What's your question for Vice President Joe Biden?

Mr. Vice President,

President Obama spoke a lot in his address about cutting spending, and yet many of the proposals he spoke of - under the banner of "investing in the future" - sound like an increase of spending instead. How are such dueling goals going to be managed? Specifically, what is the Obama administration going to do to invest in education and address rising costs of tuition all across the country? This is a promise the President has made over and over again, and yet from my perspective (a college student approaching graduation and facing the costs of a master's degree) nothing has been even attempted let alone accomplished. To truly invest in the future, this country must invest in its youth. This President enlivened and excited the youth demographic for the first time in years and yet halfway through his first term, I see more and more of my peers becoming disenfranchised once more. When will the government address the needs of students? And how can doing so be reconciled with sweeping spending cuts?

Thank you,

Bethany Simpson

Western Washington University

Political Science Department

Vice President Biden:

As an unemployed citizen, I have the time to read the newspaper thoroughly. Yesterday I read that for the third time since the Industrial Revolution, the world may be entering a long term growth cycle that will lift all economies simultaneously, driving bond yields and commodity prices higher. So now Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, George Soros, representatives from Goldman Sachs, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and London's Standard Chartered Bank along with many other well-heeled finance people will head off to Davos for the 41st World Economic Forum being held in an Alpine resort.

It seems from watching daily stock markets closings, Wall Street is doing great. What happened to all the talk about Main Street? Main Street is still suffering and the only thing the average citizen has to show for it is the memory of his or her tax dollars and millions if not billions more streaming into the same financial institutions that are now making a killing.

I fully support President Obama's leadership, but it's time to stop doing business as usual. Let compassion and conscience guide you. Increase taxes on the wealthy (according to a recent poll, they believe they should be taxed at a higher rate); demand universal health care and get insurance companies out of the equation; increase employment opportunities and small business opportunities.

Is there a way to help the American people without depending on Goldman Sachs and similar institutions to rake in the big bucks?

The Banks aren't lending to Condos, Malls, Affordable Housing Apartments or Businesses to Open New Stores and Hire. Small Business Credit and Business Credit Cards are tougher than ever to get. Banks have money but aren't lending. We bailed out Wall Street. When are you and the President going to use the Executive Branch to Put the Squeeze on Banks using Executive Orders? You could Ask the FDIC and all other Banking Regulators to Audit Any Bank that Doesn't give a certain Percentage of Small Business Loans or Invests more money Overseas than does here in America. You could also Enforce the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Put more Auditors on Banks that Don't lend to the most impacted areas that need credit to hire or open stores or factories. Why not also have the Patent Office and SBA work together so that Every New USA Based Patent automatically qualifies for an SBA Loan without further Paperwork. The Patent Paperwork is enough Red Tape. If you have a Patent, you should automatically qualify for up to $100,000 Loan from SBA to market and sell your invention.

This is causing a major load to be placed on not only the employer to being passed on to the backs of the working public. Why was there no stipulation of the skyrocketing cost(s) ever considered? Do we think that the American Public can afford this bill/plan, when someone running BC/BS as CEO is making over $6 million dollars a year in income, someone is paying the this outrageous salary and it's the American Working Class. There's no way a employee working at some low paying job of $8.00 an hour going to be able to afford health insurance when their company refuses to classify them as full time hourly employee's by ensuring they work less than 36 hours per week. Is this not just another example of how your corporations are keping their cost(s) down and once again hurting the real people of America who toll everyday at low paying jobs, that once even were making a 6 figure income, but based on our economy that's the only position they could find with the dramatic recession America has encountered in the last two years. How many of our leaders are making over 6 figures in annual income with free health care and have the slighest idea of what the true working class American is facing today?

Can you (ask President Obama) Spur Banks and SBA to Lend More through Executive Orders? The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a Joke. Commercial Real Estate Lending is in Crisis. The Banks aren't lending to Condos, Malls, Affordable Housing Apartments or Businesses to Open New Stores and Hire. Small Business Credit and Business Credit Cards are tougher than ever to get. Banks have money but aren't lending. We bailed out Wall Street. When are you and the President going to use the Executive Branch to Put the Squeeze on Banks using Executive Orders? You could Ask the FDIC and all other Banking Regulators to Audit Any Bank that Doesn't give a certain Percentage of Small Business Loans or Invests more money Overseas than does here in America. You could also Enforce the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Put more Auditors on Banks that Don't lend to the most impacted areas that need credit to hire or open stores or factories. Why not also have the Patent Office and SBA work together so that Every New USA Based Patent automatically qualifies for an SBA Loan without further Paperwork. The Patent Paperwork is enough Red Tape. If you have a Patent, you should automatically qualify for up to $100,000 Loan from SBA to market and sell your invention.

While I know that decisions and changes require a bipartisan approach because bills have to pass. But, the current situation appears to be a position where the presidency is just preparing for re-election. Why do this? Having an opportunity to become president is a once and a lifetime opportunity to help the country and all Americans along the way. The presidency is NOW. You may not have another opportunity to make the changes that you want. By backing off and preparing for the next election not only shows that everything else is on the back burner, but also depletes public opinion. There may not be a chance to do the things that you want to do if you are not re-elected. It is a missing opportunity. The United States needs someone that will follow through and make the changes necessary, not just say that they will. The majority of Americans are seriously suffering. We need advancements, growth, and help- make the difference now instead of waiting for another term. What happens if it doesn't come?

