So this is the newest right-wing attack meme...my question is, how do I respond to the guys who post this as a status on facebook or mail it to me?
Are you REALLY interested in the CHANGE we got from Obama & the Democrat Congress?
check the comment (seems like somebody dropped the ball):
AVG. RETAIL COST OF GASOLINE -- $3.10 a gallon, up from $1.83 on 01/20/09, an increase of 69.6 percent. (source 1, see below)
BARREL OF EUROPEAN CRUDE OIL -- $99.02, up from $43.48 on 01/20/09, an increase of 127.7 percent. (source 2)
BARREL ...OF WEST TX CRUDE OIL -- $91.38, up from $38.74 on 01/20/09, an increase of 135.9 percent. (source 2)
NATURAL GAS (dollars per MMbtu) -- $4.48, down from $4.85 on 01/20/09, a decrease of 7.6 percent. (source 2)
GOLD (London, Troy Ounce) -- $1,369.50, up from $853.25 on 01/20/09, an increase of 60.5 percent. (source 2)
CORN, No. 2 YELLOW -- $6.33 per bushel in Chicago, up from $3.56 on 01/20/09, an increase of 42.3 percent. (source 2)
SOY BEANS, No. 1 YELLOW -- $13.75 per bushel in Chicago, up from $9.66 on 01/20/09, an increase of 42.3 percent. (source 2)
SUGAR, (raw, cane, world, Ib. fob) -- $35.39, up from $13.37 on 01/20/09, an increase of 164.7 percent. (source 2)
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (urban) – 219.2, up from 211.1 on 01/20/09, an increase of 3.8 percent. (source 3)
PRODUCER PRICE INDEX (finished goods)– 183.0, up from 170.3 on 01/20/09, an increase of 7.5 percent. (source 3)
PRODUCER PRICE INDEX (commodities) – 189.9, up from 171.0 on 01/20/09, an increase of 11.1 percent. (source 3)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (Non-Farm) – 9.4 percent, up from 7.6 on 01/20/09, an increase of 23.7 percent. (source 3)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (African-American) – 15.8 percent, up from 12.6 on 01/20/09, an increase of 25.4 percent. (source 3)
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED – 14,485,000, up from 11,616,000 on 01/20/09, an increase of 24.7 percent. (source 3)
NUMBER OF FEDERAL WORKERS (ex. uniformed military) –2,840,000, up from 2,779,000 on 01/20/09, an increase of 2.2 percent. (source 3)
REAL MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2008 vs. 2009) -- $49,777, down from $50,112 on 01/20/09, a decrease of 0.7 percent. (source 4)
NUMBER OF FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS – 43,200,878 (as of 10/10), up from 31,983,716 on 01/20/09, an increase of 35.1 percent. (source 5)
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT RECIPIENTS – 9,193,838, up from 7,526,598 on 01/20/09, an increase of 22.2 percent. (source 6)
NUMBER OF LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED – 6.4 million, up from 2.6 million on 01/20/09, an increase of 146.2 percent. (source 3)
POVERTY RATE (Individuals) – 14.3 percent in 2009, up from 13.2 on 01/20/09, an increase of 8.3 percent. (source 4)
AMERICANS BELOW POVERTY LEVEL – 43.6 million in 2009, up from 39.8 on 01/20/09, an increase of 9.5 percent. (source 4)
HOUSE PRICE INDEX --- 192.7 (3rd Qtr 2010), down from 198.7 on 01/20/09, a decrease of 3.0 percent. (source 7)
S&P HOME PRICE INDEX (20-city composite) – 145.3, down from 146.4 on 01/20/09, a decrease of 0.8 percent. (source 7)
PROPERTIES SUBJECT TO FORECLOSURE FILINGS – 2.87 million, up from 2.82 million on 01/20/09, an increase of 1.7 percent. (Source 9)
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE – 11,825, up from 7,949 on 01/20/09, an increase of 48.8 percent. (Note: "The Dow" was 12,403 on June 3, 2008 when President Obama received the Democratic nomination.) Source 2
NASDAQ – 2,725, up from 1,441 on 01/20/09, an increase of 89.1. (It was 2,480 on June 3, 2008.) Source 2
S&P 500 – 1,282, up from 805 on 01/20/09, an increase of 59.2 percent. (It was 1,378 on June 3, 2008) Source 2
GLOBAL DOW – 2,153, up from 1,356 on 01/20/09, an increase of 58.8 percent. (Source 2)
U.S. RANK IN ECONOMIC FREEDOM WORLD RANKINGS – No. 9, down from No. 5 on 01/20/09. (Source 10)
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX – 52.5, up from 37.7 on 01/20/09, an increase of 39.3. (Source 11)
PRESENT SITUATION INDEX – 23.5, down from 29.9 on 01/20/09, a decrease of 21.4 percent (source 11)
FAILED BANKS – 164, up from 140 on 1/20/09, an increase of 17.1 percent (source 12)
U.S. DOLLAR VS. JAPANESE YEN – 82.03 exchange rate, down from 89.76 on 1/20/09, a decrease of 8.6 percent (source 2)
U.S. MONEY SUPPLY M1 (in billions) – 1,865.7, up from 1,575.1 on 1/20/09, an increase of 18.4 percent (source 13)
U.S. MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (in billions) – 8,852.3, up from 8,310.9 on 1/20/09, an increase of 6.5 percent. (source 13)
NATIONAL DEBT (in trillions) -- $14.052, up from $10.627 on 1/20/09, an increase of 32.2 percent.
SOURCES:
- U.S. Energy Information Administration.
- Wall Street Journal
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Census Bureau
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
- U.S. Dept. of Labor
- Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller
- Realty Tac
- Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal
- The Conference Board
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Federal Reserve
- U.S. Treasury