When President Obama was elected, many were hopeful that this country would finally see an end to the economic turmoil resulting from the War on Terror. The American people were promised a change they could believe in, and although there have been strides within this presidency, we still have yet to see any action on major issues that plague this country. Although President Obama managed to pull us through The Great Recession of 2008, the long term effects have been anything but positive. While the top 10% has seen an increase in salary, the bottom 20% have continued to tighten the purse strings year after year as salaries and take home pay have dwindled. As once promised, a secure border was in our future. We have seen the opposite in the recent months as tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have poured over our border causing even more financial burden on an already suffering economy. Many would like to think that our economy is getting better under President Obama, but that is not the case, there was one truth about the change we were promised: the change has occurred, it was not a positive one, but negative.
While 2016 draws closer to us, many believe our economy is much better off, while the majority have been handed the bill. The Great Recession was a troubling time for many Americans as the housing market crashed and companies began to shut their doors. President Obama did set in place policies that did help us through it, but in turn caused Americans to lose money year after year. While incomes of the top 10% have increased by 0.7%, the lower 20% saw a decrease of 3.5%, young families saw a decline of 6.1%, and seniors saw a decline of 8.1%. (Irwin, 2014) During the recession, we Americans also lost faith in the stock market and we have seen stock ownership decline. This is largely in part to the loss of income by many families in our country. As if the decrease in income growth wasn’t enough, many are seeing a decline in their actual share of their hard earned money. Once again we see the top 3% has enjoyed an increase of their share of income at 30.5% from 27.7%. (Leubsdorf, 2014) The bottom 90% have experienced the opposite however, and the gap between rich and poor has continually widened.
While a land of opportunity and sanctuary from ill situations of other countries, many feel that it is the time to build our walls and become financially capable to do so again. As the gap between rich and poor has widened, the poor or even “barely comfortable” families have felt that some decisions, such as increased taxes and Obamacare, have been a figurative slap in the face. Just this year, while many struggle to put food on their tables, they have been asked to pay for upwards of 60,000 illegal immigrants who have flooded our border. Instead of handling this issue, President Obama has felt the need to delay action until after the November elections. At this time, the President seeks Executive Action to grant amnesty to any and all illegal immigrants who seek refuge within our borders. (Nakamura, Keefe, 2014) Many see this as a major issue in many instances, but the effect it will have on our school district seems to be the heaviest handed. While our national debt clock ticks steadily towards 18 trillion dollars, this amnesty could cost our schools $761 million dollars to provide education for these children. At the top of the list of states with the largest costs, New York could see an additional $147.7 million dollars after forcibly shutting down schools due to limited funding. This would include free lunches and an estimated $35,520 per pupil with limited language capabilities. (Ferrichio, 2014) While we have been given the image that this situation is being handled, Governors and mayors across the country continue to struggle to keep up with the influx. This often seems an injustice to the American children who are already experiencing the consequences of limited learning capabilities due to a lack in funding. Along with the increasing debt this influx of illegal immigrants would cost, it has raised numerous concerns about our nation’s health. According to the CDC, a new virus that mimics Polio is being brought over the border by these children. As a result, nine cases of this illness have been reported between August 9, 2014 and September 17, 2014 and affected children ages 1-18. (CDC, 2014) Aside from the growing Ebola virus which is also making its way across our border, this unidentified virus is a new worry for parents of young children who may be exposed to the virus in their classrooms.
Even in the wake of the immigration fiasco, and a declining economy, many still argue that we, indeed, are better off under President Obama rather than President Bush. By recent reports from the Obama Administration, this is also untrue. Since 2009, we have only seen an inflation-adjusted rise in economy growth by 1.6%. This falls short of President Bush’s growth rate of 1.7%, at the end of his term, during War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. While President Bush did start his presidency with a seemingly strong economy, events such as 9/11 caused major disruption in our spending habits. As journalist Brian Domitrovic states in a recent article for Forbes Magazine: “Bush started from a high base and came in low. Obama started from a low base and came in worse.” (Domitrovic, 2014) Also contrary to common acknowledgment, we have seen an increase of government spending by 50%. We have seen a 15% increase in Obamacare funding, gas costs 80% more, local and state pay allowance has decreased by 3.2% while government payroll has increased by 3%. Our countries student loan debt now sits at an astounding 1 trillion dollars, while the government still owes the public sector $12.3 trillion dollars. With these numbers, you would think that a budget would be at the top of the list, yet we have not seen one since August 9, 2009. (Lancaster, 2014)
This may all come as a shock, as it does for many American’s who dive deeper into the finer details of the presidency, as our media has seemingly done a fine job of shining the President’s image up. Although the overall approval rating of our President sits comfortably at 43%, individual marks aren’t so glamorous. An astonishing 63% disagree with his decision to grant amnesty, while 25% approve of his handling of the minors and others who have crossed our border. On top of this, 56% blame his policies for the increasing number of illegal immigrants. As far as our economy, 52% believe we are still in a recession, stating that the economy is no better than what it was. As if these numbers are not disappointing enough, 29% approve his handling of the federal budget. (IBD) It certainly seems as though the American public has caught on to what has been happening to cause misfortune in our individual lives. As many hold on to hope that things will turn around, many Americans, and it seems even the President, has given up on this term as well as hopes of recovery.
So what about you? Do you feel as if you are better off under President Obama?
Irwin, Neil. “How Are American Families Doing? A Guided Tour of Our Financial Well- Being.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 8 Sept. 2014. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/upshot/how-are-american-families-doing-a-guided-tour-of-our-financial-well-being.html?abt=0002&abg=0>.
Leubsdorf, Ben. “Fed: Gap Between Rich, Poor Americans Widened During Recovery.” The Wall StreetJournal. Dow Jones & Company, n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://online.wsj.com/articles/fed-gap-between-rich-poor-americans-widened-during-recovery-1409853628>.
Nakamura, David; O’Keefe, Ed. “Obama delays executive immigration action until after midterm elections in November.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-delays-executive-immigration-action-until-after-midterm-elections-in-november/2014/09/06/e3ecf346-35cf-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html>.
Ferrichio, Susan. “Immigration group: Surge will cost schools $761 million | WashingtonExaminer.com.” Washington Examiner. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <http://washingtonexaminer.com/immigration-group-surge-will-cost-schools-761-million/article/2552749>.
Center for Disease Control “Acute Neurologic Illness with Focal Limb Weakness of Unknown Etiology in Children.” 26 Sept. 2014. <http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00370.asp>
Domitrovic, Brian “Obama’s Economy Is Worse Than Bush’s, By Obama’s Own Numbers.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/briandomitrovic/2013/10/01/obamas-economy-is-worse-than-bushs-by-obamas-own-numbers/>.
Lancaster, Robert “My Turn: Numbers Speak For Themselves and Obama’s Performance.” Gaston Gazette. Web. <http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/columns/my-turn-numbers-speak-for-themselves-and-obama-s-performance-1.383649?page=0>
“What’s Keeping Obama’s Approval Ratings Up?” Investor’s Business Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/090214-715650-what-is-holding-obama-approval-ratings-up.htm>.
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