Opinion : To the Editor: Economic reasons to vote against President Obama

By John Stiegelmeyer · October 8, 2012, 10:14 am

Editor,

Recently President Clinton has been featured in an Ad supporting President Obama. The former President is saying “This election to me …… is who is likely to return us to full employment” ...... the other side wants to “cut taxes for upper incomes and return to deregulation”. ……“Invest in innovation education and job training. It only works if there is a strong middle class. That’s what happened when I was President. We need to keep going with his plan.” These two Presidents policies are no way similar. President Clinton put VP Gore to work looking for ways and means to reduce the size of government; cut agencies and bureaus that were not needed or those that work at cross purposes and reduce unneeded regulation. He also worked with a Republican House and Speaker Gingrich to reform welfare and to curb big government. Remember “the era of big government is over”; “this is the end of welfare as we know it”. President Clinton moved toward the center during his second term. He was able to balance the fed budget – because the power of the purse was with the House Clinton had to go along. I don’t see any of this happening with President Obama, in fact no budget in three years. He has shown he is incapable of learning what works and incapable of abandoning what doesn’t work. Governor Romney sees the need for tax reform as well as entitlement reform. Some will remember how well Reaganonmics worked. In 33 months the unemployed rate went to below 5%, interest rates went to single digits; inflation went to single digits as well. President Reagan’s policies led to job growth and wealth creation – President Obama policies have stalled growth and wealth creation for the middle class. For all of President Clinton’s moral failings – I would much prefer his Presidency than our current one. If the so called Bush tax cuts expire we would go back to Pres. Clinton’s rates which will raise rates for everyone. The scorecard – 12.5M unemployed, Income down, net worth down, 20 US Embassy’s under attack, budget deficits of $1 trillion each of three years, and National Debt now over $16T. Four more years, No -- B.O. must go.

Regards,

John Stiegelmeyer, Vinton

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JS November 1, 2012, 11:04 pm Sorry Folks I had to submit a second commet. R. S. has made a number of comments as to why the liberal way is superior. Please look to page 9 perhaps 10 now in the achieves of this web news letter. Thomas Sowell lays out positively why the financial crisis happened. --The Housing Boom and Bust. This archive is the work of Benton County Advocates. You don\'t have to buy the book to know what occured. I do suggest you do. But the most important book is Reckless Endangerment. Secondly is The Forgotten Man. This is a history of the Depression of 1929 and how the policies of Pres. Hover doubled down by FDR made the recovery last more than a decade. I am suggesting that the same policies are being followed by our Pres. B.O. The Fed Chairman\'s policies are only a cover for Congresses and the Exec. failures!! We are in a World of hurt, but no one except Gov. Romney/Rysn seems to realize it. We must all take a collective bite of the bullet!!!! We can not continue on our present path. The Dem approach has been to demonize Romney. That doesn\'t take -- he is a decent man and has shown a caring attitude to his flock and his employees. Surely some of his company\'s ventures didn\'t work, but most of us have experienced endevours that did not work out as well.

JS November 1, 2012, 10:31 pm Good Grief! more remarks follow. demagoguary beats data! Most of you have missed the basic point. No improvement in our economy -- promised by the chosen one. It doesn\'t matter if women are paid less than a comparable male position if it isn\'t there!! It doesn\'t matter if student loan rates are 3 or 6% if there is no job to pay back the debt. Is there any critical thinking skills left?? All that has been done as was done during Clinton is the chewing around at the edge -- no real solving of the basic problem. Which means -- defining the problem --- what are the factors baring on the problem, and then solving the problem. B.O. has no concept of problem solving as had previous Congressional Pols. Anyone with business experience knows what to do. Academics and Pol Sc people have no clue!!

MH November 1, 2012, 1:09 pm \"... And so my job is not to worry about those people. I\'ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.\" ---- That\'s the most degrading thing I\'ve ever heard a politician say. Its part of your boy Romney\'s 47 percent remark. Romney wants to slash the social safety net because its \"immoral\" but he wants to keep his capital gains tax code subsidy and carried interest tax loophole welfare that accounts for much of his wealth. --- So this is the guy you think will best revamp the tax code so that its fair for everyone? --- You should really try to expand your sources of information - you have the potential to be an informed voter, but its not as easy as one cable news network.

dw November 1, 2012, 9:09 am As usual, when liberals run out of argument, they resort to personal attacks. No need for that as differences in opinion are what makes for great discussion. True leaders don\'t degrade others, they build on positive things. That\'s what we need from our next president.....leadership! BO\'s not got it done so let\'s move to someone who can.

