Progress We Can Believe In
64
One Year Ago
Think back to October 2008. If you remember correctly the world was ending. The American financial system was f.ailing and near total collapse. Half of the homes on your block were in foreclosure. Americans were losing their jobs left and right. Banks were failing and people were unable to pay credit card debt and mortgages. The United States was engaged in two wars with no strategy and no end in sight. The world viewed the United States with disdain and hatred. All the while, a President sat in the oval office oblivious to the world around him unable to stop the downward spiral caused by his eight years in office. We had lost a financial system. We lost credibility. We lost respect. We lost the City of New Orleans.
Then in November there was a brief glimmer of hope. Hope sprung by a man with a funny name. He was young and inexperienced, yet there was something about him that moved people young and old. Barack Obama promised hope and change. And after a year, we still have hope and there has been some change. Most important, there has been progress. And yes, it is progress we can all believe in.
The Economy
Since taking office President Obama has taken steps unheard of before in American history. He bailed out the financial institutions with billions of taxpayer dollars because these institutions were too big to fail. He bailed out the auto industry. The pushed through Congress the biggest stimulus packages in history. Republicans cried about the deficit and the takeover of the country's largest institutions by the government and claimed this would lead to a socialist takeover of the country. Many liberals rejected the bailouts as corporate welfare and screamed about the stimulus packages because they didn't provide immediate relief to the working poor.
Yet what is lost in the screaming and crying is the fact that the financial system did not fail. It has changed dramatically due to the number of banks that went under in late December 2008, but it did not fail and in fact banks are showing profits again. And much of the money given to banks has been returned with interest. More of the money needs to be returned either through payback or tax, but progress has been made.
The Stock Market, which went lower than 8000 points during the end of the Bush years, now holds around 10,000. 401K and retirement plans are no longer in jeopardy. More imporantly, investing has become safer and is being rewarded again. More safeguards are needed but progress has been made.
The unemployment rate sits near 10%. But the job loss has been slowed during Obama's presidency instead of the freefall it was in under the last months of the Bush Administration. More importantly, Obama has made jobs a top priority and the market is improving. More needs to be done but progress has been made.
In one short year the free fall of the American economy, and the American lifestyle, has been stopped despite the gigantic inertia it gained during the Bush years. Yes the deficit is outrageous and more needs to be done, but progress has been made and it has only been one year.
Other Domestic Issues
For eight years under George Bush, domestic policy was an after thought. Yes, foreign affairs are important but so is maintaining the standard of living for everyday Americans. Barack Obama ran for President on a platform to bring real change to Health care and Education.
Despite the fact that the financial world was ending, Barack Obama managed to push the issue of Health care into the forefront and for the first time in decades the nation has seriously debated the issue. Republicans scream that Obama is trying to "nationalize" the system and liberals scream that his plan doesn't do enough to cover every American. But credit is due for making Health care a real issue that ordinary Americans debate in their homes, at their jobs and with their friends. This debate has forced Americans to decide what the very nature of Health care is: is it a right or a privilege. And today, a comprehensive health care plan nears passage.
By no means is the plan everything I would have wanted nor is it everything anyone would have wanted. But despite the numerous disagreements, this much is true. The end has come for pre-existing conditions. The end has come for dropping those with coverage simply because they use it. The end has come to the insurance monopoly over the system. They end has come for rising costs with nothing in return. We will have to pay for whatever the final system that is put into place, but if more and better care is given, then it will be worth it. Nothing good comes cheap. Progress has been made. Much more is needed.
As for the other domestic policies, most have not been given much coverage on the news. Healthcare has already been expanded to children. Education has been virtually ignored but there are signs that it is next. The President has begun pushing on energy independence and alternative energy. The First Lady has make healthy eating her main policy initiative.
In short, health care has demanded focus on the domestic side. But progress has been made. Amazingly, Republicans argue that Obama is trying to do too much too fast. After eight years of doing nothing, it is time that the politicians actually begin working hard again. It is a big country with a lot of problems, there isn't time to wait for Republicans to stop dragging their heels.
Foreign Affairs
A year ago, the United States was engaged in two wars without an end in sight and without a coherent strategy or goal. The United States was no longer respected around the world and we lost our moral authority.
All that changed with the election of Barack Obama. People around the world celebrated on election night at the very thought that George Bush was no longer in office and that the United States had maybe grown up as a nation. President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, not for anything he had done, for the hope of what he would do and for the fact that he was so drastically different than the previous administration.
