Delphi retirees won’t forget

Delphi retirees won’t forget

Last Monday marked the 7th anniversary of Delphi filing for bankruptcy protection in 2005. Coincidentally, almost to the date, Delphi came out of bankruptcy Oct. 6, 2010.

Since then the lives of 22,000 Delphi salaried retirees and families have been forever altered, and not for their good. Many saw their vested pensions reduced by 30 percent to 70 percent. These were pensions that salaried employees had partially funded with their own contributions over their many years of service to GM and then Delphi. All of us saw cancellation of our health and life insurances.

These were some of the consequences resulting from the cold, calculated choices made by the Obama administration, Treasury and the Automotive Task Force to pick winners and losers in the GM (Government Motors) bailout. GM wins; the American taxpayers and Delphi salaried retirees lose.

It is truly amazing that the Obama administration might think that the determination of the Delphi salaried retirees to see a job through to successful completion was like a light switch suddenly and forever turned off once we retired. How wrong they are. We were always a “can do” group of employees. We did “whatever it took” to solve problems and issues so that the products we produced were made to the highest quality standards and shipped on time. We always worked as a team — a team that included our hourly brothers and sisters. The culture of GM/Delphi encouraged those attitudes in all of us.

We salaried retirees are a determined lot. President Obama needs to know that we are not going away until our pensions are fully restored and other grievances redressed.

Dennis Beck, Liberty Township

One dire look into the future

Many Americans have al- ready made up their minds to vote for Obama next month. They consider themselves to be true, rock-solid Democrats, or are voting for him because of race, or are union members who believe Obama supports them. They should reconsider.

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this president is “fundamentally transforming” America into a socialist nation. Even if you don’t fully understand these words, or what they imply, you should know from history that socialism doesn’t work, plain and simple. A former citizen of the Soviet Union recently stated that, “socialism is seductive, but is a totally bankrupt philosophy.” Seductive in that many people like the idea that government will take care of them. Bankrupt because you eventually run out of “other people’s money.”

I really don’t think people know the importance of this vote in how it will influence their near future and the future of their children and grandchildren. The national debt is at $16 trillion, and it rests on the shoulders of Americans yet unborn.

People all across our nation are preparing for dire consequences if Obama is re-elected. These people are serious and are getting ready for worst-case scenarios to protect their families and friends, to defend their freedom and liberty; to restore our nation to original intent Constitutionalism. Novels have been written about a possible terrorist nuclear weapon creating an electromagnetic pulse that would destroy all electronic devices within range. If that happens, it is estimated that 25 percent of our population would die in the first year for a number of reasons. Likewise, if Obama and Hillary pursue making gun ownership illegal, there will be a huge backlash of Americans who will refuse to give up their Second Amendment rights.

So, my fellow Americans, consider the consequences of your votes next month; it may mean the difference between liberty and tyranny.

Donald K. Allen, DVM, Youngstown

Another dire look into the future

Imagine:

Nov. 6, 2012, the Tea Party takes over more statehouses, governors’ offices, and the U.S. Senate. Mitt Romney wins the White House.

Jan. 2, 2013, more states begin to pass voter-restriction laws, anti-union laws, more-restrictive abortion laws. The U.S. Congress begins the process of scrapping the Affordable Care Act, the EPA, the Department of Education, the Energy Department and others. They vote to void the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Voting Rights Act and all regulatory agencies.

Congress also starts the process to privatize Social Security, change Medicare to a voucher system, eliminate Medicaid altogether.

Jan. 21, 2013, Congress sends all these bills over to President Romney, who signs every one of them.

Jan. 21, 2013-Jan. 20, 2017, at least one liberal member of the Supreme Court retires. President Romney nominates an ultra-conservative, to whom the Senate quickly consents. The court shifts dramatically to the right for at least a generation.

Jan. 21, 2013-Jan. 20, 2017, Congress moves to change the U.S. Constitution, repealing amendments they don’t like and adding amendments. Amendments allowing religion in schools, outlawing abortion and defining marriage as being between one man and one woman are added. Three-quarters of the states, being under Tea Party control, move quickly to ratify the changes.

Of course, throughout the period, various lawsuits are filed. But the Justice Department is now controlled by President Romney and the Supreme Court by the far right, so good luck.

This may be the most important election of our lifetime. That’s why it’s so important that everyone should vote. Shame on us if we allow this country to be taken over by this bunch of fanatics.

Geoffrey Jones, Boardman

Romney championed auto rescue

The controversy over the GM bailout continues with references in The Vindicator to a New York Times op-ed piece headlined: “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” penned by Mitt Romney. Those who wave the title of the op-ed and attribute it to Romney are just playing a crass political game. After all it’s a newspaper editor who wrote the headline, not Mitt Romney.

Those who point to the headline would have you believe that Romney’s plan was to have the auto industry fail, collapse, go out of business. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Listening to Romney’s critics you would think that Obama spared GM the pain of bankruptcy. In fact GM was forced into bankruptcy by the Obama administration in exchange for federal financial help. Obama followed the path laid down by Romney, when he advised: “A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to fundamental restructuring the industry needs.” Six month after Romney’s advice, the Obama administration forced GM into a managed bankruptcy.

No doubt bankruptcy would have looked different under a Romney administration. It would have been much less political and local Delphi retirees might have been treated more fairly, but the focus would have been the same: finding a way to save the industry.

In Romney’s op-ed piece, he explicitly supported federal loan guarantees to help the troubled automaker re-establish itself as a viable business. Romney concluded his piece this way: “The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk. In a managed bankruptcy, the federal government would propel newly competitive and viable automakers, rather than seal their fate with a bailout check.”

When reading Romney’s article, it’s clear he has great compassion for the auto industry. He talked about his love for the auto industry, and pointed out that he was born in Detroit, and his father was tapped to lead American Motors through difficult times.

Mark E. Munroe, Youngstown

The writer is chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party.