Spinning Bad News - Robb's at it again

Maybe “New figures don’t lie,” but that doesn’t stop Robert Robb from spinning two reports that show income disparities between rich and poor in Arizona ranks in the top four since the 1980’s (at least we lead in something). He completely twists who is responsible for economic downturn in the 1980’s and the recovery in the 1990’s.

Robb writes Arizona’s “disproportionate income disparity is nearly all a legacy of the 1980s. During the supposed dark ages of the 1990s, things actually improved for the poor in Arizona.” However, the report shows poor Arizonan incomes increased 5.7% since the 1980s while the richest increased 58.1%. It shows that Arizona is one of five states with the largest income gap between the top and bottom fifths of families and one of the five states with the largest income gaps between the top and middle fifths of families."

Some progress.

Yet Robb insists improvements came “when the barbarians were in charge.”

He wishes.

Robb forgets who the presidents were in the 1980’s and under whose watch the deficit increased to then historical levels. He forgets the Clinton 1990’s was a time of unprecedented growth and incomes rising across the board, all while increasing aid to the poor and balancing the budget. He ignores that under the current “spend-and-borrow” Republican watch, the national debt has doubled and the deficit hit new highs.

Republicans deserve no credit for helping poor families. Robb is making a disingenuous claim meant only to divert attention from the fact Republicans care little for helping needy Americans.

Only conservatives think the “left” don’t want everyone to do well financially. Only conservatives believe the “left” wants to take money from the rich and give to the poor. Yet, it is conservatives who speak of a “hand up” and not a “hand out.” Yet every opportunity to provide that “hand up” has been opposed by folks like Mr. Robb and the conservatives. To claim any Republican or conservative hand in improving the lot of poor folks is to create a new low in the definition of chutzpah.