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Unless you been completely asleep at the wheel here's what's happened since the Administration of President George W. Bush Jr. has taken office:
One, most of the tax cuts have benefitted the highest income Americans.
Two, middle class incomes and overall job growth was relatively stagnant.
Three, the wealthiest Americans profited like gangbusters from 2002 to 2007 when the financial markets fueled by credit induced consumer spending and growth in emerging markets performed exceedingly well.
Four, the wealthiest Americans did NOT invest that money back into America to create more industries or jobs instead they invested money in places with high growth economies like Brazil, China, and India.
Five, corporate executives then shipped jobs overseas to these high growth areas because wages were lower and thus they made even more money.
Six, due to a "Hands Off" regulatory policy by the Bush Administration mortgage backed securities and credit default swaps were unregulated. When the market for these products crashed due to a downturn in home sales and increasing foreclosures it constrained the international credit markets to the point it almost cause a global economic collapse which lead to the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression.
Seven, while all this was going on the Bush Administration decided to pursue a war with Iraq based on false and misleading intelligence. The cost of the war was unfunded in terms of tax increases or decreased federal spending. The result was an administration that was handed a budget surplus in excess of $250 billion dollars left office with a budget deficit of over $1 trillion dollars.
Now you want to give the same political party that was in charge of this debacle a chance to set economic policy for this country again with basically the same fundamental ideals? Are you serious?
1)Those tax cuts benefited me I'm lower middle class. They were a great help to me. Now they are talking about raising my taxes. How is taking more of my money a help to me?
2)You claim job growth for Middle class was stagnant under Bush. I would take stagnant at 4.5% unemployed under bush to 10 % unemployment under Obama . Who do you think is out of work the rich or the middle class and poor
3) the middle class did well under Bush not so well under Obama. maybe if people would not think class warfare is needed the country would be better off
4) where do you think the jobs now have gone. What has Obama done to change that? 10% unemployed compared to 4. 6% under bush, once again who do you think lost those jobs under Obama?
5) 4/6 % unemployment compared to 10% who did a better job for middle America
6) who do you think stopped the republican from reforming fanny and Freddy. DOD and frank
7) In his first year the country was attacked. Were we to defend the country or not?
Now i ask again what plank of the pledge hurts me as lower middle class
There is nothing really new with the Pledge To America.
Also it's not entirely truthful. Republicans are out campaigning on cutting or privatizing Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans Administration health benefits but NONE of that was openly discussed to the announcement with "Pledge To America".
What's the population of the US in 2010 compared to 1945?
BTW, did I miss your response to the budget issues that I clarified for you?
Since the ratio is 1-7 does not really matter what the population was in 1945.
If the population was 7 people then one would be in poverty, if it was 14 2 people would be in poverty. Its a ratio 1-7 now is no different than the ratio one in seven in 1945.
1)Those tax cuts benefited me I'm lower middle class. They were a great help to me. Now they are talking about raising my taxes. How is taking more of my money a help to me?
2)You claim job growth for Middle class was stagnant under Bush. I would take stagnant at 4.5% unemployed under bush to 10 % unemployment under Obama . Who do you think is out of work the rich or the middle class and poor
3) the middle class did well under Bush not so well under Obama. maybe if people would not think class warfare is needed the country would be better off
4) where do you think the jobs now have gone. What has Obama done to change that? 10% unemployed compared to 4. 6% under bush, once again who do you think lost those jobs under Obama?
5) 4/6 % unemployment compared to 10% who did a better job for middle America
6) who do you think stopped the republican from reforming fanny and Freddy. DOD and frank
7) In his first year the country was attacked. Were we to defend the country or not?
Now i ask again what plank of the pledge hurts me as lower middle class
Bush added hardly any jobs in 8 years, and when he left the office, we were losing 700 000 jobs per month. Also, if the tax cuts were so great, then why are we in this mess today? Thirdly, Republicans didn't want to reform Fannie and Freddie, they wanted to seize control of them from Congress and give it to the While House. You expect a proposal like that to pass? It was a power grab attempt.
Bush added hardly any jobs in 8 years, and when he left the office, we were losing 700 000 jobs per month. Also, if the tax cuts were so great, then why are we in this mess today? Thirdly, Republicans didn't want to reform Fannie and Freddie, they wanted to seize control of them from Congress and give it to the While House. You expect a proposal like that to pass? It was a power grab attempt.
1)Those tax cuts benefited me I'm lower middle class. They were a great help to me. Now they are talking about raising my taxes. How is taking more of my money a help to me?
The only income tax raise that is on the table is for married couples making more than $390,000 or singles making more than $250,000. There is no discussion of raising taxes on any other income groups. Please clarify if you are talking about some other tax that disprotionately effects the working classes such as fuel tax or sales tax. These taxes disproportionately affect lower and middle income groups because these groups must spend a much higher percentage of their income on life's necessities like fuel and food. I am not sure where the national discussion is on these types of taxes. We also all know that property taxes are quite high in many places. This is a state issue and not something Obama has any control over.
