Below are quotes from President Bush’s State of the Union Address last week,followed by numbers that tell a different story:
“In the last two and a half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs, more than Japan and the European Union combined.”
American manufacturing jobs in 2001:
17,101,000
American manufacturing jobs in 2005:
14,283,000
Nonmilitary-related, private-sector jobs created since 2001:
-1,160,000
“Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility.”
Americans living without health insurance in 2000:
39.8 million
Americans living without health insurance in 2005:
46 million
Cuts to federal entitlement programs made one day after Bush’s speech:
$40 billion
Percentage of those cuts borne by Medicaid and Medicare:
27
Percentage of companies that provided health insurance to employees in 2000:
69
Percentage of companies that provided health insurance to employees in 2005:
60
“The American people have turned in an economic performance that is the envy of the world.”
Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2000:
$46,058
Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2004:
$44,389
Increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline since 2000:
51 percent
Increase in the price of home heating oil since 2000:
94 percent
“Our economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to spend, save and invest.”
National savings rate in 1994:
5 percent
National savings rate in 2004:
1.8 percent
Percent of Americans in private sector who can rely on a defined pension as of 2004:
6
Percent of baby boomers who say they’re prepared for retirement in 2005:
24
Number of times President Bush mentioned “Iraq” or “Iraqi”:
24
Number of times he mentioned “Katrina,” “New Orleans” or “rebuild”:
0
This article appears in Feb 8-14, 2006.
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