Oracle Online

I cannot agree with you that driving unemployment levels up to 5.7 percent and creating the biggest net job losses in over 70 years is proof that this administration has lifted the economy. Please take a look at the graph of the rise in unemployed and underemployed persons since 2001 and tell me again that we are all better off.

Second, you seem to be amazed that the top wealthiest 20 percent of income earners pay 80 percent of income taxes. This may not be such a surprise to you, Mr. Byma, if you take a look at the state of income inequality in the United States depicted in data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Recent statistics show that the top 20 percent of income earners had over 50 percent of the national income, while the bottom 20 percent had less than five percent. To put it in to perspective, in recent years 2.8 percent of the nation’s wealthiest people had $950 billion after taxes, while the poorest 110 million people had less than $892 billion of total after-tax income in the economy. At least the gajillionaires will be able to afford their income taxes, considering the billions of dollars in tax cuts they have received from the Bush administration.

Third, do you really think that I should be comforted by the fact that the $4.6 trillion deficit was $64 billion dollars less than estimates suggested?

When George W. Bush first took office, what was the deficit? Oh, that’s right, the deficit had been eliminated and there was a surplus. I cannot agree that running the largest deficit in history is making us all better off. Mr. Byma, most economists (apparently not those working for the Bush administration) agree that continuing to run a federal deficit will eventually catch up with the American people by threatening the government’s ability to fund public schools, health care, Medicaid, Social Security and scientific research for the well-being of society.

In response to your suggestions, Mr. Byma, I like when people are happy, as well as when they have jobs and access to health care, Social Security and quality education. I don’t believe that this makes me a “knee-jerking liberal,” but rather a compassionate and mindful citizen. I strongly disagree with you that George W. Bush has made us all better off. I suspect that the 3.4 million people who have lost their jobs and the 4.8 million people who have fallen into poverty since his administration began are not happy either.

I do not understand how you can ignore these facts and suggest that the Bush administration’s economic policy has made us all happy.

I suggest you review your facts and take an honest look at what has happened to the economy and the American people over the last four years. If you can substantiate your claims the Bush administration has “made us all happy,” I would like to hear from you.

Julie Wroblewski
CLA Student