It’s the start of a new school year at Wayland High School, and most students are excited for change. The newly renovated field house with spotless locker rooms, clean new bathrooms and showers and fancy water fountains are a preview of the changes we will welcome in the new school. The atmosphere on campus is very similar to the enthusiasm of our nation in January 2009.

The inauguration of President Barack Obama was a cause for high spirits and patriotism for many. America was filled with hope for the “change” which Obama promised. However, America is still waiting for this change to come, especially with respect to America’s economy, healthcare and unemployment problems.

When Obama’s presidency started, the United States was in a recession. With the promises of a new president, we looked forward to the end of the economic troubles plaguing our country. Unfortunately, the major problems that our country faced in January 2009 still exist more than halfway through Obama’s term.

Our economy is only slightly more stable than it was in late 2008. On August 8th, 2011 the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 630 points. The next day, the market gained points; on August 10th, the market again fell. This was followed by another gain, creating a roller coaster of increases and decreases.

One of Obama’s main promises was to create a national healthcare program, otherwise known as “Obamacare.” In early 2010, Obamacare was signed into law; however, almost a year and a half later, Americans fail to be impacted by this legislation. It is predicted that we will see no great impact from Obama’s healthcare law until 2014, with only minor influences currently in effect.

The President’s failure to compromise on his healthcare plan has brought about numerous setbacks, including questions of the constitutionality of a national healthcare policy. If Obamacare was a constitutional compromise that satisfied both parties, our nation’s healthcare system might have been changed for the better with quicker results and a larger impact. In its current state, the health care issue remains unsolved and has an uncertain future.

Unemployment continues to be one of America’s biggest problems. In December 2008, our nation’s unemployment rate was 7.3%. This number peaked in October of 2009 at 10.1% and since then has unsteadily risen and fallen between 10.1% to 8.8%.

Obama’s latest plan to decrease this number was outlined in his televised speech on September 8th. The plan calls for $450 billion of spending — an astronomical amount of money that Obama should recognize will bring about intense debate among political parties, thus furthering the delay of any improvements in the job market.

This number should be lowered to a bare minimum, preventing more job cuts and creating as many jobs as possible within a restricted budget. With a lower cost, the political parties will argue less and the necessary portion of the plan can go into effect with minimal delay. Republicans and Democrats can argue about the remainder of the plan after the necessities have been agreed upon.

Three major problems our country faced when President Barack Obama entered office still exist today. There have been minimal improvements at best with respect to our economy, America’s healthcare system and the job market. We are still waiting to see the positive results of Obama’s much promised “change”. Luckily for Wayland High School, it appears that change really will be coming in January.