An editorial “Poor marks for Obama 1,000 days” would have us believe:
“A $787 billion stimulus that he said would save or create 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010. Didn’t happen. The nation’s jobless rate is stuck at 9-plus percent.
“Health care reform that would cover 30 million currently uninsured Americans while reducing health care costs. Didn’t happen. Health care costs are up 13 percent this year, and a long-term care plan was abandoned as unfeasible, as determined by Obama’s own experts.
“Two million homes have been foreclosed on, and there have been 4 million bankruptcies declared by homeowners and businesses…”
WATCHDOG:
1) Perhaps the editors don’t believe that the Recovery Act did save 3.5 million jobs, but almost all economists do believe it stemmed exploding job losses. Without the stimulus, unemployment would have soared far higher and we might now be in another Depression. With more stimulus, we would have turned the corner and accelerated the rate of recovery and ultimately towards a balanced budget.
2) Most hitherto uninsured Americans are now covered. Furthermore, health care costs were exploding at similar annual rates before the legislation. Republicans aided by some Democrats, some bought and paid for by the Health Care industry, blocked proposals that would have generated competition and lowered costs. Clearly, there is more work to be done but at least the first big steps since the Second World War have been taken.
Note: “US Healthcare Costs Rise 5.73% Over the 12-Months Ending August 2011 According to the S&P Healthcare Economic Indices.” We wonder where the editors’ 13% figure came from? As the saying goes, they are entitled to their opinions but not to their facts.
3) Both political parties contributed to the irrational funding of the housing boom. As Paul Volker said on Charlie Rose the other night, there is no ready solution to the housing situation and it will take years for the past excesses to “unwind.” If lenders had to write down the value of mortgages on their books, they would erode the their capital base, many would be in bankruptcy, almost all lending would halt, and the world likely would plunge into another great depression.
The editors know better and are simply throwing a bone to their conservative readers. Normally that would not bother the Watchdog, but national and world circumstance are so dire and ignorance so rampant, that those of us who are informed really must avoid cheap shots. Growl!
Spoken like a true “progressive”.
What will it take for you to be satisfied….eliminate the entire New Era editorial page? It has already been ‘watered down’ since Tim Mekeel took over, and the “Intel”” continues to print hardcore leftwingers on it’s editorial page!!!!
Is ONE page of conservative thinking too much to ask for in a Republican dominated county????
All the ‘local ‘columnists’ in the daily and Sunday rags are liberals who incessantly mock the GOP.
Oh for a real ‘Independent’ newspaper not associated with the ‘power-brokers’ of Lancaster City.
GROWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!