Conservative Republicans are still telling the people we need to go back to the Reagan era and control federal spending like he did. It was especially pronounced during the last Presidential campaign during the Republican debates. Romney and McCain talked about the Reagan legacy often even though they knew it was a fairy tale. Lets examine the spending record of the Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton and Bush 43 administrations and see who actually did the best job of controlling federal spending.
The below information covers the four year term of each President ending in that fiscal year. Source is taken from the Congressional Budget Office.
Jimmie Carter 1981 Total Federal Spending $2.232 Trillion
Ronald Reagan 1985 Total Federal Spending $3.352 Trillion Up $1.120 trillion or 50%
Ronald Reagan 1989 Total Federal Spending 4.203 Trillion Up $851 billion or 25%
George H.W. Bush 1993 Total Federal Spending $5.369 Trillion Up $1.166 trillion or 28%
Bill Clinton 1997 Total Federal Spending $6.140 Trillion Up $771 billion or 14%
Bill Clinton 2001 Total Federal Spending $ 7.007 Trillion Up $867 billion or 14%
George W. Bush 2005 Total Federal Spending $8.936 Trillion Up $1.929 trillion or 28%
George W. Bush 2009 Total Federal Spending $11.883 Trillion Up $2.947 trillion or 33%
The numbers show not only did federal spending increase much less under President Clinton for eight years, but the increase was at a steady 14% for each of his two terms. Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 do not even come close. The numbers indicate those three Presidents never had federal spending under control while Clinton did. Also Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 did not face the magnitude of deficit spending that Clinton had to face and take on and that makes Clinton's record even more impressive.
Bob Woodward pointed out in one of his books on Clinton that Clinton new more about the federal budget than members of Congress who had been dealing with budget matters for decades. That explains in part why Clinton was so successful in balancing the budget and bringing federal spending under control, and why he knew his deficit reduction and economic policies would work for America and its people.
Conservative Republican Presidents are champions when it comes to increasing federal spending. That is why you never heard a peep out of them during the 20 years of spending spree of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 and none of those three Presidents faced the fiscal disaster Clinton took over or the fiscal and economic disaster Bush 43 left President Obama.
President Reagan presided over the first trillion dollar budget. George Bush 43 presided over the first two and three trillion dollar budgets. It took the country 15 years to go from a one trillion dollar budget to a two trillion dollar budget. But it only took Bush 43 seven years to go from a two trillion dollar budget to a three trillion dollar budget.
Federal spending is made up of discretionary spending and non-discretionary spending. If anyone is interested go to the CBO site and you will find that Clinton was also the best at holding down spending in those two categories as well by a wide margin.
Conservative Republican Presidents are best at controlling federal spending????????? That is pure myth, the numbers speak loud and clear.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
The Fiscal Legacy Of President George W. Bush
The final numbers are in on President Bush's last budget for fiscal year ending 9/30/09. It showed another record federal deficit, this time to the tune of $1.42 trillion. Like Reagan and Bush 41 before him the President failed to balance the budget during his term in office. No Republican President has balanced the federal budget since Dwight Eisenhower in 1960. One would never believe that if you listen to the rhetoric coming from the conservatives in the news media or the Republican party. Below is the fiscal record of President Bush and the previous administration of President Clinton.
Fiscal Years Ending 9/30/
President Clinton
1994 $203.2 billion Deficit
1995 164.0 billion Deficit
1996 107.4 billion Deficit
1997 21.9 billion Deficit
1998 69.3 billion Surplus
1999 125.6 billion Surplus
2000 236.0 billion Surplus
2001 128.0 billion Surplus
Total Budget Surplus $62.8 billion
President George W. Bush
2002 $157.8 billion Deficit
2003 377.6 billion Deficit
2004 412.7 billion Deficit
2005 318.3 billion Deficit
2006 248.2 billion Deficit
2007 160.7 billion Deficit
2008 454.8 billion Deficit
2009 1.42 Trillion Deficit
Total Budget Deficits $3.53 Trillion
President Bush's final budget that ended 9/30/09 was sent to Congress on July 28, 2008 and contained a projected deficit of $482 billion. That was before the economic meltdown and the financial collapse. His budget message at the time contained the following information. "The nations economy has continued to expand and remains fundamentally resilient." One should remember at the same time the economy had lost jobs every month since December 2007. The administration was completly out of touch with the economic facts.
