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Democrats are down on the Economy »
Posted by: Mintyfunk 1 year, 10 months agoRecently Bill Clinton, at the British Labor Party's annual conference, delivered what the Times of London described as a "relaxed, almost rambling" and "easy anecdotal" speech to an enthralled audience of leftists eager for evidence of American disappointments. Never a connoisseur of understatement, Clinton said America is "
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Comments: 85
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vor
Oct. 19, 2006, 2:41 p.m.Bush does not control the economy, the tax cuts are merely a stimulant. Clinton does not deserve credit for the 90's either. Presidents and political parties do not control the economy. Any politician who believes they do better consult the Economic Cycle and know where the crest and ebbs are going to fall. Bush is riding a nice wave but it all could come crashing down rather quickly. When I see a report that Home Depot is suffering because of the lack of construction forecast I get a bit more concerned. Katrina was a false stimulant to that market and has likely created an excess of supply. There will be a correction, an ebb, it is inevitable. It is likely that the next president will inherit this or it will be left to them as the Clinton era's eventual ebb was given to Bush.
You do understand that consumer driven supply and demand are what drives the economy. Don't you?
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Mintyfunk
Oct. 19, 2006, 2:59 p.m.But in a consumer driven market tax cuts provide more money to the consumers allowing them to put that miney back into the economy and act as a stimulant. So policies can affect the market. I'll give you the argument that outside factors that are Administreation nuetral impact this, but policies can have an impact as well.
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LOCKNLOAD
Oct. 19, 2006, 8:01 p.m.Very good post V.O.R. in fact an excellent post on ..who controls the economy.
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donald51
Oct. 19, 2006, 6:50 p.m.David, all the stats come from the American Interprise institute - the NEOCON Headquarters that got us into the war in Iraq - you can't trust the numbers. Even if you do, how can .6 percent increase in average incomes to Americans since 2000 be considered positive without even mentioning the inflation increases. Some quarters inflation has exceeded growth. Inflation never mentioned! The doubling of health costs not mentioned under Dubya in the article either. You get only what Dubya wants you to see, not the Bad! What do you expect ftom the NEOCONS? More LIES!
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KicBoxStallion
Oct. 20, 2006, 2 a.m.donald51, "What do you expect ftom the NEOCONS? More LIES!" yes sir ree, and you get an amen from me 2!
I hear ya Edinbug, DH's stuff is so extensively full-of-it that I don't waste my time even attempting to scan, let alone read his over-da-top GOP skewed rambling sessions! Sounds like sound bites from Demon Dubbya's GOP speech writers.
GOP = Gratuitously Obsessive Prognosticators
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esmith4145
Oct. 19, 2006, 2:35 p.m.That won't be on the front page for long....Bush Bashers hate hearing that GWB is doing his job....
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jaxguy
Oct. 19, 2006, 3:47 p.m.Yeah the corporations are doing great and although unemployment is low many people can't afford to have health insurance and poverty has risen every year since 2000. Tuition rates have outpaced inflation and interest reates for student loans have gone up becuase of Bush's cut in funding for it. He can cut taxes for wealthy people but can't fund important social service programs and the student loan program.
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Revealer
Oct. 19, 2006, 3:51 p.m.Yes, add to it increased state, city, and real estate taxes because of Federal cut-backs.
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Revealer
Oct. 19, 2006, 3:48 p.m.V.O.R.
I aggree. And look at how our dollar has declined, and continues to decline. It won't be long before foreign investments start gobbling up our real estate because it will be a bargain with the currency exchange.
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jaxguy
Oct. 19, 2006, 3:53 p.m.Democrats and myself want the economy to not only benefit the people who have all of the money but those who are striving for a better life and trying to move up. The Republicans don't give a damn that poverty has risen every single year since Bush has been in office.
Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty05/pov05fig04.pdf
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esmith4145
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:07 p.m.Rep's believe income should be earned...Dem's believe it should be apportioned....there's a lesson there, stay in school, study hard, stay off of drugs, get a job, work hard because we don't want to support you and your kids for a lifetime....This is the U.S. there's no excuse for 95% of the poor in this country. Certainly there are infirmed and handicapped people that need help. The rest need to start producing...I'm all for student LOANS, and social programs to give people a headstart but the trend is they don't get payed back and/or they get abused. Eventually some taxpayers get a little tired of it. As a middle aged man the only thing I ever seem to get from the Government is a bill.....
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vor
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:17 p.m.You disrespect the working poor, those who are working (sometimes multiple jobs) and not earning enough to break the poverty line. If you work at Wal-Mart or any of the other service jobs this economy is currently producing you are essentially spinning your heels.
As Democrats we want to see continued opportunity for advancement for all in America. Not just for those who can afford it....i.e. school vouchers are almost assuredly coming to my state and this will contribute to an even greater disparity in educational opportunities. Are those left behind supposed to wait for what is left to trickle down to them? As "greed is (still) good" in America they better not hold their breaths.
