I woke up thinking that I might have a way of explaining why I trust the Democrat's policies more than the Republican's.
It begins with the trickle-down theory of economics that I heard about first under Ronald Reagan, which goes something like this, give rich people and corporations the money in the form of all kinds of tax breaks and contracts and de-regulation, and the money will trickle down and make a strong middle class and bring up those in poverty so they won't need a handout.
By the time Reagan's term was over, he had quadrupled the deficit and created more rich people than ever.
Bill Clinton came along and by the time he was done they had created something like 23 million jobs and the budget was in good order as was the economy. We had eight years of peace and prosperity despite daily Republican pummeling.
By the time Bush was done, taxes for the rich were down, de-regulation was up, and yet we were bleeding jobs to the tune of 800,000/month and the debt was at 10 trillion dollars. As under Reagan, the trickle down theory had created more rich people and Bush made it easier for them to get even richer. But under Bush, the middle class was in tatters.
The deficit caused largely by Bush's two unfunded wars and the cost of the gift to the prescription drug companies of not having to negotiate their rates like other healthcare services do, did not concern the Republicans until Obama was in office.
That's the Republican way. That's where their economic theories have landed us, more than once. To me it's a no brainer. Republican policies are not good for the US or world economy, much less the middle class. I wouldn't trust them with my budget, much less the country's.
From watching this unfold over the years, I have come to the conclusion that trickle down economics will not help the middle class get back to being strong and make sure it stays that way. Quite the opposite. That experience over many years with Republican policies tells me that Republicans can't manage their way out of a paper bag.
But they are quite good at responding to needs of the rich (who aren't willing to even pay as much taxes as their workers pay), corporations (who send money and jobs overseas and avoid paying taxes) and the military industrial complex, who aren't interested in helping soldiers get a fair deal, but are great at giving huge defense contracts to companies like Blackwater, who rip off the government overtly.
In keeping with the Republican demand for smaller government, six hundred thousand government workers have been thrown out of work, which Republicans think is good for the economy. I don't. I think my taxes (government spending) should be spent on teachers, fireman, policemen, not on tax breaks for the rich and powerful. I read that if those 600,000 people hadn't been fired, the unemployment rate would be about 7.3%, not to mention that many of those govt workers would be adding to the tax revenues, paying their mortgages and leading good middle class lives.
I do blame the Republican policies for the bad economy because of their 16 years experience running it. It has been a disaster for the middle class. I support the Democratic policies because they have worked better for the middle class and I believe when the middle class is doing well, the whole country does better. Businesses can expand because they have someone to sell products to. If incentives were given to companies to keep jobs in the country (a Democratic idea) I believe we would have more jobs here.
Under Obama, 4 million jobs have been added over some 29 months. The economy is headed in the right direction. Jobs are being added, not subtracted. Students are better off with the Pell grants being doubled and the removal of the middle man (the banks, who predictably were making out like bandits with Bush policies) in the loan process. Veterans programs have been greatly enhanced--their education and healthcare programs are better than under Bush and 150,000 private sector jobs have been created for vets--the auto companies are thriving--and there have been 16 tax breaks given to small companies--I applaud that.
This administration's policies are working better to improve the economy than Bush's administration's policies, which brought the country and the world to its knees.
And I support Obamacare. Ironically, it is based largely on Romneycare in Massachusetts, which has been and is working. No one is required to change their health insurance if they are happy with it. Obamacare's goal is to help make processing more efficient (there are NO death panels) and give Americans fairer health insurance practices. To alleviate the pain of a mandate, it creates exchanges which give people a shot at buying more affordable insurance and tax breaks for buying it.
It's comical that the one thing Romney did well for Massachusetts, create a healthcare plan that is working so well (including mandates, which Romney recommended that Obama put in place) that Obamacare is based on it--and Romney dare not talk about it--his greatest success in government.
The economy under Obama is showing positive signs and it's happening because of the policies Democrats have put forward and despite the fact that they have been fought at every turn by the Republicans spouting their tired, failed rhetoric.
Republicans have blocked every bill that would keep things going and make them better, even bills that some of them co-authored. Their hypocrisy and out and out lies, not to mention their failed policies, turn me off.
So, all of that experience informs my decision. Simply put, I have seen the trickle down theory in action twice and I don't think it works for anyone but rich people and corporations. I trust the Democrats more with the economy because the economy has done better under them in ways I value.
Going forward--I'm waiting to see if Romney and the Republicans can convince me otherwise. But they have a hard row to hoe. I'm old enough to know better.
'nuf said!
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