Imperial President Obama : "with or without congress, I’m going to keep at it"

Remarks of President Barack Obama – A 21st Century Government.(WP).
Good morning, everyone. As small business owners, you know as well as anyone, that if we’re going to rebuild an economy that’s built to last – an economy that creates good, middle-class jobs – we all have to up our game.
The other day, I met with business leaders who are doing their part by insourcing – by bringing jobs back to the United States. And I told them, if you’re willing to keep asking yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back, I’ll make sure you’ve got a government that helps you succeed.
That’s why we’re here today. I ran for this office pledging to make our government leaner, smarter and more consumer-friendly. And from the moment I got here, I saw up close what many of you know to be true: the government we have is not the government we need.
We live in a 21st century economy, but we’ve still got a government organized for the 20th century. Our economy has fundamentally changed – as has the world – but the government has not. The needs of our citizens have fundamentally changed but their government has not. Instead, it has often grown more complex.
There are five different entities dealing with housing; more than a dozen agencies involved in food safety. And my favorite example, which I mentioned in last year’s State of the Union Address. As it turns out, the Interior Department is in charge of salmon in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them in saltwater. Apparently, this all had something to do with President Nixon being unhappy with his Interior Secretary for criticizing the Vietnam War.
No business or non-profit leader would allow this kind of duplication or unnecessary complexity in their operations. So why is it OK in our government? It’s not. It has to change.
Today, I am calling on Congress to reinstate the authority that past presidents have had to streamline and reform the Executive Branch. This is the same sort of authority that every business owner has to make sure that his or her company keeps pace with the times. And let me be clear: I will only use this authority for reforms that result in more efficiency, better service, and a leaner government.
Today, I’m outlining changes we could make if Congress gives the green light to allow us to modernize and streamline. These changes would help small business owners like all of you. Right now, there are six departments and agencies focused primarily on business and trade in the federal government – from the Commerce Department to the Small Business Administration to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Six. In this case, six isn’t better than one. It’s redundant and inefficient. With the authority I am requesting today, we could consolidate them all into one department with one website, one phone number and one mission – helping American businesses succeed.
Congress needs to reinstate the authority it has given to Democratic and Republican presidents for decades. In the meantime, as long as folks are looking for work and small businesses are looking for customers, I will keep doing everything in my power to help.As of today, I’m elevating the Small Business Administration to a cabinet-level agency. Karen Mills, who’s been doing a terrific job leading that agency, will make sure that small business owners have their own seat at the table in my Cabinet meetings.In the coming weeks we’ll also unveil a new website – Business USA. This site will be a one-stop shop for small businesses and exporters, consolidating the information that’s right now spread across a number of government sites so that it’s all in one place that’s easy to search.
So with or without Congress, I’m going to keep at it. I’m hopeful it’s with Congress because this is an area where we can receive bipartisan support, because making our government more responsive, strategic and leaner should not be a partisan issue.
I’m going to keep fighting every day to rebuild this economy so that hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded. I’m going to keep fighting to make sure middle class families regain the security they’ve lost over the past decade. This is a make or break moment for them. It should demand action from Washington.Thank you.Hmmmm........Who will oversee this......Another 'Czar'?Other 'fast move' to get rid of Congressional oversight?More power?When will it stop?In the 'Gulag Archipel'?Read the full story here.More here.