What has GWB accomplished?

[2strokebloke]

Since his term will be coming to a close, how about a discussion of what he has accomplished while in office. Is our country better?, worse?, or about the same because of his leadership?
Please limit the discussion to things which are directly related to the U.S. - foreign affairs, such as beating up the dictator of a third world country do not count.
Patriot act, homeland security, etc - as they apply to the U.S.A. not what their effects are on countries outside of us.
Please don't let this disintegrate into a bush bashing thread within the first five posts. O.K.?

[YogsVR4]

Here are some of the highlights. Some I am happy with. Some I am not.

My tax burden was reduced.
Tax reciepts to the treasury are the highest they've ever been.
He's brought school vouchers into educational debate
He's expanded medicare
Rejected Kyoto which congress was not going to approve
Dumped ABM with a country that does not exist any more.
Libya disarming
North Korea isolated and called to the mat for violating the 94 non poliferation agreement.
Created the department of homeland security.

[NSX-R-SSJ20K]

changed the visa laws so that someone on a temporary residential visa can work (wasn't soon enough for me)

cut back on loads of public services and decreased pay. IE libraries because my friends Mother worked at one and she was faced with loosing her job and getting a larger work load. The Libraries were also faced with the lack of funds for new books.

[T4 Primera]

Without getting into a debate about it - I'm not sure that he can rightly claim responsibility for Libya disarming. It has been under negotiation for a very long time.

[carrrnuttt]

I never go in here, because I know I'll get quagmired in debate.

I consider myself a staunch conservative, but am wholeheartedly opposed to The Chimp, aka. George Washington Bush.

Here's a radio-talk guy that shares my opinions: http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/bush27jan04.html

I'm not a "Christian Conservative" like him though...just "Conservative".

And here's another good piece by him:
When Bush Loses In November, He Will Have No One To Blame But Himself (January 23, 2004)

[2strokebloke]

I'd agree, giving him Libya, is giving him too much credit, but it doesn't really matter, because I wanted this thread just to be about the U.S. specifically, and not what he has done outside of the U.S.
I was wondering about the libraries, because here in my state, our libraries no longer have the money to be open every day of the week (even with an all volunteer staff) and I thought, that this was actually a decision made on the State level, due to less funding because of the tax cuts which were done on a national level.

[NSX-R-SSJ20K]

i agree with carrrnut. Conservative i am.
supporter of the chimp i am not.

[YogsVR4]

I'd like to comment on anything that the state was funding that they can't because the federal goverment isn't giving them money for (like libraries).

If the people of the state feel an institution or organization needs public support, they can fund it. If the libraries cannot make it on its own, they should go to the taxpayers and ask for some millage. If the people of the state say 'ok' then they'll have the money again and it will cost the people of the state less then before. Every time money changes hands, less gets to the intended target. Take the federal level out of the equation and there is a chunk of change not going to 'administrative costs'.

Another in the long line of reasons why control of schools, courts (electing officials as opposed to appointed by the governer), libraries and road commisions (not interstates) and the arts should be handled by the people who live there and not taxed at the federal level and waiting for it to come back.

In Michigan, we get back a little less then 90 cents on every dollar we send to Washington. Now the state manages the money they send back so another few cents on the dollar get taken out before the road commissions actually do any work. Get those ten cents back and suddenly either more work can be done or a reduction in the amount of the state's tax on gasoline could be done (like that will ever happen).

While I am an advocate for no income tax, I am not someone who says we should have no taxes. However, the tax collection should be as close as possible to the people its coming from to reduce the bureaucratic overhead.

[justacruiser]

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

I'd like to comment on anything that the state was funding that they can't because the federal goverment isn't giving them money for (like libraries).

If the people of the state feel an institution or organization needs public support, they can fund it. If the libraries cannot make it on its own, they should go to the taxpayers and ask for some millage. If the people of the state say 'ok' then they'll have the money again and it will cost the people of the state less then before. Every time money changes hands, less gets to the intended target. Take the federal level out of the equation and there is a chunk of change not going to 'administrative costs'.

Another in the long line of reasons why control of schools, courts (electing officials as opposed to appointed by the governer), libraries and road commisions (not interstates) and the arts should be handled by the people who live there and not taxed at the federal level and waiting for it to come back.

In Michigan, we get back a little less then 90 cents on every dollar we send to Washington. Now the state manages the money they send back so another few cents on the dollar get taken out before the road commissions actually do any work. Get those ten cents back and suddenly either more work can be done or a reduction in the amount of the state's tax on gasoline could be done (like that will ever happen).

While I am an advocate for no income tax, I am not someone who says we should have no taxes. However, the tax collection should be as close as possible to the people its coming from to reduce the bureaucratic overhead.

I'll agree with that, unless it was a federal library, then it was probably like it is here where it's a county funded and controlled library. You can blame the feds for a loss of some of the huge block sum of money given to the state, but blame the state for how it spreads that money around, then the country for how IT spreads the money it gets from the state around... etc.

I just hope the economy does like it did in the early 90s, huge federal deficits, right after a war in iraq, downturn in the economy... then boom, the biggest economy growth since the 50s.

Don't forget that he also made it a requirement for all vehicles, (I think, maybe it was just trucks...), to get at least 22mpg within a few years. That's probably a good thing, it spurs new technology in automobiles and will probably lower pollution. (although I'm no eco-nazi)