A sincere non-partisan question about the economy & your own personal prosperity?

Question

This is a sincere question, so honest & sincere answers only please.

The Republican party & candidates say the economy is great & getting better because of their tax cuts & economic policies. Here's my question:

Has your income increased substantially in the last year or two? Has it decreased?

Has your employment situation improved significantly?

Are you significantly wealthier than you were a couple of years ago?

If not, then how is it better, at least for the average American? I know it's great for corporations & wealthy Americans with lots of stocks & bonds, etc. But I don't see any real improvement for most of us.

It seems to me that this good economy is an illusion. The huge deficit created by those tax cuts & excessive spending will have to be paid back by all of us & our children, and left to other Presidents and congresses to fix.

Do you agree that the economy is booming - FOR YOU - under President Bush's policies & the Repubican congress? Why or why not?

Mr. Black Gunman...

I asked a sincere question and have received some sincere answers.

Your answer, however, is insulting and reprehensible to me and to all Americans who truly care about this country and wish to solve its problems, not just try to boost our own egos and try to bolster our doubts about our own positions with adolescent personal attacks and insults.

Despite your pseudo-intellectualizing and pretense of educated discourse, your answer is ignorant as well as devisive and unproductive.

Creston, thank you for an intelligent response (unlike the one from Black Gunman).

Of course tax cuts for business allow them to increase productivity and thus create new jobs. But most of those tax cuts go into the pockets of big investors, who also got huge tax cuts, not into purchasing equipment and machinery. Many people have gotten better jobs in the last few years, as is true of almost any time in history, including during recessions.

But many have also lost jobs or taken pay cuts due to outsourcing and cheap imported labor. And the working poor and unemployed have been hurt by drastic cuts in education and social services made to supplement big tax breaks for the wealthy.

A typical tax cut for the average worker might amount to a few hundred dollars at best, and are almost non-existent for the working poor, minimum wage laborers, etc., while tax cuts for top executives run into the millions of dollars per year.

Fair? Helpful? I don't think so. Do you?

Chancluda, thanks for a thoughtful response. Of course the comments you make about the Democratic Party are the party line of the Republican Party and Karl Rove's mantra. Which does not in itself make it false, only extremely biased.

Having said that, the things most Dem's and liberals write on here are the Democratic Party line as well, and just as biased.

Fact is that much of what you said, as well as much of what the Democrats and lib's say on here is not actually correct.

I hope all Americans will vote (not likely, unfortunately!), but will also investigate the charges made against those who they see as the opposition before doing so. This question was an exercise in just that kind of research. Thanks for your response!

Answer 1

For me personally, things are worse.

During the Clinton era, high paying software jobs were everywhere. Now they are much harder to find. The company I work for has changed its tune for the worse. They know they have us over a barrel in this economy, so they demand we work unpaid overtime. They also give "cost of living" salary increases that are less than the inflation rate, meaning I effectly make less every year.

Answer 2

My income has been steadily increasing for the last four years.

I've been 100% employed for the last 4 years.

In the last four years, I have had no debt and savings has increased by ~150%. I own a home that has doubled in value, and my income taxes are lower. I give `a little over 10% of my income to charities.

Don't know about everyone else, but I see a lot of expensive toys in people's driveways that I can't afford (and likely wouldn't want anyway). And these are in driveways of homes both more and less expensive than mine.

The deficit is DECREASING as a result of the tax cuts. Tax revenues are at an all time high.

From my perspective, the economy is the best I've ever seen, and I been around since JFK.

Answer 3

My employment position has been better the past few years. I am making more money now (although I wouldnt say that I am significantly more wealthy)I can only attribute this to the rising economy. it is fair to say that the low unemployment rate and growing DOW, NASDAQ, and GDP are from the Bush financial policies. The tax cuts to the rich have caused the rich to invest more into new companies and new plants and equipment. These new companies and new plants create new jobs for the other 99%, giving the entire economy a boost.

Answer 4

I am a disappointed Republican. Our family income is less than half what it was in 2004. Our business went under in 2005 when gasoline hit $2.00/gallon and people stopped traveling (we had a tourist-oriented business). We are broken financially. The Republican party is being held hostage by Big Business (especially the obscenely-profiting oil companies), NOT the "Religious Right."

Having said that, I still will not vote for a Democrat running above the local level. I plan to vote for two Dem's this time running for local races because, unlike their Republican opponents (1) they are personal acquaintances of mine, and (2) our county desperately needs to have the "old guard" thrown out because the cronies are choking it to death economically and judicially, and (3) I believe that the only reason they are running as Democrats is so that could get past the primaries and let ALL the county decide how the county should be run.

Why won't I vote for any other Democrats? The national party has been hijacked and straitjacketed by the liberal fringe. I have never encountered anyone so hypocritical as a political liberal. They cry for "inclusion" and "tolerance"--unless you disagree with their opinion. They cry out for protecting forests and wildlife, but villify anyone wanting to stop the senseless slaughter of over a million unborn American babies since Roe v. Wade. They claim Islamic terrorists trying to annihalate our way of life (flawed though it may be, but at least it's free) have a right to pray in prisons built and maintained solely with government funds, using religious materials provided at U.S. government expense, but our own children cannot pray or bring Bibles purchased with their own funds to our public schools. Whatever happened to "agreeing to disagree" and "calm, logical debate"? (Note, I realize there are right-wingers to whom that last question applies as well. It has been my experience, though, that at least a right-winger will listen and try to persuade. A liberal will just call you a "bigot" and tell you to "(#$@ off."

Regarding taxes: they are oppressively high. Our government shells out gobs of money to pay for things they have no business providing. This thing about "paying" for tax cuts is all stuff and nonsense. DON'T SPEND THE MONEY! GIVE IT BACK WHERE IT BELONGS--TO THE PEOPLE. That's the surefire way to keep our economy strong. Let US decide how WE should spend OUR money. The first place to start is the obscene "retirement plan" Congress has provided for itself. Look it up sometime. It'll make you sick.

Answer 5

I'm better off now than I was two years ago. I had a decent job and found a better one (in terms of conditions and pay). But I don't credit the President with this change. My predecessor quit, and I happened to have the right training for this position, so I was hired.

I'm one of the lucky ones. Thank you for posting your question; it's a good reminder to be thankful for what I have.

Answer 6

What our fast food culture fails to recognize is that the economy goes beyond themselves and their family and friends. "The economy" is a word that encompasses the business world. And a booming economy means that business is booming. Business booming is a clear indicator that consumer confidence is up which is usually the result of job security and positive results in earning wages. Consumer confidence is boosted by businesses forecasting positive results in the upcoming quarter. In other words, if a business is doing well then consumers who work for said business will have secure feelings about their job situation and will be willing to spend earnings which boosts other businesses who rely on consumer spending. Businesses forecast postive results when they have lower taxes and see consumer confidence rising. It's all cyclical and depends on the companies who employ people. If the companies have high taxes their forcasts will be negative, if they're forecasts are negative then consumer confidence will decline(due to lack of job security) resulting in a slowing economy.

I know it's tough to understand if you are used to 30 minute sitcoms and fast food, but the economy bounds and rebounds over periods of years, not days or even weeks or months. Tax cuts take several years to show results, but tax increases work more quickly to influence businesses in a negative way because they are immediate and businesses will forecast negative results sooner rather than later which results in what I explained above. Good luck in graduating from fast food to fine dining.

Answer 7

what ba great q i have no idea. im anti bush. our income has not changed