By The Numbers

The following statistics were culled from recent WSJ and National Review articles among other sources.

Corruption

$85 million - Amount that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) contributed to the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, more than any group spent on any candidate.

15% - Proportion of U.S. construction workers that are unionized.

100% - Proportion of federal construction projects exceeding $25 million that will be handled by union contractors, following an executive order from Obama.

85% of construction firms are disqualified for bidding for federal construction projects. How does this affect U.S. taxpayers? Any guesses?

Redistributing the Wealth

31% - Respondents to a survey agreeing with the following statement.

"Government policies should promote fairness by narrowing the gap between rich and poor, spreading the wealth, and making sure that economic outcomes are more equal"

63% - Respondents to (the same) survey agreeing with the following statement.

"Government policies should promote opportunity by fostering job growth, encouraging entrepreneurs, and allowing people to keep more of what they earn."

The disparity of the preceding figures would undoubtedly be greater if not for the following factors.

38% - Proportion of Americans with zero federal income tax liability in 2009.

46% - Proportion of Americans with zero federal income tax liability in 2011 (projected).

40% - Proportion of federal personal income tax paid by the top 1% of earners.

70% - Proportion of federal personal income tax paid by the top 10% of earners.

3% - Proportion of federal personal income tax paid by the bottom 50% of earners.

With upper income tax rates reverting to their pre-2003 levels next year, an even greater burden will fall on high earners (and small businesses). And this is before Obamacare kicks in. And before paying for the "stimulus" packages.

Government Subsidized Health Care

$5000 - Projected average household increase in the federal debt due to Obamacare (2010-2019).

$20,000 (!!) - Projected average household increase in insurance premiums due to Obamacare (2010-2019).

40.2% - Proportion of doctors in 2008 accepting new Medicaid patients.

15-20 million - Estimated number of new Medicaid patients when Obamacare is implemented.

10.5% - GAO estimate of the proportion of improper (fraudulent and otherwise) Medicaid payments in 2008.

20-30% - Malcolm Sparrow's (Harvard) estimate of the proportion of improper Medicaid payments.

<1% - Estimated proportion of improper private health care payments.

Republicans Cleaning Up After Democrats

$800 million - 2005 Indiana budget deficit following 16 years of Democratic governorships.

$1.3 billion - 2009 Indiana budget surplus following 4 years of Republican Mitch Daniels' governorship - achieved during the recession and without tax increases.

Additional 2005-2009 Indiana numbers.

$760 million - Amount repaid by the state to schools and local governments previously appropriated to finance deficit spending.

800 - New child welfare caseworkers hired.
250 - New state troopers hired.

Now to the Garden State.

$10.7 billion - New Jersey budget deficit left by Democrat Jon Corzine to his successor, Republican Chris Christie.

121,000 - New Jersey private sector job losses in 2009.

11,300 - New Jersey municipality and school board job increases in 2009.

$3.3 million - Estimated lifetime pension payments to be collected by an anonymous 49 year old New Jersey state retiree based on his life expectancy.

$500,000 - Estimated lifetime health benefits to be collected by the same retiree.

$124,000 - Total contributions made by that retiree toward his retirement and health benefits. (Nice return on investment - paid for by New Jersey taxpayers).

Top Ten Cities (250,000 or more population) with the Highest Poverty Rate

City, State, % People Below Poverty Level - Last year a Republican served as mayor.

1. Detroit, MI 32.5% - 1957
2. Buffalo, NY 29.9% - 1965
3. Cincinnati, OH 27.8% - 1980 - Nominally a Charterite - a local 3rd party. 1971 was the last year for a full-fledged Republican.
4. Cleveland, OH 27.0% - 1989
5. Miami, FL 26.9% - Elected a Republican 11/2009 for the first time since 1876.
5. St. Louis, MO 26.8% - 1949
7. El Paso, TX 26.4% - Never. One elected in 1889 was disqualified.
8. Milwaukee, WI 26.2% - 1908 (Dem-Rep in 1916).
9. Philadelphia, PA 25.1% - 1952
10. Newark, NJ 24.2% - 1896