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99-514: Peterson was born in Kearney, Nebraska , as the eldest of three children, to Venetia "Venet" Paul (Παύλου Pavlou ) and George Peterson (Πετρόπουλος Petropoulos ); both were immigrants from southern Greece. He had one younger sister, Elaine, who died of croup when she was one year old, and a brother, John, who was the youngest. His father arrived in the United States at age 17 and worked as

198-712: A Republican , but the Republicans have become a far more theological, faith-directed party, not troubling with evidence." In February 1994, President Bill Clinton named Peterson as a member of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform co-chaired by Senators Bob Kerrey and John Danforth . He also served as co-chair of the Conference Board Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprises (co-chaired by John Snow ). Peterson succeeded David Rockefeller as chairman of

297-624: A college-preparatory school in Piney Point Village, Texas . Bush later attended Phillips Academy , a boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts , where he played baseball and was the head cheerleader during his senior year. He attended Yale University from 1964 to 1968, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. During this time, he was a cheerleader and a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon , serving as

396-775: A financial rescue plan to buy back a large portion of the U.S. mortgage market. Vince Reinhardt, a former Federal Reserve economist now at the American Enterprise Institute , said "it would have helped for the Bush administration to empower the folks at Treasury and the Federal Reserve and the comptroller of the currency and the FDIC to look at these issues more closely", and additionally, that it would have helped "for Congress to have held hearings". Bush undertook many educational agendas, such as increasing

495-575: A titular see by the Catholic Church. Kearney is located on I-80 with access to the major markets of Omaha - Lincoln , Denver , Kansas City , Des Moines , Wichita and Cheyenne , Kearney is at the center of a seven-state region and 20 million people. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 13.00 square miles (33.67 km ), of which 12.77 square miles (33.07 km )

594-529: A brief suspension of his Maine driver's license. Bush said that his wife has had a stabilizing effect on his life, and he attributes his decision to give up alcohol in 1986, to her influence. While governor of Texas, Bush said of his wife, "I saw an elegant, beautiful woman who turned out not only to be elegant and beautiful, but very smart and willing to put up with my rough edges, and I must confess has smoothed them off over time." Bush also says that his faith in God

693-622: A budget surplus to push through Texas's largest tax cut , $ 2   billion. He extended government funding for organizations providing education on the dangers of alcohol and drug use and abuse , and helping to reduce domestic violence . His administration lowered the age at which juveniles can be sent to adult court for serious crimes to 14. Bush presided over 152 executions, more than any previous governor in modern American history; critics such as Helen Prejean argue that he failed to give serious consideration to clemency requests. Critics also contended that during his tenure, Texas ranked near

792-545: A campaign advisor. The previous month, his father had asked him to tell White House chief of staff John H. Sununu to resign. Bush declared his candidacy for the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election at the same time his brother Jeb sought the governorship in Florida . His campaign focused on four themes: welfare reform, tort reform , crime reduction, and education improvement. Bush's campaign advisers were Karen Hughes , Joe Allbaugh , and Karl Rove . After easily winning

891-440: A director. He joined movie-equipment maker Bell and Howell Corporation in 1958 as executive vice president. He later succeeded Charles H. Percy as chairman and CEO, positions he held from 1963 to 1971. In 1969, he was invited by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller III , CFR Chairman John J. McCloy , and former Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon to chair a Commission on Foundations and Private Philanthropy, which became known as

990-637: A dishwasher for Union Pacific Railroad and roomed on a caboose. In 1923, George opened and then ran a Greek diner, Central Café, in Kearney, after changing his name from Georgios Petropoulos. Peter began working at the cash register at age 8. Expelled from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for plagiarizing a term paper in his freshman year, Peterson enrolled at Northwestern University and The Kellogg School , graduating in 1947 with highest academic honors, summa cum laude . Peterson

1089-585: A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . Kearney, Nebraska Kearney ( / ˈ k ɑːr n i / KAR -nee ) is the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska , United States. The population was 33,790 in the 2020 census , making it the 5th most populous city in Nebraska . It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney . The westward push of the railroad as

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1188-405: A female householder with no husband present. 32.3% of households consisted of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9. 20.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 19.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

