Are you better off from 4 yrs ago?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2004
Are you better off from 4 yrs ago?
40
Mon, 09-27-2004 - 8:43pm
Here's the orginial link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/9/prweb159961.php

Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?



On October 28, 1980, in the second presidential debate, Ronald Reagan asked a question that resonated throughout the campaign that year: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?” During this election season, many members of “Republicans for Kerry” are asking themselves the same question.

Hilliard, OH (PRWEB) September 17, 2004 -- Veronica Reynolds, age 80, a registered Republican and a retired local high school secretary, will vote for John Kerry this year. When asked for her reasons, she quotes a question that Reagan asked 24 years ago. "Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

“Four years ago, I took a wonderful trip to New Zealand,” Reynolds tells RepublicansForKerry04.org, “and now I can no longer afford to travel out of this country. In fact, I have six children, four of whom live in states other than Ohio. It concerns me when I pay for the air fare to visit them.” Like many retired people, Reynolds has suffered a tremendous loss in her retirement savings over the past three years.

Also like many older citizens, Reynolds takes prescription drugs for a medical condition in her case, a chronic pre-cancerous condition for which she takes two tablets three times a day. She opted not to participate in what she called “Bush’s worthless prescription help for Medicare,” however. “I had to laugh, sadly, when the pharmaceutical companies raised their prices,” she says, adding that she was appalled at media reports that Bush’s new plan will reduce her Social Security benefits by 17%, and increase her Medicare premiums in 2005.

At a personal level, Reynolds knows that she is worse off than she was four years ago, but she is even more fearful for the nation if Bush is given four more years in office. “He will continue to destroy our country,” she says, noting that “if we disagree with his policies, we are accused of being un-American or not supporting our troops. Separation of church and state is on its way out. Foolish amendments to the Constitution are on their way in.”

In a neighboring state, 46-year-old Republican Debra Vanderpool, her husband, and their sixteen-year-old daughter, live in Towanda, in northeastern Pennsylvania. Like Reynolds, the Vanderpools are struggling day by day. “We wonder sometimes where we are going to get the money for groceries next week, ” Vanderpool says. “Four years ago, we had less money a month then we had now,” she recalls, “and we were making ends meet. We were getting groceries and paying bills and getting to go out to dinner or a movies once a while. So I ask myself am I better off than I was 4 years ago. Well the answer is no.”

Vanderpool is also concerned that the US entered into the war in Iraq under false pretenses, and believes that has destroyed our relationship with our allies. Our brave soldiers are dying everyday “For what?” she asks. “Many people were for the war because we believed in the existence of the WMD. Bush has lied to the people of this country. There are many reservists and Guard families out there that are about to lose everything because their spouses are out fighting in Iraq…. They and their families are clearly much worse off than they were four years ago.”

[Contact media@republicansforkerry04.org

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Avatar for claddagh49
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2004
Mon, 09-27-2004 - 9:29pm
I know I am not better off than I was 4 years ago! Big businesses are geting big tax breaks, and good ole boy George thought the big tax breaks would trickle down to the average hard working American, well, ain't nothing trickling down but higher prices, higher insurance premiums, higher co-pays for prescriptions, and the list goes on! Prices are rising higher than people's wages. Companies are laying off,outsourcing jobs to other countries for cheap labor, downsizing, expecting more work for less pay. If I hear one more person say they like Bush's morals, I think I'll scream! He lied to get us into the Iraq war, he lies about everything. He says he'll do one thing and does the opposite. Just ask the Mothers how they feel about loosing sons in the Iraq war, just ask the wives and children of the men beheaded by the barbaric nomads. The world is in such turmoil. We can only pray some how things will get better.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-12-2004
Mon, 09-27-2004 - 9:33pm
I agree.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Mon, 09-27-2004 - 9:50pm
And don't forget the highest gas prices I can ever remember!
Donna

"Patriotism means to stand by the Country. It does not mean to stand by the President." -- Theodore Roosevelt.

Donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Mon, 09-27-2004 - 10:13pm
In a lot of ways I am better off than I was four years ago. My family's retirement plan that went caput when the tech bubble burst is now rebounding. Due to increased home ownership and the resulting rising home prices, we were able to sell our home for a nice profit and buy a nicer one, as well as put away a little money for our kids' college. We have been able to refinance at lower rates a couple of times so our mortgage payments are lower. My husband lost a job due to the Enron debacle (less than four years ago I know, but brewing long before W took office), had to take a lower paying one. He has since recouped his former salary, and now thanks to current economic growth has recruiters calling him daily. We are also paying less in taxes, as is everyone else who actually pays federal income taxes.