The wars that began and were misrun under the Bush Administration still go on. But they are in a much better position than they were a year ago. There is a coherent strategy and exit strategy in Afghanistan. While many disagree with the President's plans, there is a plan and the soldiers there know what the mission is and what they goals are. In Iraq, things have calmed down. Most importantly, Obama has kept his promise and given the soldiers the support they need. No longer do our troops go without armor and ammunition. Further, the wars are no longer ignored by an administration intent of keeping the events of the day secret.
As for the other international threats to the United States, they still exist and threats are everywhere. Yet, unlike George Bush and using the standard of success promoted by the likes of Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, President Obama has kept us safe during his first year in office. This was something that George Bush could not achieve. Yet, the known threats are more under control than they were during the Bush Administration. President Obama has garnered support to pressure on Iran regarding their nuclear program. And Iran has responded and somewhat cooperated. Yes, Iran will balk and lie and cheat and steal, but President Obama has the international support to hold Iran's feet to the fire. As for North Korea, they still talk tough every now and then, but the parties are talking and the United States no longer ignores their enemies, but engages them and demands results. Progress has been made. Much more is needed.
More important than any actual accomplishments is that America has regained its rightful position of respect and prestige around the world. And America has regained its moral authority. America is respected again around the world.
Progress We Can Believe In
President Obama's approval ratings have fallen to less than fifty percent. Most pundits state that Democrats will lose control of Congress in 2010. Many despise the President's health care plan and his foreign policy goals. Many just don't like the President at all.
But some credit is due. When Obama took office the country was in a downward spiral that many believed could not be stopped. Not only did President Obama stop the downward spiral, but progress in all aspects have been made. This doesn't mean you have to agree with the President's policies, I know I don't agree with them all either, but some credit is due because real progress has been made in the last year and this is progress we can believe in. At the very least, most Americans believe again that our best days are ahead and generally feel better than they did one year ago.
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Obama is not passive and I give him much credit for that. The polarizing forces of the far right and far left must be difficult to maneuver through, but Obama is trying. He is trying to make change, and he must be commended.
I was never a fan of George W. Bush and his policy of giving to the wealthy in hopes they will use money in a way that benefits the lower and middle class. His policies were flawed and never with the country's best interests at heart.
Obama may not succeed in everything he wants to do, but as you assert--the old methods are going away. I wish him well and hope he can help the United States. There is no point in condemning him--we need a change and we need someone willing to try and create change.
Good luck, Mr. President!
Suzie, they are far and few. But I think he deserves some credit.
Thanks for the comment.
Mike,
I agree, the forces on each side are tough. Only proves he can't make everyone happy, so he has to do what he believes it right.
Thanks for the comment.
Wow! I do not agree with a single statement you have made in this article. But, I still believe in your right to feel that way and express it. Well written hub, even if our viewpoints differ radically!
Thanks, blast away, that is your right as well. We don't have to agree, America is great that way.
Thanks for the comment.
Time is what we don't have but what we need. And only time will tell if we chose the right man for the job! And I do believe anyone would have been better the G.W. Busch......
Agree that either McCain or Obama would be better than Bush. Anyone is better than Bush
Thanks for the comment
Hey you forgot to mention Obama is making progress,,
he actually attened a church on Sunday!!
A first for him since his election as President!!
Oh, yeah it was also a photo op and he managed to
sneak in a speech from the pulpit!! No telepromter!!
WOW! Maybe he is beginning to realize since he is President
of a Christian nation he might want to reconsider his statemend "I don't want to appear to be taking sides"!
I find it funny that everyone is making such a big deal about him going to Church. He has said time and time again his is a Christian and yet everyone seems shocked. He doesn't use the church for political gains, and yet those who hate him use the fact for thier political gains.
As for Healthcare, his position is more Christian than that of of the religious right. Acts over words, I am sure that I read that somewhere.
Thanks for the comment.
This hub is outstanding, well written with verifiable points and objectivity. The Neocon traitors and cowards that will never remove their craniums from rectal defilade are incapable of grasping that this is not 19th Century England, the U.S. is not a "Christian Country" and it is not an Oligarchy. The U.S is the only country in the G8 that does not have a socialized system of healthcare and is ranked below Cuba in that category. While the Neocons scream that the U.S. is in debt, they chose to ignore how we got there under their watch. The only interest that a modern Republican has in the U.S. is how best to make it a 3rd world country with no “Freedom of, or from Religion”. They can no longer be considered anything other than traitors to the Constitution, and the American way of Life which was formed under the premise of “We The People” and not “We the Corporatist Imperialists”, or “We the Fanatical Christian Zealots”.
