Anyone But Bush
...n’t have to pay taxes AT ALL? Fact: In 2000, candidate George W. Bush said "the vast majority of my tax cuts will go to the bottom end of the spectrum." He passed the tax cuts, but the top 20 percent of earners received 68 percent of the benefits. Sources: The New York Times, cantonrep.com Opinion: This again shows that tax cuts don’t benefit EVERYONE and most likely NO ONE near the “end of the spectrum”. Fact: In 2000, candidate George W. Bush promised to pay down the national debt to a historically low level. As of September 30, the national debt stood at $7,379,052,696,330.32, a record high. Sources: cbpp.org/vote-smart.org Opinion: Where is this money going? To me, it doesn’t seem like debts are being paid off. And this once again shows that George W. Bush isn’t effective at keeping these wonderful promises in which he claims to hold in such high regard. Fact: As major corporate scandals rocked the nation's economy, the Bush Administration reduced the enforcement of corporate tax law--conducting fewer audits, imposing fewer penalties, pursuing fewer prosecutions and making virtually no effort to prosecute corporate tax crimes. Source: iht.com Opinion: There isn’t much for me to say about this, it pretty much speaks on it’s own. I will propose this, though; Bush makes such a big deal about promising tax cuts, fewer job losses, etc. and makes little effort in preventing tax crimes (corporate as well as others) and imposing penalties and ways to prevent all of the problems we have with taxes. Fact: The Bush Administration increased tax audits for the working poor. Source: theolympian.com Opinion: The above fact may seem more like an opinion, but surveys and research have proven it true. This shows what kind of people Bush’s plan will favor – the rich! Fact: The Bush Administration proposed slashing funding for the largest federal public housing program, putting 2 million families in danger of losing their housing. Source: San Francisco Examiner Opinion: Bush says he wants to make families in America more hopeful and secure. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel very secure when my house (my home) is in threat of being taken away from me. Fact: The Bush Administration did nothing to prevent the minimum wage from falling to an inflation-adjusted fifty-year low. Source: Los Angeles Times Opinion: Bush is always talking about improving life for “the lower spectrum”, but has done nothing about minimum wage let alone other things he could have done and opposed to all of the things he’s cut out. This is the first time in years that the state of Florida is proposing Amendment 5, to increase the amount of minimum wage of workers to $6.15 an hour – a VERY small improvement, even though it is something. Fact: The Bush Administration awarded a multibillion-dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton--a company that still pays Vice President Cheney hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred compensation each year (Cheney also has Halliburton stock options). The company then repeatedly overcharged the military for services, accepted kickbacks from subcontractors and served troops dirty food. Source: CNN.com Opinion: What kind of people are we associating with? Where is the positive in awarding this company besides Cheney rolling in money? “Helping American Families in a Changing World” In Bush’s plan for this, he highlights; • Helping the Working Uninsured by Expanding Health Savings Accounts: President Bush will propose a tax credit for Health Savings Account contributions to help individuals and families who work for small businesses fund their Health Savings Accounts. • Make Health Care Accessible: President Bush will call for a community health center in every poor county in America. • Promote Comp-Time and Flex-Time: President Bush will work to enable employees to choose paid time off as an alternative to overtime pay and to give employees the option of shifting work hours during a pay period. • Crack Down On Drugs in Schools: President Bush will increase funding for school drug testing to help students resist peer pressure and help parents intervene with students in need. First off, I’d like to state how much reading just that happens to make me laugh. Second, in this section, I’d also like to emphasize just how effective Bush’s proposals are as well as presenting more facts. Fact: The Bush Administration, in violation of the law, refused to allow Medicare actuary Richard Foster to tell members of Congress the actual cost of their Medicare bill. Instead, they repeated a figure they knew was $100 billion too low. Sources: Washington Post, realcities.com Opinion: Why is the Bush Administration lying? Where is the money going that is supposed to be used for Medicare benefits? Proposal from Bush (as quoted above): President Bush will call for a community health center in every poor county in America. Opinion: I also needed to take the time to have a chuckle to myself about this. I would like to state that I might contemplate