Stephann
Posts: 4214
Joined: 12/27/2006
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline
|
I'll tackle this monster. I might not respond to all, as I hardly claim to be an expert on Bush's policy....
Hey! You got out of the really hard work. 
Let me help you, sweetheart:
Budget, Taxes & Economy
Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history.
Dramatically increasing the rate with which our debt increases, which will ultimately (and clearly) be borne by our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Supports permanent elimination of the death tax.
Which affects the richest of Americans, most heavily. I'm anti-class warfare, but as I mentioned, we're already in debt, with most of the government money having gone into the pockets of that much aligned Military Industrial complex, in support of Bush's wars.
Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
Erm, an economy that thrived before he took office; Bush happened to be in the drivers seat during 9/11.
Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority.
Meaning the President can hold the budget hostage, approving only what he feels he likes, and further delaying the possibility of a balanced budget.
In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty.
Meaning he only supports social engineering when it helps people who practice marriage.
Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people.
By ensuring more money goes into the hands of big contractors, so that they might be more willing to trickle that money down to their friends.
Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.
Because the general Social Security fund has already been robbed to pay for his other, more expensive, private projects.
Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America.
Instead of reforming them, to improve Occupational Saftey for home businesses (i.e. sweat shops.)
Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.
Didn't he have stock in Enron?
Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains.
And passing the deficits on to our kids.
Signed trade promotion authority.
Helping his buddies increase their bottom line (an issue I am, personally, divided on, but I don't think this had anything to do with his magnanimosity.)
Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches.
Because they're clearly not receiving enough subsidies to justify their existence.
Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States.
Because Biotech crops are clearly safe and health? And Europe shouldn't be permitted to decide what food they do and don't eat?
Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes.
When it suits him? When's the last time we saw crops from Cuba?
Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home.
Out of who's pocketbook?
Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled.
At who's profit?
Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child.
Meaning wealthy people can now save more, each year, for their children's education.
Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000.
Instead of reforming the system that already penalizes people who wish to adopt hard to place children, and ensures only the rich can 'buy' healthy, happy babies.
Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans.
Again, supporting those wealthy enough to prepay college educations.
Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year.
Making it harder for hardworking, honest people to get into our country to work shit jobs we don't want.
Education & Employment Training
Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations).
Great in theory, lousy in execution. The jury is still out on this one.
Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education.
Turning High Schools into vocational schools, at the expense of traditional skills; how many full tuition rides could have been paid for by the Iraq war?
Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.)
Which undermines the very concept of fixing the broken system.
Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight.
Which is fine with me.
Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance.
Which requires the states to conform to a national system, holding our tax dollars hostage if states happened to choose to apply a different standard.
Requires school-by-school accountability report cards.
Again, great in theory.
Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems.
Out of who's pocket again?
Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to to become teachers.
Because our service members weren't treated badly enough in the armed forces, they now have to be sent to do war in the worst classrooms in our country.
Environment & Energy
Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.
Painting us as the developed country least interested in improving global environment issues.
Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.
Etc? What sort of 'cleaner technology?' What color is the rabbit hiding in his hat?
Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives.
Wait, I thought we were killing Kyoto? Why are we giving companies that already break existing laws more money?
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.
Meaning we know less about the health effects of genetically engineered crops, increasing profits for growers, with a tradeoff in potential harm to humans.
Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.
Um, sure? The president didn't have better things to do with his time?
Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
Making it easier for loggers to harvest forests with endangered species by simply yelling "FIRE!"
Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.
Instead of addressing the 'privatization' laws that were responsible for California's surge in price, while increasing the amount of CO2.
Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species.
Meaning people rich enough to own huge tracts of land in the first place receive even more of our tax dollars.
Defense & Foreign Policy
Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.
Successfully? Freedom? Are you kidding me?
Saddam Hussein is now dead. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured.
And that was our responsibility, why? If he was supposed to be dead, why didn't your dad do the job? I'm not sure who to blame here.
Leader by leader and member by member, al Qaida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaida leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaida leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror.
I mentioned hydras. The US has been Al-Qaeda's single most powerful ally in garnering support for their group.
Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed.
(coughs) Sure.
Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network.
Simultaneously turning our civil liberties inside out, and exponentially increasing the possibility of terrorist threats in the future.
Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century.
Meaning we need more war, not less, to keep the peace?
Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses.
Because Terrorists have sooooo many nuclear missiles aimed at us.
Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency.
This is supposed to be a good thing? Allies are great, but the enemy of my friend, is not my enemy.
Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU.
As an afterthought. Is the first President in decades to almost completely ignore the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year.
Increasing the amount of money pouring into our Military Industrial complex, paid for by our great grandchildren.
Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia.
And causing the most serious rift in relations with the Russians since World War II
Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.
Because they're being sent to Iraq, and we don't have enough surplus troops.
Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command.
Because he feels we do a better job playing world cop.
Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs.
Because we only use the UN when it's too dangerous for us to send our troops.
Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry.
Increasing that budget, and putting that money into the pockets of his campaign supporters.
Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006.
Asked and answered.
Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy.
Because that's his job, as commander in chief.
Ordered a review of overseas deployments.
Ditto.
Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year.
Because he expects us to do even more fighting instead of negotiating.
Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports.
Making the overall cost of our number one industry even more profitable.
Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed.
Because we have a right to send planes to spy on them.
Globalization & Internationalism
Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant).
Because we no longer support the concept of global democracy.
Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court.
Because they were investigating us.
Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).*
Because we sell weapons to whomever we want to, so long as they're killing who we want to.
The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer.
That we have shown the world our middle finger and invaded other nations willy nilly, and wonder why we're condemned for it.
Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country."
Because Iraq was on the brink of invading us?
Government Reform
Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises.
Because our government officials are clearly invested in profiting from their jobs, and private companies have a track record of fulfilling government contracts efficiently? Shall we redefine the word 'profit' to mean "to serve the common good of our country without regard for the money we can make from it?"
Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs.
Except for military jobs, forestry jobs, educational oversight jobs, and vast numbers of advisors. Telling the bean counters who keep track of how much bloated spending Bush caused to go home doesn't mean the federal government is shrinking. Increasing private jobs doing public functions doesn't overall save any real money.
Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.*
Vastly increasing the amount of money they receive, and conversely reducing our freedoms in the process.
Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers.
Less oversight is the first step to plausible deniablity.
Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals.
What were the net savings?
Health
This section is so laughable, I can't begin to address it.
Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration
*See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security.
Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004.
When did North Korea aquire technology to launch missiles at us? It'd be much easier to just park them in downtown DC, and detonate them.
Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield).
Increasing funds, hasn't increased our safety.
Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders.
Making it even more profitable for border runners to engage in human trafficking.
The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity.
Because we need to have hundreds of thousands of them, before we can definitively state they are useless..
Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals.
Because it's easier to engage in a witch hunt, than to address the root problem.
Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones.
At a cost of billions, and a net dent in the traffic of 0.
Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested.
71 arrests, at a cost of millions, for less than a million students. Shall we do the math?
This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies.
Sure, fine.
Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.
False.
Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization.
So?
Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens.
A controversial bill that reportedly will block employment of millions of legal Americans.
Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications.
Why so long?
Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack.
Meaning there's no way those nukes buried at the bottom of stuffed animals will be found.
Judiciary & Tort Reform
Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits.
Define frivolous?
Killed the liberal ABA's unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA.
Meaning the Bar has no business weighing in on the competency of their members?
Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.
This was a national goal? Half the country prefers liberals. Granted, this is a pro Bush/conservative list, but it's a bit like saying "nominating strong, white judges" since half the country would like to see white judges.
Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims.
Sure, fine. What progress has been made based on this 'support'?
Politics
His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency.
Well, it did. That went over like a house on fire.
Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes.
Considering unions tend to vote Democratic, I don't think this was entirely a selfless act.
Second Amendment
Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right.
The right hand telling the left it's thumb is backwards doesn't work so well. The President is not empowered to interpret law for the Supreme Court.
Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit.
Because pilots aren't just supposed to fly, they're supposed to be Bruce Willis. How about requiring a security guard in place of one of those lousy attendants?
Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers.
Because Gun manufacturers shouldn't be held responsible for what they build?
*See Globalization & Internationalism.
Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism
Endorses and promotes "The Responsibility Era." President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, "In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself."
So? The President's job isn't to define morality.
Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world.
Spiffy. I'm sure he couldn't find better things to do with his time.
Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families.
Sounds nice and all, but what has the end result been?
The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration's belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved.
Because Separation of Church and State is really supposed to just be a guideline, not a principal.
Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible.
Isn't that the community in questions job?
Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them.
Meaning we pay for more devices that get sold for 'free' on late night Cable TV?
Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year's worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states.
Because poor people deserve better access to home ownership than middle class?
Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa.
Out of his pocket?
*Please note that some of the above may be out-of-date. This is from a list created by supporters of Bush and as they aren't here to tell you why they feel the President is doing a good job, I thought I'd let their words speak for them.
There, they spoke, so did I. I can't wait for Bush to become a (bad) footnote in history.
Stephan
< Message edited by Stephann -- 3/12/2008 11:11:35 AM >
_____________________________
Nosce Te Ipsum
"The blade itself incites to violence" - Homer
Men: Find a Woman here
|
RE: Got something to say about the Bush years ? - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread