The Bush Index: undermining the middle class

[Linnea]

The Real State of the Union Under Bush

THE BUSH INDEX: Undermining the Middle Class with Fewer Jobs, Less Pay, Higher Costs


“The America that George Bush has created is one with fewer jobs, increasing health costs and more obstacles to achieving the American dream. Slogans, emotional appeals and negative attacks won't do it tonight -- George Bush has got to make America forget that he's been in charge for the last four years and convince the nation that he has an actual plan to get America back on track.

“The election comes down to this: If you believe this country is heading in the right direction, you should support George Bush; but if you believe America needs to move in a new direction, John Kerry has a better plan that will make us stronger at home and more respected in the world.” - Kerry-Edwards spokesman Phil Singer.

Fewer Jobs, Less Pay…

Total number of lost American jobs (private sector) since Bush took office: 1.8 million

Average difference in earnings between industries losing jobs and those creating jobs: $9,160 less

Number of jobs Bush needs to create each month to avoid losing jobs before election day: 900,000

Number of Presidents in the last 70 years who have lost jobs during their terms of office: 1

…increasing health care costs…

Increase in family health care premiums since Bush took office: 50 percent

How much faster health insurance premiums are growing than workers’ earnings last year: 4 times

Number of Americans who have lost health insurance since Bush took office: 5.2 million

Total number of Americans without health insurance: 45 million

…and more obstacles to achieving the American Dream

Increase in college tuition since Bush took office (on average): $1,207 – or 35 percent

Increase in child care costs since Bush took office (on average): $2,050

Increase in gas costs for households with children: 33 percent

Increase in households filing for bankruptcy between 2000 and 2003: 33 percent

Number of seconds between household bankruptcy filings last year: 19

Increase in the annual federal deficit since Bush took office: $658 billion

from Kerry campaign:

http://blog.johnkerry.com/rapidresponse ... .html#more

[Linnea]

A crowd of more than 20,000 packed into Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. The excitement didn’t let up as the Mayor of Akron Don Plusquellic and John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO introduced John Kerry.

As John Kerry told the crowd, “We are not going to divide America into Red States and Blue States – we are going to make it one America -- Red, White and Blue for all.

[spaceprophet]

The cold hard numbers speak volumes. Why can't the easily misled Americans who buy into their 'reward only their contributors' policies wake up and smell the ammonia?

Every non-partisan and independent study that's been done states that the middle class status is eroding at a rate faster than the gallons of water that fall over the Niagara Falls every minute.

I can't help but believe that this is the way they wish it to be. This way they can culturally and politically revert the country back to slavery days pre-Civil War. Or at least feudalism and royalty control.

Everything they do points to this. For example: They have aggressively waged a war against overtime pay and have been winning, they passionately and religiously wish to eradicate minimum wage, they loathe unions, they want social security to "wither on the vine and die", they not only encourage but support 'outsourcing' and the importation of cheap foreign labor to replace their American brothers, and they effectively wipe out college education benefits for poor Americans every chance they get.

To not see this would be prime diagnoses for blindness. Either that or an addiction to Nazi propaganda like mind control.

[mudwoman]

Thank you Space, for you thoughtful and well written post. I wish to hell it was not necessary to say such words, but sadly it is. The truth of these times in America, is a hard truth.

[daboodaddy]

Welfare for Corporates, but NO SAFETY NET for the poor. Don't politicians in DC get to write themselves "Cost of living" raises? Grrrrrrr! Hiss!

[spaceprophet]

They can justify the welfare on the corporate level because they have no choice but to. These people put in a lota hours and energy in trying to convince them that letting them poison the water supply of Smallville doesn't just save them money, it helps get Joe Schmo reelected also.

The single mother or common retired person that struggles to get by at Wal-Mart and Republican wages is looked upon as trash. They loathe it. They would rather spend the money on invading innocent countries so they can justify slashing domestic spending.

[tiffany]

SP so true very good and unfortunately truthful posts.........

[Lord Moon]

But guess what.... G.W. Is still ahead in the polls.....

and as far as Labor is concerned.....it's days are numbered in this country... John Sweeny is a dinosaur... and he needs to step down... he has nothing to offer anyone...

that's the question.... and though I'm a Demorcrat... I can say that people are more afraid of liberals than conservatives..

[Cherry Kelly]

Interesting figures - that lack backup and have far greater impact that does NOT go to the presidencial office but to other factors.

Health care costs HAVE risen - but WHY have they risen? Could it be due to the billions and billions of dollars paid out throuth Tort type lawsuits - many of which are frivolous? Could it have anything to do with 3,000 lives lost and two to three times more people who were injured requiring health care - from 9-11? Could it be? Could it also be due to the losses in health care from all the illegals who pay zilch and medical facilities requiring gov't to make up for the loss in money, time, resources? Or all of the above?

Following 9-11 job losses skyrocketed. Following several natural disasters - job losses also skyrocketed. Following NAFTA companies started moving offshore and continue to do so. Following ever increasing regulations (red tape) put forth through numerous congressional actions -- jobs have been lost.

(number of presidents losing jobs - recheck those stats - as was pointed out on a CNN live discussion - there are two in last 70 yrs)

[Iris]

Cherry, you have just outlined a perfect case for why you should vote for Kerry, who promises to penalize companies who move their operations offshore, and reward them for staying here.

[spaceprophet]

According to the Republicans, "Outsourcing is good." Replacing American workers with cheaper illegal foreign immigrants is good.

They are not for the common American. They are for only the rich.

[Valentino]

I don't dispute that jobs have been lost or that costs have risen. What I am unclear on is how or what GW has done to accomplish this. What exactly did GW do that caused this? Please enlighten me as I would like to see a change, just don't see how it can be done by one President in one term, either way.

[spaceprophet]

It's not what he has done it's what he hasn't done.