Dr. Forbush Thinks

Strong for who?!

George W Bush has been making statements about the strength of the economy again. This time they used the old corporate trick of predicting a poor quarter and then bragging about how well the economy has improved based on their over inflated prediction. What they don’t say is that they had over inflated the prediction several times before and they didn’t even meet those expectations. And, they don’t tell you that even with the deficit not reaching the White House’s predicted over inflated estimate they have still created the third largest deficit in American history.

But, who benefits in the current “great” economy? Obviously the people who benefit know for themselves, they are the people who are currently making the extra cash. Is that you or me? Well, I don’t know about you, but I am not doing much better than I was six years ago. The two things that are effecting my economic well being are the price of gasoline and medical bills.

Well, I have to admit that I do put a lot of miles on the car and those miles now cost me 50% more than they did last year. If you drove an SUV last year, then the 50% rise in gasoline price certainly doesn’t bother you, because you didn’t care last year. But, I don’t drive an SUV and I still buy about $400.00 in gasoline every month.

And, I have to admit that I may be different when it comes to medical bills. I have four kids, three of which are involved in sports activities. Maybe they shouldn’t be involved in sports, because one of them seems to get injured just about every month. Sometimes they go to the emergency room to have their bones set, but most of the time they need to see a sports medicine doctor for something that may not seem to be very important, but it usually is. The price for this intervention is mostly covered by insurance, since we have already paid the deductible for this year, but there is still the co-pay for each visit and the medicine that always seems to be prescribed. These costs have continued to go up every year over the last six years, simply because the cost of insurance has gone up every year and my plan covers less and less every year.

I do have to admit that my retirement plan has gone up every year over the last six years, and if I don’t have to pull the money out of that account to pay for gasoline and medical bills our family may get by. But, just because the market is going up does not mean that the economy is better for me.

But, there are people out there who are doing better. These are the people who get their money from the stocks and bonds that they own. As the interest rate goes up these people will be able to buy more bonds to service the debt of the local, state and federal governments. As the stock market goes up these people will make more on the money they have invested in stocks. In fact, since the Republicans have cut the taxes on dividends and capital gains these people will certainly be living high on the hog. They can afford to buy even more stock and make even more money. They would certainly not care if they had to pay even $800.00 per month to drive their SUVs to their second house in Aspen, or Palm Springs, depending on the season.

And, fortunately for the people for whom the Republican Party really cares about the justice department isn’t worried about corporate fraud but instead they would rather put efforts into fighting the drug wars and fill up the prisons with drug users so we can pay their stay while they can learn the gang trade. The prisons work as a training ground for the new gang members, who join prison gangs for protection from the other gangs. Having no gang affiliation in prison is nearly a death sentence in our current prisons system.

So, if you are doing well this year, then the Republican Party is working for you. This is certain, because George W Bush has proclaimed the economy to be good. But, if times are still tough for you even after George W Bush has made his proclamation, then you know that you are not one of the Republican chosen people. You know for sure that when the Republicans see the world they don’t see you.



-----------------------------------------------------





Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."


Cross Posted @ Bring It On, tblog, Blogger and BlogSpirit



Politics