Here's What GOP Policies Have Done To This Country

Blue Texan at Firedoglake:

• Consumer prices rose in 2007 at the fastest pace in 17 years as motorists paid a lot more for gasoline and grocery shoppers paid higher food bills.
• Both energy and food prices jumped by the largest amount since 1990.
• Prices were also up sharply for health care, housing and education.
• Workers’ wages failed to keep up with the higher inflation. Average weekly earnings, after adjusting for inflation, dropped by 0.9 percent in 2007, the fourth decline in the past five years.
• Unemployment jumped from 4.7 percent in November to 5 percent in December, the biggest one-month increase since the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
• The 4.1 percent increase in overall prices last year was the biggest since a 6.1 percent jump in prices in 1990.
• Overall energy costs rose by 17.4 percent this past year while food costs rose by 4.9 percent. Both were the biggest increases since 1990.
• Gasoline prices were up 29.6 percent, the biggest increase since they soared by 30.1 percent in 1999.