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jaxguy
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:21 p.m.If you have money it's eay to make more money through investments and business opportunities, if you are working a job and living paycheck to paycheck it's really hard if not impossible to save for investing or retirement. Savings among the middle class have gone down in recent years.
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donald51
Oct. 19, 2006, 6:55 p.m.essmith, not everyone can hack college or has the intelligence, but they can work hard, and should have the ability to retire someday too, and with healthcare! FDR promised that if you work hard you will be taken care of - why is this so hard for us as a nation to do for our fellow Americans!
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vor
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:09 p.m.Economic (Business) Cycle - The recurring and fluctuating levels of economic activity that an economy experiences over a long period of time. The five stages of the business cycle are growth (expansion), peak, recession (contraction), trough and recovery. At one time, business cycles were thought to be extremely regular, with predictable durations. But today business cycles are widely known to be irregular - varying in frequency, magnitude and duration.
Notes:
Since the Second World War, most business cycles have lasted three to five years from peak to peak. The average duration of an expansion is 44.8 months and the average duration of a recession is 11 months. As a comparison, the Great Depression - which saw a decline in economic activity from 1929 to 1933 - lasted 43 months from peak to trough.
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jaxguy
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:26 p.m.If you have a minute check this report out:
Middle Class in Turmoil http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2006/09/MidClassReport.pdf
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InChrist
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:36 p.m.Health care cost is a huge issue for me personally. It's a big deal for my family. I work for a small business and our rates for the family plan are way too high. I've written my senator about my concerns. He did write me a nice letter back, I need to see some results though.
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InChrist
Oct. 19, 2006, 4:31 p.m.The American people really do drive the economy, we need to adjust when necessary and continue to educate ourselves and our children. A lot of opportunities in this country and through education folks can help take advantage of that. Glad to hear the economy is doing well overall. Shows what an awesome resilient nation we have. We gotta work on those poverty numbers though, poverty is a curse. Let's do more! God Bless America!!!
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DARKTOWER
Oct. 19, 2006, 6:23 p.m.well we have record deficits so being up on the economy is pretty hard to do isn't it..?
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mamasan
Oct. 19, 2006, 6:30 p.m.The stupid war in Iraq is ruining our country
the only one who benefits Is Bush & Co.
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He is not the CEO for america he is the CEO for his pathetic money grubbing cronies who do not worship god, they Worship Money.
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Radiofreeeuropa
Oct. 19, 2006, 7:47 p.m.good to have mamasan back!
missed ya.
Although the DOW is booming, the stock market is temporary and artificial (VOLITILE). If your heavily invested in pharmacuticals, Energy, Haliburton and other war profiteering companies, your doing well. The huge multi nationals are running the show so sure they are happy. Typical americans and small to medium business are not doing well. That's well over 80% of the nation.
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posthumous
Oct. 19, 2006, 9:21 p.m.mamason:
I'm getting to the point of not even reading your posts, I keep hoping you will have something to say.......but nope sae old same old, bash Bush no matter what, it is opinion like yours that drag this nation down.
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bubba2
Oct. 19, 2006, 8:49 p.m.Chiming in ...
Here are some fun facts for you about how the Bush tax cuts REALLY impact the economy -
The tax cuts enacted in recent years have gone disproportionately to high-income Americans. In 2006, the 0.2 percent of households with incomes above $1 million will receive nearly $112,000, on average, from tax cuts enacted since 2001, according to estimates by the Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center. In contrast, households in the middle of the income spectrum will receive an average tax cut of $750. The Tax Policy Center estimates also show that the tax cuts represent a larger fraction of income for high-income households than for low- or middle-income households, a clear indication of the tax cuts' regressivity.
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bubba2
Oct. 19, 2006, 8:50 p.m.More fun facts for you about how the Bush tax cuts REALLY impact the economy -
The President's tax policies, however, have widened the differences in take-home pay between high- and low- and middle-income households, according to Tax Policy Center estimates. When the tax cuts are fully in effect, households with incomes above $1 million will receive tax cuts equivalent to an increase of 7.1 percent in their after-tax income. Households in the middle of the income spectrum will receive tax cuts equal to only 2.3 percent of their income. And households in the bottom quintile will gain by less than one percent.
Put another way, households with incomes over $1 million will hold a larger fraction of total U.S. after-tax income than they would have received without the tax cuts, while households in the middle and bottom quintiles will hold a smaller share. The tax cuts thus have widened, rather than narrowed, income gaps, making them regressive.
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bubba2
Oct. 19, 2006, 8:54 p.m.Lou Dobbs has a new book out, "War on the middle class" and CNN aired a story about it.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/17/Dobbs.Oct18/index.html
The book is about American families facing the tough issues that are all but being ignored by our elected officials in Washington (gee, I wonder who that is? Could it be .... REPUBLICANS?)
From the book / story ...
