Public Perception is Wrong about the 90s

A Clinton on the campaign trail, as well as some dismal economic news, has some folks pining for the 1990s and the alleged "Clinton economy". Look at these facts to get a better perspective:

--The economic boom of the Reagan era was still going strong into the George H. W. Bush years, but toward the end of his term we finally slid into a recession (I wonder whether breaking his "no new taxes" pledge had anything to do with that?). But the recession's recovery was already strong by the time Bill Clinton took office (Bush's last quarter showed over 4% GDP growth). So Bill inherited a good economy.
--Clinton went too radical too quickly (trying to take over the healthcare industry), and the American people spanked him by voting for the 1st Republican Congress in decades during the mid-term elections. This conservative legislature prevented Clinton from enacting any more significant economic policies except for NAFTA, which never would have made it through a Democrat Congress. NAFTA was--and is--great for our economy.
--This Republican Congress forced some conservative economic policy on President Clinton, most notably welfare reform. Bill vetoed it twice, but was subsequently pressured to sign the popular measure during an election year. Hundreds of thousands of people who had turned the welfare safety net into a hammock were forced to find jobs. They became taxpayers, and their new salaries enabled them to spend more, helping the economy.
--The 90s was the decade of the computer. Nearly every business went digital, exponentially increasing productivity and profits, enabling companies to hire and expand. Businesses weren't the only ones buying from Bill Gates--schools, universities, charities, and households around the world bought American-made computers, pumping more dollars into the economy.
--The downturn that supposedly began during W's 1st term actually had been declining since the previous summer. In fact, Bush (and others) saw it then, but when he warned us about it, he was accused of trying to "talk down" the economy. This downturn was accelerated by the fear, destruction, and insecurity brought on by the 9/11 attacks (Why did you slash the military and intelligence budgets, Mr. Clinton? Why did you refuse--twice!--when the Sudanese offered Osama to you on a silver platter?).

So we see that Clinton cannot take credit for the 90's economic good times.
The U.S.A. is, and has been for many decades, one of the most fiscally conservative countries on Earth. Conservative economic policy defined is basically lower taxes and fewer burdensome regulations on businesses. Other nations have more natural resources than we do, but we prosper more because of our Judeo-Christian morality (which is getting weaker all the time) and economic conservatism (also declining). Exit question: Why try to emulate the weaker economies of the world by voting for Democrats?

Customer Abuse Awards 2007

The purpose of this post is only to warn the unsuspecting public about dastardly business practices. Based upon my own experiences, here are my nominees for Customer Abuser of the Year 2007:

*3rd Runner-up--World Gym. They require that you give at least 30 days' notice to end your membership. When my daughter and I wanted to quit, we gave written notice more than 30 days early, and they gave us a date on which our membership would end. But they took money from my bank account for another month! When I complained, they refused to refund the cash, but after a big hassle they gave us 30-day passes which I only used three times, because I'm too busy to go--that's why I quit. That bothered us so much that my wife also quit the gym, but they also billed her for an extra month! Obviously it's an intentional way to squeeze one more month's money out of each member. I wonder how many get charged for an extra month without noticing.

*2nd Runner-up--Big O Tire. First, they had my car on the jack for more than an hour, just to install a new tire. Then, when I was finally notified that my car was ready, I stepped out of the store just in time to see their employee "peeling out" in my little Honda. When I complained via e-mail, phone call, and letter, I didn't get even as much as one apology. Lastly, the tire they installed developed a bubble after a few thousand miles and had to be replaced (by a reputable dealer).

*1st Runner-up--Arizona Federal Credit Union. As I was comparing terms of different institutions for my home refinance last September, I saw that AFCU guaranteed for their members that they would beat all other offers or give $500 cash. I didn't think they could beat the offer I had just received, so I carefully followed their instructions to qualify for the $500. I have sent a plethora of faxes, emails, and phone calls their way to prove that I qualify, yet they never even answer. Upon every inquiry, they say they'll get back to me, but never do.

*Winner, Customer Abuser of the Year: the post office. Notice I didn't say U. S. Postal Service--they don't provide sufficient service to qualify for that title. I don't merely write this as a customer, but also as an employee who regularly witnesses the customer abuse.
It's all about the money for the P. O. today. In a fanatical effort to save man-hours, they have prevented employees from providing the service that we once did. Phones ring fifteen times before they're answered. The front window regularly opens eight or ten minutes late. It's common to delay some first-class mail for weeks. They won't hire enough people to get the mail delivered by once-guaranteed 5pm, so we're out until as late as 9pm in some stations. And, because of managerial threats and pressure, we're moving so fast all of the time that we make more mistakes. Congratulations, P. O. You're 2007's big P. U.