1287-503: A five-story opera house were some of the projects to ultimately make it off the drawing board. These flush times would grind to a sudden halt as a result of the agricultural depression and economic crisis of the early 1890s . In 1912, the Catholic diocese of Kearney was centered here. The diocese was suppressed in 1917, with the creation of the diocese of Grand Island . In 1997, the historical diocese of Kearney began to be used as

1386-522: A group of investors to purchase a controlling interest of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers for $ 89   million and invested $ 500,000 himself to start. He then was managing general partner for five years. He actively led the team's projects and regularly attended its games, often choosing to sit in the open stands with fans. Bush's sale of his shares in the Rangers in 1998 brought him over $ 15   million from his initial $ 800,000 investment. In

1485-518: A household in the city was $ 34,829, and the median income for a family was $ 46,650. Males had a median income of $ 30,150 versus $ 22,366 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,713. About 7.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over. Companies headquartered in Kearney include Citizens Telecommunications Company of Nebraska and The Buckle . According to Buffalo County Economic Development,

1584-528: A low public profile. At various points in his presidency, he was among both the most popular and the most unpopular presidents in U.S. history. He received the highest recorded approval ratings in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and one of the lowest ratings during the 2007–2008 financial crisis . Bush initially left office as one of the most unpopular U.S. presidents, but public opinion of him has improved since then. Scholars and historians rank Bush in

1683-516: A male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96 . The median age in the city was 29 years. 22.2% of residents were under age 18; 20.5% were between ages 18 and 24; 25.6% were aged 25 to 44; 20.6% were aged 45 to 64; and 11.1% were aged 65 years or older. The gender makeup of

1782-540: A period of economic recession in the wake of the bursting of the dot-com bubble . The September 11 terrorist attacks also impacted the economy . His administration increased federal government spending from $ 1.789   trillion to $ 2.983   trillion (66 percent), while revenues increased from $ 2.025   trillion to $ 2.524   trillion (from 2000 to 2008). Individual income tax revenues increased by 14 percent, corporate tax revenues by 50 percent, and customs and duties by 40 percent. Discretionary defense spending

1881-499: A record 68 percent of the vote. He became the first governor in Texas history to be elected to two consecutive four-year terms. During his second term, Bush promoted faith-based organizations and enjoyed high approval ratings , which ranged between 62 and 81 percent. He proclaimed June 10, 2000, to be Jesus Day in Texas, a day on which he urged all Texans to "answer the call to serve those in need". Throughout Bush's first term, he

1980-504: A scheduled physical exam. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force Reserve on November 21, 1974. Bush remains the most recent president to have served in the military. In 1977, Bush established Arbusto Energy , a small oil exploration company, which began operations in 1978. He later changed the name to Bush Exploration. In 1984, his company merged with the larger Spectrum 7 , and Bush became chairman. The company

2079-577: A staunch liberal who would raise taxes and increase the size of government. The Bush campaign continuously criticized Kerry's seemingly contradictory statements on the war in Iraq, and argued that Kerry lacked the decisiveness and vision necessary for success in the War on Terror. Following the resignation of CIA director George Tenet in 2004, Bush nominated Porter Goss to head the agency. The White House ordered Goss to purge agency officers who were disloyal to

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2178-438: A tactic's making it into the public record – when a regional chairman of the Bush campaign allowed himself, perhaps inadvertently, to be quoted criticizing Richards for 'appointing avowed homosexual activists ' to state jobs". The Atlantic , and others, connected the lesbian rumor to Karl Rove, but Rove denied being involved. Bush won the general election with 53.5 percent of the vote against Richards' 45.9 percent. Bush used

2277-561: A third count, and stopped an ordered statewide hand recount based on the argument that the use of different standards among Florida's counties violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment . The machine recount showed that Bush had won the Florida vote by a margin of 537 votes out of six million casts. Although he had received 543,895 fewer individual nationwide votes than Gore, Bush won

2376-578: A trustee of the Committee for Economic Development . He was also chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York between 2000 and 2004. In 2008, he founded the Peter G. Peterson Foundation (PGPF), an organization devoted to spreading public awareness on fiscal sustainability issues related to the national debt, federal deficits, Social Security policy, and tax policies. PGPF distributed