I feel less safe now than I did four years ago, but that's because some terrorists attacked the WTC, not because of George Bush's policies. I hate seeing people dying in Iraq but I know that only by sacrificing now can we ever hope to defeat these extremist, murdering animals, bring freedom and prosperity to the middle east and eliminate the conditions that foster terrorism. It hasn't been and won't be easy, I don't think George Bush has done everything perfectly, I'm not sure Iraq was handled in exactly the right way, but I haven't heard John Kerry say anything that he would do differently, aside from raising taxes and attempting to get France and Germany to help win the war he doesn't seem to think we and our other allies can win. God help us if our country is ever in the position that the only way we can win a war is by relying on the French and German military. I certainly don't believe we're there.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2004
Tue, 09-28-2004 - 1:41am
I thought your post was very articulate and it gave me a lot to think about. I am better off in some ways that have nothing to do with Bush, and worse off in some ways that have nothing to do with Bush. But there are ways I know I was way happier 4 years ago. There is a good feeling I have when I think about my savings in the bank, and a pride that I have worked hard never to accumulate credit card debt -- I had that feeling when clinton left office and we had a huge surplus. It made me think, when I have kids, they will inherit a strong country. Fiscal responsibility is something my dad taught me and it's a key to my personal happiness (not being in debt). So I find the sudden National deficit of SEVEN TRILLION DOLLARS totally upsetting. We will be paying for that, literally! In addition, I can't stand the high gas prices which make the cost of everything (gorceries, etc.) go up, and I definitely don't feel safer in my city (nyc). I feel very betrayed that we were promised justice (capturing osama) and then got completely bamboozled into focusing on Iraq. I don't believe bush's reward for that tragic, dishonorable debacle should be re-election.

This I found intriguing. You said:

"I hate seeing people dying in Iraq but I know that only by sacrificing now can we ever hope to defeat these extremist, murdering animals, bring freedom and prosperity to the middle east and eliminate the conditions that foster terrorism."


The extremist, murdering animals we were supposed to go after were al Quaeda, who plotted the Sept. 11th attacks. They were headquartered in Afghanistan-- where the Taliban is now regrouping and Osama is still uncaught. So I am very confused by what you mean. Iraqis were not extremist animals plotting to harm us. By & large they were a secular society where many people were getting educations and women had more rights than many other Arab countries. They were not the western society we are accustomed to but they were not the Taliban and they were not harboring Osama bin Laden -- the guy we DO need to find & punish. Their president/dictator was a psychopath towards his citizens, to be sure, but there are several other crazy dictators and we didn't invade their countries, so why Iraq? Because of their oil and our desire to install a puppet government to insure our access to Middle East oil. Do you think civilians there don't know that? We went to war with them, unprovoked, and the total deterioration of law & order that WE caused has inflamed tribal and religious strife -- everyone knows what happens when there is a vacuum of power. Facing desperate living conditions, civilians in totally unsecured cities & villages are NOW deciding to join an insurgency that is determined to terrorize us out of their lives. Every Iraqi killed by us is a martyr, and means another terrorist is born. They want us GONE. What are we doing there? Would you be willing to explain the "sacrifice" you mentioned to parents of U.S. soldiers? They certainly knew their child's career choice might entail some danger someday, but presumed it would be justified! We had no plan for securing the peace in Iraq (or the borders-- where extremists are now infiltrating) because Rumsfeld & Co. bungled their jobs, and we were lied to in the first place about how necessary the invasion was!

You statement (above) implies that you believe the connection that Bush has long tried to imply: that there was a connection between September 11th and Saddam Hussein. You cannot possibly believe that anymore, do you? That has been debunked. It would mean, if you did still believe it, that you were successfully manipulated by Karl Rove.


^^^^^^ check it out:

"We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on the attacks against the United States." David Kay, the Bush administration's weapons inspector in Iraq had earlier concluded, "e simply did not find any evidence of extensive links with al Qaeda, or for that matter any real links at all."

