Kos got me thinking. I didn't agree with his question re "Why is Kerry running" because of the negative connotation associated with asking the question. The question was asked from a Dean nostaglia mindset that still distrusts John Kerry.
But the question got me thinking about Kerry's stances. I don't care WHY he is running. A simple "I hate Bush" would be a good enough answer for me. But I do care about WHAT he is proposing to do as President.
Therefore, I reviewed Senator Kerry's website and stumbled upon his press release.
Besides his
Op/Ed in the
Washington Post concerning his strategy for Iraq, it would seem that the Misery Index of the Middle Class is one topic that Mr. Kerry has been discussing lately.
This caught my eye because I'm very concerned about the lack of attention paid to middle class issues. Clinton was the last President to truly address the middle class, and that is why he was immensely popular and his programs that benefitted the middle class are one of the reasons we experienced an economic boom in the 1990s. And then Bush came along and concentrated his tax cuts among the wealthy and ignored the middle class yet again. Getting a $300 rebate is not paying attention to the middle class.
Kerry's people have calculated a Middle Class Misery Index, based on seven indicators: median family income, college tuition, health costs, gasoline cost, bankruptcies, the homeownership rate, and private-sector job growth.
Going back to 1973, Kerry shows that the index was bad under Carter, started to improve under Reagan, went even worse during Bush I, improved dramatically under Clinton, and has gone south again under Bush II. Of course, those of us in the middle class knew that already, didn't we, because we've lived it! (Kerry's stats and methodology, including a list of sources, can be found on Kerry's website.
A few of the indicators:
- U.S. incomes declined $1,462 from 2000 to 2002.
- Wages fell 0.2 percent (adjusted for inflation) from 2002 to 2003
- College tuition rose 13 percent from 2002 to 2003
- Health premiums rose 11 percent from 2002 to 2003, the largest increase since 1977
- Gasoline rose 15 percent from 2002 to 2003 - the second largest increase since 1980
So, you ask, is the government to blame? Booms and busts are a natural part of the capitalistic economy. The answer is, yes, governmental policies have exacerbated the problems:
Kerry blames the "job-killing and job-neglecting policies" of George Bush, pointing out that Bush has presided over the worst job loss of any President since Herbert Hoover. We have suffered a net loss of 2.6 million private sector jobs.
Kerry also points to high state deficits, which have led to record tuition increases.
Kerry puts the blame squarely on Bush, saying, "George Bush's reckless fiscal policies have led to the largest state fiscal crisis in fifty years."
Kerry also blames Bush's policies for the crisis in health care costs. He says Bush has no solution to the rising cost of health premiums and instead has pushed for medical savings accounts that would only help the wealthiest Americans while undermining the employer-based insurance system.
Kerry also blames Bush for rising gas prices, citing a $24 billion increase in the gas tax under Bush. The average family is spending $300 more for gas than they would have if the price stayed at the level when Bush first took office. Bush also has failed to fulfill his promise to persuade OPEC to increase production (meanwhile, US oil companies report record profits).
Kerry proposes to rectify these problems by stimulating job growth, encouraging companies to create jobs in America, reducing the federal deficits, providing tax deductions for college tuition, creating a $25 billion State Tax Relief and Education Fund, and implementing tax credits for health insurance. He also proposes a variety of measures to promote energy independence, including the promotion of renewable fuels, more fuel efficient cars and houses.
Kerry at least is talking about these important middle class issues. Bush is completely out of touch with the concerns of ordinary American workers.
And I have found my reason to be happy with John F. Kerry as not only my Democratic Nominee, but also my President come January 20, 2005.