AMERICAN POLICY:

A TALLY OF THE GEORGE BUSH LEGACY:

Ever since his last visit to Iraq George Bush is likely to go in comedy as a "shoe-in" for "heel of the century". I mean nobody can go "toe to toe" with him. he has the position "all laced up". There isn't a competitor who is "instep" with his record. But there's serious side to this despite the frivolity. Here from the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy via the AFLCIO Blog is a brief rundown on Bush's legacy. Don't neglect to go to the original source to see the complete list of what Bush has to be "proud" of.

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Bush Legacy: Topping the Injustice Index:

Since George Bush took office, the number of Americans living in poverty has risen to 4.4 million.

In less than a month, George W. Bush’s term as president will end and working people will breathe a massive sigh of relief.

While Bush’s popularity and performance ratings are at rock bottom, he rates high on the Drum Major Institute’s (DMI’s) Injustice Index. Through a stunning series of numbers and dates, DMI paints a picture of increased misery for millions of Americans over the past eight years.

Some of the most onerous of the numbers and dates in the Bush legacy include:
--Since President Bush signed legislation phasing out the federal estate tax in June 2001, the number of U.S. millionaires has risen by 928,000, while the number of Americans living in poverty rose by 4.4 million. All totaled, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy have cost taxpayers $1.3 trillion.
--Some 78,000 children lost health coverage during President Bush’s tenure. Also, 20 percent of Bush’s total vetoes blocked expansion of children’s health insurance. In fact, he cited the superiority of private insurance programs five times in his message explaining the first veto to Congress.
--Since 2000, the real median income of non-retiree households has dropped by $2,010.
--If there is any doubt that the Bush White House did not place a high priority on consumer and worker safety, DMI says the number of full-time staff monitoring hazardous goods at the Consumer Product Safety Commission dropped during Bush’s tenure by 16 percentage points.
--At the same time, the number of federal investigators who monitor employers’ compliance with minimum wage, overtime and child labor laws during Bush’s tenure decreased by 23 percent.
--As of August 2008, Bush has spent 916 days on vacation at either Camp David or his Texas ranch, as of August 2008 (including partial days off), while one in four U.S. workers have no paid vacations or holidays at work.

You can check out the entire DMI Injustice Index on the Bush legacy here. Click here for more injustices and anti-worker actions chronicled in Bush Watch.