Thanks for the comment.
I wonder, since when do Reagan Republicans care about deficits? The whole trickle down theory is based on deficit spending and when everything trickles down, government revenues increase thereby getting rid of the debt. In theory this sounds nice, but in reality has produced more debt without substantial gains than what is currently going on.
Appreciate the comment.
I am not a big believer in God, Allah, or any specific religion. I choose to be Christian because it is the way I was brouht up and I respect any other religion that does not use force and terrorism to intimidate non believers.
I do believe believers should be allowed to professs their faith in whatever greater power they believe in. No one, including the President should feel the need to hide from his belief in his choice of religion in a free society.
It is what our first amendment is all about! Yes, he has every right to ignore his beliefs, but just who is he trying to impress? As for health care, who does not want to make it affordable to all Americans who want to pay for it?
Your attack on those who do not believe health care should be forced upon citizens with threats of imprisonment for not signing on is just part of the problem. There are the
bribes to get votes from legislators, deals to get support of business and unions. The details of the entire plan are vague and filled with corruption. If you think this is the American way, congradulations, it is your right. If you think about it, you might ask, Why, Why, Why, do they need to force this plan down the throats of the American people if it is really going to make life and health care better?
What are they hiding?? What does any of this have to do with the fact that the President is ashamed to profess his faith, or is it because his true alligence lies with the religion that uses terrorism to intimidate non believers?
I don't think the President is ashamed to profess faith, I think he doesn't wear it on his sleeve or use it for political gain. Amazing that we have had a year long debate on healthcare with every aspect being debated, and yet there are those who still say they are hiding something. The free market has failed in the Healthcare arena and it has been given every opportunity to work for decades. Millions are without coverage. Millions more, like me, pay for coverage but it is wholly inadequate due to the greed of insurance companies. It is time to do something bigger that will benefit all.
Thanks for the comment.
I find the political debate in the US quite frightening, to be honest. There seems to be so much hatred and anger coming from the right wing neo-cons - and yet I don't get what the anger is all about.
What I do have is a great fear, which I think is shared by a great number of people in the world outside of the US. And let me put that into some kind of perspective.
I grew up in South Africa and the Nationalist Part won the elections in 1948 ushering in four decades of right wing authoritarianism from which we are now, some 15 years after they were defeated, still trying to put behind us. And it's a big struggle, because authoritarianism invades every part of life - the thoughts and feelings of the people, the economy, education, you name it, all were horribly distorted by the right. Who claimed to be doing to it to protect a "Christian" nation from communism.
This seemed to give them licence to kill, to imprison and to shut people away, without recourse to law or the protection of human rights.
And we looked with total bemusement at GWB as he took the US into other countries for no apparent rhyme or reason (he was I guess following his mentor Reagan) and then made up a pack of lies to justify his actions. I know politicians tend to do that, but not usually on the scale that Bush did.
And now some people are promoting Palin as a possible contender against Obama. If we thought GWB was bad, god save us from Palin. This is, of course, a view from the outside.
So when Obama was elected November before last I, and I think millions of others around the world, breathed a huge sigh of relief and felt a small welling up of hope - perhaps he will be different, perhaps he will promote what GWB's father failed to do, a "kinder, gentler world."
I just hope that the hopes of millions of ordinary people around the world are not dashed. I hope Mr Obama will get the support he deserves. I hope that we will not experience again the darkness of authoritarianism. I hope, fervently, that Sarah Palin never makes it to the White House.
I know that as I am not a US citizen I should be circumspect in commenting on US politics - I'm just trying to articulate a view from outside, as I said. And I do it in humility. But I would not like to see a return to authoritarianism.
Love and peace
Tony
Appreciate you perspective. I think Obama is more popular outside the US right than within. The Right Wing have made a concerted effort to undermine everything he does. Politics today is more about destroying the other side more than actually doing things to improve the nation.
Thanks for the comment.
On some fronts progress has been made. I am impressed with Obama's handling on the two wars. Thank you for a good read.
Thanks James.
it's all too plain to see (for me anyway) that there are basically two different ways of looking at the world of an American citizen ( and all the shades between the two). There's a spiritual knowing that can define Constitutional Freedoms and Liberty, and a humanistic perspective that believes only human intelligence can solve the world's problems.