Paula in Texas said, "Lou, can you tell me why I should not be outraged to find out that my son and his fellow military personnel are receiving the lowest 2.2 percent pay raise for their efforts in Iraq, and yet the grand ol' body in Congress passes a hidden expense of $20 million for a 2007 Victory party for the successes in Afghanistan and Iraq? Now that is just an outrage. My son just returned from Iraq and I pray he doesn't have to go back. He might miss the party."
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mamasan
Oct. 20, 2006, 1:23 a.m.excellent post bubba.
I knew I was getttin screwed.
Can you tell I am not a millionare.
but do make over 6 figure income.
still feel very squeezed.
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trueamerican
Oct. 19, 2006, 9:17 p.m.edinbug
hey youre back,i hope you are all better now,last time we locked horns you had a slight mental melt down on me,no hard feelings though
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mamasan
Oct. 20, 2006, 1:31 a.m.All those dudes in congress should make minimum wage.
Really let them know how hard that is.
Hard to believe they really do work for us.
seems they could care less.
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Taganan
Oct. 20, 2006, 3:17 a.m.Dems are always down on the economy when a Rep is in office. Especially if the economy is actually good. Its has been proven that reducing taxes, letting people spend their own money, has stimulated the economy and increased tax revenues. Dems say the tax cuts increase the debt. How can increasing revenues also increase the debt? Nonsense!
There are many items that take the same time to earn now as in 1930, but technology has also made many items cheaper. Money is a symbol, a counter.
Clinton sees a god economy as having problems, because the Left loves bad news. They use it to fool people into voting for them.
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Bobcat6
Oct. 20, 2006, 8:16 a.m.Typical Clinton, the butt kisser doesn't know what he's talking about. The economy is humming along nicely and the dems just can't stand to hear it. They just can't wait to get in there and screw things up. That's what they do best.
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ningyo
Oct. 20, 2006, 8:44 a.m.ditto bob-- his ego just wont let him shut up now that he disgraced himself on the tv--and whats going on with that big red nose there bill--starting to look a little like the rumpots i see lining up for their free soup and b-12 shots
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middleshadow
Oct. 20, 2006, 8:49 a.m.if those numbers are accurate, and i imagine some of them are, then what that means is americans can get used to almost anything.
back in 99 are economy was, i hope everyone can agree, adequate. when the gop started bantering about who was going to get the nod, gwb, it scared everybody so bad that consumer confidence fell through the floor. hopefully we can also agree that consumer confidence is what drives up or down all those numbers you're patting yourselves on the back over. in other words the growth stated here is nothing more than us getting over the sudden appearence of the boogyman.
you guys wanna be proud of something why not come up with some stats on current spending habbits, or corruption coverups or anything positive that can be traced to,,,him.
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FrankieT
Oct. 20, 2006, 10:10 a.m.david - Wow. You are posting so fast i gave up trying to respond. small loss.
esmith - No excuse for 95% of the poor in this country? Where did you get that FACT or is it just opinion. Not much empathy for people in poverty. Right? And you make another loaded with untruth statement about Democrats not believing income should be earned. Where do come up with this stuff? just make it up? Ok, I do agree with you about programs designed to help people being monitored much better. ciao.
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4cprocess
Oct. 20, 2006, 10:29 a.m.I don't see why everyone here cannot stick with the topic.
The numbers are good and I don't think anyone here is refuting that. There are some here that "cherry pick" certain statistics that are not so favorable but "overall" most any administration would be delighted to have numbers like these, including the democrats.
The question is, why on earth would Clinton criticize the economy when there are many other (easily proven) problems with the government? Most everyone here that's either a liberal or democrat seem to think this guy is the "driving force" behind their cause.
If you ask me, I'd revoke his license and make him take driving lessons because it looks like he's headed for the bridge. Tell Teddy to look out!
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JoelGraham
Oct. 20, 2006, 10:33 a.m.Measuring how well the nation's economy is doing should not be based on some meaningless figures presented to make it look better than it is. How much can your wage buy today as compared to a year ago? What percentage of your weekly wage goes in your gas tank just so you can get to your job? Does having a national debt of 8.5 trillion dollars make the economy stronger? Or does it mean that my children and grandchildren will be paying my generation's debts? The next Democratic president will have to clean up the mess just like Clinton had to clean up the mess left by Reagan and Bush Sr. And it will take the help of a Republican Congress if they are still in control. Republican presidents want to cut taxes for the rich and increase spending where most of that money goes to the already rich. The Middle Class is back to the taxation without representation. Is it time for another Boston Tea Party?
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4cprocess
Oct. 20, 2006, 10:46 a.m.I'm sure you would be saying the same thing here if the president were Democrat?
As far as Clinton cleaning up the mess left by Reagan & Bush Sr., the economy which was in terrible shape had already started to turn just before the elections based on policies that the Bush Sr. administration implemented. Clinton was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
And to answer your question, yes my wages are almost 25% higher than last year's levels. I attribute it to hard work and job well done.
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Mintyfunk
I love pop culture and politics, the former offsets the stress created by the latter.
