The Real Bush Record布什的真实记录
[2007.09.17]The Real Bush Record布什的真实记录
The Real Bush Record
布什的真实记录
Alan Greenspan discounts our fiscal success story.
格林斯潘给我们的财政成功打折
BY DICK CHENEY
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 12:01
作者：迪克·切尼 翻译：鲁克
In his new book, "The Age of Turbulence," my longtime friend Alan Greenspan argues that President Bush's economic and budget policies have been fiscally irresponsible. I've known and admired Alan for years, and I believe he was a great chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. But I think his assessment is off the mark.
在我的老朋友格林斯潘的新书 《动荡的岁月》 中，他论断布什总统的经济和预算政策，不负责任，不按财政预算行事。认识这么多年，我一直钦佩格老，认为他是最了不起的美联储董事会主席，尽管如此，我还是要说，他对布什的论断有失水准。
Alan tells of his first meeting with then President-elect Bush on Dec. 18, 2000, at the Madison Hotel in Washington. I recall this breakfast meeting very well, especially Alan's comments on the state of the economy. The Fed chairman told the president-elect and our team that America faced the real possibility of a recession in the wake of the collapse of the late 1990s technology sector bubble. Alan's prediction proved correct: In the final months of the Clinton administration, the nation began an economic slowdown that turned into a recession.
格老说，他第一次和（刚当选总统的）布什会见是在 2000年 12月18 日，于华盛顿的麦迪逊酒店。对这次早餐会面，我记忆深刻，特别是格老对经济状况的一段评论。当时，这位联储的主席告诉布什和我们这个即将上任的团队，他说90年代末期，科技产业泡沫破灭之后，美国很可能将要面临一次经济衰退期。事实证明格老的预言相当正确：在克林顿政府执政的最后几个月，经济发展开始放缓，逐步进入衰退。
Another crisis was looming, though none of us knew it at the time. Less than eight months into our administration the nation came under terrorist attack. The events of 9/11 are the defining moment of the era from the standpoint of national security; they were equally significant from an economic perspective. Aimed at our country's financial sector, the attacks were followed by the suspension of stock trading, the closing of stores and shopping malls and the cancellation of thousands of flights. In the three-and-a-half months between 9/11 and Christmas, nearly a million Americans lost their jobs.
然而我们当时没人意识到，还有一个（更大的）危机正在向我们逼近。在我们上任还不到 8个月，美国遭受到前所未有的恐怖袭击。一连串的恐怖袭击事件发生在911（9月11日），从国土安全上看，911是一个时代的关键性时刻，而从经济角度来分析，也同样如此。敌人打击了我们的金融中心，袭击发生之后，证券交易立刻停止，大量的百货公司和超市关门息业，数千次航班被迫取消。从 911到圣诞节之间的三个半月，将近一百万美国人因此失业。
The combined effects of recession and national emergency could have been devastating for America's economy. Yet President Bush's tax cuts--following through on a promise he had made to the voters--resulted in a shallower recession, a faster recovery, and a platform for growth that remains sturdy to this day. The fact is that in a time of unprecedented challenge, the United States has experienced nearly six years of uninterrupted economic growth and added more than eight million new jobs since August 2003--more than all other major industrialized nations combined.
经济衰退和国安危机的共同影响下，美国经济几乎要毁于一旦。然而，布什总统的减税政策，就像他曾经给选民承诺的那样 ----使得衰退程度降得更低了，经济也得到更快速的复苏，减税政策构建了一个经济增长的基础，到目前为止增长势头依然强劲。事实上虽然美国这段时间经历了前所未有的挑战，经济却依然可以有将近 6年的持续增长，而且从 2003年 8月起，美国新增了8 百万人就业，这超过了其他所有的工业大国总和。
The economic growth encouraged by the president's tax cuts is now producing sharply increased federal tax receipts--up by nearly 15% in fiscal year 2005 alone, nearly 12% in fiscal year 2006, and projected to rise nearly 7% in the fiscal year that will end this month. That is the highest growth in tax receipts in consecutive years since 1981. As a result, tax revenue as a percentage of our economy is now above the 40-year historical average. Under the circumstances, it's pretty hard for anyone to argue that the American people are under-taxed. Even at a lower rate of taxation, the hard work and productivity of Americans is generating more tax dollars than ever before.
