Posted on 09/02/2014 4:50:28 PM PDT by nhwingut
President Obama appeared at a Labor Day event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he told a crowd of union supporters that "American workers and the American economy are better off since I became president."
Since it is widely acknowledged that Americans have given Obama record setting disapproval numbers relative to his handling of the U.S. economy - we decided to fact check this statement.
First let's review how America feels about this statement.
According to the latest Gallup poll, a mere 35% of the country approves of Obama's handling of the economy.
NBC News/Wall St Journal reported the same 35% (with 71% saying country is on wrong track.) CNN reports pretty much the same. As does CBS/NYT.
Also, curiously, the Democrat candidate for governor in Wisconsin, ran and hid, when Obama landed in the Badger State to tout how America is "better off" under his leadership. Which seems kind of odd.
I mean, wouldn't a Democrat candidate, in a blue-tilting state like Wisconsin, want to be seen with the man responsible for making Americans "better off?"
Very strange.
Well. Let's move beyond opinion and perception. And look at the facts. Things that would actually make Americans "better off" such as affordable healthcare, energy, and food. Basically three of the most important expenditures in a family's budget.
Let's start with gas prices.
Gas prices have almost doubled.
The average price of a gallon of gas has increased 96 percent since President Barack Obama first took office in 2009, according to figures from the Energy Information Agency (EIA).
Next up healthcare.
Healthcare costs have skyrocketed.
Health insurance premiums are showing the sharpest increases perhaps ever according to a survey of brokers who sell coverage in the individual and small group market. Morgan Stanley’s healthcare analysts conducted the proprietary survey of 148 brokers. The April survey shows the largest acceleration in small and individual group rates in any of the 12 prior quarterly periods when it has been conducted.The average increases are in excess of 11% in the small group market and 12% in the individual market. Some state show increases 10 to 50 times that amount. The analysts conclude that the “increases are largely due to changes under the ACA.”
What about food?
Food prices are through the roof.
The price of beef and bacon hit its all-time high in the United States in June, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).In January 1980, when BLS started tracking the price of these commodities, ground chuck cost $1.82 per pound and bacon cost $1.45 per pound. By this June 2014, ground chuck cost $3.91 per pound and bacon cost $6.11 per pound.
A decade ago, in June 2004, a pound of ground chuck cost $2.49, which means that the commodity has increased by 57 percent since then. Bacon has increased by 78.7 percent from the $3.42 it cost in June 2004 to the $6.11 it costs now.
So the cost of energy, healthcare and food have soared, since Obama became president. Which would sort of make the idea that Americans "are better off since I took office" sound delusional.
But maybe incomes have also soared to sort of even things out.
Um, nope. In fact incomes are actually lower.
For five years, the United States economy has been expanding at a steady clip, the stock market soaring, the headlines filled with talk of recovery. Yet public opinion polling shows most Americans still think the economy is pretty miserable.What might account for the paradox? New data from a research firm offers a simple, frustrating answer: Middle-class American families’ income is lower now, when adjusted for inflation, than when the recovery began half a decade ago.
Sentier Research, a firm led by former census officials, used census data to tabulate an estimate of the median household income — how much is earned by families at the exact middle of the nation’s income distribution. In June 2014, it found in a report issued Wednesday, the median household income was $53,891, down from $55,589 in inflation-adjusted dollars when the economic expansion began in June 2009.
Okay, let's recap. Gas prices have about doubled. Health insurance costs have skyrocketed. Food prices are at all time high levels. And incomes have actually decreased.
But Obama says Americans are "better off."
Unfortunately. We have to rate this as a lie.
bkmk
Who said, “Gas prices will necessarily skyrocket”?
I am better off. The company I worked for closed down. Now I can spend the days writing poetry.
I am making different colored stick figures and plan on selling them to liberals as art.
What is NOT a lie from this feckless fool on the hill?
I’m pretty sure movie tickets have almost doubled also! It’s like $12.00 a ticket in MN now!
I’m a lot better off. All those bankruptcies and foreclosures have kept me going pretty good.
Bush’s fault!
Who said, “Gas prices will necessarily skyrocket”?
The same guy who is doing everything he can to destroy the coal industry
I paid damn near 30 dollars for two small plastic bags of groceries and a bag of potatoes last week.
Things are just going brilliant!!! /ssssssssssssssssssssss
You mean... he lied?
FACT: Obama and his Democrat party are delusional. So it’s no surprise they called him out on this lie.
And notice the press reports none of the ghastly economic news as part of their campaign reporting, with some of them actually telling us with a straight face that the economy is improving.
Okay, I’m in agreement that things are worse off now, in comparison to before Obama became president,
but,
when comparing beef and bacon, why did the authors resort going back to prices of 1980 and 2004, rather than 2008 or 2009?
What’s the deal there?
It’s like $12.00 a ticket in MN now!”
Took my grandson to a movie as a major portion of his birthday gift two months ago. Two tickets, one a senior rate and one a student rate, during twilight showing, one large box of popcorn, one bottle of water and one small lemonade = $40. Reminded me why I don’t go anymore. We’ll just get a DVD after this.
But there is no inflation comrade.
I used to like getting groceries but even what little I get, I have winced more than a little at checkout.
I know plenty of the willful blind and ignorant that will make any excuse in the world so they don’t have to blame their precious “wun” and the criminal party.
In 2008, I was making 76,000 plus an annual bonus that put me near the 6 figure income range. I was the sole breadwinner for my family of four. Then I lost my job in 2010. My next job paid much less and the bonus was a pittance compared to my previous employer ... so my wife had to go back to work teaching 1st grade. Then I lost another job. I now make the same salary with no bonus at all. Together, we make a little more than I was making on my own before the 2010 layoff.
Factor that in with the cost of everything skyrocketing ... no, I’m not doing better under Obama’s administration. Not at all.
Don’t blame his minions at all is the key. He said he would do all of this.
Obama is doing everything he wants.
If his supporters don’t understand that, then you SHOW them how ignorant they are.
“unfortunately”. yeah your comrade in arms you can’t not criticize otherwise your blatant hypocrisy will be exposed to the dupes.
obutthole came to frank zeidler’park. named after milwaukee’s socialist mayor. that’s why he came here.
he’s only popular’in milwaukee, green bay,’madison and lacrosse. nowhere else.
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