YMSK
Recordings
The Soapbox
The 2006 State of the Union
Address
By the Numbers.
Below are quotes from President Bush's State of the Union Address followed by numbers that tell a different story:
"In the last two and a half years, America has created 4.6 million new jobs, more than Japan and the European Union combined."
| American Manufacturing jobs in 2001 | 17,101,000 |
| American Manufacturing jobs in 2005 | 14,283,000 |
| Nonmilitary-related, private sector jobs created since 2001 |
-1,160,000 |
"Our government has a responsibility to help provide health
care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility."
| Ameircans living without health insurance in 2000 | 39.8 Million |
| Ameircans living without health insurance in 2005 | 46 Million |
| Cuts to federal entitlement programs made one day after Bush's speech | $40 Billion |
| Percentage of those cuts borne by Medicade and Medicare | 27% |
| Percentage of companies that provided health insurance to employees in 2000 | 69% |
| Percentage of companies that provided health insurance to employees in | 60% |
"The American People have turned in an economic performance that is the envy of the world."
| Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2000 | $46,058 |
| Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2004 | $44,389 |
| Increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline since 2000 | 51% |
| Increase in the price of home heating oil since 2000 | 94% |
"Our
economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to spend,
save and invest."
| National savings rate in 1994 | 5% |
| National savings rate in 2004 | 1.8% |
| Percent of Americans in private sector who can rely on a defined pension in 2004 | 6% |
| Percent of baby boomers who say they're prepared for retirement in 2005 | 24% |
| Number of times President Bush mentioned "Iraq" or Iraqi" | 24 |
| Number of times he mentioned "katrina," "New Orleans" or "rebuild" | 0 |
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