Give me a few examples of how GW Bush has hurt the middle class.

[Stirk]

I'd like a simple list of things I can talk to my brother about tomorrow. If you please. :D

[Kerrytravelers]

1. Two--- count 'em--- two of Mr/ kt's tech jobs went overseas.

And two people in India are now employeed.

[Kerrytravelers]

19. Our salaies have been hit, hard.

In 2001, our combined salaries were 100,000. I went back to finish my Master's Degree. In 2004, we barely clered 25,000. Now that I'm back to working full time, we're barely at 40,000. Both of us have college degrees and experience, but we are both having trouble getttng back to our levels because there simply aren't the jobs * claims there are.

And we are not unique.

[Imagevision]

32. Talk to him about Cindy and Caset Sheeham!!

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. Well...

Well, now that "jobs Americans don't want" can be done much cheaper in other countries, many middle class people are finding themselves unemployed.

Health care blows

The only people making money are his friends.

[Carolab]

9. From the Democratic party chair, Howard Dean.

Middle class hurt by Bush’s values

The article below is the most recent in a series of syndicated articles written by Governor Howard Dean. DFNH is proud to present this series for your reading pleasure.

Ever since the purveyors of conventional wisdom pronounced that the last election was about moral values, the beltway pundits have been endlessly engaged in trying to divine What It All Means. After all, President Bush presented himself as the embodiment of compassion and American values, and has told us that the election was his accountability moment – proof positive that the American people support his policy priorities.

The simple truth is, however, that it did not take an election to convince us that the American people are a deeply moral people. When we see children pool their pennies to help tsunami victims, or a community unite to pay for a neighbor’s transplant operation – that is all the evidence of compassion we need.

With the State of the Union address and the annual budget submission, President Bush will have his opportunity to unveil the most tangible statements of his priorities and values. These two documents are a distillation of hundreds of choices made and priorities ordered. It will be interesting to see what he chooses.

Because in the course of making thousands of decisions that impact the real lives of Americans, one decision that the president made has impacted virtually all others, and that was the decision to completely change the structure of our economy by dramatically shifting the tax burden from corporate interests and wealthiest individuals squarely onto the middle class. That decision has put our nation in a financial straightjacket for generations to come.

And now the president suggests that the deficits created by his policies must be reduced by cutting the domestic budget, while his tax policies remain off limits. But make no mistake – it is the middle class that will feel the impact of George Bush’s economic restructuring the most. While corporations have historically been responsible for over 20 percent of the tax burden, today they are paying just over 7 percent. Combined with tax breaks for the wealthy, we are left with an economy in which the middle class is shouldering a staggering load of the burden.

Ironically, rather than funding the services most of us rely on, taxes paid by the middle class are going directly into the pockets of the wealthy in the form of tax breaks. And most working families have much more to contend with than taxes. Many employers can no longer provide health insurance; our parents can no longer depend on nutritious meals delivered to their homes; Head Start cannot accommodate enough deserving children; and students know that the president’s much-touted $100 increase per year in Pell Grants will not put college within their reach.

The president has made his choices, and no matter how drastic the change in circumstance – be it war or recession or his proclaimed “crisis” in Social Security – he refuses to revisit those decisions. Yet – as need permeates the middle class and not just the destitute – it is hard to believe that the American people favor more corporate handouts and endless tax cuts. And whether they live in red states or blue states, whether they worship in churches or temples or not at all, Americans do not want to see their neighbors bankrupted by emergency medical care or watch military families barely scrape by on meager salaries augmented by food stamps. Fairness, after all, is a cornerstone American value.

So over the coming days, all Americans should be watching what the president does, not just what he says. Will we have more of the same – eloquent words masking a distorted economic system – or will the president at long last put his money where his mouth is? The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont, is the founder of Democracy for America, a grassroots organization that supports socially progressive and fiscally responsible political candidates. Email Howard Dean at [e-mail] Copyright 2005 Howard Dean, All Rights Reserved.

2/22/05

http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/1015

[ComerPerro]

3. How much did gas cost in 1999? How much does it cost now?

Has inflation really gone up that much?

can you name anything else that has doubled in cost?

Having to put $50 extra into the minivan each week just to be able to get to work and take your kids to soccer practice can really put a crunch on your budget.

