I'll bet you didn't know that the U.S. economy, for the past 5 years has seen incredible, almost unprecedented growth. Unemployment has been hovering at around a low 4 percent, inflation has been almost non-existant, most stocks are rising at healthy rate (not an artifical boom like in the 1990's), and the GNP (gross national product) of the U.S. is at record highs. Going further, home sales are way up and the percentage of Americans who own their own home is at record levels. Also, salaries are up at every level of the employment scale. Minority-owned businesses are seeing unprecedented levels of success.
Yet, as I stated above, I bet you didn't know that. Why do I say that? Because the American Research Group's latest monthly survey found 59 percent of Americans rate the economy as bad, very bad or terrible.
What we see in the news today regarding jobs are stories of how are jobs are being shipped to India. Newspeople are quick to report on rising gasoline prices and how that is going to financially hurt us. Yet, these same journalists are reluctant to report any good news. They don't report that we are better off with a great economy and $3.50 a gallon gas prices than with $2.25 a gallon prices with a lousy economy.
I never want to blame a president of the federal government too much for a bad economy. I also never want to give too much credit to them when the economy is good. But come on, let's give them some credit here. It's obvious to me that the reason the media is so reluctant to report good economic news is they don't like the current administration and they don't want to give any credibility to the fact that much of this economic success is attributed to Bush's tax cuts. After all, before the Iraq invasion, the tax cuts were the principle point of attack against the president by the left. Heaven forbid they admit to being at all wrong about them.
U.S. payrolls jumped by 243,000 in February
Job Growth, Wages Send Mixed Signals
I'm starting to see at least some reports of the good economy from mainstream media sources, that includes the normally very liberal L.A. Times. Even in the Times article, though, they caution that the economic boom may be temporary, which of course it is, but they had to put some negative spin in there.
I even said on my site Bush's only decent thing is the economy. He's screwed up everything else.
ReplyDeleteHowever the facts are other then then economy where has Bush succeeded? Jobs are being lost overseas to cheaper labor (I know all about that) the war is a disaster our infrastructure isn't the best compared to other nations. So is an ADEQUETE economy considered a success dispite his other disasters?
ReplyDeleteOther failures include Katrina, our own levees, immigration (that plan is a disaster)
ReplyDeleteThere you go. Our economy is not merely performing "ADEQU[A]TE"ly. We are living in one of the best economic periods in world history. Please don't retort with the typical left-wing nonsense about it being only "the rich". As I stated in my post, " home sales are way up and the percentage of Americans who own their own home is at record levels. Also, salaries are up at every level of the employment scale. Minority-owned businesses are seeing unprecedented levels of success."
ReplyDeleteYet, one of the principle things that spurred this great economic boom is the tax cuts and what do you and other liberals want? TO GET RID OF THEM.
The democratic platform
George Bush is bad. Everything George Bush does is wrong. George Bush wakes up every morning and figures out how he can screw everything up that day. Everything George Bush does is for the benefit of oilmen. Every problem in the world today is George Bush's fault. Anyone who says anything good at all about George Bush is a deluded, racist, facist, corrupt pig. We democrats have no clue on how to run the country, but we do know that George Bush is always wrong, wrong, wrong.
And the media (which is composed of approximately 70% democrats) agrees with this platform and spews this crap 24/7.
Fact is jobs are being lost and I feel the economy is doing adequetly is due to not people like myself (low to middle income) getting any kind of breaks it's the investors at the top of the food chain who are bennifiting the tax cuts which I am not receiving.
ReplyDeleteYou work for a bank. The bank does well in a good economy. That means you have a job. That's a good thing, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI have a job where I'm out 75% of my paycheck cause of gas and bills. I know it's better then the alternative but I shouldn't have to work 80 hours a week to get buy. I can't do things like travel as much as I used to I don't do many things I used to. I can't afford sporting events, concerts all the things I used to enjoy. You tell me am I enjoying the "booming" economy?
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry, Erik, but I’m going to have to get personal here.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, if you really get to keep 25% of your paycheck for expenses other than bills and gas, you are doing much better than me or anyone else I know. You’re not in your 20’s anymore and I would have thought by now that you’d realized that life isn’t full of sporting events, concerts, and such. Making statements like you have above is not going to garner much sympathy from me or anyone else.
Secondly, I feel obliged to tell you that the work you do is unskilled labor. If your job requires a week or so of training and basic knowledge you should learn in high school, its unskilled labor. I’m sorry, Erik, we don’t live in the 1950’s anymore where one can work at Sears, become a department manager after 10 years, and be able to buy your own home and raise a family. For good or bad, those days are gone. It’s a competitive world out there with a more global-based economy. That means, if you want to be successful, you have to really want it, be willing to work harder for it, be willing to learn new skills and be able to perform them at a higher level than most, and be willing to take risks. That may even mean giving up on a few concerts and sporting events. No, it’s not easy but nothing truly worthwhile is.
You, on the other hand, like many others, seem to think you are entitled to it all. You want “living wages”, healthcare, and job security. Oh, and at the same time, you want to hurt businesses even more by placing more of the tax burden on them. Then you tell them they must hire only American workers. Yet, they have to compete with foreign companies in both quality and price. What world do you live in?
I have news for you Erik. You are not entitled to all this. If you feel that you and everybody else should be at the same economic status, then, you are indeed, a communist. (See my comments in your Huh post in your blog)
My advice to you is to look in the mirror before you go blaming your problems on George Bush and everyone else who is more successful than you. I stick to my assertion that we are in a great economy right now. That doesn’t mean good things will fall in your lap. It means there is better opportunity for those who are willing to put in the effort to take advantage of it.
On a personal note, I can take a dose of this advice as well.
Did I once say it was George's fault? Quit putting words in my mouth. I never blamed anyone or anything for my situation. I said a lot of people are hurting. I said I don't feel the economy is great because I know I, and again lots of other people are hurting.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick theory why economy is doing adequetely. Since we are paying more for gas as well as things like hotels and paying more taxes that logically would mean there would be more money in the system.
"Did I once say it was George's fault?"
ReplyDeleteGee, I guess all this time, I have misunderstood your blog left over right. I could have sworn I've seen a post or two in there putting blame on Mr. Bush.
Again did I say my situation is Bush's fault. I blame him for the problems he created for the country but not for my mess.
ReplyDeleteRelax, Erik. I knew you were going to respond this way.
ReplyDeleteBut, if you can't be honest with me, be honest with yourself, at least. http://leftoverright.blogspot.com exists to a certain degree, because you feel that right-wingers have hurt you personally.
Personally no they haven't hurt me. I put leftoverright because we have lived with the "right" ruling the country since Bush stole the election in 2000 and I'm sorry but I feel we are not going in the right direction. Bush was warned in August of 2001 in his Presidential Daily Briefing that Bin Laden was determined to use airplanes in "unprecedented" attacks in the U.S. and chose to do nothing and 3000 Americans were killed because of that. I chose leftoverright because with few exceptions (which I do put on my site when I agree with them) I disagree with their philosophy and attitude. That's why I put it.
ReplyDeleteIf you want I can give at least 50 more specific reasons why I hate them but you might not have the space.
ReplyDelete