gallon for REGULAR. Do these issues affect you Mr. McCain? Do you have to worrry about how you will get to work in the mornings because you don't have enough money for gasoline? Can you promise that you can make a real difference? The people who suffer are not the ones making the big decisions on Capitol Hill. It's the average hard working person striving to make a better life for themselves and their families who are feeling the crunch. Can you share with us Mr. McCain how the economy has affected you? I am not doubting that you are capable of running the country, but let's face it, the same promises are made with every transition of the presidency, but where are the results?
Dear Senator McCain,
I believe our most pressing issue is the economy. With rising gas prices and the mortgage crisis sending many into foreclosures, it is affecting everybody in a very personal way leading to a complete lack of confidence in our current government.
The tax refunds will help, but it's not enough. We need permanent tax cuts. The government does have enough of our money. It needs to learn how to budget it properly. Our country did have a lot of confidence when we did have a balanced budget. When people can see that our government can work properly on its own finances, they will have confidence in our government as a whole.
We need an administration that will go to OPEC and deal with them and our needs for the immediate term then develop our own with alternative means. Give incentives to farmers to grow corn to produce ethanol as well as to tap into our own oil resources so that we are not so dependant on foreign oil. We have the resources on our own soil. This in turn will lead to more jobs and American production which equals confidence.
As for the mortgage crisis, there should be harsher consequences for companies that insnare its consumers into "too good to be true" subprime rates. We as Republicans don't like the government to play a big role in everything, but I feel that the government needs to be a referee in the economic game. Companies need to play fair with its consumers.
Leading to my last issue of illegal immigration. Let's face it. Immigrants to give a lot to the economy, but they need to come in legally. And again, harsher consequences for hiring illegals, and perhaps an incentive for maintaining a staff completely with legal residents or citizens in the form of a tax cut if they can prove everyone is legal (as an example).
Thank you for allowing me to give you my opinion.
Shirley Agustin
Pineville, NC
A government that is not in touch with the people who elected them. Just look at the ratings for both Congress and the President!!
I have read many answers and agree with many. For instance, individual responsibility in other words people always blaming others for their problems, this kills me, “oh my parents didn’t love me” grow up…
The main problem we face is illegal immigration in my eyes. Our hospitals and schools are overrun with people who are a drain on the economy; you can’t always take and not GIVE. A professor I had told me once if we didn’t have illegal immigrants our taxes would be much, much less or at least be allocated much more efficiently. "Households headed by illegal aliens imposed more than $26.3 billion in costs on the federal government in 2002,” Washington Post. That was in 2002, haven’t read the current stats, however I’m sure it’s higher!
Ethically bankrupt leadership - at the government level, at the corporate level, at the local level. Unfortunately for you, the Republicans, while they know how to lead us down a path of dire consequences and destruction, don't have much on the ethics scale. You're a good man, Mr. McCain, but I fear you, like our President, don't undertand the challenges every day Americans face.
Dan Romain
Chicago, IL
Greg M
Senior Manager, Global Broadband Technologies @ Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc
Boarders, Language and Culture
Border security and dealing with immigration issues are, in my mind, the biggest challenges facing America and our next President. If we do not resolve these issues — find a way to stop (or make very difficult and unprofitable) illegal immigration, handle the immigrants who have come to this country (legally or otherwise) and get rid of the illegals who are committing crimes and costing the taxpayers as they sit in our jails, using our system to keep themselves comfortable. It's an outrage, and the reason I feel immigration issues must be a priority for the next President, which sir, I hope to be you.
Lynn H
Recruiting Manager at Systems Evolution -- SEI - Cincinnati, Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix, and Dallas
Biggest challenges:
1. Digging ouselves out of debt --- we have an economy built on a house of cards---as consumers cannot continue to live via credit cards and our government cannot continue to fund war, defense, or its self with the evident impending financial implosion, we are an economic disaster waiting to happen. We don't need more taxes, we need a smaller government with the ability to balance a budget.
