Reading Between the Lines of Bush's Address | Politics | Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice
Tickets | Bernie Sanders | Best of Vermont | What's Good | Tourism
Vermont's Independent Voice

February 07, 2006 News + Opinion » Politics

Pin It
Email
Print
Favorite
Share

Reading Between the Lines of Bush's Address 

Local Matters

By

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

Got something to say? Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!

Tags: , ,

Pin It
Email
Print
Favorite
Share

More Politics »

More by Ken Picard

About The Author

Ken Picard

Ken Picard
Bio:
 Ken Picard has been a Seven Days staff writer since 2002. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Vermont Press Association's 2005 Mavis Doyle award, a general excellence prize for reporters.

Speaking of Politics, local Matters

Comments

Subscribe to this thread:
By Email
With RSS

Add a comment

Seven Days moderates comments in order to ensure a civil environment. Please treat the comments section as you would a town meeting, dinner party or classroom discussion. In other words, keep commenting classy! Read our guidelines...

Note: Comments are limited to 300 words.

+ send a news tip
+ send a letter to the editor

Latest in Politics

Recent Comments

Social Club

Like Seven Days contests and events? Join the club!

See an example of this newsletter...

Keep up with us Seven Days a week!

Sign up for our fun and informative
newsletters:

All content © 2017 Da Capo Publishing, Inc. 255 So. Champlain St. Ste. 5, Burlington, VT 05401
Website powered by Foundation