MH October 31, 2012, 5:10 pm Who said anything about generally? Open 2 windows and back off on the Ambien. When you can see your toes, ask a librarian to help you search the Congressional Record on the keyword \"filibuster\". Put on your glasses and read the salient hits (turn the volume down on Hannity).

dw October 31, 2012, 9:31 am Who said anything about supermajority. Control of both houses means that there were more dem\'s than repub\'s. Generally, that means that party has an advantage in getting legislation passed but it\'s amazing how when it doesn\'t work that way for your party that you blame the other side. Maybe its time for hard left to really examine their own party and do what\'s good for the country, not the party. For two years, the dem\'s had control!

RS October 30, 2012, 8:35 pm Thank you Mark. It is amazing people who think they are experts on how the government is run really are so very ignorant. Not only it is false that there was over 2 years of Democratic rule, but it only takes ONE Senator to place a hold on legislation or appointees which Repubs did with impunity. Maybe some of these so-called \"experts\" need to go back to government 101 to understand how the government works.

MH October 30, 2012, 4:31 pm In order to control the U.S. Senate, you need a supermajority of 60 votes to override the filibuster. -- Al Franken, because of a contested election outcome in Minnesota, wasn\'t seated until July 2009. Senator Edward Kennedy died in August 2009 and Scott Brown won that seat in January 2010. With Franken and Kennedy, Obama had 7 weeks of 58 Democrats and 2 Independents. Republicans used the filibuster twice as much as any other congress in history, setting a record for sheer and total obstructionism. -- The idea that Obama had 2 years controlling both houses is as big a lie as voter fraud. -- Next time you\'re watching FOX, open a window to let in some fresh air.

RS October 30, 2012, 4:17 pm One of many examples playing out right now. Before President Obama saved the auto industry, Romney entitled an op-ed piece, let Detroit go bankrupt. He advocated no government help to the industry that would mean a crippling effect on jobs. Now he says he supports the auto industry and makes some convoluted attempt at appealing to Ohio auto workers.

Last week in a speech in Ohio, Romney stated that Jeep was moving jobs to China. When Chrysler stated that rather than move jobs to China, they want to open up markets in China, the truth was ignored. Being called on this erroneous statement would surely make an honest candidate change their rhetoric. Not with the Romney campaign, who now has an ad up in Ohio restating that lie. To what end? To scare people to vote for him. And this is the guy you want as our President? This is only one example. The list goes on and on. Dishonest and deceitful equals Romney.

RS October 30, 2012, 12:08 pm The problem is Romney takes 5 different opinions on every issue. He will say anything to anybody to buy the election. How can anyone believe anything he says?

dw October 30, 2012, 9:05 am I seem to have to keep repeating myself. First two years, control of both houses. Two plus budgets submitted that even his own party wouldn\'t support....not one member! This isn\'t rocket science. Romney has demonstrated the ability to work with both parties.........BO has demonstrated the ability to divide them!

RS October 26, 2012, 12:11 pm So that is how you justify the Republican attempt at governing. But the definition of obstructionist from Houghton Muffin Dictionary is:

One who systematically blocks or interrupts a process, especially one who attempts to impede passage of legislation by the use of delaying tactics, such as a filibuster.

There are so many things wrong with your assumption but let�s look at this issue. As stated above, Mitch McConnell stated at the very first that the number one goal of the Republicans was to do everything in their power to keep the President from a second term. That meant that no matter what was proposed by Democrats and the President they were going to and did oppose. It was clearly stated that they were going to �obstruct� everything without taking into account the merits of the proposals.

As far as the budget mess, whoever was going to be President in 2009 was going to inherit what Bush did. Let me remind you that when Bush took office there was a surplus from Democratic Clinton. With tax cuts to the wealthy, two unfunded wars, and the massive prescription drug benefit charged on our national credit card, the budget was severely in the red when Bush left office. After 8 years of mismanagement, Repubs thought that President Obama could straighten out their mess overnight while they �obstructed� the process and now claim that the President has not done enough.

You can slice it and dice anyway you want, but the Republican Party did not have the country�s best interest at heart when they set about choosing to play politics instead of governing. Governing is about compromise, something that the right wing tea party and political opportunists do not understand. To them, it is there way or no way and that my friend, is not governing.

dw October 26, 2012, 10:33 am Republicans not approving BO\'s agenda is not obstructionism, it\'s simply not agreeing with his policies. Thank God we had the conservatives in place to hold in check BO\'s destructive spending policies to the degree they did. It was very easy to see, based on his record, what his direction was going to be and he sure held true! Sorry, but BO simply wasn\'t, and isn\'t, prepared to be president.