[Carolab]

4. My list.

Property taxes are up. Alot in some places. Due to Federal cuts for state/local services.

Schools have had funding cut and as a result education is suffering, some schools are closing/closed.

Health care costs are rapidly escalating, out of reach for most families to handle. No more bankruptcy bailouts if a health emergency wipes you out.

Gas prices, affecting everything (food, transportation, materials), all being passed to the consumer.

Interest rates escalating, for credit purchases.

[question everything]

5. Established two tiers of taxation

While income tax was reduced, payroll taxes (SS and Medicare) were not.

For many, they pay more in payroll taxes than in income taxes.

On the other hand, he reduced capital gain taxes, exempted dividend income from taxes and want to eliminate estate taxes. Thus, wealthy individuals who make a living not earning wages but from investments and who inherit their wealth, are going to have their tax burden continuously reduced, effectively keeping more money in the hand of the rich, while, yes, continuing squeezing working people.

[wli]

6. offshoring

1. hiking H1B quotas
2. NAFTA
3. CAFTA
4. burdening employers with healthcare costs (artificially inflating the cost of US labor, where nationalized healthcare would resolve it)

[Erika]

7. A few examples

The cost of gas and energy
The cutbacks to states of federal funding causing cutbacks in programs for the needy
A mandate for the no child left behind act while giving no funds for it causing cut backs to other school programs
A cutback by Bush to funding for charitable organizations causing their closing
A cut back to medical care for the needy

These costs made up through property taxes of the middle class, indigents funds paid for by counties, and highering of insurance premiums.

Just a few. Bush is killing the middle class.

[fearnobush]

8. Lots and Lots of Autistic kids these days.

Something like 1 out 166 being born today have it, Thats like 10,000 percent more than the rate in 1990 - Organic Mercury with that shot anyone?

[Erika]

13. I also read that there is an increase of 30% of citizens

testing positive for allergens compared to 1970. Our land is becoming very toxic.

[sam sarrha]

18. I have a type of Autism called Asperger's Syndrome it was first recognized

in 1944, i was born in 1949. it seems the devastating intensity of the types of autism increased with the increase of the levels of Mercury.

In 1982 it was raised considerably then again later when mouse, bird, human, cancer causing disease virus and primate DNA were found in the vaccines.. it seems it was easier to poison it with mercury and other toxins than clean up the filthy lavatories.

[Tux]

10. For me

I was raised middle class. I graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in psychology and wanted to get a PhD in social psychology and study the relations and effects of technology and group dynamics. I wanted to work as a psychologist first so I can get real world experience. Too bad many places were looking for clinical only. And other employers weren't hiring and began to send jobs overseas. And I lost my lowly cook job because I graduated from college. I worked very little in the past 5 years and am not happy at all. I expanded my skills to be a network/computer technician but even crap jobs went to India. So far, I have enough money for 1 semester for grad school but most places want clincal psychologists over us mere experimental psychologists.

Overall, the American dream is dead unless your an executive, born wealthy, or a baby boomer.

[JDPriestly]

23. Baby boomers are also getting hit

due to age discrimination. The youngest and oldest are unemployed. You are not alone. I had a great job during the Clinton administration. Soon after Bush came into power, the job market started tightening. It has gotten worse and worse. I've been out of work for a while now. I send my resume but get no responses. Of course, the "gap" in my resume is getting bigger and bigger. And I am getting older and older. At least, as a relatively young person, you can wait it out until the next Democrat gets into power and improves the job market.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[borlis]

11. My hubby is an engineer. Lost his job 2 1/2 years ago.

Found a new one quickly, but for 15K less than old job. (Meanwhile the cost of EVERYTHING IS STEADILY RISING.) He is looking for a new job. Has sent out over 100 resumes this year and has had one interview. They loved him and offered him 40K/yr. which is substantially less than he is making now. He has 22 years of experience. Pretty soon there will be no manufacturing left in this country at all. It will all be in China and Mexico. The gap between the rich and poor is really widening. I think that if things continue as they are, there will be no more middle class. It will be the CEO's and the people who empty the garbage cans. :mad::grr::banghead::rant:

[sam sarrha]

12. after NAFTA lost 24,000,000 jobs he Creates CAFTA, lied us into a War..

