On the very outside chance that you haven’t been paying attention to the world around you, I’d like to offer up some statistics that should give you an idea about where we are as a country today compared to where we were as a country in 2008. I’ll even give you the source of the statistics so you can verify them for yourself if so inclined. First, let’s take a look at some Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The cost of gasoline has risen from $1.69 in December ’08 to $3.88 today. That’s a 130% increase. Unemployment: 27+ weeks went from 2.6 m in 12/08 to 5.6 m in 12/11 (115% increase); Ave weeks unemployed went from 19.9 weeks in 12/08 to 40.8 in 12/11 (105% increase); total unemployed (U-6, not seasonally adjusted) went from 10.5% in 12/08 to 15.9% in 12/11 (51% increase), and finally, the number of jobs went from 134.4 m in 12/08 to 131.9 m in 12/11 (2% decrease).
Other stats are available such as USDA says food stamp participation has gone from 31.7 m in 12/08 to 46.3 m in 9/11 (46% increase), US Treasury says the national debt went from 10.7 trillion in 12/08 to 15.23 trillion in 12/11 (42% increase), US Census says the rate of poverty went from 13.2% in 2008 to 15.1% in 3/11 (14% increase), and finally the annual cost of health insurance for a family went from $12,680 in 2008 to $15,073 in 2011 (19% increase).
So much for the promise of ‘Hope & Change’ from Obama and the left.
Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:46 pm by 