RS October 25, 2012, 11:30 am Dave-How about please no more whining from Repubs. I did a search on www.whitehouse.gov, (non partisan just presents the facts) and found the list of legislation that the President signed into law in 2009 to mid 2010. (The list was getting so long that I thought you would get the drift anyway. I even left off all those silly bills like naming things.)The facts are that when President Obama entered office, the country was in the midst of the worst recession since the 1930\'s brought on by 2 wars and a large prescription drug bill that were not paid for and created massive debt from a Republican presidency of 8 years. I will give you one thing, I wished that the President would have used his legislative agenda to go even farther than he did those first 2 years but no one, not even the stauches Republican can truthfully say that since 2010 it has been the Tea Pary Repubs only goal was to vote no on anything Democrats or the President proposed. When you have Mitch Mc Connell stating in the first days of the Obama administration the number one goal was to make the President a one term President. When you have Paul Ryan in meetings to strategize about how to accomplish that goal and have been on the record many times, do not attempt to hide the obstructionism from the Tea Party Repubs, it won\'t fly. Unlike your standard bearer, Mr. Etch a Scetch you cannot just say the Repubs did not have an agenda of obstructionism even to the determent of our country. Here is the list from Day 1 to June 2010.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act- (Provides for equal pay for equal work. A bill that Romney will not tell the electorate if he supports.)
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
Children Health Ins. Prog. (CHIP)
Ominbus Public Lands Management Act.
FFA Extension-2009
Small Business Act. Ext.
Serve America Act
Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009
Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act
Helping Families Save Their Homes Act
Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act
Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009
Protecting Incentives for the Adoption of Children with Special Needs Act of 2009
Veterans\' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009
SuppleTmental Appropriations Act, 2009
A bill to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes.
Korean War Veterans Recognition Act
To make technical corrections to the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes
A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (\"WASP\")
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
A bill to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
A bill to authorize major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes.
Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
Military Spouses Residency Relief Act
Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2009
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010
Continuing Appropriations FY 2010
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
Reserve Officers Association Modernization Act of 2009
Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010
Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010
To permit the use of previously appropriated funds to extend the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, and for other purposes.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act
The Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendment Act of 2010
Authority to Compensate Certain Furloughed Federal Employees
Minimum Essential Health Care Coverage by Veteran\'s Affairs
Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act
Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010

JS October 24, 2012, 3:00 pm Ms Van Wey,
I am a dirt farmer and retired in 1993. I take no offense to that title. I did get a B.S. in Animal Science at Iowa State University, but was only able to utilize my degree late in the 70\'s. Unfortunately this was close to the peak in ag prices commodities as well as land. I managed to struggle thru. unfortunately others who had more knowledge and expertise as \"dirt farmers\" did not. My studies in agronomy were obsolete, so it was a difficult task to \"catch up\". What seed varieties to select which herbicides to use, etc.? I was fortunate in that I was smart enough to ask for advice and fortunate enough for others who were more experienced to offer it.
Regards,

dw October 23, 2012, 12:55 pm BO had 2.5 yrs of a democratically controlled house and senate and couldn\'t get it done, so please, no more about those republicans holding things up.

BVW October 19, 2012, 11:41 am \"Dirt Farmers\"? I think the folks that provide our food & fiber need a little more respect than that. Farming today is a high-tech, capital intense business, with a lot of risk involved.

If you have a good plan to fix our economy, maybe it would be more productive for you to run for public office,than to continually write letters to the editor.

JS October 18, 2012, 7:14 pm As far as having a global economy --- yes that is what we have. My point is the socialist policies of Europe have brought their economy to it\'s knees. We do not and should not follow their lead. We have been the leaders in innovation, and invention. We have shown that we as a free market society that we can out produce anyone on this planet. For example our corn yields have increased from my Fathers time of 80 bu/A. to 180 - 240 bu/A., largely due to technology and better management by or dirt farmers. What could the rest of industry be capable of if we had sound regulations that did protect our environment, but did so with a cost/benefit model? Whatever, our Pres has shown he has no talent for managing people, or for compromising with other viewpoints. Consequently we are at loggerheads. He can\'t do the job -- Let him go!

BVW October 18, 2012, 2:08 pm No one seems to ever take into account that we are in a global economy, and we are affected by what goes on halfway around the world, as well as what goes on at home. It seems to me that if people would quit trying to lay blame on somebody else, and try to actually work together for the common good, instead of just trying to \"win\" we\'d all be better off.

DS October 11, 2012, 11:48 am Our economic woes are not due to inaction of Congress or the President but due to their irresponsible behaviors (0bamacare, etc). Article 1 Section 4 of the US Constitution says Congress must be in session at least once a year. The less time Congress is in session the better off we are.

TS October 10, 2012, 8:41 am Hi everybody, you hear how many people keep blaming B.O. , but it seems to me that how many of the republicans sat on their duff and closed session an left with out deciding on things. If we acted in such ways on our jobs, we would get canned, and rightfully so. If they don\'t want to work, they ought to get voted out, get rid of the dead weight. Why should they get paid for not doing there work, nobody else does ? It seams to me, a lot of politicians forget \"they are suppose to be working for the people not themselves.\"