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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (597586)	7/30/2004 11:59:10 AM
From: DizzyG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

So many accusations, so little proof, Kenneth... You state: the middle class is not participating in the economic recovery And you are basing this statement on these variables: no wage growth and increased costs for medical care, college tuition, property taxes etc. Hmmm... let's look at wage growth first: Let's start with what's new. Numbers supplied to us by the BLS highlight an important trend: more white-collar managers and professionals, relatively fewer low-wage jobs requiring less education. As we sort out the raw data, employment has recently increased by more than 1 million in categories that on average paid above the median earnings of $541 per week, while employment was virtually unchanged in categories paying below the median. That's comparing the most recent 12 months with the same period a year earlier. By that measure, the jobs gained are overwhelmingly good jobs -- the very opposite of the claim made by Kerry and his allies. factcheck.org Oops, looks like your claim of wage growth and creation of poor jobs has been discredited, Kenneth. :) Let's look at increased costs for college tuition: Tuition burden falls by a third By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY What students pay on average for tuition at public universities has fallen by nearly one-third since 1998, thanks to new federal tax breaks and a massive increase in state and federal grants to most students and their families. Contrary to the widespread perception that tuition is soaring out of control, a USA TODAY analysis found that what students actually pay in tuition and fees — rather than the published tuition price — has declined for a vast majority of students attending four-year public universities. In fact, today's students have enjoyed the greatest improvement in college affordability since the GI bill provided benefits for returning World War II veterans. What made the difference: a $22 billion annual increase in grants and tax breaks since 1998. That 80% jump in financial aid — targeting middle-class families earning $40,000 to $100,000 a year — has more than offset dramatic increases in tuition prices. "College still takes a big chunk out of most families' income. But the average student is much better off today than headlines would have you believe," says Sandy Baum, an economist who co-authors an annual report on college costs for the College Board, which oversees college entrance exams. USA TODAY analyzed what students paid for tuition and fees after grants, discounts, tax credits and deductions. Other studies focus on the listed price of tuition. But listed college tuition is like the sticker price on a new car: Few people actually pay it. In 2003, students paid an average of just 27% of the official tuition price at four-year public universities when grants and tax breaks are counted. Students at private universities paid an average of 57%. The USA TODAY analysis used figures from the College Board, the federal Office of Management and Budget and the Internal Revenue Service. All numbers were adjusted for inflation. The bottom line: •Average tuition paid at public universities fell 32% from $1,636 in the 1997-98 academic year to $1,115 in 2002-03. During that time, the published tuition price rose 18% to an average of $4,202. About three-fourths of the nation's 12 million college students attend public institutions. •Total costs for tuition and room and board were flat at $6,794 at public schools from 1998 to 2003. •Average tuition paid at private universities rose 7% over five years to an average of $10,684 in 2003, less than the 20% increase in published tuition prices. Congress has approved eight tax breaks for college education since 1997. Last year, these tax benefits saved families more than $7 billion. Key benefits: •6.5 million families got tuition tax credits that reduced taxes an average of $1,350 per return. •3.5 million received a tuition tax deduction that saved an average of $325 in income taxes. The most affluent taxpayers — 1.5% of returns are for incomes above $200,000 — do not qualify for tax breaks, but many benefited from big increases in grants that reward academic performance. Schools have increased merit aid to recruit the best students, who tend to be affluent. And since 1993, 14 states have started merit-based scholarships to reward students who achieve good grades in high school. The poor have benefited from increases in federal Pell grants from $6 billion to $12 billion since 1998. But the biggest beneficiaries have been middle-class families earning $40,000 to $100,000 a year. They get the most tax benefits and often qualify for financial aid based on both need and merit. usatoday.com Oops, looks like your claim about rising college tuition has been discredited, Kenneth. How about property taxes? Property taxes are not a federal tax, Kenneth. They are a County tax. Are you attempting to blame George Bush for County taxes too? BTW, Kenneth, property taxes are probably the only taxes I DON'T mind paying. I get to see MY money working to improve the community in which I live instead of being arbitrarily redistributed by the federal government. Well, 3 of you premises have fallen due the bright light of FACT. The truth of the matter, Kenneth, is that you are really being disingenuous by simply parroting the party line. You are nothing more then a parrot for the DNC and have very little to offer with respect to honest debate. Diz-