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Working families have suffered during the first two years of George W. Bushs presidency said AFL-CIO report released on Monday titled "Time to Get Real About the Economy: A Check-Up on the Nations Economic Health at the Mid-Point of the Bush Presidency." His track record and current policy initiatives do not inspire confidence that anything will change in the next two years.

The economy has lost 1.7 million jobs over the past two years, after adding 5 million jobs in 1999 and 2000. Unemployment is at an eight-year high and growing. More people41 millionare living without health insurance and most of them80 percentare working families. Those that do have health insurance have seen their premium payments rise up to 27 percent in 2002. The number of personal bankruptcy filings during a three-month period last year set a national record for any three-month period in history. Add to the personal misery the historic budget shortfalls of states and working families have very little safety net to catch them if they fall.

"This president has spent far too much time and effort doing favors for his rich friends," said IBEW International President Edwin D. Hill. "The answer, as Americans are coming to find out the hard way, is not to ease the tax burden of the wealthiest Americans and corporations."

Two years ago, the countrys unemployment rate was 4 percent; today it stands at six. Last year ended with the first three-year decline in the stock market in 60 years.

President Bushs latest tax scheme will do nothing to create jobs, restore health care coverage or retirement savings for workers and their families and it will not strengthen Social Security or Medicare from the budget knives that have already started their work.

The AFL-CIO report lays out a six-point plan for Americas turnaround:

• Tax cuts that benefit most families, such as tax credits for all workers and elimination of the marriage penalty;
   
• Financial help for the states to restore cuts to education, health care and public safety;
   
• Investment in schools, transportation and transit services to help create jobs and spur growth;
   
• Health care reform that will make affordable care available to all Americans and include prescription drug coverage under Medicare for the elderly;
   
• Retirement security that will strengthen and protect Social Security for all Americans, safeguard workers pensions and protect 401(k) savings;
   
• Increase the minimum wage to elevate wages of low-paid workers, many of whom work full time and remain poor.

"Americans have lost confidence in the presidents ability to steer the economy onto a positive course," President Hill said. "Now as never before, this country needs policies that will help create jobs, reinvigorate the economy and make working families, the backbone of the United States, a priority once again."

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