2. Lack of competitive education --- we have a 50% high school drop out rate with a work-force where less that 30% have college degrees---meaning ~70% of our adult workforce are not educated to live in this competitive global economy---the impact on the US is and will continue to be a high-crime rate, high number of babies born to teens and un-web mothers, high unemployment, high food stamps/government assistance, social programs, drug use along with a continued disparity among those who have and those who don't.
3. Neutralizing fanaticism---be it religious, political, national, etc. Good luck with that one. We may have to start at home before we try to encourage the rest of the world.
I believe our biggest challenges are on the homefront. Oil prices are through the roof, the housing market is suffering, the job market is suffering, and overall salaries have not increased to meet the cost of living in this country. This is not the America my parents raised me in. They had a chance to own a home, earn decent wages, and provide for a family of 5 on my fathers income alone. Today most families need to work in a dual income home which makes having children expensive because of daycare costs on top of everything else. We're trying to return to good family values, yet the middle class is forced to have someone else raise their children because of cost of living. It's no wonder we have some many problems in this country with adolescents comitting heinous crimes. We spend a lot of our lives working to provide for ourselves and our families in this country and what we're getting back in return is not equal value in my opinion.
This is not "The American Dream". Stop spending our taxes on wars to help countries in distress. Figure out a way for this country to be less dependent on oil. Figure out a way to create more work/life balance for middle class American families.
Converting from individually controlled autos to centrally managed GPS tracked Pluggable Hybrid Electric Vehicles using handheld GPS for mapping commutes and firstsolar photo voltaic solar panels to supply electricity (replacing fossil fuel) for every home and business in the U.S. and around the World. Gift this to Iraq and Iran and walk away.
I believe the single greatest threat to America is that we as a country are setting a course of imploding from within.
We need to start taking responsiblity on our own home front for our actions. Viloence, sexual perversions, language our fore fathers would role over in their graves over is now a mainstream on public televison. Our media cast doubt on a daily basis about our own countries financial strength and politcal stances and abilites. This must stop! Today everything is projected on the media locally and to the world on a minute by minute basis. We need to take clear and decesive actions on clear cut issues. Stop dancing around a political agenda and start making practical sense. Their is sitll time to correct our internal course.
-- The radical Muslim wants to destroy America.
-- Out Tax sytem needs to be over hauled
-- To many breaks are given to people who make fradulant and bad financial decesions while people who pay off their debt and bills are strangled by banks and credit companies
-- Illegal immigration is clear cut. No one deserves financial services if they are not citizens. If people are here illegal start making a precident and moving them out of the country
-- Our service men and women need to be held to the highest regard no matter what your political intrest is. Men and women are being injured and are dying on a daily basis to protect the freedoms which we hold high and close to our hearts.
-- We need to bring back manufacutring and services to our country. Everyone cannot have a white collar job.
-- Unions have destroyed our automotive industry. Nations around the world are able to build highly reliable vehicles on our own soil.
-- We need localized communtiy based schools. Busing children and parents having to drive longer distances are causing traffic congestion. pollution and it waste a large amount of time. A smaller school building closer to a community would be better than large ones spread out over longer distances
--Marriage is ordained by God and it is between a man and women PERIOD.
-- Our World is a small place and we do need to have intrest in the struggles of our kin world wide not just on our own soil.
-- We support bad manufacturing proccesses, pollution and slave labor when we buy products made by countries that support those practices. Thus we are guilty of the practice if we use the product.
I have a list that could keep on going but I don't have the time to keep typing.
Jason L
Senior Corporate Recruiter at Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc.- jason@career-advisor.net
The economy. It will be challenge in the next decade for Americans to be able to keep their standard of living. Inflation will be rampant. We have not made the hard decisions to find other forms of energy and in return have become slaves to oil producing countries.
Hello Senator, thanks for the question.
