Hightower Lowdown

The following are the sources of information found in the "Are you better off yet?" poster in the July 2006 issue.

OVERALL ECONOMY

• “For Bush, the Economy Is a Glass Half Empty,” New York Times, May 5, 2006
• “The Worst President in 100 years?” Macleans, April 17, 2006
• “Reason’s to Worry,” New York Times Magazine, June 11, 2006

SURPLUS, DEFICIT & DEBT

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/01/26/deficit-to-reach-at-least_n_14501.html
• “Deficit Well Below Last Year’s Pace,” New York Times, June 13, 2006
• National Priorities Project, http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&ltemid-110
• Citizens for Tax Justice “CBO Projects $8.5 Trillion in Borrowing Over Next Decade Under Bush Policies,” Press Release, January 26, 2006, www.ctj.org

TRADE

• “Trade Deficit Improves, Perilous Trajectory Remains,” Economic Policy Institute, May 12, 2006, http://www.epi.org/printer.cfm?id=2369&content_type=2
• “Rapid growth in oil prices. Chinese imports pump up trade deficit to new record,” Economic Policy Institute, February 10, 2006, www.epinet.org

WEALTH

• “New Data Show Growing Wealth Inequality,” Citizens for Tax Justice, May 12, 2006, www.ctj.org

JOBS

• “Critiquing White House Statements About the Economy,” Economic Policy Institute, http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20060503
• U.S. Department of Labor, www.bls.gov
• “Now, High-Tech Work Is Going Abroad,” New York Times, November 17, 2005
• “Dell to double workers in India,” Austin American Statesman, March 21, 2006
• “Bush sees benefits in jobs going overseas,” Austin American Statesman, February 23, 2006

POVERTY

• “The prosperity gap,” Austin American Statesman, June 6, 2006
• “Inflation spreads beyond energy,” USA Today, June 14, 2006
  “Is the American Dream Still Possible,” Parade Magazine, April 23, 2006
• “We’re More Productive. Who Gets The Money?” New York Times, April 5, 2004
• “US groups boost share of economic pie,” Financial Times, June 4, 2006
• “The Numbers Don’t Add Up to Confidence,” New York Times, October 8, 2005
• “Income Gap mentality,” Boston Globe, April 19, 2006

WAGES

• Minimum Wage, Facts at a Glance, Economic Policy Institute, www.epi.org
• “Minimum wage earners finding rent out of reach,” Austin American Statesman,
• “37 million poor hidden in the land of plenty, The Observer, February 19, 2006
• Trend Lines, “Living on an Empty Stomach,” The Washington Post, March 24, 2006

TAXES

• “Myth, Reality and the Estate Tax,” New York Times, June 12, 2006
• “House Votes to Extend Investor Tax Cuts for 2 Years,” New York Times
• “Tax Benefits to the Rich and Patient,” New York Times, May 11, 2006
• “Tax Cuts on Capital Gains and Dividends Doubled Bush Income Tax Cuts for Wealthiest in 2003,” Citizens for Tax Justice, www.ctj.org
• “Big Gain for Rich Seen in Tax Cuts for Investments,” New York Times, April 5, 2006
• “Who Pays Capital Gains Taxes,” Citizens for Tax Justice, www.ctj.org
• “How Republicans Hope to persuade you that their tax cuts aren’t unfair,” Citizens for Tax Justice, May 18, 2006, www.ctj.org
• “Congressional Republicans Defend Fuzzy Math,” Citizens for Tax Justice, May 18, 2006, www.ctj.org
• “Senate Approves 2-Year Extension of Tax Cuts,” New York Times,
• “Congress Passes Another Tax Cut for the Rich,” Citizens for Tax Justice, May 12, 2006, www.ctj.org
• “Senate won’t ax the estate tax,” Austin American Statesman, June 9, 2006
• “Fewer and Fewer Americans Owed Estate Tax in 2004,” Citizens for Tax Justice, June 5, 2005, www.ctj.org
• “Estimated Tax Savings of Bush Cabinet if the Repeal of the Estate Tax is Made Permanent,” Committee on Government Reform, Minority Office, July 25, 2005
• “Estate Tax Should Not Be Repealed,” The Tennessean, April 29, 2006
• “Public Citizen and United for a Fair Economy Expose Stealth Campaign of Super Wealthy to Repeal Federal Estate Tax,” Public Citizen, April 25, 2006, www.citizen.org
• Public Citizen’s Congress Watch & United For a Fair Economy: “Spending Millions to Save Billions,” www.citizen.org, www.faireconomy.org