Obama has repeatedly said that he has ‘inherited’ all the problems, but he has had four years to correct them and has only created a much greater problem. Take, for instance, the U.S. unemployment rate. Under Clinton it was 5.21 %, Bush 5.27% and Obama 9.36 %.
Why is fuel so high? Drilling permits approved under Clinton up 58%, Bush up 116%, Obama down 36%. Now let’s talk national debt. In 2008 our debt was $9 trillion and at the end of 2011 $14 trillion. Obama’s administration did set some records though: the first U.S. sovereign debt downgrade in American history; Federal spending (25% of GDP) the highest since WWII; budget deficit (10% of GDP highest since WWII; federal debt (67% of GDP) highest since WWII; employment (58.1% of population working) lowest since 1983; long-term unemployment (45.9% of total) highest since 1930s; slowest job growth after a severe recession since WWII; home ownership rate (59.7%) lowest since 1965; percentage of taxpayers paying income tax (49%) lowest in modern era; government dependency (47%) defined as the percentage of persons receiving one or more federal benefit payments – highest in American history.
Welfare spending has swelled to well over $700 billion. Food stamp dependency was $23 million under Clinton, $23.5 million under Bush and $39.5 million under Obama.
Enough?
How about this – According to the Wall Street Journal the Obama tax plan reads as follows: Current income tax rate 35% will increase to 39.6%. Income/Payroll taxes are currently 37.4% but will rise to 52.29%. Capital Gains currently at 15% go to 28%. Dividends 15% to a whopping 39.6%. The capper is Estate Tax, currently 0% but under Obama 55%.
The Obamas do know how to spend. While millions are standing in unemployment lines they take vacations all over the world. Not just one or two either, with countless staff members tagging along, paid for by you and me. Not only does Obama not deserve respect, he doesn’t deserve the presidency. He has not earned a second term. Thanks to Fluvanna Review for allowing the citizens of this great country to exercise their first amendment rights.
Correction: Because of an editing error, a sentence in a letter to the editor written by Jeane and Ed Illshce was incorrectly changed in the Sept. 20 issue. The sentence should have read: “Food stamp dependency was 23 million under Clinton, 23.5 million under Bush and 39.5 million under Obama.”