Part of the deficit problem that made it swell to $1.42 trillion was the $700 billion Bush asked Congress to pass to bail out the financial industry, plus federal revenue was down 16.6% from fiscal 2008. Also there was approximately $200 billion from Obama's $787 billion spent of the stimulus money. However, without the expenditures for the bail out and stimulus the budget deficit would still have been another record number around $600 billion plus.
When the above budget numbers are compared for Bush and Clinton one can see the tragic results of Bush's 8 years in office and the tremendous burden the American people are left with fiscally and economically and the challenge that falls to President Obama. President Clinton had a deficit reduction and economic plan and policy when he took office and the Democratic controlled Congress passed that plan in 1993 without one vote from the Republicans in Congress. They predicted doom and gloom but the opposite happened. Bush had no economic or fiscal policy to keep the budget in balance when he took office. Instead he continued the policy of trickle down economics which proved once again not to be a policy at all to deal with the economy and the nations fiscal health.
Clinton's policy reduced the budget deficit every year his first term in office and was in surplus every year his second term in office. The Clinton administration also paid down $453 billion on the public debt. The Bush administration paid down zero and added over $6 trillion to the national debt. Bush never got a hand on deficit spending because he lacked the fundamental knowledge of how to create a sound economy and how to use government policy wisely. The ideology of trickle down economics being the engine for growing the economy and jobs in the private sector is a fairy tale. There were over 22.7 million new jobs created during the Clinton administration and 91% came from the private sector. The highest in over 50 years. Clinton did it with an economic policy that created an even 11 million plus jobs in each of his terms. Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 talked, but it was Clinton who performed. In fact try this on for size. More new jobs were created under Clinton in 8 years than were created under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 in the 20 years they served. Their trickle down economics never got past the wealthy to the private sector.
When President Bush took office the governments fiscal health had never been better. In 8 years he managed to take the country and its people to the cleaners and it started in his very first year. If this is the conservatism that Republicans like to brag about, lets hope we never see another Republican President.
Coming next: Federal Spending: Facts vs. Myth. Stay tuned.
Note l: The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were handled outside the budget by the Bush administration. The cost of those wars are now handled within the budget by the Obama administration.
Note 2: National Debt number taken from Treasury Department.
Note 3: To read more why a policy of trickle down economics is not a policy at all read my three part series with conclusion titled: The U.S. Economy: Which Part Performs Best, dated 1/27/08/
Note 4: Budget Surplus and Deficits shown above taken from Congressional Budget Office Records.
Fiscal Years Ending 9/30/
President Clinton
1994 $203.2 billion Deficit
1995 164.0 billion Deficit
1996 107.4 billion Deficit
1997 21.9 billion Deficit
1998 69.3 billion Surplus
1999 125.6 billion Surplus
2000 236.0 billion Surplus
2001 128.0 billion Surplus
Total Budget Surplus $62.8 billion
President George W. Bush
2002 $157.8 billion Deficit
2003 377.6 billion Deficit
2004 412.7 billion Deficit
2005 318.3 billion Deficit
2006 248.2 billion Deficit
2007 160.7 billion Deficit
2008 454.8 billion Deficit
2009 1.42 Trillion Deficit
Total Budget Deficits $3.53 Trillion
President Bush's final budget that ended 9/30/09 was sent to Congress on July 28, 2008 and contained a projected deficit of $482 billion. That was before the economic meltdown and the financial collapse. His budget message at the time contained the following information. "The nations economy has continued to expand and remains fundamentally resilient." One should remember at the same time the economy had lost jobs every month since December 2007. The administration was completly out of touch with the economic facts.