"We found no evidence of collaboration in any effort to mount any kind of operation against the United States' interests." - 9/11 Panel commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste

^^^^^^^^^ also FYI:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A19822-2003Jun21&notFound=true

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Anthropology/publications/General_Powell.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/17/iraq/main573801.shtml




iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Tue, 09-28-2004 - 10:38am
Do you understand what is driving the oil prices?

Are you aware that until the late 90's China produced enough crude oil for their own consumption, that they could actually export the excess for income?

Are you aware that today, in addition to consuming every last drop of oil that they produce, they also must import an additional 3,000,000 + barrels of oil per day, putting a huge strain on the oil producing countries for output?

Add to this the turmoil in Venezuela that used to be able to produce a significant amount of oil for world consumption, and the hurricane in the Gulf that severely damaged several oil drilling facilities and refineries.

On top of this, the Russian oil company (can't recall the name) that went bankrupt earlier this year, putting even more strain on countries such as those in OPEC to produce even more crude oil to make up for all of the shortfalls.

These are the major factors of why oil prices are so high. If you believe that this has anything to do with the President then you are extremely naive, or you are someone that looks to blame everything on the current administration.

Avatar for momeebear
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 09-28-2004 - 10:51am
How many barrels a day does the U.S. require/import? Just curious.......

I've gotta get one of those hybrid cars!!!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Tue, 09-28-2004 - 12:32pm
This is actually a good and tough question. I would say that I am most likely slightly better off today than I was 4 years ago, and I will detail why.

I have been able to reduce my mortgage payments significantly by taking advantage of the refinancing rates, which have lowered my overall payment by over 1.25%, which has made things a great deal easier for my wife and my family, especially in saving for my childrens college education.

Second, my portfolio has recovered from the over-inflated prices due to the dot.com and tech sector booms, where I saw some of my stocks trading at 300 or more times earnings. My portfolio today is slightly lower than where it was just before the bubble burst, and is now more diversified. I am also a realist and know that this kind of growth will never be seen in my lifetime again. I guess I fell for the greed trap as many investors did, failing to recognize the volatility of owning stocks where the price to earnings ratio's were so drastic.

My job stability has increased after 9/11 as it was a shaky time in my area of expertise, and with the continued economic recovery, my base for business continues to solidify, and should continued to do so, provided the economy stays on this track, and taxes are not increased. My company has recently started to hire more people as well, and we are anticipating adding an additional 20 new employees by the end of the year. I know that is not a lot, but in a company that currently has 60 employees, growing the employee base by 25% to 30% is a pretty big deal.

Finally, with regards to security, I feel a little more secure today than I did 4 years ago, because I feel that at least the current administration is trying to do something about terrorism. I do wish, however that someone would request that we do a much better job of securing our borders, and it appears that neither candidate really wishes to deal with this issue, which bothers me a great deal.

I do think that some things could have been done better, and that we should do everything possible to secure our borders and our ports, as this is our weakest area of defense at the moment. If terrorists are going to enter the country, it is going to be far easier doing so through our northern or southern border, than coming directly in from an overseas flight.

Avatar for momeebear
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 09-28-2004 - 1:27pm
I guess I'd have to say we're about the same today as four years ago. We may be a tad better off, but it's due to my husband finishing nursing school and getting a job-----I guess I can thank the nursing shortage for that! I did get downsized out of my job, but that was really due to the advance of technology, not anything Bush did. I became obsolete as a human, at my particular job! :-( Our health insurance premiums and co-pays did go up; I'm just thankful that so far, we can still afford them. As for the "tax relief", as I was saying in another post, I hope more people benefited from it than we did, we got $160! (And we're middle class, we pay taxes...) I guess the main question for me is do I feel safer, and I'd have to say no. All the vague terror threats, the color coded levels, the "be afraid" mantra I hear everywhere.......nope, don't feel very safe......

(Ooh....my desk chair and the floor just rolled......think we just had a small tremor (earthquake), have to go check the news.......happens all the time here in Calif!!!!)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Tue, 09-28-2004 - 1:58pm

I really am much tighter on my money than I was 4 years ago. I used to be able to run out and buy a pair of jeans or shoes anytime plus I could afford monthly payments on a cell phone. Now I no longer have a cell phone and I have to make sure I am going to have enough money to make it through the month before I buy a $2 lip gloss... or $5 book.


Michelle

 

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