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It’s the Economy, Stupid, Not Lipstick
The dramatic worsening of the nation’s unemployment rate from 5.7 percent in July to 6.1 percent in August isn’t the only recent economic indicator starkly contradicting John McCain’s repeated statements that the “fundamentals of the economy are strong.”
Take a look at this data.
- With millions of America’s workers out of a job, unemployment rose among almost all demographic groups, hurting women the worst. Black women saw their unemployment rate worsen by 1.6 percentage points to 9.1 percent. The unemployment rate for African Americans overall rose to 10.6 percent and that of Hispanics to 8 percent.
- More than 1.4 million of America’s workers are employed in part-time positions for economic reasons, not by choice.
- An additional 109,000 individuals hold multiple jobs.
- Incomes are declining across the board—unless you’re extremely wealthy or work in a professional job, like doctor or lawyer. Every other group, including those with college and doctorate degrees, saw income declines. The inflation-adjusted median salary for a person with a bachelor’s degree fell about 3 percent, adjusted for inflation, to $47,240 last year from 2000. Median master’s-degree salaries fell about 4 percent, to $56,707. Salaries for high school graduates fell about 3 percent to $28,290. As the Wall Street Journal puts it:
The recent data are the latest reminder of how college degrees, long seen as a path to the middle class, no longer guarantee fatter paychecks every year.
- One in three homeowners who purchased homes since 2003 now owe more than what the property is worth, according to Zillow.com, an Internet service that values more than 80 million homes. The numbers are even more dismal for those who bought in 2006, with 45 percent now experiencing negative home equity.
- Inflation-adjusted median household income has declined by $1,175 since 2000. Meanwhile, prices for many goods are rising rapidly, according to Elizabeth Warren, a Leo Gottlieb professor of law at Harvard Law School. Testifying before a Senate committee recently, Warren put it this way:
Seven years of flat or declining wages, seven years of increasing costs and seven year of mounting debts have placed unprecedented stress on the ordinary families. By every critical financial measure, these families are losing ground. Without changes in critical economic policies, the strong middle class that has been the backbone of the American economy and the American democracy is in jeopardy.
With seven years of failed economic policies under the Bush administration resulting in the nation’s current disaster, no wonder McCain—whose economic proposals would replicate those of Bush—prefers talking about lipstick.
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12 Comments
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McSame does not get it, when he spoke his rhetoric of wanting “change” in Washington at the convention, (notice he is now using Obama’s slogan) he talked about the Democrats raising taxes on the American people (he was in reference to saving the tax breaks to the wealthy, so poor Cindy can afford her spending habits, now that she is off the drugs), jobs going overseas (thanks to the Republican tax breaks and corporate America’s loophole use to avoid taxes).
As Jon Stewart put it when he interviewed Mike Huckaby, only the Republicans can fix the problems Republicans created. Huckaby laughed as if agreement.
Laura Bush was interviewed by NPR, she talked about wanting more volunteerism in the communities. “We hope what will come is that people will realize all of the different ways they can serve,” When asked if someone who is working the communities to better those in need and help them to help themselves could qualify being called a community organizer, she got quiet and said “I don’t know if that’s exactly what you would call them. I don’t know exactly what that is.”
The following quotes shows how in touch the Republicans are with the working class America:
“The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America,” he said. “After all, you just go to an emergency room.”
George W. Bush on Health care in America
“What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this [chuckles] — this is working very well for them.”
Barbara Bush on New Orleans evacuees at the Houston Astrodome after Hurricane Katrina hit Lousiana.
It is time for change, people blame the congress for doing nothing. They have tried, but with veto threats and Republican uncooperation, vital bills are dying.
In ’09, things can change, only if we the people, kick the current resident out of the White House, and prevent the next resident from bringing in the same play book for another 4 years of nothing.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“Every generation needs a new revolution.”
Thomas Jefferson
“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
John F. Kennedy
“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.”
Harold Wilson
“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.”
Robert C. Gallagher
I don’t see the correlation. Say what you want about numbers and huge statistics without any references…I see moveon.org doing it all the time, and we all know who finances that site. I didn’t see Clinton doing anything for the Unions when he fought for NAFTA, and retroactively raised my taxes his first quarter in office. Oh, how we soon forget…
If you can’t see the correlation; then, you simply just don’t get it, either. You want references?!? Did you not read the article above? Since when did references from the Wall Street Journal or expert witnesses before a U.S. Senate committee, whose credentials are such as being a Leo Gottlieb professor of law at Harvard Law School, not become counted as credible sources? GET REAL!!!