2475-551: Is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and Republican Party , he was the 46th governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. The eldest son of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush , he flew warplanes in the Texas Air National Guard in his twenties. After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1975, he worked in

2574-478: Is land and 0.23 square miles (0.60 km ) is water. Kearney is the principal city of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area , which consists of Buffalo and Kearney counties. The 2020 United States census counted 33,790 people, 13,361 households, and 7,772 families in Kearney. The population density was 2,270.8 per square mile (877.0/km ). There were 14,370 housing units at an average density of 965.7 per square mile (373.0/km ). The racial makeup

2673-506: Is not the government's money. The surplus is the people's money." Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan warned of a recession and Bush stated that a tax cut would stimulate the economy and create jobs. Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill , opposed some of the tax cuts on the basis that they would contribute to budget deficits and undermine Social Security . O'Neill disputes the claim, made in Bush's book Decision Points , that he never openly disagreed with him on planned tax cuts. By 2003,

2772-866: Is the only U.S. president to have earned an MBA. Bush was engaged to Cathryn Lee Wolfman in 1967, but the engagement did not last. Bush and Wolfman remained on good terms after the end of the relationship. While Bush was at a backyard barbecue in 1977, friends introduced him to Laura Welch , a schoolteacher and librarian. After a three-month courtship, she accepted his marriage proposal and they wed on November   5 of that year. The couple settled in Midland, Texas . Bush left his family's Episcopal Church to join his wife's United Methodist Church . On November 25, 1981, Laura Bush gave birth to fraternal twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna . Bush describes being challenged by Billy Graham to consider faith in Jesus "Christ as

2871-501: The 2000 presidential election , he won over Democratic incumbent Vice President Al Gore , while losing the popular vote after a narrow and contested Electoral College win, which involved a Supreme Court decision to stop a recount in Florida . In his first term, Bush signed a major tax-cut program and an education-reform bill, the No Child Left Behind Act . He pushed for socially conservative efforts such as

2970-605: The Civil War ended gave new birth to the community. In the late 1840s, American settlers traveling westward arrived in significant numbers along the Mormon Trail and Overland Trails . This marked the beginning of Kearney's role as a crossroads on major east-west transportation arteries. In 1848, to safeguard westward migrants traveling through the region, the US Army established a military fort several miles southeast of

3069-685: The Council on Foreign Relations in 1985 and served until his retirement from that position in 2007. He served as trustee of the Rockefeller family 's Japan Society and of the Museum of Modern Art , and was previously on the board of Rockefeller Center Properties, Inc. He was the founding chairman of the Peterson Institute for International Economics (formerly the "Institute for International Economics", renamed in his honor in 2006), and

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3168-685: The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and faith-based initiatives . He also initiated the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief , in 2003, to address the AIDS epidemic . The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 decisively reshaped his administration, resulting in the start of the war on terror and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security . Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to overthrow

3267-578: The September 11 attacks . Wars were begun in Afghanistan and Iraq, and there were significant domestic debates regarding immigration, healthcare, Social Security, economic policy, and treatment of terrorist detainees. Over an eight-year period, Bush's once-high approval ratings steadily declined, while his disapproval numbers increased significantly. In 2007, the United States entered the longest post- World War II recession. Bush took office during

3366-465: The South Carolina primary , which according to The Boston Globe made history for his campaign's negativity. The New York Times described it as a smear campaign . On July 25, 2000, Bush surprised some observers when he selected Dick Cheney  – a former White House chief of staff , U.S. representative, and secretary of defense – to be his running mate. At

3465-670: The Taliban , destroy al-Qaeda , and capture Osama bin Laden . He signed the Patriot Act to authorize surveillance of suspected terrorists. He also ordered the 2003 invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein 's regime on the false belief that they possessed weapons of mass destruction and had ties with al-Qaeda . Bush later signed the Medicare Modernization Act , which created Medicare Part D . In 2004, Bush

3564-428: The national debt had risen to $ 11.3   trillion, more than doubling it since 2000. Most debt was accumulated as a result of what became known as the " Bush tax cuts " and increased national security spending. In March 2006, then-Senator Barack Obama said when he voted against raising the debt ceiling : "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure." By

