Good Economic News for America's Middle Class and President Obama's Economic Policy

The U.S. Census Bureau reported median household income in America was $59,037 in 2016 which surpassed the previous record high of $58,655 in 1999.  The numbers are adjusted for inflation.  The Bureau said the increase in earnings were due to so many people finding full time jobs and or better paying jobs.  The poverty rate fell to 12.7%, the lowest since 2007.  Also, Americans with out health insurance dropped last year to 8.8% largely due to the ACA.  

The good economic news reflects the results of the sound economic policies of the Obama administration that left behind the carnage of the great republican recession of the George W. Bush administration.  It was a slow recovery due to the severity of the recession but was a steady recovery gaining back all 7 million jobs lost and creating new jobs now in its 83rd. straight month.  And it was the democratic controlled congress who passed Obama's economic plan and stimulus early in his first term which the republicans opposed.

And once again PolitiDose was at the forefront early on in predicting the democratic administration of President Obama would lift the country back into economic good times because of precedent.  And the Obama administration did it despite allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire and the republican promise not to lift a finger to help Obama soon after he was elected President.  The administration also left office with a smaller deficit than Obama took office, some thing no republican President has accomplished in the last 50 years.

It is no surprise to this writer the previous record median family income as noted herein took place in the year 1999, because that was the democratic administration of President Bill Clinton who presided over the greatest economy and job creation of the 20th century.  To make it easy to understand, the administrations of Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama created more jobs in the 16 years they served than all the republican administrations since 1929.

Yes, my fellow Americans, President Obama bequeathed to President Trump an expanding economy that is creating jobs with increasing income and a much smaller deficit, a safer and strong America and a sane approach to governing.  And one day, history will record what Trump will leave to his successor.  Until then, democrats are still the best at governing in all phases.  

Note:  For Job creation, see my commentary dated 9/5/2010 titled, Job Creation for Presidential Terms, 1929-2008.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

 

Tim Morris Joins Donald Trump In The Blame Game As Usual

This time with his opinion column in the Times Picayune dated 9/8 titled, "Obama's Overreach Created Immigration Showdown."  Morris does not like the reaction by the public concerning Trump's actions on DACA so he blames Obama.  It is typical of conservative opinion writers and republicans to blame any thing negative that happens on the republican watch on the democrats.  Trump punted the issue to congress because he has failed to send any immigration plan to congress like he talked about in the campaign.

The fact of the matter is the democratic controlled Senate passed immigration reform during Obama's administration with 7 republican Senators voting with the democratic majority.  That sent the bill to the republican controlled House and their leader at the time John Boehner never took up the bill, not even for debate and he let it die.  Obama asked congress at the time to send him an immigration bill and the democrats did their part.  The republicans in the House failed to do their part and as a result President Obama used his executive powers to create DACA.

Morris says in his column that congress is the place for immigration reform.  He is right on that and then ignored the fact that the republicans controlled both houses of congress during Obama' last two years in office and still failed to take up the issue even though Obama wanted them to do so.  If any one created immigration showdown it is because of the republicans in congress and their failure to act.

Trump boxed his own self in during the campaign when he said if elected he would deport 12 million immigrants.  During the republicans Presidential debates his opponents laughed at that silly statement and now as President can not keep his promise so he has punted immigration to congress.  But Morris, like a good ditto head, will continue to blame democrats for Trumps and the republicans failures on immigration reform.

Note:  The immigration bill passed by the Senate provided increased funds for border security and controls and was a good bill.  All Trump and the republican controlled congress has to do is re-introduce the democratic immigration bill and debate the issue with changes if necessary.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio