The Sins of Presidents

Cactus at Angry Bear has connection link Report by the Democratic Policy Committee. Cactus summarizes the Report well, and should be read. He brings up the issue of whether any President can claim Credit, or get blamed, for any effect on the Economy occurring within their term of office. I feel personally that the President holds full responsibility, but not from any overt action. The pivotal element is the degree of representation a President exhibits for the American people. A President who expresses real intent to defend American interests will indicate prosecution of felonious conduct against the American People, and full investigation of any Misdemeanors, which will curtail the greatest majority of Sniping attacks upon American interests. A President who plays Favorites, or passively overlooks usurious attacks from political allies on the body politic, will create an atmosphere dangerous to American interests.

Cactus’s summation says it all. The 80% increase in Health Care premiums simply reflect the massive Price increases in Health Care allowed by the current President, most of which are simply increases in Profits to the Health Care Providers. College Education Costs and Housing Costs up dramatically; both reflect the increased Profits and Pay demanded by Service Providers, mostly at the Business and Corporate level. The Bush Tax Cuts were weighted to minimize the Tax relief for the Poor, Working, and Middle Classes (soon eaten up by State and Local tax increases), while maximizing the Tax relief of the Wealthy; all at the Cost of a ballooning National Debt. Congressional legislation and Presidential (pre-indicated) inaction allowed the destruction of the Retirement Pension system in this Country. Even Conservative Republicans have come to realize that the Business philosophy involved is not "ruggedly Individualistic’ but "ruggedly Individually destructive".

The worst part of the entire situation lies in the ‘on-th-ground’ damage. Almost any Economist, and most Consumers, would honestly state that Health Care Costs are at a minimum 30% inflated; some like myself might claim inflated Pricing over 70% over actual Cost. It should be understood that the share of GDP consisting of Health Care should have increased no more than 2% due to the Ageing population, from its pre-Medicare share of GDP. Housing, due to its rate of increase over the last 30 years, should not have increased more than 3% per year at most; most definitely not the case we find Today (wouldn’t you like to buy that $70000 House of Yesteryear for $135000). The fact remains that Business malpractice has vastly inflated the Price structure in this Country, and it will take massive remedial action to bring back a realistic Price/Cost structure. The entire debacle finds origin within, and propagated because of, lax Government economic policy which allowed Business management to introduce fraudulent Accounting and Pricing practice. lgl