Thune loves to throw out the names Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton whenever he can. That’s evidently because he dare not talk about what the conservative agenda has produced. If you haven’t seen the news reports, a new Census Bureau report (PDF file) tells us just what the policies Thune supports have wrought.
Nationally, the number of people in poverty and uninsured increased for the third straight year. Seems to coincide with the Repugnican economic policies and Bushworld. Since the Great Misleader took office, 4.3 million more US citizens are in poverty, with an appalling 12.5% of the population now living below the poverty line. (Poverty level is an income of $18,810 for a family of four before taxes.)
It ain’t any better for South Dakota. Not only did we have the distinction of being one of only seven states to have an increased poverty rate, we were one of only four where both the poverty rate and the uninsured rate increased. Moreover, South Dakota’s median household income also went down during this period.
Yeah, the conservatives have done wonders for the country. Maybe it’s time Thune got off his religious right soapbox and started talking about bread-and-butter issues like this. But then, he can’t dare ask, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”
