I’m a natural skeptic. Always have been. As a child of the Depression and now a great grandmother, I’ve always been one to question and demand facts when things seem screwy. So imagine my initial shock, followed by escalating skepticism, when I was told that there were fewer nonmilitary federal employees now under President Obama than there were under iconic conservative President Reagan. Fewer federal employees under Obama than “small government” Reagan?! — Amazingly it’s true. Just go to the US Bureau of Labor Statistic’s website. You’ll see for yourself.
President Obama seems to be continuing a little publicized tradition of Democrats actually decreasing the size of federal government during their tenure as President. Clinton did it. By 380,000! Even Jimmy Carter did it! Reagan and George W. Bush did not. They increased the number of nonmilitary federal employees by 238,000 and 53,000, respectively. George’s father, HW Bush, bucked the tradition of “big government” Republicans by lowering federal employee numbers.
There’s even more surprising, topsy-turvy facts out there. For better or for worse, there’s fewer state government workers now then when President Obama took office. Personally I’d rather see more patrolmen on the beat and teachers in the classroom. But government is shrinking nonetheless. Don’t we all want the smallest, most effective government possible? It seems President Obama is doing just that.
One more shocking revelation, seemingly counter-intuitive, is that taxes under President Obama ( mind you, a Democrat!), are lower than under George W. Bush ( a Republican!).
Surprising as it may be to my Republican friends, our current Democrat in the White House is creating smaller government and lowering our taxes. Refreshing and factual.
Doris Adam
Hamilton