Interesting, why can't there be a combination of the two. Isn't the the pull between Conservaitve and Liberals fall somewhere in the middle?
Thanks for the comment.
Hey bg, well written. I do believe time will tell. Remember the voters gave Bush 8 years to prove himself...Obama has had just over a year. Let's not jump the gun on him yet! Thanks K.
I agree, time will tell. Those opposed to Obama started protesting day one. They haven't given him any time and only concentrate on the bad and forget the fact that it was bad when he took over.
Whether they like it or not, things have improved. The economy is turning around, the wars are going better, and the overall mood is better. I have written things objecting to what Obama has done, about healthcare mostley, but you have to give credit when credit is due. In one year, much has been.
Thanks for the comment.
I enjoyed this article. I will surely read more of them. My opinions may differ on some points. However, without this article I probably wouldn't have thought of them. Politics is a crazy subject. Thanks
Thanks. Opposing opinions are more than welcome here, as long as they are based on fact and idealogy. No insults. Otherwise, this is America, at least where I am at and debate is a good thing.
Thanks for the comment.
hubbers
the article tries to covince the reader that obama is doing a great job after one year in office.it is remarkable how many times bush is mentioned in all of obama's inherited problems.
check this out, maybe a debate ?
Barack Obama,ThePresent,The Past
It's all about Barack Obama, the present, the past and '' let me be clear ''.
It's been very quiet since the healthcare reform bill was passed. The press is keeping the problems in the background except for the big companies complaining about the cost.
The jobs for the private sector, nowhere in sight after 17 months. Unemployment went up to 9.9% from 9.7%. President Obama said we are coming out of the recession ( the one he says he inherited with a democrat controlled congress 2007,2008,2009 and now 2010 ).
Check out my old hub
Let us look back to what candidate Obama pledged to the American people if elected. President Barak Obama pledged:
1.To bring back the jobs lost in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the nations
unemployment went from 7% in 2008 to 10%( in some areas
17% ). Obama’s administration bailed out the auto industry,
banking industry, saved the union workforce and even helped the
unions get ownership in the companies by forcing the creditors to
lose their financial investments in the companies. The Obama
administration has increased the size of government by 10%, added
more union jobs and commissions. Government unemployment
stands at 3% and government employees and congress did get a raise.
in 2009 while the deficit increased.
2.To fix the economic problems by passing the $787 billion Tarp (6/6/10 NOW $852 BILLION )
bill (congress passed the bill without reading or debating the bill
as required by constitutional rules.), promised that unemployment
would not exceed 8% and shovel ready jobs were available to jump
start the economy. As of today approximately 60% of Tarp has not
been spent and unemployment remains at 10%. Recently the CBO
projected Tarp will need $85 billion more added to the $787 billion
bill. One should note that all of the above is borrowed money adding
to the nations skyrocketing debt.
3.To have fiscal responsibility and control spending, Barak Obama
promised to go line for line and strike out pork in the Tarp bill. The
president signed the Tarp bill without cutting any pork out of the bill.
On wed.1/27/10 in the state of the union speech Obama stated he
would put a freeze on spending. Congress on 1/29/10 passed
legislation to raise the national debt by another $1.9 billion, the
second increase in 60 days, raising the debt ceiling to$14.5 trillion.
( 6/4/10 NOW HIT %13 TRILLION )
4.To rid Washington of lobbyist and special interest groups. Presently
in his administration Barak Obama has at least 30 lobbyist, some
appointments are know as czars. Obama has been meeting with
union officials ( special interest )at the white house on a regular basis.
5.To surround himself with experienced and capable people, like tax
cheaters, Marxist, communist and socialist. known as czars. These
employees were not background investigated as required by the FBI.
The question remains as to why the procedure was exempted. .
6.To have an open transparent government and to allow C-Span to
televise the debates and congressional meetings. Folks it didn’t
happen, C-Span was denied access (that is called censorship.) The
president and the democrats met behind closed doors denying the
minority party’s participation in the negotiations. By the way the
minority party was elected by the people to represent the people.( REPUBLICANS)(6/4/10 OBAMAS RATING UNDER 45% FAVOR HIS JOB)
Essentially the people were locked out and ignored.
7 To close gitmo last year. The president sent some prisoners to
Bermuda, a terrific propaganda move. More could be said but for now
a continuing story to be told. Gitmo is still open.
8.To end the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the president and his advisers
are talking in the whitehouse. To be continued .
