In response to Clallam County Republican Party Chairman Dick Pilling’s sarcastic, smarty-pants Dec. 4 letter about the “accomplishments” of President Barack Obama [“Thanks, Obama”], the truth is that in spite of being blocked by an unusually obdurate Congress, Obama accomplished a great many things for the good of American working people.
Here are a few of them:
• Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, cut taxes for 95 percent of America’s working families.
Tax rates for average working families are now the lowest since 1950.
• As of October 2016, there was a record 73 consecutive months of overall job growth, and 80 consecutive months of private sector job growth.
• As of August 2016, unemployment had dropped below 5 percent for the first time in eight years.
• In April 2016, new unemployment claims hit the lowest level since November 1973.
In September 2016, they remain at 43-year low, lower than any time during “Saint” Ronald Reagan’s administration.
• Since February 2010, when unemployment peaked, 15.6 million non-farm private sector jobs have been created.
Contrary to GOP rhetoric, most of the new jobs created have been full-time, not temporary.
• Pushed through Dodd-Frank, biggest Wall Street reform since the Great Depression; stock market reached record high, restoring economic losses felt during the Bush Recession.
• Endorsed and supported Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009, closing offshore tax avoidance loopholes.
• Signed American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, preventing companies from sending jobs overseas.
These are the kinds of advances made during a Democratic presidency after a Republican one has drained the economy and screwed over the working class.
I’m sure we’ll see it again, probably sooner than later.
Tracy McCallum,
Port Angeles