Clinton made Governors appointments to the National Labor Relations Board that were consistent with worker protection and the enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Workplace disasters such as the one at the Crandall Canyon Mine would have led to dramatically different outcomes had Gore or Kerry made the appointments to it and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, (MSHA)! New Orleans would have been handled differently by FEMA, too.
The tax structure under Clinton also led to the first surplus budget in the United States since Andrew Jackson. Then; Clinton went and did it again, the following year, with an even bigger surplus. We were on the road to paying off our Nation’s national debt until Bush cut off our Government’s primary source of revenue: Taxes on the top 2%. Obviously, Clinton had a better understanding of the concept: From those whom much is given, much shall be required; than Bush and, for that matter, McCain do.
Notfooled…huh, more like; completely beguiled and deceived, or even worse…Confounded.
You sure are bitter. I *am* real. What kind of statement is that? If you’d like to debate, use a forum, dont call names or ridicule. It doesnt change anyones mind. You still havent changed mine.
All you have to do is look at obama’s record in Chicago. What has he done to make anyones life better besides his own?
These figures are obviously far less than what they really are under either plan. I guess you forgot Clintons “tax cut” his first 90 days in office, you know…the one where he RAISED everyone’s taxes? How soon you forget. Those didnt go away, neither did Bush’s tax increase. Let’s wait and see if the middle class gets anything. I’ll bet NEITHER party gives us either, and I’ll double-down that obama soaks the “rich”, meaning anyone in a labor union with a tiny bit of overtime.
You have sadly misinterpreted resolved and determined for bitter. You asked for numbers and stats with references…I pointed them out to you. You claimed Clinton did nothing for Unions during the timeframe of NAFTA…I demonstrated you were making false statements. You brought up the subject of tax structure…I set the record straight. You made an attempt to confuse Union voters…I caught you at it and made the truth hurt by illustrating the hypocrisy within your pen-name.
The point here is neither to debate you, nor to change your mind. The point is to debunk lies with exposure to the truth; lest the comments go unchallenged and falsely perceived as accurate. I haven’t called you any names. I don’t even know you. Grow up! If you can’t handle a little truthful candor, perhaps YOU should chose another forum.
Obama did just fine by the people he represented in Chicago. I suppose YOU’RE FORGETFUL of his service as a community organizer prior to his election as a State Senator prior to his election as a U.S. Senator from that area. I suppose all that political success is a result of failing to ever make anyone’s life any better there.
“These figures?” What figures are you talking about? “Bush’s tax increase?” Surely, you are not suggesting that Bush increased taxes on the top 2% of Americans!?! That’s insane. Let me get this straight; you are suggesting that Union workers that suffer FORCED overtime, in order to lower benefit expenses for Corporations, are rich? What Union are you a member of brother? You’re beginning to sound like a member of a management team.
Forget about the past, check out these tax figures for the here and now picture:
http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/09/04/obamas-tax-plan-better-for-working-families-than-mccains/
Yes, all these are major issues. One thing is that all the home prices are not Bush’s fault. It is the consumer. All the issues America faces are because of the consumer looking for something cheaper. Well, buying cheaper things makes competition for American companies very hard to compete with other countries. We need to get away from blaming the president. Nobama will raise taxes. That simple. AFL_CIO is suposed help keep thngs fair. So where is it fair to tax some one 54% of their income. That is not right no matter how much money you make. Taxing the rich will send them to other countries to set up business to avoid the taxes. Now the US government will not get the tax money from that rich guy or his workers he/she may have taken with them. Taxing the rich is not the answer and noboma is not the answer. I am sorry, how can you expect a man with no econ degree to help the economy??? Bush does have a degree, republicans understand the economy and dems do not. I think if some one wants to improve their life they have to put the work in. Government can not do it, only you can.
Sounds like you just don’t get it, either. So, is that fancy econ degree the cause behind the booming economy we currently find ourselves in?