9.To give 95% of the people a tax break and not to tax anyone below
$250,000, by the way according to some officials the ceiling has
dropped down to $100,000 with a possibility to $85,000 due to lack of
money coming into the treasury.
Check this out, president Obama and congress will tax the rich.
If 2 or 3% are the rich and they pay 50% of federal taxes, according to
Obama 50% of the nation don’t pay federal taxes, I wonder who will be
paying the taxes. ( the middle class )?FUZZY MATH?
10.To not allow no bid contracts in his administration. A major news
source reported that Obama approved a $25 million no bid contract to a
donor of his campaign. The contract recently was cancelled after being
exposed by the media..
11. To reduce the deficit by 50% in his first term. The fact is that the
Obama administration has triple the deficit in his first year in office.
The proposed budget for 2011($3.85 trillion )given to congress will 6/6/10 YET TO BE SUBMITTED ( WONDER WHY )
be the largest ever in our history if passed by congress.
The above information you will not see in the bias press or reported
on ABC,CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, or other liberal news medias.
Watch C-Span or Fox News, they report and broadcast the actual
uncensored news
The presidents rating is ‘’F’’ in his first year ?
19 MONTHS '' F+ '' ?? BARAK OBAMA'S AND CONGRESS'S IDEA OF JOB GROWTH IS TO EXTEND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
Funny, much of what you mentioned was speculation. Much he said he would do in his first term, term not over yet. I agree with you on one thing, the bailouts were a mistake. Maybe the greatest economic minds believed it was the right thing to do, but I didn't like it. But I am not an expert, just thought it was the wrong choice. Even wrote a hub about it.
Thanks for reading.
Bgpappa
HERE'S THE LATEST.
Barak Obama quotes of the past week 7/18/10
Obama said the GOP leadership has chosen to ‘’ filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress ‘’ by blocking votes on a bill to extend unemployment benefits. Obama said ‘’these steps aren’t just the right thing to do for those hardest hit by the recession’’ , ‘’ they’re the right thing to do for all of us.’’
Since Obama took office in 2009 the nation has lost some 3 million jobs, increased the deficits $1.3 trillion , over $ 1 trillion in 2010 and another $ 1 trillion plus coming in 2011( BUDGET FOR 2011HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED AS YET ).
Obama said lawmakers’ obligations to extend benefits is both moral and practical because it puts money in the pockets of people who are likely to spend it quickly.
There is an old saying ‘’ I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.’’ Barak Obama, the Democrat leadership and the press are reporting that the Republicans are holding up the passage of the $ billion bill because of a filibuster. The bill as it stands now will not be deficit neutral as the bill if passed will be added to the $ trillions of deficit spending that the PAY-GO bill signed by President Obama was t meant to control spending. Note that the interest on the debt is $ 1 billion a day.
The whole truth that is not being reported is that the Republican senate is for an unemployment extension as long as the cost is not added to the deficit as our President and Congress are attempting to do. The Republicans are not the bad guys in this instance as they try to control adding more to the national debt.
How hypocritical can the Democrat controlled congress and President Barak Obama be to issue such half true and untruthful statements.
2/13/10 2:04 PM EST ( NOTE THE DATE )
President Barack Obama is hailing pay-as-you-go budget legislation he SIGNED Friday night as one in a series of crucial steps needed to snap Washington out of a destructive pattern of overspending.
“Now, Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else,” Obama said in his radio and Internet address released Saturday
morning. “After a decade of profligacy, the American people are tired of politicians who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk when it comes to fiscal responsibility. It’s easy to get up in front of the cameras and rant against exploding deficits. What’s hard is actually getting deficits under control. But that’s what WE MUST DO
Let’s not forget that the Democrats took majority control of Congress in 2007 with Obama in the senate. In 2008 the Democrat Congress passed the bank bail out bill with Obama’s yes vote. 4 years and the nation is still waiting for the jobs, it is apparent that government wasteful spending don‘t produce jobs.
Jon,
"4 years and the nation is still waiting for the jobs" Lets remember, most of that time Bush was in office.
Thanks for the comment.
Bgpappa
FUZZY MATH ????
Here is the score card
Bush and a Republican Congress 2000 to 2006 unemployment 4.6%
Bush and a Democrat controlled Congress 2007 to 2008
unemployment went from 4.6% to 6.5%
Obama and a *super majority Democrat Congress 2009,2010
unemployment now 9.5% plus in many areas of the country
*Super majority = result minority has 0 power to make legislation or approve legislation
Obama appeared today (7/19/10 ) in the rose garden, told the public more half truths about the bill to extend unemployment benifits, closed the speech and walked off the dais without giving answers to questions from the media. wonder why ?