Part of the deficit problem that made it swell to $1.42 trillion was the $700 billion Bush asked Congress to pass to bail out the financial industry, plus federal revenue was down 16.6% from fiscal 2008. Also there was approximately $200 billion from Obama's $787 billion spent of the stimulus money. However, without the expenditures for the bail out and stimulus the budget deficit would still have been another record number around $600 billion plus.
When the above budget numbers are compared for Bush and Clinton one can see the tragic results of Bush's 8 years in office and the tremendous burden the American people are left with fiscally and economically and the challenge that falls to President Obama. President Clinton had a deficit reduction and economic plan and policy when he took office and the Democratic controlled Congress passed that plan in 1993 without one vote from the Republicans in Congress. They predicted doom and gloom but the opposite happened. Bush had no economic or fiscal policy to keep the budget in balance when he took office. Instead he continued the policy of trickle down economics which proved once again not to be a policy at all to deal with the economy and the nations fiscal health.
Clinton's policy reduced the budget deficit every year his first term in office and was in surplus every year his second term in office. The Clinton administration also paid down $453 billion on the public debt. The Bush administration paid down zero and added over $6 trillion to the national debt. Bush never got a hand on deficit spending because he lacked the fundamental knowledge of how to create a sound economy and how to use government policy wisely. The ideology of trickle down economics being the engine for growing the economy and jobs in the private sector is a fairy tale. There were over 22.7 million new jobs created during the Clinton administration and 91% came from the private sector. The highest in over 50 years. Clinton did it with an economic policy that created an even 11 million plus jobs in each of his terms. Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 talked, but it was Clinton who performed. In fact try this on for size. More new jobs were created under Clinton in 8 years than were created under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 in the 20 years they served. Their trickle down economics never got past the wealthy to the private sector.
When President Bush took office the governments fiscal health had never been better. In 8 years he managed to take the country and its people to the cleaners and it started in his very first year. If this is the conservatism that Republicans like to brag about, lets hope we never see another Republican President.
Coming next: Federal Spending: Facts vs. Myth. Stay tuned.
Note l: The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were handled outside the budget by the Bush administration. The cost of those wars are now handled within the budget by the Obama administration.
Note 2: National Debt number taken from Treasury Department.
Note 3: To read more why a policy of trickle down economics is not a policy at all read my three part series with conclusion titled: The U.S. Economy: Which Part Performs Best, dated 1/27/08/
Note 4: Budget Surplus and Deficits shown above taken from Congressional Budget Office Records.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Treasury Department Slashes Executive Pay
The Associated Press reported that Kenneth Feinberg, the Treasury official leading the pay review told reporters that average salaries for the top 25 executives are being cut 90% starting next month. The action applies to the top executives at Bank of America Corp, AIG Group, Citigroup Inc., General Motors, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial.
The Federal Reserve unveiled a proposal that would police banks pay policies to ensure they don't encourage employees to take reckless gambles like those that contributed to the financial crisis. The Feds plan would cover thousands of banks. President Obama praised the action and urged Congress to pass legislation to give shareholders a voice in executive pay packages.
In this writers judgement, the above action was not only over due but necessary because the CEO's of Corporate America have proven by their past actions they are incapable of regulating their own greed. When executives make 400 times what the average worker makes and at the same time their companies are losing money, laying off workers, cutting back on health insurance only one word can describe that action. GREED.
The President and Congress need to make sure everything is in place that those companies who received bail outs pay back all the money they were loaned. Some years ago Chrysler and Mexico were the recepients of bail outs and they paid all money back plus interest. So Uncle Sam does have a record of doing something right. The President and Congress needs to keep that record intact.
The Federal Reserve unveiled a proposal that would police banks pay policies to ensure they don't encourage employees to take reckless gambles like those that contributed to the financial crisis. The Feds plan would cover thousands of banks. President Obama praised the action and urged Congress to pass legislation to give shareholders a voice in executive pay packages.
In this writers judgement, the above action was not only over due but necessary because the CEO's of Corporate America have proven by their past actions they are incapable of regulating their own greed. When executives make 400 times what the average worker makes and at the same time their companies are losing money, laying off workers, cutting back on health insurance only one word can describe that action. GREED.