The biggest challenge America faces is leadership and direction.
True, many important and significant issues face us ranging from the national debt and taxes, to education and entitlement programs, to the economy, immigration, the environment and the threat of Radical Islam.
Individually, these issues impact each one of us differently and have varying priority. Leadership is thus required to "make order out of chaos".
Senator Obama, at present, is the only candidate taking charge and setting overall direction. His message of CHANGE is setting direction for many voters. Personally, I believe Senator Obama's "change" direction is weak and lacks substantive details to obtain my vote.
Leaders however set the overall course, prioritize the issues in order of most significance, and then execute a plan that resolves problems even in the face of clearly broken government systems.
Senator McCain, will you lead us? Where are you taking us? What is our direction? What is of priority?
I look forward to your continued distinguished service to our country.
Regards,
Nino
Larry W
Swedish Snus Ambassador to the United States
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Mass illegal immigration by those not wishing to assimilate through the traditional melting pot theory, but simply live in (and exploit) America are turning our country into a bi-lingual, balkanized fractured nation.
There was and should be a uniquely American culture which is a blend of peoples, nationalities and ethnic groups, all, as Teddy Roosevelt said in 1907, with one language, which is English, and one flag, which is the American flag.
Legal immigration brings new ideas and energy and has traditionally kept America from going the way of the British, French, and Spanish empires before us.
But instead of encouraging foreign doctors, nurses, technology people, and skilled labor to become American citizens, we seem to be bowing to American business's desire for a low paid under-class of illegal alien labor.
These illegals have no desire to become Americans and join our culture. Instead, they have forced us to become bi-lingual, take advantage of free schooling for their children, free hospital care, and have depressed wages to the point that the middle class in America is disappearing. We are turning into a nation of poor and lower middle class to rich and super-rich.
We are sacraficing the American culture and dream at the alter of "diversity", a concept born of 1960's radicals that has infected 3 generations of school children. Other cultures should add their uniqueness to the American culture, not supplant it.
If this trend continues, we will become a 2nd rate nation, relevent only by our aging nuclear arsenal. The 22nd century will belong to the Chinese (if they don't blow it) and the Japanese. America will become the country other nations outsource their call centers to.
You have been weak on this issue. At a recent forum, ICE admitted they are still processing the million illegals Ronald Reagan gave amnesty to in 1986! How are we going to handle 11-18 million current illegals, growing by 10,000 a day?
The Oklahoma Law penalizing employers who hire illegals is one great way. It has proven to work, witness all the illegals leaving Oklahoma and coming to Texas and your state of Arizona for work. And it's a cost effective solution. It should be adopted as Federal Law applying to all 50 states.
Sanctuary Cities must end. Can we deport all these illegal aliens? Not without bankrupting ourself. But can we make it so unattractive to come here that the majority will leave voluntarily? Absolutely. And quickly. And the first step is to stop with bi-lingual phone prompts, all government forms bilingual, including voting ballots and uninsurance forms. And no Drivers Licenses, please!
This will require changes to the Voting Rights act and other Federal Laws but why now...only in recent history; have we catered to the desires of ANY ethnic or national group? My grandparents and great-grandparents came to the US through Ellis Island. They learned English by immersion: reading the paper, listening to the radio. They WANTED to BE Americans, not just WORK in America.
Why is it the 100's of other immigrant groups entering the country legally can do this but Hispanics are either incapable or unwilling to? Why do a former Mexican President and a Current Mexican President feel justified to tour the US and lecture us on "losing our immigrant soul" and dictating what our immigration policy should be: especially when Mexico has some of the toughest immigration standards in the world? Look at how THEY police their southern border. Why are we letting Mexico export THEIR poor and criminal underclass here because they are unwilling to take responsibility in Mexico? Why should be allow one of the most historically corrupt goverments in the hemisphere destroy America?
Why are we giving away America's soul? And why don't you recognize this and address it as forcefully as you do the war in Iraq?
