This is a simple diary, but just a couple of reminders of the difference between a Republican administration and a Democratic administration in terms of measureable economic performance. I got most of the data from perotcharts.com, one of the best resources I have seen for the raw, non-massaged data on the economic issues facing us as a country.
The middle class knows what trickles down, and it ain't money. They got all the trickle, none of the down.
Government spending as a percentage of GDP
1980 - 21.5%
1992 - 21.5%
2000 - 18.25%
2007 - 20%
2008 - Who knows, but since GDP has declined and spending has increased it will be dramatically higher.
Again, trickle down uses deficit spending and in terms of raw dollars and percentage is higher under Republican administrations than under Clinton.
Trickle down only works for the tricklers
National Debt since Reagan
1980 to 1992 - National Debt grew from $1 Trillion to $4 Trillion.
1992 to 2000 - National Debt grew from $4 Trillion to $5.5 Trillion (and was decreasing).
2000 to 2008 - National Debt grew from $5.5 Trillion to $11 Trillion.
Tax Rates since Reagan
Reagan - Capital Gains Tax 28%
Average tax for family of four - 9% - 11%
Bush - Capital Gains Tax 15%
Average Tax for family of four - 5.5% to 6.5%
Obama - Capital Gains Tax 20% (if you make over $250K)
Average tax for family of four - 4.5%
Real Corporate Tax Rate
Of the 275 Fortune 500 companies that reported a profit in 2003-2004, the average corporate tax rate actually paid was 17.5%, which is half of the 35% corporate tax rate. So, the fact that McCain would talk about the rate imposed instead of the net rate paid as far as corporate tax rates goes shows you what a Neidermeyer he is ("Put Neidermeyer on it, he's a sneaky little shit just like you" Dean Wormer - homage to the 30 year anniversary of Animal House which came out two weeks after the doors to my fraternity were nailed shut for "behavioral issues")
Just a couple of simple points to remember. The Republicans have not only had more spending, but more spending as a percentage of GDP than Clinton did. The McCain ad about the most massive movement of wealth in our history due to imported oil purchases is a lie. The shifting of the tax policies from the years of Clinton to the years of Bush causing the shift of household income from $7,500 growth to $2,000 decline from the middle class to finance the tax breaks and loopholes given to corporations and the upper class is the real, largest shift of wealth in history.