At the very best you are speaking half truths, and at worst you don’t seem to understand what is happening here. You’re blaming the consumer for all the problems we face without blaming corporate America for taking advantage of workers by underpaying them, having poor working conditions, making them work longer and longer hours just to make ends meet, not having adequate or affordable health care, not having proper safety equipment or guidelines on the job, and so forth. And you can blame our government, particularly the Republicans now in control, that looks the other way as Americans are being squeezed out of the standards of living that they were once able to “work hard for” and look forward to.
Please tell me who pays 54% in taxes? Taxing the rich will not send them to other countries; they like it here, and if they don’t want to pay taxes, then they do not have to be American citizens either. They got rich here from the blood sweat and tears of the American worker. Where have you been for the past 50 years? Have you not seen the decline since extreme capitalism and privatization took over our government. Taxing the rich and corporations is indeed what this country needs, because the very rich and corporations DO NOT pay taxes, and most average and poor wage earners do.
One does not need an Economics degree to understand economics. Heck, I got my degree in the Arts and Humanities, and I know more about the economy than Bush or many of the Republicans do. One thing you may not have realized is that Democrats have always understood the economy a lot more than the Republicans have, which is why they understand why Unions are so important, and why they understand that in order to have a strong economy, you have got to protect the little guy from exploitation. It is the working class that has kept this country going, not the corporate, all-powerful elite.
And how dare you say that “if some one wants to improve their life, they have to put the work in”. Clearly you do not understand the American worker at all and how much they have PUT THE WORK IN, at great sacrifice. It is our government, both state and federal, that sets the minimum wage, that sets environmental and safety standards at the work place, that sets national guidelines for health and education, etc, and you think our government should stay out of it. It is precisely because our government wishes to stay out of it, that corporate greed has been allowed to run amok. Do you really think most businesses today, particular the large corporations can regulate themselves, and really consider what their employees need in order to have a better life, such as adequate pay, health care, pensions, sick leave, etc. Profits is all that seems to matter.
You just don’t get it.
What a low down trick to run a HOTTIE for Vice!! LOL, they have no shame!! They think us old farts will go for that trick, it’s tempting to get to look at her for 4 years!!!
It is the economy, and I don’t ever remember demanding cheap products. I have tried to buy American as long as I could .The foreign stuff is not that much cheaper, but the people who have it made in those countries makes a lot of money from it, that is probably not taxed in the USA. I also don’t compare the taxes that I as a working person pays compared to the wealthy. They don’t pay any percentage like we working class people do. Everyone knows how much we make, and there is nothing you can do. But they have all kinds of tax breaks,and ways to disguise income, that we working people could never imagine.
The Republicans keep saying the way to fix the economy is more tax cuts for the wealthy and more free trade agreements. If trade agreements were the miracle they say then we wouldn’t have this huge trade deficit. All the closed factories all over the US would be operating at full capacity, and all the people who have lost good paying jobs would still be working Qur cities and states would not be hurting for lack of funds, and Social Security would be in much better shape with all those people making good money and paying into it. If trade agreements were so great those foreign ships that take scrap metal and paper and such away from the US,would be loaded with American cars, appliances ,machine tools and industrial equipment.
We Americans deserve better.
Thank you
All this talk about taxing the rich…
I don’t know where you all work but the fact is, up to about $120,000.00 income there is only about $100 difference in taxation between either McCain’s or Obama’s tax plan and Obama’s is the lower of the two plans.
The middle class always pays virtually 100% of their taxes and always will. We can’t afford to fund foundations.
Also, the AFL-CIO has never been responsible for tax collection, it’s the Internal Revenue Service.
As far as Republicans understanding the economy, that’s very true. Five for me, three for you, ten for me, two for you, all for me, none for you!
Try working in a right to work state like Mississippi and lay brick for 12 hours a day for $9.00 an hour and see how you really like a free market philosophy.
Remember ALL the issues we face when you vote in November.
Amen, to that!!! Actually, the tax structure as published in the Washington Post provides the bracket from $66,355 to $111,645 with an average change of $1,009 under McCain and $1,290 under Obama.
http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/09/04/obamas-tax-plan-better-for-working-families-than-mccains/
That’s $281 less income tax under Obama. $281 more disposable income for most people to pump into our local economies than McSame will provide seems like a much better plan to me. Under Obama, taxes are not increased until the income level reaches the $603,403 to $2.87 million threshold. I think Obama really gets it.