Bush, the compassionate conservative!

[ivolsky]

In case you didn't know that Bush was a compassionate conservative--over the past year, 1.3 million more Americans fell below the poverty line, bringing the total number of Americans living in poverty to 36 million.

And with heating costs projected to increase by 24% from this time last year, the compassionate conservatives in Congress (and the President) have increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by just $164 million, less than what is needed to cover the expected 24 % increase in home heating costs. In his budget for the 2002 fiscal year, compassionate conservative Bush tried to cut HEAP funding by $300 million, despite higher unemployment rates and a colder winter. More on this here.

Those same Americans who can't afford to pay their heating bills "cannot afford the rent and utilities on a one- or two-bedroom apartment." According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, "only four of the nation's 3,066 counties could a full-time worker making the federal minimum wage afford a typical one-bedroom apartment, the coalition said. And for a two-bedroom rental, the average worker has to take in at least $15.37 an hour, "nearly three times the federal minimum wage."

Meanwhile, spending on Section 8 rental vouchers, which helps 2 million low-income Americans pay rent, "hasn't kept up with demand." The majority of Section 8 beneficiaries "are working families with children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. The Bush Administration has continued its efforts to cut up to 60,000 existing families from the Section 8 program this year through cuts to local Housing Authorities. "

More signs of compassion:

Under Bush, the share of Gross Domestic Product going to Wages and Salaries dropped from 49.5% in 2001 to 45.4% in the first half of 2004

The median household income fell for three consecutive years dropping from $44,853 in 2000 to $43,318 in 2003.

Greatest net job loss since Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression

More workers have been staying unemployed for longer periods of
time. From 2000-2003 long-term unemployment increased by 198%

6 million workers have lost their eligibility for overtime. New rules went into effect August 23, 2004 that re-classified certain workers are "learned professionals". The reclassification affects workers who make $24,000 a year.

The number of people without health insurance increased from 39.8 million in 2000 to 45 million in 2003

more: www.politicalthought.net

[pinto]

1. I notice he used the word often this morning.

I think the overall Bushco method is to drop a phrase often enough and it replaces reality, regardless of the reality being discussed.

"Terror" was, I believe the operative word before the election.

I can see the meeting..."We need to get 'compassionate' back in our texts, now".

Smoke and mirrors.

[freesqueeze]

2. Liked Your Linked Page

But I think you are being a bit facetious.

Surely you know that this compassionate stuff is just so much BS.

http://www.freesqueeze.com/bushmelons.htm

[flordehinojos]

3. with much regret in my heart, when the clerk at Publix Supermarket asked

if I wanted to add money to my grocery bill to contribute towards feeding the homeless, I said I have for years. This year you can ask the COMPASSIONATE conservative in the WHITE HOUSE TO CONTRIBUTE. I WON'T!