When George HW Bush left office in January 1993, he left incoming President Clinton with a federal deficit of almost 400 billion dollars ($399,317,000,000), at the time the highest deficit in American history. When President Clinton left office in 2001, he had reduced the deficit to less than 18 billion dollars-a mere $17,907,000,000–the lowest it had been since 1974.
During George W Bush’s eight years in office he increased that $17,907,000,000 deficit to almost two trillion dollars … a staggering $1,885,140,000,000!!! Needless to say, then the highest deficit in history. Consequently, when President Obama took office in 2009 he inherited that multi-trillion dollar deficit–THE BUSH DEFICIT–as well as a worldwide financial crisis, an American economy in free-fall, and two unwinnable wars … all created by George W Bush during his catastrophic eight year reign.
Since then, the republicans have done nothing but impede President Obama’s every step towards recovery, while criticizing President Obama for not solving in two years, the multiple disasters that it took Bush eight years to create. Once again … Bush’s devastating legacy!
Nonetheless, President Obama has no plan to increase taxes! What the republicans are calling a “tax increase” is the President’s proposal to rescind the Bush enacted tax breaks to the wealthiest 1% of Americans. By its very nature, tax relief for the wealthy is a tax increase for the rest. The money has to come from somewhere!
The republicans’ debt reduction scheme will repeal President Obama’s ground-breaking healthcare law, shift more of the risk from rising medical costs to Medicare recipients, make sharp cuts to Medicaid healthcare for the poor and disabled, cut food aid for the poor, and reduce Social Security benefits; while protecting major tax relief for the richest of the rich … the republican politicians and their cronies!
That is most interesting, considering the following statistics, which correlate the standing of states in various categories, to the RED state BLUE state divide in the 2008 and 2010 elections.
OF THE 10 STATES WITH THE …..
> Most CHILD ABUSE … 9 are RED states.
> Most incidents of MAJOR DEPRESSION … 9 are RED states.
> Most DRUNK DRIVING FATALITIES … all 10 are RED states!
> Most METHAMPHETAMINE use … 8 are RED states.
> Most FIREARMS DEATHS … 9 are RED states.
> Most PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION use … 9 are RED states.
> Most TOBACCO DEPENDENCY … 9 are RED states.
> Most OVERWEIGHT & OBESE residents … all 10 are RED states!
> Most DEATHS FROM LUNG CANCER … 9 are RED states.
> Highest CHILD DEATH rate … all 10 are RED states!
> Most POLLUTION … 9 are RED states.
> Worst PUBLIC SCHOOL systems … 8 are RED states.
> Least COLLEGE GRADUATES … 9 are RED states.
> Most POVERTY … 9 are RED states.
Clearly, what the republicans plan to do is to make cuts that will hurt their own constituents the most … the abused, depressed, drunk, drugged, endangered, medicated, self-medicated, obese, unhealthy and uneducated poor!