President Barak Obama again brought up how and what he inherited from the previous administration. Some how he forgets that the Democrat party was in control (he was a member of the Senate too ) of the economy for Bush’s last 2 years ( not 4 years ). Obama spoke of the Bush tax cuts that are due to expire this year saying that the Republicans want to extend them. That’s another fallacy by this president, the minority Republicans have 0 control over the tax cuts hence to keep them or let them expire is totally the responsibility of President Barak Obama and the majority ( can pass all legislation without the need for a Republican vote ) Democrat Congress.
Note, if Obama allows the Bush tax cuts to expire he will break another campaign promise not to raise taxes on the middle class. It’s a pity that our president can’t stand on his own record of arrogance, inexperience and ineptness.
CHECK OUT THE GLEN BECK'S SHOW ON FOX TODAY !
Wow, you need to stop drinking the Glenn Beck koolaid.
For all the talk Republicans are doing about the debt, the fact they support a 600 billion dollar tax cut only proves the point. And as for blaming Bush for what he inherited, everything he said was true. Bush sad idly by and watch the country hemorage jobs and did nothing. You can't stop that in a year. Remember how Bush blamed Clinton for 911 and inherited a "recession". If that logic worked for Bush in 2002, why not Obama now.
And I love how you never actually respond, just rant.
Thanks for reading.
hubbers
Check out beck on Fox News, Glen Beck was serving cool aid beer today. But anyway, let's update President Barak Obama's performance score card.
Candidate Barak Obama ran on bringing change to Washington. He promised jobs, a better economy, rid Washington of lobbyist, open and transparent government, bipartisanship between parties, end the wars, close guitmo,surround himself with good people in his administration and to unite the American people for a better America.
President Obama has not provided open and transparent government, has ignored the will of the people in pushing thru legislation, has directed a bail out of certain industries, has controlled a government take over of 60% of the economy and his order of a moratorium on oil drilling in the US is destroying the economies of many states.
President Lincoln once said '' to remain silent is to be a coward''. Some of our good representatives in Washington remain silent, they were elected by the people to serve the people first, not their radical party leaders. The November elections can't come soon enough to rid Washington of the scum and corruption.
The future of our country is in the people rising up to voice their concerns. Maybe impeachment is in the future ?
Impeachment??? for what?
You don't agree with Obama. We get it. But you provide no facts for your Fox News talking points. 60% of the economy??? Where do you get that. I really wonder where this hate comes from. The country has not been changed, unless you call an improved, albeit still struggling, economy and respect again around the world. Progress has been made. Why do you hate so much?
bgpappa
''Progress has been made. Why do you hate so much?''
The Democrats have had 2/3's control of the Government since 2007 to Sept. 30,2011. How come someone didn't mention them for their contribution to the American Dream, whatever that means in your thoughts.
The American Dream in 2009 to the present. The Pew Hispanic Center reported that 6.1 million Hispanic children are poor compared with 5 million non-Hispanic white children and 4.4 million black children. The number of poor Hispanic children is at a record high, black children have a higher rate of poverty, 39%, compared with 35% for Hispanic children. The overall rate for white children is about 12%. The recession put more children of all races and ethnicities into poverty. The poverty rate for black children increased twice as fast. The 40,000 on food stamps, the 14+ million on unemployment and all time poverty rates are records of the Obama- Democrat majority control of the government. The Republicans as of Jan.2011 having control of only 1/3 of the government seems to be blamed for the existing problems. It is difficult to understand since the Republican House has a 2012 budget and passed 8 jobs bills that are in the Senate waiting to be put on the Senate floor for passage. The president has 2 jobs bill that was passed waiting for his signature. Lately when the President signs legislation, the media seems to be inattentive and missing from the event.
It was recently reported that for the past 5 years, the Social Security Trust fund has paid $400 billion to DEAD Federal employees. Forging one’s name is a crime, the taxpayers need to demand repayment and prosecution of the law breakers and the idiots running our country.
The politicians need a WAKEUP CALL!
Jon, on your last point, I totally agree. If anyone, federal employee or not, is stealing taxpayer money, they need to go to jail.
suziecat7 Level 5 Commenter 2 years ago
It's nice to see an article about Obama that is not negative.