The 2008 State of the Union: The Real Numbers

I should preface the sobering numbers of the startling truth by saying I'm a Conservative - being a patriot who believes in the Founder Father's idea expressed in the primary documents of our country. Many fault the president, but it is our additional elected leaders, both Republicans and Democrats - congressmen and senators - who have not acted in the best interest of this country, its people, its citizens, it future. Electing a new president will make no difference if the same lazy, pork-barrel-minded, arrogant officials are elected time and time again. But it is not the government that is totally at fault. WE are at fault for allowing outside entities to dictate policy to our government. WE allowed this to happen. Our country requires more than just talk of change from a podium, it requires a revolution to take our country back to the basics that make it great.

HOUSING AND INCOMES

Inflation-adjusted median household income in 2000	$49,158
Median household income in 2006	$48,201
8-year increase in median household income in 2001	$6,000
6-year decrease in median household income in 2007	$1,100

Historical Income Tables - Households, H-6 Tables, U.S. Census 2000 and 2006

The salary of a full-time minimum wage employee without vacation, 2007	$12,168
The average salary of a CEO of a Fortune 500 company	$15.2 million

CEO Compensation, Forbes Magazine. May 3, 2007

Number of Americans living in poverty in 2001	31.6 million
Number of Americans living in poverty in 2008	36.5 million

[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

Amount more Americans earned than spent in 2001	+2.3 percent
Amount less Americans are earning than spending in 2008	-0.5 percent

[Bureau of Economic Analysis]

Total consumer credit debt in 2001	$7.65 trillion
Total consumer credit debt in 2008	$12.8 trillion

[Insurance Information Institute]

Decline in median income from 2000-2006 in White American households	$745
Decline in median income from 2000-2006 in Hispanic households	$1,043
Decline in median income from 2000-2006 in Asian households	$1,381
Decline in median income from 2000-2006 in African-American households	$2,766

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2006. Current Population Reports, Consumer Income. August 2007

White American household median income, 2006	$50,673
African-American household median income, 2006	$31,969
Asian household median income, 2006	$63,900
Hispanic household median income, 2006	$37,781

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2006. Current Population Reports, Consumer Income. August 2007

Percentage of White Americans living in poverty, 2006	8.2
Percentage of Black people living in poverty, 2006	24.3
Percentage of Asians living in poverty, 2006	10.1
Percentage of Hispanics living in poverty, 2006	20.6

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2006. Current Population Reports, Consumer Income. August 2007

Percentage increase in home foreclosures, November 2006-December 2007

68

"Foreclosure Activity Decreases 10 Percent in November." RealtyTrac. December 19, 2007.

JOBS

American manufacturing jobs in 2000	17,263,000
American manufacturing jobs in 2006	14,197,000

U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Employment Statistics

Yearly average number of new private sector jobs created from 1992-2000	1.76 million
Yearly average number of new private sector jobs created from 2001-2008	369,000

[Bureau of Labor Statistics.]

Unemployment rate among White Americans, December 2007	4.4
Unemployment rate among African Americans, December 2007	9.0
Unemployment rate among Asians, December 2007	3.7
Unemployment rate among Hispanics, December 2007	6.3

U.S. Department of Labor. Employment Situation Summary. January 4, 2008

ENERGY

Average price of home heating oil on January 3, 2000	$1.40/gallon
Average price of home heating oil on January 7, 2008	$3.39/gallon

United States Energy Information Administration. "U.S. Weekly No. 2 Heating Oil Residential Prices-cents per gallon." December 24, 2007.

Average price of a gallon of gasoline on January 3, 2000	$1.59
Average price of a gallon of gasoline on January 7, 2008	$3.14

United States Energy Administration. Retail Gasoline Historical Prices

Percentage increase in the average price of home heating oil since January 2000, percent	142 percent
Percentage increase in the average price of gasoline since January 2000,	98 percent
Inflation-adjusted price of a gallon of home heating oil, winter of 2001-2002	$1.36
Projected price of a gallon of home heating oil, winter of 2007-2008	$3.32

Selected U.S. Average Consumer, Table WF01, Energy Administration, January 2008

Percentage of U.S. liquid fuel consumption that was imported in 2001	52.75 percent
Percentage of U.S. liquid fuel consumption that is imported in 2008	60.38 percent

[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

Exxon Mobil profits in 2000	$7.9 billion
Exxon Mobil profits in 2006	$36.1 billion
Exxon Mobil's profit during the second quarter of 2006, per second	$1,318

CNNMoney.Com, Fortune 500 2006; Exxon Mobil; CNN.com, "Exxon Mobile makes more than $10 billion." July 27, 2006.

COLLEGE COSTS

Average cost (tuition, fees, room, and board) at a public four-year college in 2000, annual	$10,153
Average cost for public four-year college in 2006, annual	$13,089

College Board. "Trends in College Pricing." 2007.