布什减税政策激励下的经济成长，如今使得联邦税单出现迅猛的增加，单单 2005财政年度的联邦税单上升近 15%， 2006财政年度再升近 12%，这个月就要到期的本财政年度预计会再飙到近7%，自 1981年以来，这是持续多年的税单最高的增长，由此，现在税收所得占国民经济比例已经高于40年来历史平均水平。在这样的事实前面，谁都不能说美国人缴税太少了。即使在低税率的情况下，多能多劳的美国人仍然可以比以前交出更多的税金。
On the spending side of the ledger, I can't dispute Alan's general notion that the federal government is too big and spends too much money--we've agreed on that point since we both worked in the Ford administration more than 30 years ago. President Bush feels the same way, and that's why he has steadily reduced the annual rate of growth in non-security discretionary spending. In contrast, the last budget enacted during the Clinton/Gore administration increased that category of spending by a staggering 15%. President Bush has pressed hard to keep that spending under control--and this year's increase will actually be lower than the rate of inflation for the third year in a row.
关于会计总账中开支栏目，格老总的认为联邦政府支出过于庞大，花费太多，这点我和他并没什么异议，而且 30多年前，我们同在福特总统手下共事的时候，就认同这一点。布什总统想法其实也一样，这就是为什么他逐步地去限制每年非国土安全的可自由支配开支的增加幅度的道理。与之鲜明对照的是，克林顿和高尔政府最后的一次预算，这类开支居然猛增了１５％。布什总统一直以来都严格控制可自由支配的开支，今年的实际开支增长率已经是第三年低于全国通胀水平了。
It's worth noting, as well, that President Bush has committed significant resources to rebuilding our military after the draw-downs of the 1990s. In addition, this new era has also demanded far larger support for intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security. Our administration has met those urgent priorities. Yet we've also managed to bring this year's projected deficit down to 1.5% of GDP--well below its historical average over the past four decades.
的确，有些事情值得一提，自90年代大规模缩减军费开支后，布什总统作了重大的资源部署来重新装备军队。另外，在这个新的时期，情治(情报)部门，执法部门，国安部门都需要更多的资金。我们的政府一一满足了这些紧迫的要求。然而，我们也设法把今年的预编赤字调低到GDP的1.5%，低于四十年来历史平均水平。
Alan has long argued, correctly, that fiscal discipline is a long-term obligation requiring honesty and a willingness to make tough choices. Here again, we agree. And on this measure, President Bush's record is superb. He has proposed reforms in Medicare and Medicaid--and has repeatedly asked Congress to reform Social Security and place it on firm financial ground. Though Congress has failed to act, no other president has spent more time or political capital trying to avert a fiscal disaster that everyone knows is coming.
格老一直在说，不错,坚守财政纪律是长期的义务，要求我们诚实、积极努力来做出艰难的抉择.。再次说明，我们认为没问题。就是基于这个评断尺度，布什总统的财政记录才非常好。他建议在医疗照顾和医疗协助政策上改革，不断的要求国会改革社保制度，为社保提供一个牢靠的金融基础。遗憾的是国会没能通过这项法案，没有一届政府会花这么长的时间或者说这么多政治资本，来用于避免这场财政危机，你我都知道这场危机即将到来。
I've enjoyed Alan Greenspan's company, and benefited from his wisdom, for most of my career. For his part, Alan credits me in his book for my "intensity" and "sphinxlike calm"--and it's in a spirit of friendship that I offer him these gentle reminders of the Bush record.
在我的政治生涯中，很高兴有格老共事，因为他的睿智，我受益良多。在格林斯潘那边，他在书中也赞许我，“严格”，有“斯芬克斯般的冷静”，出于友情，于是我回复他布什的财政纪录作为审慎的提醒。
迪克·切尼先生是美国副总统
Mr. Cheney is vice president of the United States.
