TRT has been taking great interest in the G8 summit, which is the first attended by President Obama.
As ever, green is on the menu, led by climate change. There are negotiations, ideas and debates and as expected, final decisions are hard to come by. A deal for G8 nations – plus India and China - to reach a unanimous 2050 decision on carbon gas emissions was quickly dispatched after the developing nations ruled for a stronger commitment by 2020 from the developed nations, including the US, on emissions.
However, all is not lost. This summit has been hailed as 'historic' due to all the G8 nations and 17 developing nations accepting a two-degree goal to limit the rate at which the world is warming. Michael Froman, President Obama's top negotiator on international economic issues, said the declaration 'represents a significant step forward in terms of adding political momentum.' Other topics being discussed are the fragile state of the global economy, and farming initiatives in the developing world.
Watching the G8 announcements, as an individual, family or a business, it's easy to feel that not enough is being achieved on issues such as climate change. But keep in mind the scale of the changes – the population of the countries involved, the global impact of even the smallest decisions – there is a glimmer of hope, and incremental successes will lead to larger ones. We all live in hope, and that's not a bad thing.
There's a great deal of media commentary and interest in tomorrow's energy bill vote. It's being backed by President Obama, who called the bill 'extraordinarily important' at a White House news conference earlier this week. Weighing in at a hefty 1,201 pages, the document obviously covers a huge range of ideas and implications - though in a nutshell it focuses on limiting emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases that have been blamed for global warming.
It's being sponsored by Representatives Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and also includes a number of provisions to offset carbon emissions created by agriculture.
With a bill as far reaching as this, there are obvious wrangling about costs, winners and losers – and how different markets, industries and regions will be affected. For example, there are concerns that if the bill is passed it may act as national energy tax that could destroy jobs in the manufacturing sector, or impact states such as Indiana, which currently gets 94% of its energy from coal, an obvious high-carbon fuel. The list is seemingly endless, and hard to generalize or prioritize.
In a difficult economy, there are also concerns about increasing fuel costs. The Congressional Budget Office and the E.P.A. have responded to reassure the American public that the rise in utility bills for households and companies wouldn't leap up by an extortionate amount. The E.P.A. has also been quick to point out that because of the efficiency provisions in the bill, by 2020 utility bills would be on average 7% lower than if there was no change in the law at all.
It's easy to see both sides of the argument. At The Refinishing Touch, we're in the enviable position of saving businesses and organizations money while promoting sustainability and protecting the environment. The bill needs support but with it going to have an impact on 306 million Americans, its uncertain what effect the bill will have in the end and understandable there is debate. But regardless of the outcome, it’s an important bill that facilitates dialog on energy and the environment and we believe that it is an important step in advancing the discussion. The energy bill is turning on light bulbs for both sides.
We have spoken before about budgets being cut on a multitude of levels. From hoteliers and restaurant owners to your average family, every American is focused on smart spending.
Last week, as President Obama presided over the 100th day of his presidency, the nation's attention was focused on the budget that was successfully passed through Congress.
Promising to halve the national deficit (currently standing at more than a staggering $11 Trillion) while satisfying the objectives for reformed healthcare, energy and education goals, the President's plans have been successfully laid out to begin paving the road to economic recovery.
In our economic climate it has become a necessity to have leaders and managers who are confident in their approach toward making decisions in the interest of working toward a common good. News of businesses cutting travel budgets is hitting the hospitality industry amongst others. Pulling back from superfluous spending is a precautionary measure that organizations are taking to remain in line with tighter budgets and to best ensure the financial stability being demanded by shareholders and investors.
As news of reform and positive change continues to build surrounding our government and its leaders, we need to look to industry leaders to sit down and really think through each aspect of their budgets. If plans can be made to save in place of making blanket cuts, then surely that solution would better benefit an organization in the long run.
We know as well as any one of our fellow industry players that often times, cuts that seem to be the easiest are those that most widely contribute toward the overall health of an organizational plan, perhaps just over a longer period of time. We invite and urge industry leaders to spend the time to look at the benefits of each dollar spent and how cuts will affect long term goals.
Just as we've seen our President take action, so must we. As we continue to listen for news of progress and gainful movement throughout our economy, we remain standing at the ready as providers of a sensible solution to budgetary spending.
Is US contracting is broken? We welcome the debate
As expected, President Barack Obama has been challenged at every level since he moved into the White House. Planning and overseeing the country's economy during what some media has coined as "The Great Recession" has resulted in spotlights and scrutiny on every detail and announcement relating to the administration’s spending reform plans.
Earlier this month the Associated Press reviewed the President's plans to "overhaul broken US contracting" and to address wasteful spending. Estimates place US spending on on government contracts since 2001 at about $500 billion. President Obama and his team plans to shave $40 billion a year off this spend.
As expected, the President has come under a great deal of scrutiny from opponents who have criticized his plans as cavalier. Questioning whether enough time has been spent sorting and understanding existing government contracts, critics say the administration has not identified contracts that have proven to stand out for their effectiveness and efficiency over the course of time.
The Refinishing Touch has a long history of dealing with a range of government departments, contracts and projects. Yes, there can be a great deal of red tape and a need to understand detailed processes and procedures, but projects are rewarding, worthwhile, and we are glad to contribute to the sustainability efforts of our nation's agencies and adminstration.
Wherever and whoever is 'right' over how the current administration is handling its review of contracts, we welcome any coverage of a debate that reviews inefficiency in our nation's spend - which is after all, taxpayers' money - and any altercations that bring more rationale and sustainable ways of conducting government business.
In a time when most everything is uncertain, people are looking for strength and stability anywhere they can find it. News of companies cutting thousands of jobs has saturated nearly every medium of communication for what is coming on about 5 months now, and American’s are joined by their fellow global citizens in wondering when it’s all going to turn around.
President Obama has tirelessly spent the last focal weeks urging members of Congress to pass his stimulus bill that has outlined what we’re sure will not be the last of his efforts to begin the climb out of this deepening recession. His bill proposes tax cuts that are estimated to put Americans back to work with the creation of between 1.2 million to 3.6 million jobs, and an estimated 346,000 of them are expected to go to the hospitality industry.
An article in USA Today recently stated that the majority of the jobs expected to come out of Obama’s bill will only replace those lost to the recession. As we continue to hear about members of Congress dividing amongst party lines over the facets of the $819 billion bill, we as Americans are left yearning for a ray of hope. As members of the hospitality industry we continue to look to any opportunity that will bring positive change to our industry. We as Americans look to our Congressional representatives and urge them to come to a compromise with one another that will both nationally and globally present a bill to begin the long journey out of hardship that lies ahead of us.
