I was struck by the simultaneous appearance of 2 very different article published by news sources within the last few days. These 2 articles really sum up what this country has been put through during the last 8 years of Bush Presidency:
First, from Salon.....
#1: "W and the Damage Done"
"After a couple of presidential terms, mismanagement in every area of policy -- foreign, domestic, even extraterrestrial -- starts to add up. When George W. Bush entered the White House in January 2001, he inherited peace and prosperity. The military, the Constitution and New Orleans were intact and the country had a budget surplus of $128 billion. Now he's about to dash out the door, leaving a large, unpaid bill for his successors to pay....."
ECONOMY:
Number of manufacturing jobs lost since 2000: 3.78 million
Increase in number of unemployed workers from 2001 to 2008: 4 million, a jump of 2.7 percent in the unemployment rate
Real median household income according to the 2000 census, adjusted for inflation: $51,804
Real median household income as of August 2007: $50,233
INFRASTRUCTURE:
Number of bridges judged structurally deficient: 70,000.
Number of major roads in mediocre or poor condition: Roughly one-third.
"Meanwhile, the roads aren't only worn down, they're overcrowded. In part, we can thank an administration that gave tax credits to SUV buyers while targeting public transit for cuts."
The Bush White House's proposed cuts in public transit funding for fiscal year 2009: $202.1 million.
"Though he capitulated in the face of overwhelming congressional majorities in favor of Amtrak, Bush threatened repeatedly to defund the national rail system altogether."
Target level of federal funding for Amtrak proposed by Bush in 2005: $0.
IRAQ:
Number of U.S. military deaths as of Jan. 7, 2009: 4,222
Cost to conduct the war per month: $12 billion
Amount the Bush administration estimated the war would cost from start to finish: $60 billion
#2: MEANWHILE, over at our local Dallas Morning Snoozepaper, this headline:
"Bush seems at ease as presidency ends"