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2)You claim job growth for Middle class was stagnant under Bush. I would take stagnant at 4.5% unemployed under bush to 10 % unemployment under Obama . Who do you think is out of work the rich or the middle class and poor
I didn't make that claim, but our economy is far too complicated to pinpoint unemployment on the president in power at the time of the unemployment rate being this or that. I think we all know that the current economic stagnancy is because of the housing bubble and manufacturing jobs being moved overseas. The housing bubble wasn't bush's fault per se, it was basically created by the policies of the federal reserve under alan greenspan. He is who should be blamed for the current mess, if anyone. But it is hard to know what the alternatives would have created had he gone some other policy direction. The outsourcing of manufacturing jobs is the second source of high unemployment. This outsourcing happened because of the incredibly loose free-trade policies that began under Reagan and continue to today.
My point isn't that the current mess is or is not Bush's fault or Obama's fault or Reagan's fault or Clinton's fault. My point is merely that economic conditions and trends are somewhat independent of the current politician in power.
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3) the middle class did well under Bush not so well under Obama. maybe if people would not think class warfare is needed the country would be better off
The middle class has been struggling since the 90s for the reasons stated above. We have serious problems in this country with wealth inequality. The rich get richer and the poor and middle class get poorer. For the first time in our country's history, the middle class will no longer go bankrupt because of a disease. That is a big step in my opinion, even though the health care reform still lines the pockets of the health insurance companies way more than it should. The down side is that the middle and lower classes no longer have the option to go uninsured. But this, again just my opinion, is a small price to pay for bringing health care under control.
On the other hand, I can't think of one Bush policy that benefitted the middle class. But that probably is unfair and I don't mind being proven wrong on this point.
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4) where do you think the jobs now have gone. What has Obama done to change that? 10% unemployed compared to 4. 6% under bush, once again who do you think lost those jobs under Obama?
5) 4/6 % unemployment compared to 10% who did a better job for middle America
When Bush left office, the unemployment rate was 7.6%. Economists at the time were gravely worried about depression-era unemployment rates. We haven't seen that, thanks in part to the recovery programs. The downside is that we have debt from these programs. But I am happier to take on debt from recovery programs than to take on a far more massive debt for bizarre and mis-guided wars in the middle east.
If you think that if bush stayed in office that the unemployment rate would be lower than it is by virtue of him being in office, than i have a bridge to sell you.
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6) who do you think stopped the republican from reforming fanny and Freddy. DOD and frank
I don't understand what you are saying. The recent legislation changing bank lending practices to prevent another housing bubble was thanks to the democrats.
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7) In his first year the country was attacked. Were we to defend the country or not?
Yeah we should have defended the country instead of the shameful occurance of using 9/11 as an excuse to attack a country that had nothing to do with it.
It may not seem like it from my posts, but I am not a die hard democrat or a hater of republicans. I think that both parties are incredibly dishonest and neither is particularly interested in the problems that most of us face in our daily lives. But, the policies of the democrats, to me, are more consistent with what I see as necessary to have a country with a large middle class and a high standard of living. The republicans seem to be all talk. They say that we should have less government so instead of spending $100 on a toothbrush from a government worker they fire the government worker and give a private contractor $150 to buy the same toothbrush, then turn around and say how they are reducing the size of government. If the republicans were able to say, hey, we want less government, we are going to cut the federal budget and spending by half, we are going to eliminate laws telling us how to live our lives, that would be great. But they don't do that and sometimes they do the opposite (eg the Patriot Act)
The only income tax raise that is on the table is for married couples making more than $390,000 or singles making more than $250,000. There is no discussion of raising taxes on any other income groups. Please clarify if you are talking about some other tax that disprotionately effects the working classes such as fuel tax or sales tax. These taxes disproportionately affect lower and middle income groups because these groups must spend a much higher percentage of their income on life's necessities like fuel and food. I am not sure where the national discussion is on these types of taxes. We also all know that property taxes are quite high in many places. This is a state issue and not something Obama has any control over.
I didn't make that claim, but our economy is far too complicated to pinpoint unemployment on the president in power at the time of the unemployment rate being this or that. I think we all know that the current economic stagnancy is because of the housing bubble and manufacturing jobs being moved overseas. The housing bubble wasn't bush's fault per se, it was basically created by the policies of the federal reserve under alan greenspan. He is who should be blamed for the current mess, if anyone. But it is hard to know what the alternatives would have created had he gone some other policy direction. The outsourcing of manufacturing jobs is the second source of high unemployment. This outsourcing happened because of the incredibly loose free-trade policies that began under Reagan and continue to today.
My point isn't that the current mess is or is not Bush's fault or Obama's fault or Reagan's fault or Clinton's fault. My point is merely that economic conditions and trends are somewhat independent of the current politician in power.The middle class has been struggling since the 90s for the reasons stated above. We have serious problems in this country with wealth inequality. The rich get richer and the poor and middle class get poorer. For the first time in our country's history, the middle class will no longer go bankrupt because of a disease. That is a big step in my opinion, even though the health care reform still lines the pockets of the health insurance companies way more than it should. The down side is that the middle and lower classes no longer have the option to go uninsured. But this, again just my opinion, is a small price to pay for bringing health care under control.