Links:
Senator McCain, the biggest challenge facing the United States today is overcoming the fragile nature of our economy. Too many people have sacrificed everything to make this country the greatest one on this planet, only to have greed, scandal and frivolous spending threaten to waste all that has been accomplished. Our dollar is weakening. American workers are losing jobs. The population is aging, as healthcare and education costs are rising faster then the average American can keep up with them. If we continue down this path, we won't have to worry about terrorists destroying our way of life, we will have already done that to ourselves. Our next President needs to make a SERIOUS commitment to ending our dependence on foreign oil, should commission large public work projects to get Americans earning money again (this worked well after the great depression), bring our troops home and stop worrying about what Iran might do (if they do develop or have developed nuclear weapons, I would not want 100,000+ of our brave soldiers within easy striking distance of their missiles). If Iran does do anything, please get the rest of the world behind us before we commit our resources. Above all, represent America as a nation we can all be proud of.
Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability by our Leadership.
We invest Billions if not Trillions of tax payer dollars every year and then borrow more because the tax base wasn't enough, where does it all go? Are we realizing value from our countries investment or throwing it away? In business, leaders are accountable to the shareholders for a return on their investment, yet government has no "real" accountability to the American people for how it spends the investment we make every year.
My challenge to you is to bring accountability back to the White House. Cut programs, earmarks and campaigns that make no fiscal sense. Balance the budget and make our huge economic engine work for us in the long term. For example, we could spend a Trillion dollars in Iraq including thousands of American lives, how does that bring value back to the American people?
Thanks for your time and consideration.
The million dollar question: Depends on your audience and various other metrics. You could narrow it down to a few broad categories: Economy, Security, Regulation, Taxes, Education, Transportation, Alternative Energy/Oil Issues, Food Safety...
Victor E
New Customer Development Manager - Phoenix International, a John Deere Company, BSEE, MBA
Mr. McCain,
The challenge that America faces is the lack of respect that our federal government has in following the law of this land. The Constitution of this great land is ignored by our leaders and must be upheld for our nation to prosper and be the guiding light of freedom to the rest of the world.
Barack Obama already tried this and my response was the same. If you want to know what people think, use your advertizing dollars to direct people to your website to respond to your questions. Your question is clearly a political advertisement and as such does not belong on LinkedIn because it compromises LinkedIn’s real purpose.
The First Amendment is an all or nothing issue and therefore cannot apply here or it’ll destroy this forum. The issue isn’t your question but where you asked it. Questions that are clearly advertizing, business or political do not belong on this forum.
LINKEDIN – You need to seriously consider if you want to preserve the concept around the very valuable social networking tool you’ve created, or, you’ll soon be faced with having to choose what is or isn’t acceptable. Where do you draw the line, Ford asking about your next car, the KKK asking racist questions etc?
Good question Senator but based on the fallout when Obama tried this, you might want to tell your advisors to do their homework next time.
Maintaining our leadership role in the global economy. If we cede that role, all bets are off when it comes to influencing our global partners and in controlling our domestic economic destiny.
The costs of the Iraq war -- human, monetary and political -- feed into this issue. So does having a coherent immigration policy that ensures that the world's best and brightest continue gravitate first to the U.S. Look at our budget and trade deficit, and the amount of money we're borrowing to fill the gap, and what's happened to the dollar as a result. And, of course, education -- in our major population centers, we're losing half a generation's worth of would-be productive citizens to a crumbling public schools system.
There are many more considerations along those lines, but, if you're elected president, you must frame your decisions in terms of how they affect our country's global economic position.
Edward B
Storage Area Networking Expert (HDS & EMC), Published Author, New Orleans Historian, Streetcar Historian/Afficianado
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (2), Travel Tools (1), Writing and Editing (1), Market Research and Definition (1), Small Business (1), Blogging (1)
The biggest challenge we face is ending the war in Iraq, so we can stop mortgaging this country's future to pay war profiteers. The aftermath of war is going to be expensive enough without continuing a conflict whose immoral origins have caused the United States to lose respect worldwide.
