Are you better off now than you were in 2001?

When comparing the economy before 2001 to the current year, is your family better off than before? Earnings have remained stagnant but costs of living have risen.

The DOW lost a record 777 points yesterday, the biggest single day total ever and lost more than $1.2 trillion in value (more than the $700 billion required for the bailout). After that decline Marcy Wheeler posted the following numbers from the years 2001 and 2008. DOW January 19, 2001: 10,587.59 DOW September 29, 2008: 10,365.45 NASDAQ Jan 19, 2001 = 2770.38 NASDAQ September 29, 2008 = 1983.73 CPI (Consumer Price Index), January 19, 2001: 175 CPI, September 29, 2008: 219 Dollar exchange with Euro, January 19, 2001: 1.068 Dollar exchange with Euro, September 29, 2008: .695 When we add other data like the following, we see some intriguing figures: National Debt has grown 71.9 percent since Bush took over the Presidency, according to Mark Knoller. It is also more than under any previous president. The gas prices were around $1.50 in 2001; now they hover around $4. And from Tribe.net the following statistics: • Real GDP growth in 2001 4.09% and in 2008 2.65% • U.S. trade deficit per year $380 billion in 2001 and $759 billion in 2008. • Value of consumer goods imported from China $102.3 billion in 2001 and $322 billion in 2008 (making the deficit even wider). • Cost of one ounce of gold $319 in 2001 and $892 in 2008. • 5 million more Americans have fallen into poverty since 2001. • Americans without health insurance: 38.4 million in 2001 and 46.9 million in 2008 Children without health insurance: 8.7 million in 2008. Cost of family health insurance per year: $6,230 in 2001 and $12,106 in 2008 In 2004 nearly 1.8 million veterans were uninsured and unable to get care in veterans' facilities. An additional 3.8 million members of their households were also uninsured and ineligible for VA care. No new study has been done since 2004 but things have only gotten worse. • Average cost/year at a public 4-year college $8,400 in 2001 and $13,000 in 2008 Average cost/year at a private 4-year college $22,000 in 2001 and $29,000 in 2008 Average debt shouldered by college graduates $12,000 in 2001 and $21,000 in 2008. The country is also suffering huge job losses. Under the Bush administration, 20 per cent of manufacturing jobs have disappeared despite higher exports.