Are we better off in america now than 6 years ago? if so how? Please add reliable sources and/or facts.?

Question

Personal experiences are fine too. I'm not asking people to give me their opinion on which president they like or even if they like the current one. I want to know how our country is better off now than 6 years ago, or how its worse. I know 10 years ago, I remember no instance where anyone I knew or anyone in my family that had trouble finding a job, or paying their bills. Now almost everyone I know has trouble finding a job, or paying their bills. What good comes from a war suposedly for our freedom, if we die from sickness from not being able to afford healthcare? What good comes from fighting for freedom, if we arent going to take care of eachother and help eachother succeed? What good comes from tax cuts, if they give more money to the wealthy, and our country now has the highest poverty level ever, with many more close to poverty. With schools closing down all over, people getting more poor, more sick without healthcare, and jobs going over seas, whats good now?

I don't understand what our country and the people of our country want out of leaders. Do you want to be rich? or do you want to be happy? I happen to believe that happiness is the richest thing in the world. There are fundamental things that we need out of life to lead to happiness.

Good health is one of those, That should just be available to everyone, those with nothing should get the same good health as those with millions.

Ability to feed themselves, and their family. Im not saying give everyone a free ride, but give people real wages so they can afford the basic needs, and help everyone find work, and get an education.

Next is time, we need time! Time to do something other than work, time to live. Living isnt working 24/7 to afford healthcare and food. Living is be able to just do something that is fun to you as well as providing for your family. We need more time in america, or we'll just keep getting more unhappy.

Below are sources that say poverty has increased since 2000.

http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html
http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/povfacts.htm
http://www.grist.org/news/counter/2006/02/13/poverty/
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/Poverty/Downloads/CampaignStats.pdf
http://www.pcusa.org/hunger/learn.htm
http://www.ccspm.org/poverty.aspx
http://www.savethechildren.org/countries/usa/facts-and-figures.html
http://www.youthagainstpoverty.org/usfacts.htm
http://waronpovertycast.org/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104520.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYZ/is_4_31/ai_n8681419
http://www.cis.org/articles/poverty_study/execsummary.html
http://inclusionist.org/files/povertyincomechartpack2005.pdf
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/faqs/faq3.htm

Below is a source for poverty up to 1990
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/PovertyintheUnitedStates.html

Answer 1

Depends on who you talk to.

In my family and friends, everyone is doing alot better now, than they were 7 years ago.

Everyone in my family and my friends are all making atleast 40% more now, than they were 7 years ago.

But, I don't think the Federal government had anything at all to do with it.

Just like the Federal government didn't have anything to do everyone making 40% less before 2001.

1. Actually the poverty level isn't the highest ever. Poverty levels were higher for most of the 90's than they are now.

Only three times since 1963 have more than 50 million people been below the poverty level, all three were in the 1990's.

average poverty rate for families clinton-10.5% bush-9.7%,
poverty rates for individuals clinton-17.8% bush-16.6%

2. Education spending has increased at twice the rate in the last 7 years.

Bush increases Federal Education funding 60%
Clinton increases Federal Education funding 29%

Bush increases Pell Grant funding 56%
Clinton increases Pell Grant funding 35%

1993 federal education budget - 32.4 billion
2001 federal education budget - 42 billion
2007 federal education budget - 67.3 billion

1993 federal pell grant budget - 6.4 billion
2001 federal pell grant budget - 8.7 billion
2007 federal pell grant budget - 13.6 billion

3. The highest percentage of people without health insurance occured in 1998 under Clinton, when 16.3% of americans did not have health insurance. It is now back in the 15% range.

4. I know of no way the federal government can prevent companies from moving factories overseas.

The only law I have ever been able to find, that gave any kind of tax break to a company for opening a foreign factory, was the Clinton law, that gave a tax break to companies openning factories in Puerto Rico, but sine PR is an American territory, you cannot really say it's foreign.

And lets not forget all the insourced jobs from foreign corporations.

I'm working for the Swedish Company Electrolux, I got my job after they tripled the size of thier factory here.

My brother is working for Nissan, he got his job there after they doubled the size of thier work force.

Who do you expect to get the tax cuts ? when the lower 50% of wage earners don't have to pay federal income tax at all.

It's hard to give someone a tax cut, when they don't pay any tax's.

Answer 2

America is not better off! We are far worse off, including the 3 1/2 TRILLION dollars in additional debt that Bush has run up! Does anyone know how much that is? I don't think anyone has a clue, because it is so much money our minds can't fathom the numbers! You might be able to say them, but that is about all you can do!

The rich are however! And at our expense!

And the minority, who currently are in power, doesn't care what happens to others! They care about Their wallet!

Answer 3

worse off, of course. look around however i would rather go back to the clinton era, when the budget was in much better shape.

Answer 4

Six years ago we were in a recession. Today we are not.

Six years ago we suffered the worst terrorist attack in history. There have been no successful terrorist attacks on us since.

Six years ago we had high unemployment - today we have low unemployment.

Answer 5

6 years ago, nope it's pretty much the same. after 9/11 there has been so much discrimination and hate, fear and death, the war and ignorant ppl who are extreme in other ways

Answer 6

six years ago we had a balanced budget, now we do not.