I live just outside of Fort Myers, FLorida and watched it live on TV. The bits they let you see online don't always show the whole truth.

Julio is definitely a character though. I don't think businesses like McDonald's can afford to offer extensive health care. Here locally, they do offer health care to their employees. It is just a minimal coverage policy. No matter how much it covers, any bit helps now a days. For Julio to have been employed there for so long is very good. Also a plus for him is that he is going to college to be a reporter. He might have to tone down his exhuberance a bit though.

The homeless lady's story shocked me. I was surprised she asked the President to help her like that. Then, after the Meeting was over we all learned the truth. Yes, she is in a home rent free and fully furnished (also free from some local businesses) from a wife of a local politician. She did discuss that she wasn't sure at first if she would accept the offer. She just wants her old house back and this house is in another town outside Fort Myers. Then we found out that an agency had already offered her housing and she refused! There was some story telling back and forth about how it all happened, but in the end she did not accept their help. Now, she doesn't need their help...she is in a nice home that is all ready to go. Lucky for her and her son I guess. Now it is time to help out the rest of the country.

I feel for Julio, I really do. But I also fear the "health czar" outlined in the stimulus package. It's bad enough to have to fight with insurance companies AND doctors (who dont' want to treat people like me with NF), I don't wanna have to fight some Washington wage an hour beaurocrat to get treatment. This is hope? And so far, the only result I've see from the so called stimulus package is the stock market tanking even further taking my 401K with it.

Have you seen Soilent Green?

Of course in this stimulus package, we old folk could be deem worthless to the "greater good" and refused medical care. Thank you Obama.

Yup, I'm many faceted...a Renaissance Woman, if you will. Funny, articulate, thoughtful, intelligent, kind, compassionate, fair, interested, active and honest. I need all the support I can get.

Wow you are in a lot of support groups!

And now the Almighty has taken the only thing out of the "stimulus" plan which will work...that is E-Verify. A government product that works 99.5% of the time in verifying workers are legal immigrants are American citizens....and this is suppose to create jobs....for whom?

ABeliever - have you checked that out with your accountant? Obama is increasing your allowed deductions so that you can keep more of what you earn - I understand. Also - he is talking about net income rather than gross income. My understanding is that if you and your wife net $250,000 (that's after all business expenses are paid) only then will your taxes increase. A quarter of a million dollars is quite a bit to net. And the stimulus plan will provide you with tax breaks. I don't think you're going to be forced out of business - but I could be wrong.

We own a small union commercial electric contracting company and have since 92. If Obama's plan to tax people that make over so much per year happens, we will not make money at all and will have to let our business we've had go and that's more unemployment. There's many small businesses that will go under. What's the point in working 12 hours per day if you can't make more money by owning a business?

This country will be turning into a country that says, "What can you do for me?" Unlike what Kennedy's speech was about.

Obama is my hero... 3 trillion dollar stimulas and I'll be getting ... starting June $13 a week, then down to $8 a week in January 2010. Woo woo... I'm going shopping but afraid to spend it all in one place!

Yes I stole part of my post from Bernard Goldberg but he speaks of the slobbering love affair between Obama and the media.

This country is in trouble big time, as bad as the McCarthy days but a 180 degree turn with most media being liberal.

I have spoke to some people in the movie industry and if you're a right-winger, you're out of luck as far as a job. Republicans have to keep their mouths shut about what they believe whereas the liberals are in movies with their subliminal messages against conservatism and Republicans.

We will become a socialistic country. Not a death sentence but ........ which country in all of the world donates more money to causes such as starving people in Africa or AIDS? America and that's because of our democracy.........which will soon be gone due to illegal aliens (among others) becoming citizens and voting themselves largesse from our public treasury.

The exact quote from Tyler is: A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.

Oy vey! Another person that thinks that Obama is the Messiah. I certainly hope he does well because I want America to do well but this slobbering love affair with Obama makes me sick to my stomach.

What do you mean you have know guys like Julio?

Hmmm...I'm guessing the video doesn't show the part afterward where Julio said he hasn't been so filled with hope and happiness since he got a Playstation 3 for Christmas...hah. At least he's got his priorities.

I can't believe we're applauding the mindset that is deluding young Americans into believing that they are entitled to be taken care of by the government. This young man is very typical of what I see in every young person I interact with anymore. If he isn't happy with the benefits and pay he's getting at McDonald's, he should do something about it. It's not up to Obama to come in and make McDonald's pay him $100K a year and give him free benefits. Oh wait, that's what Obama set himself up for...

hi.

you emailed me recently and it ended up in my junk file and i deleted it (not recognising the name). could you possibly send it again?

thanks

irishwriter

The end of the story for the lady who needed a place to live was this: Obama gave her a business card of a govt agency to help her get a place to live. When she went there, one of the people working in the agency actually gave the homeless lady a house! The best part of this story, other than someone got a place to live, is that it wasn't a government solution -- it was one human being (and not Obama, btw) reaching out and helping another.

And Julio didn't strike me as a teenager -- anyone know how old he is?
If he wants a bigger paycheck with better benefits, then having the gov't force McD's to increase wages/benefits isn't the way to go. Maybe he should get some more education/training and look for a different job. Despite the soaring unemployment rate, which I agree is terrible, there actually are lots of jobs out there if you are willing to look for them and maybe consider something different.

It really wasn't the clip of Julio that made me nauseous, cause I thought he was kind of cute...it was definately the "Hope for Julio, Hope for Us All" that got me going...I mean, even you bleeders have to admit that is a little too...rainbows and puppy dog tails, I mean, come on!

"Julio's Exuberance"...sounds like a cheap men's cologne, but I digress.

Look, nobody begrudges the kid a little excitement. Julio's not my problem. God willing, with Obama's heads up to little Julio, maybe it will be a "trigger" to "propel" our beloved Julio "on to become a successful adult". It was an a-adorable moment, o.k.? (but really, probably not as cute as when he got that X-Box, if ya know what I'm saying...)
If it works for you guys there on La La Lane, God bless ya. Now pet your cats for me and go to bed. I said good night sir!

LOL - well gosh bitemepa - I don't know who said you hated Obama - and I don't know who said you liked Bush - because it sure wasn't me! I went back and read what I said again - and nope - that's not in my post.

Maybe it was the comment about the puke hanging in your throat as a result of watching Julio - that made me think you had an issue with joy - not sure. However, if you love joy - that's great!! But you really don't need to hide it so well. Let the joy come up and out bitemepa!! You'll feel so much better. :)

It saddens me to see that some people are unable to share in Julio's obvious exuberance, at having the opportunity to ask the president a question. This may well have been the trigger that will propel him on to become a successful adult. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For a teenager, it's obviously in the same category as receiving one's first X-box.