As Election Day approaches, it is important for all voters to realize what they are getting into. Although it is difficult to determine what the well-educated but highly undisciplined GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney might do, it is important to recognize he fully supports the budget put forth by his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan.
That budget, among other things, would lead to fewer teachers, greatly decrease Pell Grants for college tuition support, defund Planned Parenthood, reduce food stamps, repeal medical care for the uninsured and basically deny help to those who need it because it might influence them to avoiding working.
Ryan's mathematics in support of his budget strongly indicate his election could lead to disaster.
Many of those in Congress do not really understand how our economy is changing and what must be done to fix it. It is going to take a great deal of government funding in many areas, including infrastructure development, which will result in substantial short-term deficits to mitigate present problems. We need full employment and physical improvement now, not public austerity and debt reduction.
We have to understand a big difference exists between public and private debt. Lack of regulation of private debt allowed lenders to put many people in jeopardy by lending far more than they could afford with little relationship to their assets. Public debt must be viewed in terms of the value of what is financed relative to its total value to the country. The United States is not Greece and the worth of our country is far greater than our debt. Further, we have the ability to finance what is needed at extremely low interest rates.
What can we do? Vote to defeat any and all congressmen and women and senators who have been foolish enough to sign Grover Norquist's "no tax pledge." It is that commitment that will prevent progress.
A. RICHARD GOODMAN
Albany