No doubt, we'll be hearing plenty of political back and forth on the recent report by the Census Bureau that shows that poverty rates increased last year, and the number of people with health insurance decreased (as has been consistent since Bush took office).
I'm sure Kerry's team has been dancing for joy at the news. But it is not fair to Bush to blame this trend entirely on him. After all, this is a trend that is tied to the national economy -- when the economy is in recession, poverty increases. Duh. And the recession did truly begin at the close of the Clinton administration, before Bush came in and started playing President Santa Claus to the wealthy.
But I also believe that Bush could have done a much better job of limiting the increase in poverty, and the loss of health care coverage. While the increase in poverty was to be expected in a recession, the rate at which we recover from the recession is in part based on the actions of our government, as is the availability of social programs to help those hurt by the recession.
Further, Bush's tax cuts (which were promised on the theory they would come out of the surplus that disappeared) and deficit spending have not done anything to help the situation.
So in the end, as in most things political, this issue is not black and white. Bush is fiscally irresponsible, but he's not solely responsible for our nation's poverty. That is a problem that is much larger than any one man, or administration, and one our children's children will still be fighting over.
Still, perhaps it is time for a revival of the Reagan-Bush era "Comic Relief" concerts. You remember, back when homelessness and poverty increased, and we weren't in a recession? Assuming Whoopi isn't busy, that is.
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