Dear Vice President Biden,

Thousands of jobs are posted each day on internet job sites in hundreds of cities across America, yet many people remain unemployed. Is there anything you can do to talk with these companies who post jobs, yet ignore resumes of qualified individuals and keep re-posting the jobs? I believe that many hiring managers are not hiring people over 40 (as if they don't need to live/eat/or pay bills) and by- passing workers who would be stable and hard-working simply because they don't want anyone older than them who might know a thing or two more than they do.

Another thing is companies that ask for unreasonable qualifications (i.e., must have a college degree to be a secretary. That is the most unreasonable thing I've ever heard of.) One thing has nothing to do with the other.

In other words, many companies out here are simply using any excuse not to hire good workers. Since most people only care about money anyway, maybe the government could offer them incentives for taking away unreasonable standards and put people back to work. This way more people would be able to pay taxes and help boost the economy.

I hope you take the time to have town hall meetings across the country and ask the people what they need and what we think would solve the problem. After all, we are the ones suffering.

Mr. Vice President Biden

Are you really willing to take on Wall Street and lower the national debt daily!

January 26, Wednesday 10:57AM the NYSE Volume was 1,517,049

Then add the AMEX and NASDAQ volume.

Now multiply X .25 cents.

Now X 252 days the stock markets are buying and selling.

That is how much??

Is that enough dollars to cover a little debt?

Taxed the brokerage houses that earn a commission on each bought and sold share. What other company in the USA can do this? Does Niemen Marcus, Target, or Home Depot get a % of sales profit when a garment or a tool is returned?

I believe the commission on the sell order is a conflict of interest and is a double dip. Most stocks are bought by mutual funds, pension funds, even computer, etc. and a very small % of individuals. We collect taxes local, state and fed on gasoline, telecommunications, airline tickets, etc.

Why not brokerage houses sell and buy orders?

Regards,

Dave Laskey

7650 SW 55 AVE

MIAMI, FL. 33143

dlaskeytsa@yahoo.com

Do we think that the American Public can afford this bill/plan, when someone running BC/BS as CEO is making over $6 million dollars a year in income, someone is paying the this outrageous salary and it's the American Working Class. There's no way a employee working at some low paying job of $8.00 an hour going to be able to afford health insurance when their company refuses to classify them as full time hourly employee's by ensuring they work less than 36 hours per week. Is this not just another example of how your corporations are keping their cost(s) down and once again hurting the real people of America who toll everyday at low paying jobs, that once even were making a 6 figure income, but based on our economy that's the only position they could find with the dramatic recession America has encountered in the last two years. How many of our leaders are making over 6 figures in annual income with free health care and have the slighest idea of what the true working class American is facing today?

As posted by many of the other questions below concerning Social Security, my question is this. Why do all the "people" (citizens) of The United States of America, pay into Social Security, and all the members of OUR government (for the people, BY the people) do not pay into Social Security. The Constitution of OUR COUNTRY states that no policy should be enacted for the general masses, that should also apply to government officials. I.E. - Social Security ! And the people on Social Security have not had a "cost of living increase" in 2 years, yet Government Officials pay is far above National Standards, and they still receive pay increases, "perks", travel expenses on the American Peoples "dime". Not to mention Secret Service, "teleprompters", and ground transportation. In this day of technology, why do Government official need to travel across the Globe so often, costing the general public, adding to the deficit of OUR Nation, when you have access to the highest technology such as M-TAC, Satelight cell phones, and I am sure many more High Security communications? Is this just a "public" show of "Grandeur or Pomp and Circumstance" for the General Public, at our expense? Instead of all the Political arguing "on the Hill", since this government is "FOR THE PEOPLE, OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE" - LET the PEOPLE VOTE on all this spending and expenditures every year prior to the Politicians setting a Budget. You might be surprised to see how THE PEOPLE vote differently than Washington. After all, it is The People's money you are spending, that OUR taxes pay back. With All due Respect, follow the Constitution of the United States of America, and The Bill of Rights, that was written for The People and the Government to Follow. It worked then, and it will work now!!!!

Vice President Biden, Thank You and President Obama for your hard work on behalf of the citizens of this Great Country!

President Obama spoke of future jobs through education and innovation. I agree 100%, but there are some obvious things being overlooked.

For all of our Great Innovation, only a handful of jobs are created here, because in the end the items are produced in China. What are the rest of our un-inventive people supposed to do?

Middle age Americans can't afford to take a couple years off to get a degree, and there will always be a percentage of people that just don't go to college. What plan do you have for good non college-grad jobs today?

He said we don't have the old-style factory jobs anymore, and they're not coming back. Why is that acceptable? And who's going to make all these great new products?

The reality is, We will Always need decent jobs for the lesser educated, proud, hard working American.

How about starting by convincing our major retailers to start promoting and requesting American Manufacturing from their suppliers today? After all, they are the ones who ultimately forced manufacturers to China so they could get the cheapest goods to sell in their stores. We could all pay a premium for American made if we had the jobs here to afford it.

We have to make more than just information Joe, and I know you guys can make it happen! As much as we must move forward we have to not abandon our past industrious strength.

Thank You.

Greg, from Cincinnati Ohio