3663-476: The 2008 documentary film I.O.U.S.A. and did outreach to the 2008 presidential candidates. Peterson funded The Fiscal Times , a news website that reports on current economic issues, including the federal budget, the deficit, entitlements, health care, personal savings, taxation, and the global economy . Fiscal Times contributors and editors include several veteran economics reporters for The New York Times and The Washington Post . On August 4, 2010, it

3762-496: The Democrats onto a war funding bill and passed by Congress. The SCHIP legislation would have significantly expanded federally funded healthcare benefits and plans to children of some low-income families. It was to be funded by an increase in the cigarette tax. Bush viewed the legislation as a move toward socialized health care , and asserted that the program could benefit families making as much as $ 83,000 per year who did not need

3861-683: The Democrats regained control of Congress in the 2006 elections . The Afghanistan and Iraq wars continued; in January 2007, Bush launched a surge of troops in Iraq . By December, the U.S. entered the Great Recession , prompting the Bush administration to get congressional approval for economic programs intended to preserve the country's financial system, including the Troubled Asset Relief Program . After his second term, Bush returned to Texas, where he has maintained

3960-566: The Department of Defense released all the records of Bush's Texas Air National Guard service, which remain in its official archives. In late 1972 and early 1973, he drilled with the 187th Fighter Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard . He had moved to Montgomery, Alabama , to work on the unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Winton M. Blount . In 1972, Bush was suspended from flying for failure to take

4059-711: The Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement . In recognition of his support, the influential Peterson Institute for International Economics was named in his honor in 2006. In 2006, Peterson was honored with the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution . The same year he was elected

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4158-593: The Homeland Security Council in May 2006. After being re-elected, Bush signed into law a Medicare drug benefit program that, according to Jan Crawford , resulted in "the greatest expansion in America's welfare state in forty years" – the bill's costs approached $ 7   trillion. In 2007, Bush opposed and vetoed State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation, which was added by

4257-620: The Mayor. The city operates Kearney Regional Airport located east of the city. Commercial air service is available via United Express with twice-daily service to Denver International Airport , as well as a daily non-stop flight to O'Hare Airport in Chicago, IL. The Union Pacific Railroad east-west main line runs through Kearney. Greyhound Bus Lines stops to pick up or discharge passengers in Kearney at 112 W. Talmadge Rd. George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946)

4356-470: The Peterson Commission. Among its recommendations adopted by the government were that foundations be required annually to disburse a minimum proportion of their funds. In 1971, he was named assistant to the president for international economic affairs by U.S. President Richard Nixon . In April 1971, Peterson produced a secret report for Nixon on the volatile world economy that argued that

4455-763: The Republican Party and did not encounter a primary challenge. He appointed Ken Mehlman as campaign manager, and Karl Rove devised a political strategy. Bush and the Republican platform emphasized a strong commitment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, support for the USA PATRIOT Act , a renewed shift in policy for constitutional amendments banning abortion and same-sex marriage , reforming Social Security to create private investment accounts, creation of an ownership society , and opposing mandatory carbon emissions controls. Bush also called for

4554-415: The Republican primary, Bush faced popular Democratic incumbent Governor Ann Richards . In the course of the campaign, Bush pledged to sign a bill allowing Texans to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons . Richards had vetoed the bill, but Bush signed it into law after he became governor. According to The Atlantic , the race "featured a rumor that she was a lesbian, along with a rare instance of such

4653-426: The U.S. was in economic decline under the existing world order of trade, which the U.S. had helped build immediately after World War II. To stem that decline, according to Peterson, the U.S. must challenge competing nations in the trading sphere by adopting industrial policy . The report impressed Nixon and the idea of American competitive decline soon became "an article of popular belief". The report established some of

4752-481: The U.S.–Soviet Commercial Commission. During his tenure, Peterson was a strong critic of the rising financial debt of the United States. Peterson was chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers (1973–1977) and Lehman Brothers, Kuhn, Loeb Inc. (1977–1984). In 1985, Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman co-founded the private equity and investment management firm the Blackstone Group , and for many years Peterson

4851-584: The United States in 34 years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in the last four months of 2008, 1.9 million jobs were lost. By the end of 2008, the U.S. had lost 2.6 million jobs. To aid with the situation, Bush signed a $ 170   billion economic stimulus package which was intended to improve the economic situation by sending tax rebate checks to many Americans and providing tax breaks for struggling businesses. The Bush administration pushed for significantly increased regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2003, and after two years,

