Crime rates are increasing for the first time since 2001, and it’s the largest percentage increase since 1991. Could it be that while the economy grew at a rate of 4.2% in 2004 (measured by GDP) middle class income fell for the fifth year in a row? Could it be that the unemployment rate of 4.6% is pure fantasy because the Bush Administration changed the way unemployment is measured for the first time since 1947? Could it be that the unemployment rate is really between 8% and 12% if computed under the old formula?
The Republicans who control both houses of Congress, the Executive and arguably the judicial branch keep telling us that the economy is strong. This doesn’t jive with Consumer Confidence remaining low and falling for a record five years. It doesn’t match polls showing that 70% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. How can the Republicans believe this when potential voters believe that Democrats would do a better job on the economy by a margin of 20%? Why is it that they believe this when there are 46,000,000 people without health care, increasing by a million a year since they took power? How can they think this when one in 4 children lives in poverty and one in 5 goes to bed hungry?
They can believe it because they only talk to the top 2% of the income range and to lobbyists who represent big business. They don’t know that those who make less than $200,000 even exist. Minimum wage has not increased since 1997, the longest period since it was passed into law and at that the increase was only 40 cents. If minimum wage had kept pace with CEO salaries just since the Republicans took office it would be $26 an hour.
We are seeing an increase in poverty and with that comes an increase in hopelessness, an increase in crime, an increase in drug use, an increase in out of wedlock birth and an increase in abortion. As the distance between the haves and have-nots increases this trend increases. If you need an example of what happens next look at Mexico. Kidnapping is now a leading growth industry. It was once reserved for the uber-wealthy but is moving further down the income level until it is now common to have “express” abductions where the victim is driven from ATM to ATM until the accounts are all empty.
Look at Mexico. If you like what you see there, vote Republican.
http://kdka.com/topstories/topstories_story_163102458.html Crime rate increase.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_3902574 Haves vs Have-nots
http://www.mexidata.info/id217.html Mexico kidnappings