Reagan Raised Taxes and Spending More Than Obama

Under President Obama, government jobs have disappeared, particularly at the state and local levels.  The unemployment rate would probably be lower than 7% if government jobs now kept pace with the number of government jobs as a share of the entire economy from the Ronald Reagan Presidency.   There would be 1.3 million more government workers in teaching, responding to emergencies, and keeping our streets safe, among other things.  Increasing government spending that raises the National Debt during an economic crisis, often referred to as Keynesian economics, is what historically brings about a full recovery that eventually balances the Federal Budget to pay down the National Debt.  Republicans have referred to Obama as someone who harbors socialist ideas, such as huge government spending, raising taxes, and stifling businesses with regulations.  Ironically, Reagan is much more Keynesian than current Republican political idol, Ronald Reagan, whom conservatives adore for his small government and lower taxes rhetoric.  State and local governments, under Reagan, invested in education and infrastructure to support a growing population.  Also, Reagan boosted military spending to deal with foreign security threats.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/opinion/krugman-states-of-depression.html?_r=1

In Idaho: Spending Cuts for Healthcare, Education; Tax Cuts for Wealthy, Corporations

Over the past three years, Idaho has cut its budget for both teaching students and keeping people healthy in the wake of the economic downturn.  In 2001, Idaho spent more on healthcare and education than it does now.  Yet, Idaho legislators strongly support, with Governor Butch Otter's backing, top rate tax cuts from 7.8% to 7.4% for its wealthiest individuals and 7.6% to 7.4% for corporations.  These tax cuts would increase the deficit by almost $36 million.  What is important to notice here is that many workers in healthcare and education belong to unions.  When state budgets experience deficits, their legislators may seek to force unions into concessions or even bust the unions.  They seek to do this to make it easier to lower salaries for teachers and nurses.  But, that hurts the economy as they have less money to spend.  This has also happened in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states headed by Republican governors.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/02/436525/idaho-tax-cuts/?tw_p=twt

Rick Santorum: Obama a "Snob" for Wanting People to Attend College

Rising GOP Presidential contender Rick Santorum said over the weekend, "President Obama wants everybody in America to go to college.  What a snob."  Santorum believes that colleges indoctrinate their students and that Obama apparently wants to control their minds by wanting all Americans to pursue post-secondary education so that they can handle the jobs of the 21st Century.  But, Obama negates that point on thought control with his penchant for conpromise.

What does this accusation by Santorum mean?  It shows him to actually be a snob and an elitist who is out of touch with educated Americans.  Santorum is the one who practices thought control.  His children are educated at home, not public schools.  Which means he has taught his children his own rigid ideas, including those on economic inequality, sexuality, and American Exceptionalism.  Which means he wants them to think that it is all right for CEOs to make millions of dollars annually while laying off thousands of workers or to automatically despise President Obama.  The things he probably did not or will not teach them about are those related to social justice, which tells us to take of the poor and the oppressed.  Santorum also shows himself to be the biggest ally of America's most irresponsible corporations, who can get away with environmental degradation, human rights abuses, and excessive profiteering by hiding these problems from any uneducated American.  Since schools have become obsessed with test-taking instead of creative or critical thinking, there are plenty of Americans that irresponsible corporations can hide their abuses.  Educated and informed Americans are most often the ones smart enough to find these problems.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/27/1068825/-Rick-Santorum-calls-Obama-a-snob-for-wanting-people-to-attend-college?via=blog_1