Let’s, for a minute, as an intellectual exercise, say that the recession was the fault of George W. Bush, Republicans during Bush’s 2 terms, and Reagan’s tax cuts. Why can’t the Smartest Man In The World® fix it?
(The Hill) More than two-thirds of voters say the United States is declining, and a clear majority think the next generation will be worse off than this one, according to the results of a new poll commissioned by The Hill.
A resounding 69 percent of respondents said the country is “in decline,†the survey found, while 57 percent predict today’s kids won’t live better lives than their parents. Additionally, 83 percent of voters indicated they’re either very or somewhat worried about the future of the nation, with 49 percent saying they’re “very worried.â€
The results suggest that Americans don’t view the country’s current economic and political troubles as temporary, but instead see them continuing for many years.
The recession was said to have officially ended in June 2009, well before the Obama policies had taken affect. Which means, of course, that Bush ended the recession. He also put in place policies that ended the minor recession from the end of the Clinton presidency (which was not Clinton’s fault, but, the result of the Dot.com implosion, Enron, WorldComm, and other factors. And, that recessions happen). And policies that kept America from dropping into a bad fiscal situation after 9/11 occurred. Reagan solved the Carter recession. Yet, even though we are not technically in a recession now, America’s economy is in dire straights.
GDP is low. Inflation is rising. The prices of food and goods are rising. Gas is stuck in the mid $3 range. Energy prices are rising. Consumer confidence is low. Spending is down. Big ticket purchasing is down. Wages are down. Unemployment is high and stagnant. The deficit and debt are huge. And people see no end in sight. Democrats have controlled the Senate since 2007. Obama has controlled the Executive Office since 2009. Dems controlled Congress for a full two years from 2009-2011. Yet, Democrat policies failed miserably, while the policies of two Republicans who were supposed to be doofus’ ……. succeeded.
I was taught in economics that the president had little to do with the economy, other than making it worse. There are some measures that the government can take that might help a little, but in the long run it is the private sector that is the moving force. Obama could easily create a booming economy, all he has to do is reduce corporate tax, eliminate most regulations and leave everyone alone. But this would be against his basic ideology and he really seems intent on destroying the US.
I think they could stimulate quickly be re-auhorizing the current tax rates. Make everything below $250k permanent, and above extend for 4-5 years. We can revisit that fight later. But, crate a lower rate of, say, 20%, for anyone filing as a small business owner.
And they need to also stop talking about Doing Something. And stop trying to Do Something. Let what’s going to happen. All this yammering makes businesses and people who’d hire uncertain.