and consider believing this when Bush isn’t blowing up other countries. Thank you. And for the record, I think the American Red Cross has done more about health care in other countries than Bush has even CONSIDERED doing. As we all know, (or pretty much should know) the American Red Cross is funded by donations. I really can’t recall hearing about George Bush giving to the American Red Cross or even trying to fund it, have you? Proposal from Bush (as quoted above): President Bush will work to enable employees to choose paid time off as an alternative to overtime pay and to give employees the option of shifting work hours during a pay period. Opinion: I have brought this point up before in the previous section, but I wanted it to be emphasized and showed here, too. Why can’t we receive overtime pay? Is there something so wrong with that?! People have received it for years and now, for some odd reason, Bush feels the need to reform it. And what if people can’t afford to receive the measly amount from “paid time off” as an alternative? Proposal from Bush (as quoted above): President Bush will increase funding for school drug testing to help students resist peer pressure and help parents intervene with students in need. Opinion: As stated before, we are cutting money out of school programs. It’s fine and dandy that Bush wants to help with peer pressure problems and students in need, but if students are in THAT desperate need for drug tests, they can go to a free health clinic. But wait, are they even free anymore? And why put emphasis on funding for drugs tests in school and cut out money that could be used for art/music/science programs? Fact: The Bush Administration stunted research that could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, spinal injuries, heart disease and muscular dystrophy by placing severe restrictions on the use of federal dollars for embryonic stem-cell research. Source: CBS News Opinion: I can see where things such as stem-cell research become ethical problems since embryos need to be destroyed in order to do the research, but what about the others? Bush tries to put emphasis on ADVANCING AND IMPROVING health care, yet he doesn’t fund programs for new research (ethical and non-ethical issues) and CUTS money used for improving health care. Fact: The Bush Administration--at the behest of the tobacco industry--tried to water down a global treaty that aimed to help curb smoking. Source: tobaccofreekids.org Opinion: Bush talks about funding programs in school for drug testing and preventing peer pressure, yet he is watering down global treaties that are trying to help curb smoking? This is VERY contradictive on his part. And by watering down those global treaties, he is in essence supporting all of those tobacco companies who spend OVER $50 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON ADVERTISING ALONE. That advertising in turn is aimed at young people who they see as “the future tobacco-buying customers of America” which you can even read more about on truth.com. Fact: The Bush Administration has spent $270 million on abstinence-only education programs even though there is no scientific evidence demonstrating that they are effective in dissuading teenagers from having sex or reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Source: salon.com Opinion: Bush isn’t being realistic when he spends this great amount of money on abstinence-only programs. You can’t deny that at all. Over the past 50 years, the amount of teenagers having sex, let alone before marriage has grown VERY HIGH. We know this about the world today. We should fund programs that not only enforce abstinence, but also address ways to educate teenagers and students about practicing safe sex. Fact: The Bush Administration slashed funding for programs that suggested ways, other than abstinence, to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. Source: LA Weekly Opinion: This goes right along with the above fact. It is good that Bush has strong feelings about this issue, but he’s not seeing it in reality. We need to live in reality. Not only do we need to try to figure out ways to prevent some of the problems with STDs and promote abstinence, but we need to use mechanisms to educate about those things including ways to educate people who have a different perspective on the issue. “Promoting an Era of Ownership” In this part of Bush’s plan, he highlights; • Homeownership: President Bush will provide assistance to help America to meet his new goal of creating 7 million new, affordable homes in 10 years. • Social Security Reform: President Bush will strengthen and enhance Social Security, guaranteeing no changes in benefits for current retirees and near-retirees, while giving younger workers the opportunity to use their Social Security payroll taxes to build a nest egg for retirement that can be passed on to their families. • Help Small Businesses: President Bush will help small businesses in a number of ways, including by allowing them to band together to provide more affordable