One thing about Clinton...

by Abaddon 53 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Abaddon

  ... was that no one was ever accused of being unpatriotic if they hammered him. Now, of course, W might be a paragon of virtue in comparison, at least with regard to oral sex in the Oval Office, but many people who have criticised aspects of his Presidency have had all sorts of accusations rained down upon their heads. I found this article an interesting discussion. Obviously you can dismiss it as more anti-American propoganda if you want, but I don't feel it is;

  http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/robert_steinback/5949241.htm
• 

  jelly

  • The economy started to go south on clinton's watch and most Americans fell some of the problems of the economy were out of bush's hands
  • Most Americans dont feel their rights are being curtailed.
  • Most Americans feel the war against Iraq was necessary and supported the president

  But once you remove these falsehoods from the article the rest of its ok.

  Terry
• 

  jelly

  Let me try again.

  The economy stagnated during his watch;

  • He turned a projected federal surplus of $5.7 trillion over the next decade into a projected $2 trillion deficit, fueled by huge tax cuts that enriched the wealthy and failed to stimulate the economy;

  • He proposed and won more tax cuts, though most economists warned that they wouldn't likely create many jobs;

  • His administration trimmed basic domestic civil rights, including the right to privacy, counsel and habeas corpus;

  • He openly scorned relations with traditional allies and potential friends worldwide;

  • He launched a war against a sovereign nation without establishing why it was urgent and necessary, and without achieving any of his stated goals for attacking, except regime change;

  • The company once headed by his vice president landed a no-bid contract in Iraq far more lucrative than originally revealed?

  • The economy began to stagnate with clinton, its a matter of record. Bush has increased spending but most rational individuals can see that the terrorist attacks drove this.
  • The tax cut is a bad idea imho.
  • My civil rights have not been curtailed, and neither have yours in any real way. What you afraid the FBI is going to look at you library card. LMAO
  • Some of our traditional 'allies' are fu*k tards and should be scorned
  • Most Americans think the war on Iraq was good and necessary, I am one of them
  • Does Chaney own in stock in HB, are you impling that HB should have not been allowed to gain the contracts simply because Chaney worked for them. Name another company that is as suited for the task as HB.

  But after you remove these falsehoods the rest of the article is pretty good.

  Terry
• 

  jelly

  A little more retardation from Florida, now I know why these people couldnt vote correctly.

  We won't even question economic policies that have created a weak dollar, a soft stock market and creeping unemployment.

  • We won't explore the logic of disarming the newly freed Iraqi people, while backing a resumption of sales of assault-style weapons at home.

  • We won't evaluate the ludicrous notion that Haitian asylum seekers must be imprisoned as a matter of national security, even as migrants from communist Cuba are allowed to swim ashore and go free.

  • I am in the minority here but I have never understood the value of a stong dollar. I weak dollar makes our exports more attractive and in an economic downturn will spur manufacturing(sp? to late to spell correctly) output. The stock market was overvalued by about 20% now its undervalued by about 20%, things like these happen there is an emotional human element to the stock market and lots of uncertainty (caused by things like airplanes hitting buildings, anthrax, etc) depress the stock market. It will eventually right itself.
  • Do you think if assualt rifles were banned it would stop murders? We dont explore that logic because there is no connection to be made.
  • I agree we should send the Cubans home also, but of course this is not what the author wants me to get from his point.

  Terry
• 

  Hamas

  Clinton once claimed that 'If ever anybody attacked Israel, you guys know that I would personally dive into a ditch with an AK and die' at a conference with congressmen. Clinton was a great speaker, yet he still feel under the trap of groveling to his superiors to stay in power ; - such as Zionist Jews.
• 

  Abaddon

  Jelly, your replies are higgledy piggledy, I guess you had format problems or posting problems;

  • Some of our traditional 'allies' are fu*k tards and should be scorned

  Funny, many people think that

  Read it again; “a no-bid contract”. Now, you can believe this is correct and open government? I disagree; the point is NOT what other companies COULD do the job, but that NO OTHER companies were given the chance.

  • Most Americans dont feel their rights are being curtailed.
  • My civil rights have not been curtailed, and neither have yours in any real way. What you afraid the FBI is going to look at you library card. LMAO

  Many Americans do feel this; read the threads on the Patriot Act. Why not address the issues rather than claiming people don’t think it’s a problem? My civil rights haven’t been curtailed AT ALL. I’m an Englishman in .

  • Most Americans feel the war against was necessary and supported the president
  • Most Americans think the war on was good and necessary, I am one of them

  Were the lies good and necessary? And how do these Americans feel about the disinformation supplied by people who are meant to be trustworthy?

  • I am in the minority here but I have never understood the value of a stong dollar. I weak dollar makes our exports more attractive and in an economic downturn will spur manufacturing(sp? to late to spell correctly) output. The stock market was overvalued by about 20% now its undervalued by about 20%, things like these happen there is an emotional human element to the stock market and lots of uncertainty (caused by things like airplanes hitting buildings, anthrax, etc) depress the stock market. It will eventually right itself.

