Mr. Mitt Romney states often that elections have consequences. How true!

When Mr. George W. Bush came into office, our incomes were going up, our retirement accounts were steadily increasing in value, businesses were thriving and growing, and our country had a surplus. When he left office, our incomes were being cut, our retirement accounts had lost a good portion of our investment, we were involved in two wars, banks and Wall Street were in crisis, people were losing jobs and facing foreclosures, the auto industry was on the brink of disaster, and our country was deeply in debt.

This is incredibly relevant to this election, and the consequences of the votes.

Finally, after four years, President Obama is getting us back on track. He’s done this even after working with Republicans in Congress who seemed to me more interested in blocking him and getting power back then in helping the country back.

Incomes and retirement accounts are going up again and unemployment is going down. Banks, Wall Street and car companies are doing better. Houses are being built again, and small and large businesses are growing. Our standing in the rest of the world has improved immensely.

If Mr. Romney gets elected, I worry our country will soon be right back where we were in 2008. His stated policies are the same as President Bush.

I worry he would be a president who acts on faulty information he read on a blog or Facebook instead of waiting for the facts — note his willingness to use the lie of Jeep moving to China. He seems not to care about the worry this caused and has not admitted it’s not true.

I worry he’d be a president who puts profit for business above all else. Medicare vouchers only profit insurance companies. School vouchers only profit private schools and hurt public education. Repealing Obamacare only profits insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and medical supply companies. Repealing financial regulations only profits Wall Street and banks. Repealing clean air and water regulations only profits oil companies. Eliminating FEMA as he plans only profits those who would make money off of others’ tragedies.

I worry the rest of us — the 98 percent — will be left with lower incomes, retirement at risk, an unhealthy planet, and on our own if disaster strikes.

I really worry he would be the guy Grover Norquist is looking for “with 10 working digits” to sign whatever Mr. Norquist or the Dick Cheney neo-con crowd puts in front of him. Think Iran or Russia.

It’s been great to have a President Obama who cares about doing what’s best for all of us and not just 1 percent of us. He’s been a president who thinks before he speaks. He weighs the consequences of everything he says and does. He understands and respects the other countries and peoples of the world. He’s gained back the respect for the U.S. that was in my opinion, squandered over the last decade.

I look forward to four more years, if we still have a smart, incredibly competent leader, President Obama. There’s still so much to do!

 

Pam Pleiss

Albert Lea