This challenge, of course, logically includes working towards making sure you don't get elected President.
The debt created by 8 years of insane spending. If the wars we are currently engaged in are that necessary, we should raise taxes and institute the draft, rather than fight them on credit.
Guy F
General Manager at The PACid Group, LLC
Best Answers in: Computers and Software (2), Job Search (1), Resume Writing (1), Project Management (1)
Our identity is our biggest issue. Who are we? What does it mean to be an American? What is our place in a global economy? I am an American and a Texan and I am damned proud of both. I have friends who are not just an American, they are a Chinese American or Muslim American. A great deal of our debate and disagreement results from a multitude of differences of what it means to be an American.
In the corporate environment, the most successful companies have very clearly defined mission, values and goals. Does the US government have any of these?
Finding Good Leaders
Hard one to answer... There are so many facets a clear answer becomes muddled. From illegal immigration to religious zealots trying to change us or destroy us. The stem of the problem is we have become complacent. The angry white men who make this country run and thrive have sat idly by for too long. The silent majority, whose compliance and lack of action have left us wallowing in liberal values.
So to sum it up, lack of action would be the largest challenge facing America. We sit and debate and pontificate problems, but we’ve lost the gahonies to do anything about it.
Overcoming misconceptions. It is all too easy to follow the tide of preconceived ideas. But several are primary.
1) That our education systems is OK. Education is fundamental. It should be free access and probably best decided from the bottom up. Education can't be legislated to produce only democrats or republicans, or espouse any special interest. The product of education is innovation which creates the expansion of the economy and increases the general welfare of the world.
2) That immigration is bad. Immigration and free trade increase the general standard of living. The ability of people to move, to live and work where they can has proven to be an economic engine.
3) That health care should be universal and government run. Health care is not a right. If everyone had to buy health insurance as car and homeowners are required to buy auto and home insurance we would have a vibrant likely more diverse offering, more caring, and likely more people is direct association with patients than the number presently dealing with legal and regulatory issues.
4) That America is poorly perceived abroad. Perception on a world stage is tied to being a large consumer and economic powerhouse. Being a leader in international trade, human rights, education; advocacies that support of increasing the wellbeing of the earth and people in general will bring special interests decrying interference, but it is the right thing to do. As special interest scream and proclaim we have to understand this is an expected result of a general increase in worldwide liberty.
Good luck with the campaign, the dialog is a great result of America's founding principles in liberty as a republic.
Steven Grall
Jocelyn S
Director of the Office of Professional Development at The Community College of Philadelphia
A lack of faith - and disillusionment - a sense that the government can no longer protect us from a faltering economy, terrorists, environmental decline.
We want a government that can solve the tough problems (like energy dependence), keep us safe from terrorists and countries that seek to hurt us and restore our status as the nation where our economy, liberties and lifestyle make us the envy of the world.
While I don't think we need additional social and "rescue" programs - like the ones that bail out homeowners and lenders who brought the housing cirisis on themselves, I do think we need to take a Keynesian approach to fixing what's ailing us. Put money toward rebuilting the nation's infrastructure - roads, buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels. Give businesses incentives to hire and retain workers, allow tax deductions for the full cost of tuition or training. And for heaven sake - reduce the complexity in the tax code.
For Social Security - eliminate the ceiling on earnings. It's a ticking time bomb and everyone's waiting for our elected officials to do something about this but so far no one has had the guts to touch it.
Social Security, Taxes and Wasteful government spending. The social security crisis is looming and no one wants to take on this politically unpopular topic. We need to fix the program by making some dramatic changes. I don't mind paying taxes, but I think the way our tax dollars are used for senators pet projects back home is absolutely insane. What's the role of the federal govt?
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