The President and Congress need to make sure everything is in place that those companies who received bail outs pay back all the money they were loaned. Some years ago Chrysler and Mexico were the recepients of bail outs and they paid all money back plus interest. So Uncle Sam does have a record of doing something right. The President and Congress needs to keep that record intact.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Absence Of Competition
Competition is the engine that enables the public to have a say in obtaining products and services at a reasonable price. It has been known for some time that is not the case with government contracts, especially when it comes to Defense spending. It is also not the case outside the government in many instances. Cost over runs are a daily happening with defense contractors and the nations defense cost is over a half trillion dollars a year.
Rear Admiral William Landay, one of the Navy's top acaquisition officials promises that the Pentagon will do everything it can to foster competition and reduce prices for key shipbuilding projects. He was alluding to the fact that the six major shipyards are controlled by only two companies, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics and that is a major barrier. Landay said companies with shipbuilding contracts won't be guaranteed future contracts for newer models of the same boats. Landay added that cost overruns for Navy ships have been a big problem.
Monopolies have never worked for America and its people or the Pentagon. They work for their own greed by controlling prices. It plays into the hand of being another element in the failure of our economic well being. I wrote a commentary titled, "Innovation, Lost in America concerning how Corporate America has been transferring wealth from those who should share in it to those who already have it and having a monopoly is a sure way to do it. The few who control the financial industry in this country proved it just last year and now we are being told they are ready to announce billions of dollars of bonuses to their CEO's and executives once again. Greed has become a sickness with them and Congress has to address that problem.
The major oil companies in the past 20 or so years have bought most of the large independent oil companies and said the purchase would make them more efficient, drill more wells, produce more oil and increase production. Yet today the country is more dependent on foreign oil then ever before. What the buy outs did was increase the bonuses and other goodies of the CEO's and executives of the surviving major oil companies and they still own or lease millions of acres of land they have yet to drill on. That says it all.
Rear Admiral William Landay, one of the Navy's top acaquisition officials promises that the Pentagon will do everything it can to foster competition and reduce prices for key shipbuilding projects. He was alluding to the fact that the six major shipyards are controlled by only two companies, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics and that is a major barrier. Landay said companies with shipbuilding contracts won't be guaranteed future contracts for newer models of the same boats. Landay added that cost overruns for Navy ships have been a big problem.
Monopolies have never worked for America and its people or the Pentagon. They work for their own greed by controlling prices. It plays into the hand of being another element in the failure of our economic well being. I wrote a commentary titled, "Innovation, Lost in America concerning how Corporate America has been transferring wealth from those who should share in it to those who already have it and having a monopoly is a sure way to do it. The few who control the financial industry in this country proved it just last year and now we are being told they are ready to announce billions of dollars of bonuses to their CEO's and executives once again. Greed has become a sickness with them and Congress has to address that problem.
The major oil companies in the past 20 or so years have bought most of the large independent oil companies and said the purchase would make them more efficient, drill more wells, produce more oil and increase production. Yet today the country is more dependent on foreign oil then ever before. What the buy outs did was increase the bonuses and other goodies of the CEO's and executives of the surviving major oil companies and they still own or lease millions of acres of land they have yet to drill on. That says it all.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The Rush Limbaugh Boomerang
The king of the "ditto heads" Rush Limbaugh who excels at personal attacks against those he dislikes just met his waterloo and blames others for being dropped from the group trying to buy the St. Louis Rams professional football franchise.
Rush who has mastered the game of blame is now blaming DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for the Blues decision to exclude him from the groups bid. Rush said he's been made an example by a players union seeking leverage in talk over a new collective bargaining agreement according to wire reports. The king of blame also blamed President Obama's political clout for his sacking. (Nothing new there)
As usual, Rush is all over the lot. Here is a person who uses his position to destroy other people and their reputation and who is now crying wolf. I think it is safe to say that the NFL owners themselves played a key role in what took place. Why would any owner want a person like Rush to be part of an ownership of a NFL franchise.
