A hearty thank you to Steve over at the Carpetbagger Report for this gem entitled; What you don't know can hurt us. Seems BushCo is continuing their tradition of shutting down govt websites that seem to counter their twisted logic..or in some cases when they outright lie to us. Seems the govt website that tracks economic indicators is providing we, the people, with information that directly conflicts with BushCo's rosy view of our economy. Tsk..tsk..from the ThinkProgress writeup on this topic:
The U.S. economy is faltering. Family debt is on the rise, benefits are disappearing, the deficit is skyrocketing, and the mortgage crisis has worsened. Conservatives have attempted to deflect attention from the crisis, by blaming the media's negative coverage and insisting the United States is not headed toward a recession, despite what economists are predicting.
The Bush administration's latest move is to simply hide the data. Forbes has awarded EconomicIndicators.gov one of its "Best of the Web" awards. As Forbes explains, the government site provides an invaluable service to the public for accessing U.S. economic data.
Seems BushCo will shut down this site March 1st and use the time honored bs line that its saving money by doing so. Bravo neocons! At least your predictable you shmucks! Steve helpfully points out the other times BushCo has done this douchebaggery sort of move:
* In March, the administration announced it would no longer produce the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, which identifies which programs best assist low-income families, while also tracking health insurance coverage and child support.
* In 2005, after a government report showed an increase in terrorism around the world, the administration announced it would stop publishing its annual report on international terrorism.
* After the Bureau of Labor Statistics uncovered discouraging data about factory closings in the U.S., the administration announced it would stop publishing information about factory closings.
* When an annual report called “Budget Information for States” showed the federal government shortchanging states in the midst of fiscal crises, Bush’s Office of Management and Budget announced it was discontinuing the report, which some said was the only source for comprehensive data on state funding from the federal government.
* When Bush’s Department of Education found that charter schools were underperforming, the administration said it would sharply cut back on the information it collects about charter schools.
His time in office can not be over soon enough for me. I want this man run out of town on a rail..or at the very least tarred and feathered.
For a readable version of the cartoon, click the image.