On the other hand, I can't think of one Bush policy that benefitted the middle class. But that probably is unfair and I don't mind being proven wrong on this point.
When Bush left office, the unemployment rate was 7.6%. Economists at the time were gravely worried about depression-era unemployment rates. We haven't seen that, thanks in part to the recovery programs. The downside is that we have debt from these programs. But I am happier to take on debt from recovery programs than to take on a far more massive debt for bizarre and mis-guided wars in the middle east.
If you think that if bush stayed in office that the unemployment rate would be lower than it is by virtue of him being in office, than i have a bridge to sell you.
I don't understand what you are saying. The recent legislation changing bank lending practices to prevent another housing bubble was thanks to the democrats.
Yeah we should have defended the country instead of the shameful occurance of using 9/11 as an excuse to attack a country that had nothing to do with it.
It may not seem like it from my posts, but I am not a die hard democrat or a hater of republicans. I think that both parties are incredibly dishonest and neither is particularly interested in the problems that most of us face in our daily lives. But, the policies of the democrats, to me, are more consistent with what I see as necessary to have a country with a large middle class and a high standard of living. The republicans seem to be all talk. They say that we should have less government so instead of spending $100 on a toothbrush from a government worker they fire the government worker and give a private contractor $150 to buy the same toothbrush, then turn around and say how they are reducing the size of government. If the republicans were able to say, hey, we want less government, we are going to cut the federal budget and spending by half, we are going to eliminate laws telling us how to live our lives, that would be great. But they don't do that and sometimes they do the opposite (eg the Patriot Act)
If the Bush tax cute expire the Middle class will get a giant tax increase. I am lower middle class i know how much that tax cut helped.
If you do not blame anyone for the current economy you still have to ask , what is being done to help the economy . Does Obama healthcare taxes and probably illegal mandates help the economy. I just had to start paying 300 a month for my health care from my employer up from 30 of my own money. Was that a help to me? no.
I see the pledge to America having concrete actions. I see nothing but trillion dollar deficits from the Dem's and their urge to blame Bush and fox rather than deal with what America people are saying.
Americans do not like the health bill it is suppose to be a Representative government how is the current president representing the will of the people.
that is what elections are for.
The republicans did not listen in 2006 and 2008 and and we changed them out. Dem's do not listen or care now and prefer to blame Bush and fox as their answer to the middle class problem.
we will see what the people say in 2010 when we can voice with our vote.
where to start.
The last Bush deficit was 500 billion. Only half way to a trillion. Obama has had the trillion dollar deficits.
Bush had 52 months of job growth after the country had been attacked.
Barney frabnk and Dodd ha much to do with he collapse of fannie and Freddy
It will take years to undo the devastation Obama has wreaked.
That Bush economy with 4.6% unemployment looks good right now to alot of out of work people with no hope.
The Bush economy with its highes 500 billion dollar deficit looks good compared to where we are now. Since last years deficit was 1.5 trillion, if Obama coul cut 1 trillion from his budget then and only then could he match the Bush deficit
The Bush Administration has the worst job creation record of any post World War II administration in terms of percentage of jobs increased.
Also the from the President George W. Bush Jr. assumed office until the time he left office the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined about 24%.
The entire even without the financial crises the Bush Administration’s economic performance was mediocre at best and with the crises it was a disaster.
If the Bush tax cute expire the Middle class will get a giant tax increase. I am lower middle class i know how much that tax cut helped.
If you do not blame anyone for the current economy you still have to ask , what is being done to help the economy . Does Obama healthcare taxes and probably illegal mandates help the economy. I just had to start paying 300 a month for my health care from my employer up from 30 of my own money. Was that a help to me? no.
I see the pledge to America having concrete actions. I see nothing but trillion dollar deficits from the Dem's and their urge to blame Bush and fox rather than deal with what America people are saying.
Americans do not like the health bill it is suppose to be a Representative government how is the current president representing the will of the people.
that is what elections are for.
The republicans did not listen in 2006 and 2008 and and we changed them out. Dem's do not listen or care now and prefer to blame Bush and fox as their answer to the middle class problem.
we will see what the people say in 2010 when we can voice with our vote.
You are right and you and all of us should vote for whomever we think will be best for the country / state / district. We should vote after being fully informed of all relevant facts and seeing things not as black and white but as our own conclusion to the reasonable arguments being presented from either side.
About the taxes, the Obama plan is to extend the cuts for everyone but those earning over 398k if married and 250k if single. Republicans are opposing this, they want the tax cut to stay for households earning over $400,000. So there is no plan on the table to raise your taxes.
My reading of the pledge is that it is basically a complete rollback to 2008 with some anti-immigrant stuff thrown in. there is nothing bold about it. It says we would have been better off doing nothing to respond to the economic crises. Economists say we are better off responding how we did. But I think reasonable adults can differ here, and I respect that.
I am sorry about your increase in health premiums. I would be shocked if any of that increase was due in any way to the new legislation. Premiums have been going up 10-20% per year for a decade. Costs are totally out of control and people who get cancer are literally going bankrupt and worrying about money on top of their sickness.
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