This is a case where the wheel of justice was spun and came back around and pointed the finger at the king of blame and gave him a dose of his own medicine. The issue will give Rush and his ditto heads another subject to talk about for the duration of the season. His huffing and puffing will be louder than ever. One should remember those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. It will come back to bite you.
Rush who has mastered the game of blame is now blaming DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for the Blues decision to exclude him from the groups bid. Rush said he's been made an example by a players union seeking leverage in talk over a new collective bargaining agreement according to wire reports. The king of blame also blamed President Obama's political clout for his sacking. (Nothing new there)
As usual, Rush is all over the lot. Here is a person who uses his position to destroy other people and their reputation and who is now crying wolf. I think it is safe to say that the NFL owners themselves played a key role in what took place. Why would any owner want a person like Rush to be part of an ownership of a NFL franchise.
This is a case where the wheel of justice was spun and came back around and pointed the finger at the king of blame and gave him a dose of his own medicine. The issue will give Rush and his ditto heads another subject to talk about for the duration of the season. His huffing and puffing will be louder than ever. One should remember those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. It will come back to bite you.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Nobel Peace Prize
President Barack Obama is the third sitting U.S. President to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The other two were Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The award brought immediate criticism from conservative republicans in Congress, conservative blogs and radio talk shows, along with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele who actually mocked the President.
The conservative reaction is the extension of the personal attacks started by the Republic Party against President Clinton after he was elected. Now, as I have written earlier, the conservative Republicans will oppose every thing that has to do with the President and that opposition will be personal attacks. They still can not articulate what they them selves stand for and are incapable of talking about the issues in a debate so they engage in personal attacks.
The Nobel Prize was awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Former Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey said the Nobel Peace Prize was honoring the country and that it is an award Americans should feel good about. Our country and its people over the years have with-stood many attacks from abroad and shall do the same from those attacks coming from within by those who feel so inadequate.
The conservative Republicans who ran the country the past eight years have shown their hand. They are not about moving the country forward during these hard economic times that their failed policies created. Their every calculated move is to regain power and finish the job of bankrupting America and the ideals America has stood for, for over 200 years. That says it all. Congratulation Mr. President.
The conservative reaction is the extension of the personal attacks started by the Republic Party against President Clinton after he was elected. Now, as I have written earlier, the conservative Republicans will oppose every thing that has to do with the President and that opposition will be personal attacks. They still can not articulate what they them selves stand for and are incapable of talking about the issues in a debate so they engage in personal attacks.
The Nobel Prize was awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Former Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey said the Nobel Peace Prize was honoring the country and that it is an award Americans should feel good about. Our country and its people over the years have with-stood many attacks from abroad and shall do the same from those attacks coming from within by those who feel so inadequate.
The conservative Republicans who ran the country the past eight years have shown their hand. They are not about moving the country forward during these hard economic times that their failed policies created. Their every calculated move is to regain power and finish the job of bankrupting America and the ideals America has stood for, for over 200 years. That says it all. Congratulation Mr. President.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Another Slap In The Public's Face
Journalists continue to feed the American public information from sources that have already been discredited. The sources are retired military officers and a U.S. Senator. On "Meet the Press" today, moderator David Gregory's topic was Afghanistan and what should be done about that war and what President Obama's decision might be. His guest were U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, retired Generals Barry McCaffrey and Richard Myers who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Bush administration and U.S. Senator Carl Levin.
Senator Graham and retired General McCaffrey and Myers who supported the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist and have no credibility when it comes to that war or the war in Afghanistan would support 40,000 additional U.S. troops and pretty much said both wars are comparable, are once again given the American people a rerun of the Iraq war. Graham went so far as to say give the generals any increase in troops they request.
Senator Levin said a request for more U.S. troops is not the answer to winning the war in Afghanistan and said training Afghans to secure their own country would be more productive. David Gregory asked the following stupid question and it showed how the news media is so tuned out to the real issue on the war. He asked, "Since President Obama is taking a long time to make his decision, should that be taken as the President being weak." Of course Gregory could not articulate why Obama's willingness to get broad advice from his advisers makes him a weak President. Bush never sought such advise and input from a broad section of people with experience before he ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and those wars are still going on while Bush has gone fishing. Obama now has to pick up the pieces and our men and women in uniform are still paying the ultimate price.
