Abstract

The Kitchen-Table State of the Union

The author considers the State of the Union as it looks not from the White House or Wall Street, but from America's kitchen tables. With the stock market surging and the economy growing, George W. Bush has begun touting the success of his tax cuts. In his State of the Onion address on January 20, Bush will no doubt argue that we're on the right track and need to stay the course. But for most Americans the rosy statistics don't reflect their reality. And in case after case, the President's policies are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Jobs are scarce and increasingly insecure. Despite the much-advertised economic recovery, Bush will have the worst jobs record of any President since the Great Depression. Homelessness is up, and more working people are in poverty. Healthcare costs are soaring, with businesses forcing workers to pick up more of the tab or dropping coverage altogether. Schools across the country are being forced to cut back, laying off teachers, doubling up classes, putting off needed construction. Tuition at four-year public colleges is going up nearly 15 percent a year. Federal grants for deserving students haven't kept up. Many older workers saw their retirement dreams shattered when the stock market collapsed. Personal debt is at record heights, as are personal bankruptcies. Americans are notoriously inattentive to national politics and sensibly cynical about politicians. But they know that although champagne corks may be popping in the boardrooms, there is little to celebrate around the kitchen table.