Most expensive college tuition, 2006-2007

$37,820 at George Washington University

"America's Most Expensive Colleges," Forbes.com. January 19, 2007

Average percent change in yearly tuition costs for public four-year college students since 2000	Up 29%
Average percent change in median household income during same period	Down 2%
Average debt shouldered by 2006 college graduates	$21,000

The Project on Student Debt. Student Debt and the Class of 2006. September 2007

HEALTH CARE

Percentage of Americans receiving employment-based health insurance, 2000	64.2
Percentage of Americans receiving employment-based health insurance, 2006	59.7

U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2006. August 2007

Inflation-adjusted annual cost of a family health insurance premium in 2000	$7,643
Annual cost of a family health insurance premium in 2006	$11,480

Employer Health Benefits 2000 and 2006, Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust

The number of Americans without health insurance in 2000	38.4 million
The number of Americans without health insurance in 2006	46.9 million

U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2006. August 2007

Decrease over 2 years in the number of uninsured Americans in 2001	4.5 million
Increase over 6 years in the number of uninsured Americans in 2008	8.5 million

[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

Percentage of Republican presidential candidates with universal health insurance plans	0
Percentage of Democratic presidential candidates with universal health insurance plans	100
Percentage of White Americans uninsured in 2006	10.8
Percentage of African Americans uninsured in 2006	20.5
Percentage of Asians uninsured in 2006	15.5
Percentage of Hispanics uninsured in 2006	34.1

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2006. Current Population Reports, Consumer Income. August 2007

Percentage of total world military spending spent by U.S. 47%

-Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, "National Security Spending."

Total U.S. military expenditures (including for Iraq and Afghanistan) requested for fiscal year 2008	$644 billion
Total military expenditures of the 10 next top spenders combined	$446.1 billion (Includes 2006 expenditures for China ; 2005 expenditures for Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India, and Brazil)

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. "U.S. Military Spending vs. the World." February 5, 2007.

U.S. military base budget, fiscal year 2001	$297.1
U.S. pending military base budget, fiscal year 2008 (not including money budgeted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan)	$481.4

White House Office of Management and Budget. "Budget of the United States Department of Defense FY2008." February 5, 2007.

Percentage of federal discretionary budget spent on the military, not including Iraq, fiscal year 2007, percentage	50
Percentage of the fiscal year 2007 federal budget spent on education	6.2

White House Office of Management and Budget. "Table S-3. Growth in Discretionary Budget Authority by Major Agency." February 6, 2006.

Number of active duty army divisions rated at the highest readiness levels in 2001	All
Number of active duty or reserve brigade in the U.S. considered fully combat ready	0

[Speaker of the House, Nov. 29, 2007]

DEBTS AND DEFICITS

The national debt in 2001	$5.7 trillion
The national debt in Jan. 2008	$9.2 trillion

[U.S. Dept. of the Treasury]

U.S. trade deficit in October 2000, monthly	$33.8 billion
U.S. trade deficit in October 2007, monthly	$57.8 billion

U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics. December 12, 2007.

Value of one euro in dollars, January 2000	$1.01
Value of one euro in dollars, January 2008	$1.45
Loss of value of U.S. dollar relative to the euro, January 3, 2000-January 2, 2008, percentage	45

Federal Reserve Statistical Release. H-10 Historical Rates for Euro Area

Value of an ounce of gold in 2000 (Adjusted for inflation.)	$319
Value of an ounce of gold, 2008	$892

"Hike Interest Rates, Lower the Hold Price?" National Review. March 30, 2006; GoldPrice.org 22 January 2008

U.S. budget balance in fiscal year 2000	$236 billion surplus
U.S. budget balance in fiscal year 2007	$354 billion deficit

House Office of Management and Budget. Historical Tables; White House Office of Management and Budget. "Table S-1. Budget Totals."

IMPORTS

Percentage increase in number of U.S. imports, 2000-2006	30
Percentage increase in the Consumer Product Safety Commission's budget, 2000-2006	9

Testimony of Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety and Senior Counsel, Consumer Federation of America, Before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. May 15, 2007. See also U.S. Trade in Goods: Balance of Payments Basis vs. Census Basis. November 27, 2007.

Percentage increase in number of Food and Drug Administration food inspections, 2000-2006	8
Percentage increase in number of agricultural imports, 2000-2006	39

U.S.DA. Economic Research Service. "Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States." July 1, 2006. FDA Inspection Data compiled by the Coalition for a Stronger FDA.

Number of cases of foodborne disease outbreaks, 2006

25,659

Center for Disease Control. Summary Statistics for Foodborne Outbreaks, 2006.

WORLD OPINION

					Percentage of people abroad who viewed America favorably in 2001	58.3
					Percentage of people abroad who viewed America favorably in 2007	39.2
					Percentage of people in Great Britain who viewed America favorably in 2001	83
					Percentage of people in Great Britain who viewed America favorably in 2007	56
					Percentage of people in Indonesia who viewed America favorably in 2001	75
					Percentage of people in Indonesia who viewed America favorably in 2007	30
					Percentage of people in Germany who viewed America favorably in 2001	78
					Percentage of people in Germany who viewed America favorably in 2007	37

[Pew Research Center]