4950-583: The White House, increasing the size of the military, cutting taxes, improving education, and aiding minorities. By early 2000, the race had centered on Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain . Bush won the Iowa caucuses and, although heavily favored to win the New Hampshire primary , trailed McCain by 19 percent and lost. Despite this, he regained momentum and effectively became the front runner after

5049-537: The administration. After Goss' appointment, many of the CIA's senior agents were fired or quit. The CIA has been accused of deliberately leaking classified information to undermine the 2004 election. In the election, Bush carried 31 of 50 states, receiving 286 electoral votes. He won an absolute majority of the popular vote (50.7 percent to Kerry's 48.3 percent). Bush had originally outlined an ambitious domestic agenda, but his priorities were significantly altered following

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5148-422: The bottom in environmental evaluations. Supporters pointed to his efforts to raise the salaries of teachers and improve educational test scores. In 1999, Bush signed a law that required electric retailers to buy a certain amount of energy from renewable sources (RPS), which helped Texas eventually become the leading producer of wind powered electricity in the U.S. In 1998 , Bush won re-election with

5247-578: The city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 29,952 people, 10,549 households, and 6,160 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,498.5 inhabitants per square mile (964.7/km ). There were 11,099 housing units at an average density of 1,010.9 per square mile (390.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 95.18% White , 0.63% African American , 0.38% Native American , 0.92% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 1.68% from other races , and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% of

5346-430: The city was 92.3% White , 1.0% African American , 0.3% Native American , 1.8% Asian , 3.1% from other races , and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. There were 12,201 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had

5445-484: The co-creator of the popular American educational children's television series Sesame Street . In his autobiography, Peterson recalled his business and private life and blamed himself for the failure of two of his three marriages but expressed pride for having grown close to his children. Peterson died on March 20, 2018, at age 91, of natural causes at his Manhattan home. He is survived by his children, his wife Joan, and nine grandchildren. In 1962, Peterson received

5544-484: The collapse of Lehman Brothers and a federal bailout of American International Group for $ 85   billion. Many economists and world governments determined that the situation had become the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression . Additional regulation over the housing market would have been beneficial, according to former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan . Bush, meanwhile, proposed

5643-565: The early or mid 1990s, before his gubernatorial campaign, Bush briefly considered a candidacy to become the Commissioner of Baseball . In 1978 , Bush ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 19th congressional district . The retiring member, George H. Mahon , had held the district for the Democratic Party since 1935. Bush's opponent, Kent Hance , portrayed him as out of touch with rural Texans, and Bush lost

5742-554: The economy showed signs of improvement, though job growth remained stagnant. Another tax cut was passed that year. Between 2001 and 2008, GDP grew at an average annual rate of 2.125 percent, less than for past business cycles. Bush entered office with the Dow Jones Industrial Average at 10,587, and the average peaked in October 2007 at over 14,000. When Bush left office, the average was at 7,949, one of

5841-482: The election returns were tallied on November 7, Bush had won 29 states, including Florida. The closeness of the Florida outcome led to a recount . The initial recount also went to Bush, but the outcome was tied up in lower courts for a month until eventually reaching the U.S. Supreme Court . On December 9, in the controversial Bush v. Gore ruling, the Court reversed a Florida Supreme Court decision that had ordered

5940-521: The election, receiving 271 electoral votes to Gore's 266 (Gore had actually been awarded 267 votes by the states pledged to him plus the District of Columbia, but one D.C. elector abstained). Bush was the first person to win a U.S. presidential election with fewer popular votes than another candidate since Benjamin Harrison in 1888. In his 2004 bid for re-election, Bush commanded broad support in

6039-436: The election, receiving 46.8 percent of the vote to Hance's 53.2 percent. Bush and his family moved to Washington, D.C., in 1988 to work on his father's campaign for the U.S. presidency . He was a campaign advisor and liaison to the media, and assisted his father by campaigning across the country. In December 1991, Bush was one of seven people named by his father to run his father's 1992 presidential re-election campaign as

