Romney’s stance misrepresented

Romney’s stance misrepresented

Rest assured when a polit- ical operative like David Betras accuses his political opposition, in this case Mitt Romney, of “obfuscating, shape-shifting, unprincipled, say-anything-to-get-elected ...” he is about to obfuscate, shape shift, say anything and perhaps prevaricate in an attempt to convince the unwary to vote for Barack Obama. His Sunday article, “Romney is clueless,” is but the latest example. Of course, it was Mr. Betras who informed us we shouldn’t be surprised if a politician lies. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised if a political operative prevaricates.

Mr. Betras offers as an example the Romney oped piece “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” that appeared in The New York Times on Nov. 18, 2008.

First, the title “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” is pretty damning especially if Mr. Romney ever said that. He didn’t. A New York Times editor wrote the title I’m sure to be sensational.

Mr. Romney goes on to warn that without a managed bankruptcy the auto industry will be forced to dramatically restructure. He prescribes shared sacrifice where shareholders, bondholders, management, labor and pensioners are asked to sacrifice something to reduce the significant cost advantage enjoyed by foreign auto makers manufacturing in this country.

The oped piece ends with this, “The American auto industry is vital to our national interest as an employer and as a hub for manufacturing. A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to the fundamental restructuring the industry needs ... The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing, and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk.”

What did happen to GM and Chrysler? They went into managed bankruptcy in June 2009 led by the Obama administration, but the federal government didn’t provide guarantees. No. We the people actually own great chunks of GM, and Chrysler was sold to Fiat, a foreign car company, for a song. The UAW benefited disproportionately as a result of their Obama support contrary to bankruptcy law. While we the people own GM shares under water to the tune of about $30 billion with little hope of recovery.

This is the outcome Mr. Betras crows about.

Maybe a net increase of $5 trillion in debt, middling growth, high unemployment made to look artificially low because so many people left the labor force, a Democrat led Senate’s unwillingness to even offer a budget for three years and rejection of the president’s own budgets by overwhelming majorities are the great leadership triumphs Mr. Betras should crow about.

Google Mr. Romney’s oped piece for yourself. It seems to me he was insightful. Mr. Betras, on the other hand, seems fairly clueless.

Robert Voytilla, Hubbard

Still trying to pin down Romney

The two Koch brothers, who have a combined net worth of $62 billion, believe they too need tax relief and fund the Tea Party. Congressional Republicans must have heard the Koch’s plea for help because “No” is the only response that they utter regarding tax cuts earmarked for only you and me. The trickle-down theory is a largely discredited justification used for tax cuts for the wealthiest but for us people down here in the trenches, trickle down actually has a tinkle-on effect.

Mitt Romney recently stated that 47 percent of voters feel that they are victims and are unwilling to help themselves. Imagine my relief when Mitt said he was just joking and it was just a slip of the tongue. “Go borrow the money from your parents,” was another Mitt classic comment that the struggling middle class found amusing. He recently contradicted himself again and now believes that college students do need assistance such as Pell grants. Not admirers of Barack Obama, the Koch brothers along with the assistance of Republicans should have been able by now to prove that our commander in chief is a foreigner. The most amusing comment of all belongs to Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner who said President Obama was engaging in class warfare against the upper class. Mr. Boehner and his cohorts are experts in the matter since they have been putting it to the middle class for years.

Our jobs have been exported overseas for the last 30 to 40 years and there is no overnight fix. Mitt Romney claims that he could create 12 million jobs in his first term, but I believe he included both China and the U.S. in his estimates. We need a president who is consistent in his views and has character. A quote says the true test of a person’s character is how they treat those who can do them no harm. What does it say about Mitt Romney’s character when he said, “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me?”

Years ago there was a television show called “To Tell the Truth.” A person would appear on the show with two imposters and a panel would try to determine who was telling the truth. Unlike that television panel, I have concluded that Mitt was and always will be an imposter.

Gerald Heitkamp, Youngstown

Rising to meet a civic duty

Some citizens of the Poland School District may be thinking of voting against the Poland School levy on Nov. 6.

There are those within the school district who are unemployed or on fixed incomes and with rising living costs can ill afford an increase in their property taxes. But there are many who, despite financial ability, will rationalize and find a reason to avoid any sacrifice – even if it means depriving the school children in their community of a fundamental right to a quality education. The negative voices will argue that they have children in private school and are already paying more than their fair share; that they no longer have children in school; that their job status is uncertain; that they are retired and long ago paid for the schools; that the school children today have more advantages than they did; that teachers are underworked and overpaid. The list goes on with any number of excuses.

Whatever reason is chosen ignores the hard truth of the very urgent need for this levy. The cold financial facts tell us that to vote against this levy is to vote for the decay and gradual destruction of the community in which we live. Poland schools are facing fiscal emergency. And once the school system begins to deteriorate, home values will decrease correspondingly. The irony is that by refusing to pay more for your schools, you will lose more in house value than any increase in property taxes.

The school system of a community is its most precious and valuable asset. The social order of a community is bound up in the fabric of its schools. This is particularly true in Poland to which the Ohio Department of Education recently gave its highest academic rating.

Every citizen has a civic and moral responsibility to support his or her community and schools. I urge every voter to accept that duty and vote yes for the Poland schools.

David C Comstock Sr.