Just How Much is $700 Billion?

Seven-hundred billion dollars. It's a mind-boggling number, any way you look at it - an amount equal to one third of the money received by the Federal government last year. As the debate rages on about the political, economic and moral wisdom of the Wall Street and mortgage bailout, RightChange.com offers some perspective, in practical terms:

Under the tax plans of Barack Obama and his Democratic friends in Congress, American families will only be left with... the change in their pockets.

In 2009, Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress have an idea for a bill. Well, really, it's a lot of bills that will be paid for by nearly every American in the form of higher taxes and higher costs for food, energy and other products.

We hear a lot about "change", and it usually involves politicians making grand promises with other people's money. That is, with our money.

American small businesses are the largest engine for job creation and innovation in the nation today. Nearly 16 million people operate small businesses as their primary occupation each year, while collectively they employ more than half of our country's private sector employees.¹⁰

Millions of American seniors have worked hard, saved and invested their entire lives to ensure that they can enjoy and afford their golden years. Yet Senator Obama's tax plan proposes to penalize those who have worked hard and achieved the American dream.

Improving the economy is a main issue for millions of Americans. History proves that a key driver of economic growth and prosperity is lower tax rates, which allow businesses to hire, buy goods and services, and make major investments in things like new equipment, automobiles and facilities.