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6138-476: The end of Bush's presidency, unemployment climbed to 7.2 percent. In December 2007, the United States entered the longest post– World War II recession, caused by a housing market correction , a subprime mortgage crisis , soaring oil prices , and other factors. In February 2008, 63,000 jobs were lost, a five-year record, and in November, over 500,000 jobs were lost, which marked the largest loss of jobs in

6237-432: The fact that students in the U.S. have performed significantly better on state reading and math tests since Bush signed "No Child Left Behind" into law. Critics argue that it is underfunded and that NCLBA's focus on "high-stakes testing" and quantitative outcomes is counterproductive. On November 1, 2005, Bush launched a National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza , which culminated in an implementation plan published by

6336-583: The funding for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health in his first years of office and creating education programs to strengthen the grounding in science and mathematics for American high school students. Funding for the NIH was cut in 2006, the first such cut in 36 years, due to rising inflation. One of the administration's early major initiatives was the No Child Left Behind Act , which aimed to measure and close

6435-418: The gap between rich and poor student performance, provide options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and target more federal funding to low-income schools. This landmark education initiative passed with broad bipartisan support, including that of Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. It was signed into law by Bush in early 2002. Many contend that the initiative has been successful, as cited by

6534-472: The implementation of a guest worker program for immigrants, which was criticized by conservatives. The Bush campaign advertised across the U.S. against Democratic candidates, including Bush's emerging opponent, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry . Kerry and other Democrats attacked Bush on the Iraq War , and accused him of failing to stimulate the economy and job growth. The Bush campaign portrayed Kerry as

6633-539: The intellectual foundations of Nixon's decision in August 1971 to upend the Bretton Woods agreement . Professional economists derided the thesis as a form of mercantilism that betrayed "economic illiteracy". In 1972, Peterson became Secretary of Commerce , a position he held for one year. At that time he also assumed the chairmanship of Nixon's National Commission on Productivity and was appointed U.S. Chairman of

6732-503: The lower half of presidents. George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, at Grace-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut . He was the first child of George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Pierce . He was raised in Midland and Houston , Texas with four siblings: Jeb , Neil , Marvin and Dorothy . Another younger sister, Robin , died from leukemia at the age of three in 1953. His paternal grandfather, Prescott Bush ,

6831-769: The lowest levels of his presidency. Only four other U.S. presidents have left office with the stock market lower than when they began. Unemployment originally rose from 4.2 percent in January 2001 to 6.3 percent in June 2003, but subsequently dropped to 4.5 percent in July 2007. Adjusted for inflation, median household income dropped by $ 1,175 between 2000 and 2007, while Professor Ken Homa of Georgetown University noted that "Median real after-tax household income went up two percent". The poverty rate increased from 11.3 percent in 2000 to 12.3 percent in 2006 after peaking at 12.7 percent in 2004. By October 2008, due to increases in spending,

6930-522: The next twenty-years, fueled by a post-Civil War period of frenzied economic expansion and wealth generation ( Gilded Age ) that was transforming the whole nation. Enterprising investors poured into the burgeoning community from the East and elsewhere, hoping to enrich themselves through ambitious speculative development schemes that, more often than not, turned out to be ill-conceived and economically unsustainable. An irrigation canal, electric street railway, and

7029-477: The oil industry. He later co-owned the Texas Rangers , of Major League Baseball , before being elected governor of Texas in 1994 . As governor , Bush successfully sponsored legislation for tort reform, increased education funding, set higher standards for schools, and reformed the criminal justice system. He also helped make Texas the leading producer of wind-generated electricity in the United States. In

7128-400: The population. There were 10,549 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

7227-418: The present city. Named after famed frontier military officer Stephen W. Kearny , Fort Kearny would become the namesake of the present city and serve as a stopping-point for gold prospectors, Pony Express riders, and Union Pacific Railroad workers until 1871. The first permanent settlement in the area was called Dobytown, located 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of the present-day Kearney. The "e" in Kearney

7326-550: The president of the fraternity during his senior year. Bush became a member of the Skull and Bones society as a senior. Bush was a rugby union player and was on Yale's 1st XV. He characterized himself as an average student. His grade point average during his first three years at Yale was 77, and he had a similar average under a nonnumerical rating system in his final year. In the fall of 1973, Bush entered Harvard Business School . He graduated in 1975 with an MBA degree, and

