The View from Manchester
Wed Jan 09, 2008 at 07:37:21 AM PDT
For many on this site, the 1990s look like part of the problem. NAFTA, welfare reform, triangulation--the whole nine yards. The problems didn't start in 2001--we have to overturn Washington and those that are part of it.
Apparently, the voters in Manchester, New Hampshire -- the largest city in Northern New England and the base of the region's principal working class and union community -- feel differently. For why that is so, and what that means for this election, follow below the fold.
The 1990s were very kind to to Manchester, and to many other working class communities across the United States. Here is the economic record of the Clinton administration.
Average economic growth of 4.0 percent per year, compared to average growth of 2.8 percent during the previous years. The economy grew for 116 consecutive months, the most in history.
Creation of more than 22.5 million jobs—the most jobs ever created under a single administration, and more than were created in the previous 12 years. Of the total new jobs, 20.7 million, or 92 percent, were in the private sector.
Economic gains spurred an increase in family incomes for all Americans. Since 1993, real median family income increased by $6,338, from $42,612 in 1993 to $48,950 in 1999 (in 1999 dollars).
Overall unemployment dropped to the lowest level in more than 30 years, down from 6.9 percent in 1993 to just 4.0 percent in January 2001. The unemployment rate was below 5 percent for 40 consecutive months. Unemployment for African Americans fell from 14.2 percent in 1992 to 7.3 percent in 2000, the lowest rate on record. Unemployment for Hispanics fell from 11.8 percent in October 1992 to 5.0 percent in 2000, also the lowest rate on record.
Inflation dropped to its lowest rate since the Kennedy Administration, averaging 2.5 percent, and fell from 4.7 percent during the previous administration.
The homeownership rate reached 67.7 percent near the end of the Clinton administration, the highest rate on record. In contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993.
The poverty rate also declined from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 11.8 percent in 1999, the largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years. This left 7 million fewer people in poverty than there were in 1993.
The surplus in fiscal year 2000 was $237 billion—the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever.
Of course, people in Manchester, like people everywhere, care about more than the economy. They want they nation to be strong and respected around the world. They want peace and prosperity. And, in the 1990s, they got it. Few American soldiers died in the 1990s, but by the end of the decade U.S. was greatly admired throughout the world for its international leadership in resolving conflicts and maintaining the peace.
Were the 1990s perfect? Of course not. But most working class folks don't make the perfect the enemy of the good. They can't afford to. They need to see real progress in their lives if they are going to feed and clothe their family and achieve their aspirations. And they reward the politicians they think can deliver that. The politicians who praise and contributed to what we achieved in the 1990s, rather than those implying we should turn our back on those "Washington" accomplishments.
Voters in Manchester don't want fancy talk. They want results. And they vote for the politicians they believe can deliver them.
On Tuesday, January 8, 47% of voters in Manchester voted for Hillary Clinton for President, thus helping send a political shock wave across the U.S. And guess what? That are scores of Manchesters all across the U.S., filled with workers, union members, low-income folks, the unemployed, single moms, and waitresses who can't wait to vote for Hillary Clinton.
CORRECTED Update: Here's a terrific first-hand on-the-ground account of exactly what I'm talking about.
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