Created a Lassai Fair relationship with with corporations to the point that the Corporations simply write the bills they want and they are summarily passed.

such as changing the definition of a single word in the Coal mining restrictions allowed the Mining Corporations to "Mountain Top" to get at the strata of coal. The tops of the mountains are simply pushed off into the Vallie's.. the tailing leaching acid and heavy metals of all kinds into the streams and ground watter. by the end of our Wet Brain Alcoholic pResidents term an area of the Ozarks the size of the state of Delaware will be flattened..and a sewer of toxic waste.

he has gutted every environmental law ever passed with this method of redefinition.. just changing the definition of a word.. such as "Liberal".. which used to mean those who believe in the democrat process to initiate change.

i am getting depressed.. that is enough

[Erika]

15. Corporate fascism now rules

Now destroying our economy, our culture, and our environment. Even the richest won't be able to put a bubble around themselves. The fascists will suffer the same fate as we will. They'll just do it in mansions and "ranches".

[sam sarrha]

20. There'll be a hellatious Civil War along the lines of the French Revolution

before the end.. the haves are deluded into thinking the army and national guard will protect them.. they are too pissed off to take on that type of duty.. This will probably be a Class war.. When the mob takes over.. no one will be able to predict where it will go or what will happen.. hopefully Fitzgerald will put an end to this before it is too late.

[Erika]

25. Isn't this why our ancestors left England?

We just didn't know the Bush's were best buds with Saudis starting from Prescott Bush. A new generation of elitist global rulers.

[applegrove]

14. Purposely going into debt - as fast as possible to starve government

Rich will not have to pay for the war but the middle class will through paying more than their fare share of taxes & their children.

The fight against inflation on the backs of the poor & middle class. Basically underemployment as a policy to combat the inflation inherent in Peak Oil. That is a subsidy to the oil industry, the rich because otherwise - with fuller employment - the inflation would go up. And put the economy into recession. Which would hurt the rich for a bit. And it would force markets for big cars to go down and markets for alternative energy to improve.

I'm not saying that we should not fight inflation. But why don't the rich have to sacrifice ANYTHING!

SS, taxbreaks, and over investment of pension funds in the market, encouragement of no savings, second mortgages...through low interest rates.. all to keep the market roaring.

Oh and the war keeps the market roaring without having the government do support for people (like government spending on human capital instead of military would as it too gets the economy going) - so does not encourage anything but frustration at government and encourages the creation of fewer government loving people.

Oh and wars with anyone who threatens to not use the US dollar as trade currency...as this is a subsidy to the USA economy and means it does not have to keep its house in order. If outsiders hold American currency simply because it is fiat money (acceptable) then it allows US government finances to be crummy. Again - encourages perpetual market for the rich.

What are the rich sacrificing?

[Erika]

17. Under W, the rich will be the last to be hurt

but his arrogance against the environment will eventually hurt the elitist ruling class and their children.

[applegrove]

21. The rich are not sacrificing at all.

[applegrove]

22. Think if government had gone into debt making for excellent schools!

Then there would be something to show.

[Stirk]

16. THANKS! for all the responses here, peoples.

I'm so happy there's a place like this to share information.

[Catrina]

26. The Medicaire Bill

The Bankruptcy Bill

Cuts in Medicaid

Increase in property taxes to offset other tax cuts.

Cuts in Veterans' benefits, the latest, cuts in their housing right after Congress restored their one billion dollar medical benefit shortfall

[gorgan]

24. Bankrupcy Bill &

Repealing estate tax--say hello to a landed aristocracy come 50 years.

[LiveWire]

27. Pell Grants have been cut

For us starving students...as if college wasnt expensive enough. Some of us are only left with the option of military service.

[borlis]

28. I heard about the Pell Grants also.

My sister-in-law was able to benefit from them when she decided to return to college a few years ago. Sadly, I think it's part of their grand plan to make more people turn to the military.

[lovuian]

29. No pensions No health Insurance No jobs

Higher Prices!!! and a WAR DEBT!!!

[no_to_war_economy]

31. I would say everyone of thosedead 1,838 soliders and marines

has hurt the middle class