Americans Worse Off after 4 Years of Obama Presidency

Stephanie Cutter: “By any measurement, the country has moved forward from where we were, from what we inherited four years ago.” (MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” 9/3/12)

BY THESE MEASURES THERE IS LITTLE REASON FOR AMERICANS TO CONSIDER THEMSELVES BETTER OFF AFTER FOUR YEARS OF OBAMA

Better Off: 56 Percent Of Swing State Voters Say They Aren’t Better Off Than They Were Four Years Ago. (Jeffrey M. Jones, “Swing-State Voters Say They Are No Better Off Than In 2008,” Gallup, 8/20/12)Jobs: Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 316,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above Eight Percent For 42 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 9/3/12)Unemployment: 23.6 Million Americans Are Either Unemployed, Underemployed Or Have Given Up Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 9/3/12)Long-Term Unemployment: Since Obama Took Office, The Average Duration Of Unemployment Has Nearly Doubled From 19.8 Weeks To 38.8 Weeks. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 9/3/12)Net Worth: “The Net Worth Of The American Family Has Fallen To Its Lowest Level In Two Decades.” (Ylan Q. Mui, “Fed: Americans’ Wealth Dropped 40 Percent,” The Washington Post , 6/11/12)Median Household Income: “Real Median Household Income In March Was Down $4,300 Since Obama Took Office In January 2009 …” (Mike Dorning, “Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush,” Bloomberg, 4/30/12)Savings: 23.4 Percent Of Families Have No Savings At All, Up From 18.5 Percent In 2009. (Christine Dugas, “Recession Added Debt, Drained Families’ Savings,”USA Today, 5/12/12)Government Assistance: “49.1%: Percent Of The Population That Lives In A Household Where At Least One Member Received Some Type Of Government Benefit In The First Quarter Of 2011.” (Phil Izzo, “Number Of The Week: Half Of U.S. Lives In Household Getting Benefits,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Real Time Economics,” 5/26/12)Food Stamps: Since President Obama Took Office, The Number Of Americans Receiving Food Stamps Has Increased From 31.9 Million To 46.7 Million, A 46 Percent Increase. (Department Of Agriculture, 8/30/12)Poverty: 97.3 Million Americans Now Qualify As Low-Income And Another 49.1 Million Are In Poverty; Together, 146.4 Million Americans Or 48 Percent Of The Population. (Hope Yen, “Census Shows 1 In 2 People Are Poor Or Low-Income,” The Associated Press, 12/15/11)Food Prices: Since Obama Became President, The Monthly Price Of A Moderate-Cost Food Plan For A Family Of Four With Young Children Has Increased From $819.40 To $859.40. (“Official USDA Food Plans: Cost Of Food At Home At Four Levels, U.S. Average, January 2009,” USDA , 2/09; “Official USDA Food Plans: Cost Of Food At Home At Four Levels, U.S. Average, July 2012,” USDA, 7/12)Gas Prices: Since Obama Took Office, The Average Price Per Gallon Of Gas Has More Than Doubled From $1.847 To $3.744. (“Gasoline And Diesel Fuel Update,” U.S. Energy And Information Administration, Accessed 9/3/12)College Costs: Since President Obama Took Office, The Average Cost Of In-State Tuition At A Four Year College Has Risen From $6,585 To $8,244, A 25 Percent Increase. (“Trends In College Pricing 2009,” College Board, 2008; “Trends In College Pricing 2011,” College Board, 2011)Health Care Premiums: Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Family Health Care Premiums Have Increased From $12,680 To $15,073. (“Employer Health Benefits, 2011 Annual Survey, Exhibit 1.11″ Kaiser Family Foundation, 2011)Foreclosures: Currently 5.6 Million Residential Mortgages Are Either 30 Days Delinquent Or In Foreclosure. (Press Release, “LPS “First Look” Mortgage Report: July Month-End Data Shows Slight Decrease in Delinquencies,” Lender Processing Services, 8/29/12)Negative Equity: As Of The Second Quarter Of 2012, 30.9 Percent – 15.3 Million – Of U.S. Homeowners With A Mortgage Are Underwater. (Stan Humphries, “Negative Equity Declines Slightly On The Back Of Modest Home Value Gains,” Zillow, 8/22/12)