Might as well join the crowd. Everyone seems to want to evaluate President Biden at 100 days into his term. Here are some observations and of course you are free to agree or disagree.

Give Joe some positive marks on COVID. Trump certainly made the vaccine development an expedited reality and exceeded all expectations. Biden then had to disseminate the vaccine to the public. That was and is a logistical nightmare. By and large the COVID  vaccine is now available to all that want it. Biden’s team made the efforts and America is much safer on this front than it was three  months ago.

Foreign relations are somewhat of a mixed bag. Trump was certainly an “America-First” type of personality. This message played to Trump’s political base but earned him disdain from the world community at large. Biden appears to have much better personal relationships with world leaders than did Trump. The question is will Biden concede trade and security issues that Trump championed. Teddy Roosevelt said speak softly and carry a big stick. Trump never spoke softly and liked the stick. Hopefully, Biden can look to former President Roosevelt’s advice and improve the nation’s international relations.

The border situation with Mexico has become a disaster. Biden disapproved of the harsh rhetoric of Trump on immigration and Trump’s construction of the border wall. Trump drew a hard line at the border and seemed to have no room for negotiation. Biden voiced during his campaign that America was a land of opportunity for all. Biden simply failed to realize that words have consequences. Biden then repealed Trump’s executive orders and the pragmatic result was that the border was open. Yes, we still have immigration laws, but we have very limited ability enforce those laws. The mass of humanity at our southern border wanting into the U. S. is simply too much for the Border Patrol to enforce. As a nation we have historically supported lawful and controlled immigration. That is not the case today on our southern border. Simply stated Biden bears responsibility for the current chaos.

The stimulus and the economy are truly a mixed bag for Biden. COVID changed everything for both health care and economy. The bottom line is that the world encountered a health crisis that wreaked havoc on the economies of most countries in the world. COVID is an experience that was never planned for. There were discussions on the aftermath of a nuclear war, but there was no planning for a health crisis of this proportion and its economic impact on the nation. Both Trump and Biden touted economic stimulus packages. The vast majority of Americans received those checks from the U. S. Treasury. There was no significant opposition to the first couple of distributions of stimulus checks. The economy had stagnated in much of the country and people were hurting. Yes, the money would have to be repaid, ie future taxes, but the public needed an infusion of cash and both political parties acknowledged the need. The political paradox of seeing both Biden and Trump on the same page politically is worth noting. The original stimulus packages were for basic needs of America’s citizens.

The thrust of stimulus funding has changed in the past 30 days or so. Biden appears to be taking Rahm Emmanuel’s mantra of never letting a crisis go to waste to fund a liberal agenda that wasn’t contemplated with the original stimulus packages. We now have, pursuant to Biden’s address to Congress, an infrastructure rebuilding package being presented.  Give Biden some credit for addressing the repair of America’s roads and bridges. Both parties have failed to address this basic need of the country for years as it costs a lot of money. Realistically, failure to address the problem will cost even more money when the roads and bridges simply fail. America cannot afford to have bridges and trestles collapse and locks on our rivers fail. This part of the plan needs to be supported, and yes we will have to pay for it.

It is the second part of Biden’s plan that needs a lot more critical thought. This part is total income redistribution and governmental control over daily lives of the populace. The proposals have monthly governmental checks being sent to millions of Americans either because of their incomes or because they have children. Increases in minimum wage and health care benefits, along with certain educational and social services. These thoughts may well be noble, but they are extremely expensive. The idea that they will be paid for solely by taxes on the rich is a pipe dream. These proposals, in their current stance, will simply bankrupt the nation and its citizens.

So, give Joe some credit for moving us forward from COVID and seeking better foreign relations while trying to rebuild the roads and bridges of this country. But question Joe’s desire to have the government provide everything for the public as he is forgetting the public must always pay in the end for such programs.