John Yowan

Mr. Bruner

Government hour 4

May 10, 2004

Final

Bush versus Kerry

Economy

President Bush signed into law a job and growth plan to strengthen our economy and to ensure that it continues to grow. This plan will create jobs and grow the economy by speeding the 2001 tax cuts to help increase economic recovery and provide twenty billion dollars in aid to States for “necessary services”. According to President Bush everyone who invests in the stock market, every small business owner, and every unemployed worker will benefit from his plan. John Kerry says, “George W. Bush has chosen tax cuts for the wealthy and that over 2.7 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since President Bush took office”.

Since president Bush was inaugurated in 2001 the stock market has gone down.

John Kerry says he will focus more on middle class families and will roll back Bush’s tax cuts for Americans earning more than Two Hundred Thousand dollars a year.  He says “the first thing he will do once he is President is bring back three million jobs that have been lost in Bush’s first 500 days in office”. John Kerry says “he will protect American’s jobs by ending the practice of U.S. corporations moving offshore to avoid paying their part of our nation’s tax”. Kerry will try creating more jobs through a new manufacturing jobs credit. He said  “Under this Administration, America’s middle class has been abandoned – its dreams denied, its Main Street interests ignored and its mainstream values scorned by a White House that puts privilege first,” “Middle class Americans don’t ask for special favors, they just want basic fairness, and a President who fights for that ideal.” [1] Kerry will also provide new tax breaks to manufacturers who produce goods and create jobs in the United States.

Foreign Policy

In 2003 President Bush started the “War in Iraq” he believed that they had weapons of mass destruction hidden. The President still defends America's interests in the Persian Gulf and wants to make peace there. We still have not found any weapons of mass destruction. Bush also believes America must be involved with the world, not only in military actions. He also said “American Internationalism should not mean action without vision, activity without priority, and missions without end -- an approach that squanders American will and drains American energy...” [2] Bush thinks America should work with our democratic allies in Europe and Asia to make peace. According to Kerry the Bush Administration has “the most reckless foreign policy in modern history, turning its back on a century of American leadership.” [3] 

At the Council on Foreign Relations Kerry outlined the steps he would take to reverse the damage to U.S. security and leadership caused by President Bush’s flawed policies on war. Kerry believes we should focus more on the war on terrorism. “Osama bin Laden remains at large”, he says, “while Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have come under assault by terrorists and Al Qaeda and the Taliban are regrouping in Afghanistan”. John Kerry believes that “The United States cannot do everything alone; we cannot pay for everything by ourselves; we cannot defeat the forces of terrorism without others.” He wants to form more alliances with other countries by strengthening relationships with NATO and make alliances with old allies and new partners to create a “new global coalition”.

Kerry plans to build a bridge to the Islamic world. He believes this is the key to winning the war on terrorism. Kerry says he “would fight to expand our diplomatic presence with a particular focus on the Islamic world.”     

Energy and Environment

President Bush believes that the environment is not just a personal responsibility but also a public value. Bush has a plan to reduce the greenhouse gas of our economy by eighteen percent over the next ten years. George Bush says, “It will encourage global participation.”

President Bush also favors oil exploration in one of Alaska’s Wildlife Refuges. The estimates for the amount of oil vary on who is estimating.  Some people estimate 3.2 billion barrels of oil while the government estimates 5.7 through 16 billion barrels.[4]

John Kerry has fought to clean up toxic waste sites, keep our air and water clean, and protect the Artic National Wildlife Refuge and other wilderness areas. John Kerry believes we should not sacrifice our wilderness for short-term profit.

 Kerry also wants to make America less dependent on the Middle East oil.[5] He plans to create alternative fuels such as ethanol and make cars more efficient. His plan will reduce our dependency on oil by more than two million barrels of oil a day, which is about the amount we import form the Persian Gulf.

John Kerry says, “He is going to have a commitment to cleaner communities”. He believes that addressing the environmental needs of our communities will improve the quality of life of the places where we live and work. He says he will fight for a “Green and Clean Communities” by removing toxics from the environment, improving our parks, and reduce traffic congestion. As part of his commitment, Kerry will make a Toxic Task Force at the EPA, which will identify the top toxic threats to the citizens and make an action plan to address them. John Kerry believes that every child in America should have access to a clean and safe ball field and park.

Education

President Bush has promised to make educating every child his “top domestic priority.” He wants to improve the system that he says has failed the “most needy students in our nation’s classrooms.” Bush has made a plan to improve student performance and close the “achievement gap” between poor and rich students. The No Child Left Behind act helps parents, teachers, and children by supporting early learning, measuring student performance, providing information such as report cards for parents, giving options over failing schools, and giving schools more resources.

John Kerry believes that President Bush broke his promise that he made in the “No Child Left Behind Act” by not giving the schools the resources to help meet the new standards. Kerry says, “Bush has undermined public education and left millions of children behind.” If he becomes President Kerry says he will start an “Education Trust Fund” which will fully fund education.