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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (49964)	6/29/2004 8:44:27 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Are you better off? Bush 'recovery' claims warrant critical eye Before "It's the economy stupid!" entered into the lexicon of memorable political dialogue, there was "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" The latter question was posed rhetorically to the American people by then candidate Ronald Reagan during a 1980 presidential debate with Jimmy Carter. Conventional wisdom suggests that peace and prosperity are a formidable combination for a president seeking reelection. What about war and subjective prosperity? Is that a formula for success? The Bush Administration hopes it is. Americans are increasingly concerned about the direction of the country. The latest ABC/Washington Post poll asked the question "Of the following list, which one of these will be the single most important issue in your vote for president this year?" The economy and jobs won with 26 percent, followed by Iraq and terrorism with 19 and 18 percent, respectively. A recent Los Angeles Times poll showed 59 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. These findings run counter to those who believe that the president's failure to benefit from the recent good economic news is based solely on a singular focus on the occupation of Iraq -- how Iraq goes, so goes the president. But polls indicate that the economy and jobs do indeed matter and there remain several indicators that demonstrate the recovery may not be as strong as the administration would have us believe. The April and May employment figures indicate that more than 532,000 jobs were created. When one factors March, it brings the total of new jobs to nearly one million. But of the 280,000 jobs created in April, over half were in part-time and temporary work that offered no health benefits. The May job figures show a similar trend. Even more striking: while the administration talks about economic growth and jobs created, unemployment remains unchanged at 5.6 percent. There are more people unable to find work than four years ago. One of the major reasons for unemployment stagnation during the April/May period is that more than one million individuals were removed from the unemployment rolls. These individuals have been removed not because they have found work; rather they have exhausted the amount of time the government considers them to be "unemployed." The growth in wages fell dramatically over the past four years. In 2000, median weekly wages grew by 4.9 percent. This fell to a mere 2.0 percent in 2003. Adjusted for inflation, wages fell slightly in real terms in 2003 for the first time since 1996. For those who have found work, the recovery has had less impact in an economy where profits have soared, yet families' benefits are nullified by the rising costs of housing, education, and medical care -- all of which increased at double-digit rates. Supporters of the president would suggest, rightly, that it is not fair to place all of the economic woes at his doorstep. There are myriad factors that are beyond his control. But the administration plans to run on the seemingly positive economic news, therefore it warrants an honest examination. We will hear revisionist history as to how tax cuts fueled the economic comeback. Never mind that the tax cuts were originally billed as giving back part of the mounting surplus. Remember the Bush mantra: "It's not the government's money, it's the people's money." In fairness, the creation of nearly one million jobs should not be dismissed solely because of the quality; there is an intangible aspect that cannot be overlooked. Being employed can mean much more than receiving a check, it can also represent self-esteem and value to a person. Moreover, a person who has been unemployed for some time understands the difference between the theoretical unemployment rates of 5.6 percent versus the harsh reality of 100 percent that they experience daily. But a close and authentic examination of the economic numbers does not reveal the kind of recovery that Team Bush is certain to tout. Perhaps they should revise Reagan's question in order to better fit the 2004 context. Are you better off today than you were 4 months ago? Byron Williams writes a weekly political/social commentary at Byronspeaks.com. Byron serves as pastor of the Resurrection Community Church in Oakland, California. workingforchange.com