Gregory also had a panel of journalists on after to discuss the war. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post pointed out how Obama was consulting a wide range of advisers and asking tough questions to justify their recommendations and that is why Obama has not made his decision yet. Paul Gigot, editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal and a conservative himself showed by his facial expressions and his comments he is not a supporter of Obama concerning the war. Lindsey, Gigot, McCaffrey and Myers have learned nothing from the wars in those two countries, yet Gregory was willing to expose the American people to their ignorance once again and when it comes to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan some journalists could care less what propaganda is fed the American people. That is a sad note for our country and especially our men and women in uniform.
Senator Graham and retired General McCaffrey and Myers who supported the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist and have no credibility when it comes to that war or the war in Afghanistan would support 40,000 additional U.S. troops and pretty much said both wars are comparable, are once again given the American people a rerun of the Iraq war. Graham went so far as to say give the generals any increase in troops they request.
Senator Levin said a request for more U.S. troops is not the answer to winning the war in Afghanistan and said training Afghans to secure their own country would be more productive. David Gregory asked the following stupid question and it showed how the news media is so tuned out to the real issue on the war. He asked, "Since President Obama is taking a long time to make his decision, should that be taken as the President being weak." Of course Gregory could not articulate why Obama's willingness to get broad advice from his advisers makes him a weak President. Bush never sought such advise and input from a broad section of people with experience before he ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and those wars are still going on while Bush has gone fishing. Obama now has to pick up the pieces and our men and women in uniform are still paying the ultimate price.
Gregory also had a panel of journalists on after to discuss the war. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post pointed out how Obama was consulting a wide range of advisers and asking tough questions to justify their recommendations and that is why Obama has not made his decision yet. Paul Gigot, editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal and a conservative himself showed by his facial expressions and his comments he is not a supporter of Obama concerning the war. Lindsey, Gigot, McCaffrey and Myers have learned nothing from the wars in those two countries, yet Gregory was willing to expose the American people to their ignorance once again and when it comes to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan some journalists could care less what propaganda is fed the American people. That is a sad note for our country and especially our men and women in uniform.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Latest Economic Numbers
The U.S. Labor Department announced that September unemployment rate rose to 9.8%, up from 9.7% in August. The economy lost 263,000 jobs that same month compared to the revised down figure for August which was 201,000 job losses. The Department also reported 15.1 million Americans are out of work and 7.2 million jobs have been lost since December 2007 when the recession began. Hourly earnings rose by a penny last month while weekly wages fell $1.54 to $616.11.
The latest numbers indicate the severe effects of the recession and that more time will pass before the country and its people will see job growth of any significant numbers. The American people are nervous and restless and are searching for over night solutions but none exist. There is too much wealth in too few hands for that to happen. The job losses in 2008 were averaging over 500,000 a month. That number has been reduced so far this year which means part of the stimulus is working.
Consumers are not spending freely yet because they are still unsure of the future. Consumer spending represents the largest part of the economy and once the job picture improves to where businesses are starting to hire again, the consumer will respond. The American people should also realize that there are those voices out there who prey on bad times and offer false information and preach despair. Many Americans affected by the recession have never experienced an economic collapse of our financial structure as severe as this one. President Roosevelt had to put the country in debt to put our people to work during WWII for the war effort. The WPA and other government programs were created to put our people to work and it worked well for America.
Those voices who are opposed to the stimulus spending and are now talking about deficit spending at the time the country is in an economic crisis were silent during the record deficit spending of President's Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 which totaled 20 years. None of those Presidents faced the severe economic problems the country faces today. In fact President Bush 43 inherited the greatest economy, job creation and balanced budgets and surpluses and turned all of that around. Those same voices were also silent the whole time wealth was being transferred from the average worker to the wealthy.
