The Bush administration claims the economy is growing. It is true statistics show that corporate profits are increasing and there has been some job and GDP growth. The fact remains that the areas in which the economy is growing are not affecting the average person.
Recent studies have shown during the past year, the average price of homes has increased 20% while wages for middle income workers have increased only a few percent. The result is middle income America are worse off today in terms of being able to purchase a house. The same thing is true for health care and the increase in energy prices. The impact on the majority of Americans from this so-called growing economy is that they are worse off even with the economic growth. The middle income are worse off because their wage growth has not kept pace with the increased cost of healthcare, housing and energy. The poor have had NO wage growth. The group of Americans that are better off are those that receive a great deal of their income from dividends. Corporations have increased their profit margins and are paying larger dividends. The problem is that has not helped the middle income or poor Americans meet their day-to-day living expenses.
Especially problematic are the increased energy costs. They are MUCH worse then a tax increase because they impact the poor, the middle income and the wealthy alike. Tax increase generally do not impact the poor . It is no wonder why the polls show that most Americans do not approve of the way Bush is running the economy. The reality of the economic growth is it is NOT helping the poor and middle income Americans who are worse off today than they were in January 2001.