Political Quotes

“let me begin by making a few points about which there is not a whole lot of disagreement. First, the United States today is in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s. Over 16 percent of working age Americans are unemployed or underemployed, working 20 hours a week when they want to be working 40 hours. Long-term unemployment is the highest on record. In other words, when people are losing their jobs now, it is not a question of weeks to gain a new job but, in some cases, 6 or 8 months or perhaps not at all. In the midst of this economic crisis, millions of Americans have lost their homes, savings, and pensions. Second point: The United States today has a $13 trillion national debt and a record-breaking $1.6 trillion deficit. Last year alone, the Federal Government spent over $186 billion paying interest on that debt. We are leaving our children and grandchildren a huge financial obligation which not only will impact them personally but will affect the well-being of the entire country in the midst of a strong and competitive global economy. Third point: The United States today has the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country. Today, as this chart indicates, the top 1 percent earns more income than the bottom 50 percent. Let me repeat that. The top 1 percent earns more income than the bottom 50 percent. And the top 1 percent owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent.”