Bush's Speech: ignores bitter
situation for most Americans
Mon Dec 5, 2005 17:56
Mondo Washington
Bush's Speech Today Ignores Cold Winter
Touting more tax cuts, President ignores bitter situation for most Americans
by James Ridgeway
December 5th, 2005 2:56 PM
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
WASHINGTON, D. C.�The President's speech today celebrating the administration's economic successes will come as something of a shock to millions of people who already face a cold, economically grim winter.
In Washington, D.C. alone, natural gas, which heats many homes, has doubled in price, leaving residents looking at home heating bills of as much $1,000 a month� and with no relief in sight. To cut those costs requires capital investment of as much as $8,000 in new fuel efficient furnaces�a far too costly prospect for many families. As a result, people are turning down the heat, closing off rooms, and turning to wood stoves and electric heaters.
But in his speech at Kernersville, N.C., today Bush focused not on energy costs but on so-called pension reform. He painted a rosy economic picture with jobs increasing by 215,000 in November. He asked Congress to extend tax cuts�which will go to the very rich. "This economy is strong and the best days are yet to come for the American economy," Bush said.
Meanwhile, the price of gasoline remains at all time highs, and the cost of home heating oil is climbing.
Bush's energy plan won't help the situation. He envisions increasing long term supplies of natural gas, in part by importing more gas from abroad via LNG tankers. It will take years and billions in investment to build the plants necessary to process the imported gas. And, while the President seeks to reduce the reliance on foreign oil and gas, the imported gas will in all likelihood come from the Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East, an area where we are trying to reduce our dependence.
In other areas:
# The cost of medicine continues to rise. Bush's Medicare pharmaceutical plan is widely viewed as little more than a public relations gesture for millions of people who can't afford high priced drugs. The numbers of uninsured Americans continues to rise. The government is adamant about not regulating medical costs.
# Over the past few months Bush has spoken about pension reforms. But the only serious pension reform in play is the steady evisceration of the old fashioned, guaranteed monthly payments for an investment in the volatile mutual fund industry in the form of a 401K. During the last stock market declines, 401K holders lost as much a third of the value of their 401Ks.
# Under Bush, the government and right wing Congress have sharply cut social welfare programs, making it more complicated for poor people to get Medicaid and food stamps.
# As the deficit grows, we become more and more in hock to nations such as China which holds large amounts of US debt.
More Mondo Washington
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http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
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2002/11/16 "Spider's Web": The Secret History Of How The United States Illegally Armed Saddam Hussein; "A Conversation With The Journalist Who Broke The Iraqgate Scandal That Involved President George Bush, James Baker And Donald Rumsfeld"
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/iraqgate.htm
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http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,82071,00.html
Bush's Speech On Iraq: The Delusional Fiction Continues, Only ...
OpEdNews - Dec 1, 2005
by Rev. Bill McGinnis. Somehow, the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld team got this idea stuck in their heads, and it just won't go away. Where it came from, I don't know. ...
Bush's speech seen as gamble
Seattle Times, United States - Nov 30, 2005
... While Bush's speech constitutes the centerpiece of the White House move, the administration is responding on other fronts as well. ...
Bush's Speech Today Ignores Cold Winter
Touting more tax cuts, President ignores bitter situation for most Americans
by James Ridgeway
December 5th, 2005 2:56 PM
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
WASHINGTON, D. C.�The President's speech today celebrating the administration's economic successes will come as something of a shock to millions of people who already face a cold, economically grim winter.
In Washington, D.C. alone, natural gas, which heats many homes, has doubled in price, leaving residents looking at home heating bills of as much $1,000 a month� and with no relief in sight. To cut those costs requires capital investment of as much as $8,000 in new fuel efficient furnaces�a far too costly prospect for many families. As a result, people are turning down the heat, closing off rooms, and turning to wood stoves and electric heaters.
But in his speech at Kernersville, N.C., today Bush focused not on energy costs but on so-called pension reform. He painted a rosy economic picture with jobs increasing by 215,000 in November. He asked Congress to extend tax cuts�which will go to the very rich. "This economy is strong and the best days are yet to come for the American economy," Bush said.
Meanwhile, the price of gasoline remains at all time highs, and the cost of home heating oil is climbing.
Bush's energy plan won't help the situation. He envisions increasing long term supplies of natural gas, in part by importing more gas from abroad via LNG tankers. It will take years and billions in investment to build the plants necessary to process the imported gas. And, while the President seeks to reduce the reliance on foreign oil and gas, the imported gas will in all likelihood come from the Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East, an area where we are trying to reduce our dependence.
In other areas:
# The cost of medicine continues to rise. Bush's Medicare pharmaceutical plan is widely viewed as little more than a public relations gesture for millions of people who can't afford high priced drugs. The numbers of uninsured Americans continues to rise. The government is adamant about not regulating medical costs.
# Over the past few months Bush has spoken about pension reforms. But the only serious pension reform in play is the steady evisceration of the old fashioned, guaranteed monthly payments for an investment in the volatile mutual fund industry in the form of a 401K. During the last stock market declines, 401K holders lost as much a third of the value of their 401Ks.
# Under Bush, the government and right wing Congress have sharply cut social welfare programs, making it more complicated for poor people to get Medicaid and food stamps.
# As the deficit grows, we become more and more in hock to nations such as China which holds large amounts of US debt.
More Mondo Washington
U.S. Torture: Who'll Break First?
Rice, Bush, McCain all say no compromise
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
George Bush, Meet Reality
President's speech on Iraq strategy conjures a dreamworld
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
What�s the Deal With Sibel Edmonds?
Feds, Supreme Court silence an FBI translator who knew too much
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
Heading South
Bubbling crude plans by the Bush team aimed at Venezuela's Ch�vez
President Bush, Republicans Eyeing Zero-Fun Environment
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0549,ridgeway,70671,2.html
======================
GOOGLE:
Results 1 - 10 of about 11,400 for BUSH'S SPEECH
=======================
GOOGLE:
Results 1 - 10 of about 4,710 for Saddam Hussein's Trial
======================
"Spider's Web": United States Illegally Armed Saddam Hussein
2002/11/16 "Spider's Web": The Secret History Of How The United States Illegally Armed Saddam Hussein; "A Conversation With The Journalist Who Broke The Iraqgate Scandal That Involved President George Bush, James Baker And Donald Rumsfeld"
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/iraqgate.htm
Saddam Trial: Chaos in the Court
Military.com - 24 minutes ago
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein told the judge at his trial Monday that "I am not afraid of execution" during a chaotic court session in which the first witness ...
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,82071,00.html
Bush's Speech On Iraq: The Delusional Fiction Continues, Only ...
OpEdNews - Dec 1, 2005
by Rev. Bill McGinnis. Somehow, the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld team got this idea stuck in their heads, and it just won't go away. Where it came from, I don't know. ...
Bush's speech seen as gamble
Seattle Times, United States - Nov 30, 2005
... While Bush's speech constitutes the centerpiece of the White House move, the administration is responding on other fronts as well. ...
