Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Just so history isn’t rewritten during the current outcry over deficit spending, here’s a recap of the national debt during the reign of the last five presidents. (All numbers come from the Treasury Department, here and here.)
When Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, the federal debt was just under $908 million. Eight years and several tax cuts later, it was $2.6 trillion. Difference: +186 percent.
Taking the $2.6 trillion debt he inherited, George H.W. Bush took us up to $4.1 trillion in 1992. Difference: +58 percent.
In 8 years under Bill Clinton, the debt jumped from $4.1 trillion to $5.7 trillion. Difference: +39 percent.
Under George W. Bush, that $5.7 trillion in 2000 grew to more than $10 trillion in 2008. Difference: 75 percent.
Last year, under Barack Obama’s reign (but not his budget), the figure went from $10 trillion to $11.9 trillion. Difference: 19 percent.
Which begs two questions: (1) Why do Republicans consider themselves the more fiscally responsible party? And (2) how did Reagan become the poster child of conservative budget policy?
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