A recent USA Today/Gallup poll found much pessimism among Americans over the coming year.
The poll found that 82% of Americans expect tax increases this year. 33% think 2013 will be a year of economic prosperity, 13% expect to see their taxes lowered, 42% think unemployment will get worse, and 65% think it will be a year of economic difficulty.
Happy New Year, everyone.
50% of respondents think America’s best days are behind her.
Following his re-election victory, 6-in-10 were excited about four more years of President Obama. Now, just two months after the election and before he has even begun his second term, only 4-in-10 feel optimistic.
By a 3-1 margin, respondents expect the President to be more liberal in his second term than he was in his first, and only 35% think his policies will improve their financial situations at home. Just 12% believe the healthcare reform passed in his first term will help them very much.
At the same time, Gallup reported underemployment, the level at which people are either not working, or working but only part time and unable to meet their needs, at 17.1%.
Meanwhile, usdebtclock.org records the national debt spiraling closer to $17,000,000,000,000. Over 22 million Americans are out of work, nearly 49 million people dependent on food stamps, and fewer than half of Americans pay federal income taxes.
In July of 2008, then-Senator Obama called President Bush unpatriotic and irresponsible for adding $4 trillion to the national debt over two terms, then amounting to $30,000 for every man, woman and child in the country. In his first term alone, Obama has added more than $6 trillion of debt, bringing the figure to more than $52,000 per citizen, and $145,000 per taxpayer.
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