Common Sense: Nothing but the facts

Democrats in D.C. are quick to blame Republicans for everything even though the Democrats control two thirds of the federal government political apparatus in the form of the White House and the U.S. Senate.

So I wonder if they would be equally quick to take credit for the following hard facts. I suspect not, but here goes courtesy of the Heritage Foundation, Standard and Poors, the Labor Department, the US Office of Management and Budget, and other good places.

*During the Clinton years, the average United States unemployment rate was 5.21 percent. Under Bush, it was 5.27 percent. Under President Obama, the U.S. unemployment rate is 9.36 percent.

*The national debt in 2008 when George Bush was leaving the Presidency was a disturbingly high $9 trillion dollars. In 2010, under President Obama and his stimulus programs, the national debt had grown in just two years to an incredible $12 trillion dollars. In 2103, the debt is now an almost unimaginable $15.6 trillion dollars. This is an almost 75 percent increase in our national debt in just five years

*Under President Clinton, 23 million Americans on average were using food stamps. Under President Bush, the figure was approximately 23.5 million. Under President Obama, the figure has jumped to 39.5 million.

*Total welfare spending has jumped from $500 billion in 1996 under Bill Clinton to $700 billion in 2008 under President Obama.

*Federal spending is 25 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is the highest since 1945 when we were engaged in a World War.

*The percentage of Americans paying income tax is the lowest in modern times with a rate of 49 percent. This essentially means that a majority of the population is being supported by a minority. So much for the 99 percenters. There is essentially the 49 percent who pay taxes and the 51 percent who do not.

These numbers are probably a good part of the reasons most Americans (better than 75 percent, on average), based on numerous national polls, believe that our nation is moving in the wrong direction.

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One of the odder things I have seen in politics was the announcement by Greg Davidzon that he would run a write in campaign for City Council. What I found odd is that, according to numerous published reports, Greg Davidzon is not a registered voter. In other words, he will not be voting for himself.

Until this occurred, I used to consider a candidate who failed to vote in elections as being unfit to hold public office. After all, how can a voter have faith in a candidate who does not even vote? Frankly, I have never encountered a candidate who was not even registered to vote.

The League of Women Voters likes to say, “If you do not vote, you do not count.” I wonder what they would say about Greg Davidzon, who is not even registered to vote.

The major party candidates in this race — which includes Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Midwood and parts of Madison/Marine — are former State Senator David Storobin who is the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party candidate, and Democrat Chaim Deutsch.

I assume the write-in efforts are part of a desperate attempt by the Democratic Party to drain some Russian community votes from Storobin, thus benefiting Deutsch. If this is the case, I would recommend that in the future they at least find a candidate who has seen the inside of a voting booth.

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