  Hey, I’m a European. I like weak dollars, for vacation. It sucks roobars selling European Call Centre Services to American companies though.

  • Do you think if assualt rifles were banned it would stop murders? We dont explore that logic because there is no connection to be made.

  Peace, you can have your gun. I used to think that Americans killed each other five times more frequently than most Europeans because they had more guns. But Americans have been killing each other five times more frequently than Europeans for over a century now, even when comparing like for like, e.g. and at the turn of the century where the gun laws of each city were the same.

  Michael Moore’s ‘fear’ idea for the reason this happens doesn’t work either, as he postulates it’s the media making people fearful that leads to this, but there was no equivalent mass media in 1900.

  Why do you think Americans kill each other so much?

  • The economy began to stagnate with , its a matter of record. Bush has increased spending but most rational individuals can see that the terrorist attacks drove this.

  Lovely, dish out the ad . AGAIN.

  • I agree we should send the Cubans home also, but of course this is not what the author wants me to get from his point.

  Anyone else you want to send home at the same time? I suppose the low paid jobs many illegal immigrant workers take would be freed up to help reduce unemployment…

  Hamas; Zionist world conspiracy my hairy arse. Prove it. Israel's been treated in a way that is very unfair to the Arabic peoples of the area, and that's because of Jewish lobby groups and (recently perhaps) crazy evangelical political advisors. That is not a conspiracy; everyone knows about it.
• 

  Hamas

  I didn't say it was a conspiracy
• 

  ThiChi

• Who benefits under the President’s plan?
  
  • Everyone who pays taxes—especially middle-income Americans—as tax rate reductions passed by Congress in 2001 are made effective immediately. Middle-income families will receive additional relief from accelerated reduction of the marriage penalty, a faster increase in the child tax credit, and immediate implementation of the new, lower 10 percent tax bracket.
  • Everyone who invests in the stock market and receives dividend income—especially seniors—will benefit from elimination of the double taxation on dividends. About half of all dividend income goes to America’s seniors, who often rely on those checks for a steady source of retirement income.
  • Every small business owner who purchases equipment to grow and expand will get assistance through an increase in the expensing limits from $25,000 to $75,000.
  • Every worker who has lost his or her job and qualifies for unemployment benefits will get more help, and many will qualify for new, more flexible Personal Re-employment Accounts, which provide a bonus if they find work quickly.

• Under the President’s proposal to speed up tax relief, 92 million taxpayers would receive, on average, a tax cut of $1,083 in 2003.
  • 46 million married couples would receive an average tax cut of $1,716.
  • 34 million families with children would benefit from an average tax cut of $1,473.
  • 6 million single women with children would receive an average tax cut of $541.
  • 13 million elderly taxpayers would receive an average tax cut of $1,384.
  • 23 million small business owners would receive tax cuts averaging $2,042.
  • Americans in the lowest tax brackets receive the largest percentage reduction in their tax burden. 3 million moderate-income families will see their income tax burden eliminated entirely. Example: A family of four with an income of $40,000 would see their federal income taxes fall from $1,178 to $45 under the President’s plan.

• According to a projection by the Council of Economic Advisers, the President’s plan will help the economy to create 1.4 million new jobs by the end of 2004.

Making Progress: From Recession to Recovery


• Since the beginning of his Administration, the President has acted decisively to promote economic growth and job creation.
  • In 2001, he fulfilled his promise to reduce the tax burden on the American people. This tax relief gave the economy a boost at just the right time—ensuring that the recession was one of the shortest and shallowest in modern American history. These tax cuts worked, and the President will continue to press the Congress to make the cuts—including the end of the death tax—permanent.
  • In 2002, he proposed and signed into law an economic stimulus bill, tough new corporate accountability standards, terrorism insurance legislation to put construction projects back on track, and an historic trade act. All these measures will help our economy as it recovers from the shocks of recession, the attacks of September 11th, and serious abuses of trust by some corporate officials.

• Today, America’s economy is recovering and showing signs of growth.
  • The country is now in its second year of economic growth.
  • Nationwide, incomes are rising faster than inflation.
  • Interest rates are the lowest in 37 years, and low interest rates have allowed Americans to refinance their homes, adding more than $100 billion to their pocketbooks and to the economy.
  • The homeownership rate—a central part of the American dream—is 68 percent, close to the highest ever.
  • Productivity of American workers—the most important indicator of our economic strength—went up 5.6 percent over the last four measured quarters, the best since 1973.
  • Our trade with other nations is expanding—bringing the lower prices that come from imports, and the better jobs that come from exports.

More to Do: The President’s Agenda to Strengthen America’s Economy


• America has the strongest, most resilient economy in the world, yet this economy is not creating enough jobs. We have made great progress, but there is still more work to do.
  