7425-576: The regulations passed the House but died in the Senate. Many Republican senators, as well as influential members of the Bush Administration, feared that the agency created by these regulations would merely be mimicking the private sector's risky practices. In September 2008, the crisis became much more serious beginning with the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac followed by

7524-527: The risen Lord", how he began to read the Bible daily, "surrendering" to the "Almighty", that "faith is a walk" and that he was "moved by God 's love". Before his marriage, Bush repeatedly abused alcohol . On September 4, 1976, he was pulled over near his family's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine , for driving under the influence of alcohol . He was arrested for DUI , was fined $ 150, and received

7623-439: The time, Cheney was serving as head of Bush's vice presidential search committee. Soon after at the 2000 Republican National Convention , Bush and Cheney were officially nominated by the Republican Party. Bush continued to campaign across the country and touted his record as Governor of Texas. During his campaign, Bush criticized his Democratic opponent, incumbent Vice President Al Gore , over gun control and taxation. When

7722-617: The top non-manufacturing employers in the city are: The top manufacturing employers are: Kearney is home to several museums, many of which reflect its location on the California , Mormon , Oregon , and Pony Express trails, and the Lincoln Highway . The council-manager form is used in Kearney. The City Council makes legislative and policy-making decisions. There are five members elected citywide to serve four-year terms which are staggered. The council manager form of government

7821-636: Was re-elected president in a close race, beating Democratic opponent John Kerry and winning the popular vote. During his second term, Bush made free trade agreements . He appointed John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. He sought major changes to Social Security and immigration laws, but both efforts failed in Congress. Bush was widely criticized for his administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina and revelations of torture against detainees at Abu Ghraib . Amid his unpopularity,

7920-523: Was $ 237   billion – the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever. In 2001, Bush's budget estimated that there would be a $ 5.6   trillion surplus over the next ten years. Facing congressional opposition, Bush held town hall-style meetings across the U.S. to increase public support for his plan for a $ 1.35   trillion tax cut program , one of the largest tax cuts in U.S. history. Bush argued that unspent government funds should be returned to taxpayers, saying "the surplus

8019-520: Was $ 29,317 (+/- $ 3,191). Approximately, 7.5% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those ages 65 or over. As of the census of 2010, there were 30,787 people, 12,201 households, and 7,015 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,410.9 inhabitants per square mile (930.9/km ). There were 12,738 housing units at an average density of 997.5 per square mile (385.1/km ). The racial makeup of

8118-423: Was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96 . In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under age 18, 23.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for

8217-473: Was 32.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 94.1 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 60,755 (with a margin of error of +/- $ 4,444) and the median family income $ 85,444 (+/- $ 4,564). Males had a median income of $ 36,227 (+/- $ 3,446) versus $ 23,904 (+/- $ 2,231) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old

8316-421: Was 85.04% (28,734) white , 1.63% (551) black or African-American , 0.58% (196) Native American , 1.88% (634) Asian , 0.09% (30) Pacific Islander , 4.63% (1,563) from other races , and 6.16% (2,082) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 9.0% (3,200) of the population. Of the 13,361 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18; 44.2% were married couples living together; 29.2% had

8415-503: Was a Texas oilman. Other activities include cigar smoking and golf. Bush has also painted many paintings. One of his best-known projects is a collection of 43 paintings of immigrants, titled Out of Many, One . Another painting project was Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warrior . In May 1968, Bush was commissioned into the Texas Air National Guard . After two years of training in active-duty service, he

8514-505: Was a U.S. senator from Connecticut . His father was Ronald Reagan 's vice president from 1981 to 1989 and the 41st U.S. president from 1989 to 1993. Bush has English and German ancestry, along with more distant Dutch , Welsh , Irish , French , and Scottish roots. Bush attended public schools in Midland, Texas, until the family moved to Houston after he had completed seventh grade. He then spent two years at The Kinkaid School ,

8613-535: Was added by mistake sometime afterwards by postmen who consistently misspelled the town name; eventually the spelling became nomenclature . The region expanded in 1866 with the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad . The fixing of a junction point with the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in 1871 anticipated the establishment of a townsite in the summer of that year. The city of Kearney