Patience is not easy to practice when you lose your job, your home and have to provide for your family or your own well being. However, the negative voices who have nothing to offer but blame and who stood on the side lines all the while the country was going into recession while supporting the status quo deserve to be tuned out.
America and its people will come out of these hard times and there will be a reason to feel good again. I would advise the people to stop and think for themselves, we the people are smart enough to figure out what is really going on and and act accordingly. We all need to be leaders instead of followers. Those who preach in the negative have a character problem that will not allow them to compete where common sense and intelligence rules.
The latest numbers indicate the severe effects of the recession and that more time will pass before the country and its people will see job growth of any significant numbers. The American people are nervous and restless and are searching for over night solutions but none exist. There is too much wealth in too few hands for that to happen. The job losses in 2008 were averaging over 500,000 a month. That number has been reduced so far this year which means part of the stimulus is working.
Consumers are not spending freely yet because they are still unsure of the future. Consumer spending represents the largest part of the economy and once the job picture improves to where businesses are starting to hire again, the consumer will respond. The American people should also realize that there are those voices out there who prey on bad times and offer false information and preach despair. Many Americans affected by the recession have never experienced an economic collapse of our financial structure as severe as this one. President Roosevelt had to put the country in debt to put our people to work during WWII for the war effort. The WPA and other government programs were created to put our people to work and it worked well for America.
Those voices who are opposed to the stimulus spending and are now talking about deficit spending at the time the country is in an economic crisis were silent during the record deficit spending of President's Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 which totaled 20 years. None of those Presidents faced the severe economic problems the country faces today. In fact President Bush 43 inherited the greatest economy, job creation and balanced budgets and surpluses and turned all of that around. Those same voices were also silent the whole time wealth was being transferred from the average worker to the wealthy.
Patience is not easy to practice when you lose your job, your home and have to provide for your family or your own well being. However, the negative voices who have nothing to offer but blame and who stood on the side lines all the while the country was going into recession while supporting the status quo deserve to be tuned out.
America and its people will come out of these hard times and there will be a reason to feel good again. I would advise the people to stop and think for themselves, we the people are smart enough to figure out what is really going on and and act accordingly. We all need to be leaders instead of followers. Those who preach in the negative have a character problem that will not allow them to compete where common sense and intelligence rules.
Friday, October 2, 2009
The United States and Cuba
I have written a few commentaries concerning the U.S. and Cuba and that it was time for the U.S. to make a move to bring Cuba back to a diplomatic relationship with the U.S. and once again become an ally. My first commentary was dated 11/23/07, almost 2 years ago.
President Obama made the first move toward Cuba a few months ago and liberalized visits between the two countries and just this week it was reported that a senior U.S. Diplomat traveled to Havana and held high-level talks with Cuban officials, that according to our State Department. The visit lasted 6 days and our Diplomat even visited with Cuban opposition activists to discuss their political views.
Cuba, being only 90 miles from our shore should be given the opportunity with its people to establish a working relationship with the U.S. Cuba is a natural for commerce between both countries. A friendly Cuba with no military axe to grind would also enhance the security of our hemisphere.
Fifty plus years of embargo did nothing to oust Fidel Castro or change their communist rule. We live in a different time under very different conditions and the status quo has not made the U.S. any safer. Cuba, an island, is no military or political threat to the U.S. It is time for the President to see this thing through.
President Obama made the first move toward Cuba a few months ago and liberalized visits between the two countries and just this week it was reported that a senior U.S. Diplomat traveled to Havana and held high-level talks with Cuban officials, that according to our State Department. The visit lasted 6 days and our Diplomat even visited with Cuban opposition activists to discuss their political views.
Cuba, being only 90 miles from our shore should be given the opportunity with its people to establish a working relationship with the U.S. Cuba is a natural for commerce between both countries. A friendly Cuba with no military axe to grind would also enhance the security of our hemisphere.
Fifty plus years of embargo did nothing to oust Fidel Castro or change their communist rule. We live in a different time under very different conditions and the status quo has not made the U.S. any safer. Cuba, an island, is no military or political threat to the U.S. It is time for the President to see this thing through.
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