• The President today proposed a specific agenda to increase the momentum of our economic recovery. The President’s proposal would:
  

  Speed up Tax Relief to Speed up the Recovery: The President’s proposal builds on the success of the 2001 tax cut. As a result of this law, Americans are due to receive additional tax relief in 2004, and again in 2006. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have already enacted these cuts. The President believes the time to deliver this relief is now – when it can do the most good for families, businesses, and the economy – not years from now.

  The President’s plan would:
  

  • Make all the tax rate reductions from the 2001 tax law effective this year—and retroactive to January 1, 2003.
  • Upon passage, the President will order the Treasury Department to immediately adjust the amount of money withheld for income taxes, so that Americans will keep more of their paychecks right away.
  • For income earned after January 1, 2003, the following tax rates would be in effect:
    10%
    15%
    25%
    28%
    33%
    35%

  The President’s plan would also bring middle-income families additional relief by speeding up three other tax reductions promised in 2001. It would:
  

  • Reduce the marriage penalty this year, instead of waiting until 2009. An estimated 46 million married couples would benefit under the President’s plan.
  • Raise the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 per child this year, instead of in 2010. That would amount to a $400 increase per child, and checks would be issued in that amount this year to help parents across America. An estimated 34 million families with children would benefit under the President’s plan.
  • Move several million working Americans into the lowest tax bracket of 10 percent now instead of waiting until 2008.

  [Note: The plan will hold harmless any taxpayer who may be affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax].

  Encourage Job-Creating Investment in America’s Economy – The President has proposed two new steps to encourage individuals and businesses to invest in America’s economy.

  End the double taxation of dividends

  • Roughly 35 million American households receive dividend income that is taxable and will directly benefit under the President’s plan. More than half of these dividends go to America’s seniors, many of whom rely on these checks for a steady source of income in their retirement.
  • More than 40 percent of people who receive dividends make under $50,000 per year—and three-fourths make less than $100,000 per year.
  • Yet seniors and other investors are not getting the full benefit of their investments because those investments are taxed twice. The IRS taxes a company on its profits, then it taxes the investors who receive the profits as dividends. The result is that for every dollar of profit a company could pay out in dividends, as little as 40 cents can actually reach shareholders.
  • It is fair to tax a company’s profits, and under the President’s plan, company profits will still be taxed – but only once. It is not fair to tax this income twice by taxing the shareholder on those same profits. Double taxation is wrong—and it falls hardest on seniors.
  • Almost half of all savings from the dividend exclusion under the President’s plan would go to taxpayers 65 and older. The average tax savings for the 9.8 million seniors receiving dividends would be $936.
  • The President’s plan would eliminate the double taxation of dividends for millions of stockholders – allowing taxpayers to exclude dividend payments from their taxable income – and returning about $20 billion this year to the economy.

  Increase incentives for small businesses to grow

  • Small businesses create the majority of new jobs and account for half the output of the economy.
  • Current tax laws permit them to write off as expenses up to $25,000 worth of equipment purchases. The President’s plan would increase that limit to $75,000 and index it to inflation – encouraging them to buy technology, machinery, and other equipment they need to expand.

Help Unemployed Americans Find Work –As we work to encourage long-term growth in the economy, we must not forget men and women struggling today. The President’s plan would help the unemployed on two fronts, providing both short-term benefits and long-term opportunity:


Extend unemployment benefits

• Close to 70,000 workers exhaust their unemployment benefits each week and need our help.
• The President called on Congress to extend unemployment benefits as a first order of business this year and signed that extension into law on January 8, 2003.

Create new Personal Re-employment Accounts

• The President’s plan would create Personal Re-employment Accounts, a new, innovative approach to help unemployed Americans find a job.
• These accounts would provide unemployed workers with up to $3,000 to use for job training, child care, transportation, moving costs, or other expenses associated with finding a new job. A person who gets a job within 13 weeks will be able to keep the leftover funds from their account as a re-employment bonus. This will help them when they are looking for work and give them an incentive to find work faster.
• President Bush proposes giving states $3.6 billion to fund these accounts. The program would be administered through the One Stop Career Center system and would work through existing state unemployment systems to ensure speedy delivery of benefits.
• Under the President’s plan, these accounts would be available to at least 1.2 million Americans.
• Workers would receive these Personal Re-employment Accounts in addition to their regular unemployment benefits.

Turning Recovery into Prosperity


• The President’s jobs and growth package will spur real overall economic growth and create jobs, yet it is disciplined and tailored to address specific challenges.
  

• The American economy is strong, but it must be stronger. The President’s plan is a focused effort designed to remove the obstacles standing in the way of faster growth and greater progress.
  

• President Bush will not be satisfied until every American who wants a job can find one; until every business has a chance to grow; and until we turn our economic recovery into lasting prosperity that reaches every corner of America.