8712-467: Was adopted in 1950. Michael W. Morgan currently serves as city manager. The council appoints a city manager to implement policies, prepare a budget, appoints department heads, and recommends areas that the council needs to attend. There are five members elected citywide serving staggered four-year terms. One member of the City Council is chosen by the council to be Mayor. Stanley Clouse is currently

8811-399: Was announced that Peterson had signed " The Giving Pledge ". He was one of 40 billionaires, led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett , who agreed to give at least half their wealth to charity. Most of his giving was to his own foundation, The Peter G. Peterson Foundation , which focuses on raising public awareness about long-term fiscal sustainability issues. From 2007 through 2011, Peterson

8910-471: Was assigned to Houston , flying Convair F-102s with the 147th Reconnaissance Wing out of Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base . Critics, including former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe , have alleged that Bush was favorably treated due to his father's political standing as a member of the House of Representatives , citing his selection as a pilot despite his low pilot aptitude test scores and his irregular attendance. In June 2005,

9009-601: Was critical in abstaining. "I believe that God helped open my eyes, which were closing because of booze". Bush has been an avid reader throughout his adult life, preferring biographies and histories. During his presidency, Bush read the Bible daily, though at the end of his second term he said on television that he is "not a literalist" about Bible interpretation. Walt Harrington , a journalist, recalled seeing "books by John Fowles , F. Scott Fitzgerald , James Joyce , and Gore Vidal lying about, as well as biographies of Willa Cather and Queen Victoria " in his home when Bush

9108-458: Was first married from 1948 to 1950 to Kris Krengel, a journalism student at Northwestern University . He joined Market Facts upon graduation, a Chicago-based market research firm, in 1948. In 1951, he received an M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business , before returning to Market Facts as an executive vice president. Peterson joined advertising agency McCann Erickson in 1953, again in Chicago, where he served as

9207-419: Was hurt by decreased oil prices, and it folded into Harken Energy Corporation , with Bush becoming a member of Harken's board of directors. Questions of possible insider trading involving Harken arose, but a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation concluded that the information Bush had at the time of his stock sale was not sufficient to constitute insider trading. In April 1989, Bush arranged for

9306-471: Was incorporated on December 3, 1873, the townsite being fixed a mille north of the Platte River . In 1874, Kearney was chosen to be the seat of Buffalo County , experiencing great population, economic, and infrastructural expansion in subsequent years that transformed the nascent city into the local business, education, and transportation center it remains to this day. This boom would be sustained through

9405-466: Was increased by 107 percent, discretionary domestic spending by 62 percent, Medicare spending by 131 percent, social security by 51 percent, and income security spending by 130 percent. Cyclically adjusted, revenues rose by 35 percent and spending by 65 percent. The increase in spending was more than under any predecessor since Lyndon B. Johnson . The number of economic regulation governmental workers increased by 91,196. The surplus in fiscal year 2000

9504-497: Was its chairman. At Blackstone, he made a fortune, including the $ 1.9 billion he received when it went public in 2007, that funded many of his charitable and political causes. In 1992, he was one of the co-founders of the Concord Coalition , a bipartisan citizens' organization that advocates reduction of the federal budget deficit. Following record deficits under President George W. Bush , Peterson said in 2004, "I remain

9603-501: Was married three times and divorced twice. In 1953, he married former Brown University psychology professor Sally Hornbogen Peterson, a trustee of the Dalton School and a graduate of Northwestern University , with whom he had five children: John Scott Peterson, James Jim Peterson, David Peterson, Michael Alexander Peterson, and the writer Holly Peterson . They divorced in 1979. The next year, Peterson married Joan Ganz Cooney ,

9702-544: Was reported to have contributed $ 458 million to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation , to promote the cause of fiscal responsibility. Peterson opposed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 because it cut corporate and other taxes by raising the debt. "Mortgaging our fiscal future for trillions in temporary tax cuts will hurt our economy over time, and every C.E.O. should know that", he said. "True business patriots need to advocate for their country as well as their company." Peterson

9801-404: Was the focus of national attention as a potential future presidential candidate. Following his re-election, speculation soared, and within a year he decided to seek the 2000 Republican presidential nomination. Bush portrayed himself as a compassionate conservative , implying he was more centrist than other Republicans. He campaigned on a platform that included bringing integrity and honor back to

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