health care for their employees through Association Health Plans. I’ve gone over a lot of information related to this. Expect some things to be repeated as well as other things added. Proposal from Bush (as quoted above): President Bush will provide assistance to help America to meet his new goal of creating 7 million new, affordable homes in 10 years. Opinion: Even though some tax cuts have been made, property taxes are on the rise. Take a look in your local newspaper or anything where they list prices of houses. You know that they have risen. You can’t deny that. And with Bush slashing funds for public housing, where along the lines does he plan to have funds for “7 million new, affordable homes…”? Proposal from Bush (as quoted above): President Bush will strengthen and enhance Social Security, guaranteeing no changes in benefits for current retirees and near-retirees, while giving younger workers the opportunity to use their Social Security payroll taxes to build a nest egg for retirement that can be passed on to their families. Fact: In 2000, candidate George W. Bush promised to protect the Social Security surplus. As President, he spent all of it. Sources: georgewbush.com, Congressional Budget Office Opinion: Bush hasn’t improved benefits for social security at all. He is also decreasing Medicare/Medicaid benefits while he’s at it. And if he is spending the Social Security Surplus, where along the lines will we be able to “build a nest egg for retirement” that he says can be passed on to our families? Fact: At the behest of the french fry industry, the Bush Administration USDA changed their definition of fresh vegetables to include frozen french fries. Source: commondreams.org Opinion: What does Bush support that is healthy? Fact: In a case before the Supreme Court, the Bush Administrations sided with HMOs--arguing that patients shouldn't be allowed to sue HMOs when they are improperly denied treatment. With the Administration's help, the HMOs won. Source: ABC News Opinion: Where is the liberty in that? What about Patient Rights? What about Human Rights? Where are our rights?! What is you or someone you loved was improperly denied treatment? Well, looks like you’re out of luck for compensation. Fact: The Bush Administration went to court to block lawsuits by patients who were injured by defective prescription drugs and medical devices. Source: Washington Post Opinion: Again, where does this make sense in terms of our rights? You should decide this for yourself. Fact: President Bush signed a Medicare law that allows companies that reduce healthcare benefits for retirees to receive substantial subsidies from the government. Source: Bloomberg News Opinion: This proves about how Medicare benefits are decreasing. Also proving how major corporations basically have all control of how much they receive and you end up having no choice but to go along with it if you need that care. Fact: Since President Bush took office, more than 5 million people have lost their health insurance. Source: CNN.com Opinion: 5 million is a lot. How many people of those 5 million do you think have died as a result? First, benefits are decreased and laws and loosely decided. Patients and people in need are slowly losing rights and not receiving care when they honestly need it. This doesn’t sound like liberty to me. Fact: One day after President Bush bragged about his efforts to help seniors afford healthcare, the Administration announced the largest dollar increase of Medicare premiums in history. Source: iht.com Opinion: This may sound more like an opinion, but it is true. It also supports how Medicare premiums are increasing and benefits are decreasing. “Defending American Lives and Liberty” In this part of Bush’s plan, he highlights; • Fight the War on Offense: President Bush will continue to lead a worldwide coalition to fight terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. • Intelligence Reform: President Bush will work with a new National Intelligence Director to improve the quality and quantity of our intelligence and our ability to disrupt and prevent terrorist attacks. • Troop Redeployment: President Bush will restructure American forces overseas to use existing forces more effectively and to support servicemen, servicewomen, and their families more efficiently. This section made me laugh also. In fact, I continue to laugh as I type this. Fact: The Bush Administration sent troops into battle without adequate body armor or armored Humvees. Sources: Fox News, The Boston Globe Opinion: This sure is proof about how much President Bush cares about out troops! NOT. Fact: During the Bush Administration's war in Iraq, more than 1,000 US troops have lost their lives and more than 7,000 have been injured. Source: globalsecurity.org Opinion: This is very sad to hear. These are high numbers. Imagine how many people have been killed also. All of that for a war of “fighting terrorists”. Fact: In May 2003, President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit, stood under a banner procla...