Dante Bucci, Op-Ed contributor
As the clock is ticking down toward Election Day 2012, I believe it is important that we all get a little better acquainted with the former Governor of Massachusetts. Willard Mitt Romney was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1947. He is the son of Lenore and George Romney; George being a former presidential candidate and governor of Michigan. Mitt is married to the lovely Ann Romney, and they have five sons. Mitt was the former CEO of Bain Capital: an American alternative asset management and financial services company, from 1984 to 2002. In 1999, Mitt was hired as president and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002. He saved the winter Olympics! After that he became Governor of Massachusetts (2003 to 2007). Mitt also ran for President in 2008, but was unsuccessful. In 2012 though, he was the favorite among the other GOP candidates to take on Pres. Obama.
It is important before some of you vote in November that you know what Mitt stands for. Here is a little information about how Mitt stands on some hot button issues:
Health Care: Gov. Romney has said many times that he will repeal Obama Care the first day that he is in office. In Obama Care’s place, Mitt will attempt to craft favorable policies that give each and every state the power to create a health care reform plan that best suits the needs of their citizens. The federal government’s role in all of this will be to help markets work by creating a level playing field for competition. Health care is 1/6th of the American economy and Obama Care is crippling this pertinent part of our economy. I believe that Economic growth cannot begin until Obama Care is repealed, and Mitt Romney will do just that. The majority of Americans don’t want Obama Care anyway, so Mr. Obama, stop forcing this job killing bill down our throats. Also, one more note about Obama Care, all those who fail to buy Obama-approved health insurance will be subject to a tax. Don’t believe me, look it up!
Taxes: Regarding taxes, the tax code is too darn complex. To fix the nation’s tax code, marginal rates must be brought down to stimulate entrepreneurship, for job creation, and investment, while still raising the revenue needed to fund a smaller, smarter, simpler government. Regarding individual taxes Mitt will: 1. Make permanent, across-the-board 20 percent cut in marginal rates. 2. Maintain current tax rates on interest, dividends, and capital gains. 3. Eliminate taxes for taxpayers with average yearly income below $200,000 on interest, dividends, and capital gains. 4. Eliminate the Death Tax. 5. Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Regarding corporate taxes Mitt will: 1.Cut the corporate rate to 25 percent from 35 percent. 2. Strengthen and make permanent the R&D tax credit. Mitt also does not support tax increases upon the middle class, which is different from Obama. Mr. Obama has said that he will tax the middle class (this includes his Obama Care tax). Over taxing of the middle class means less money for middle class citizens to spend buying things to stimulate the economy. The best way to reduce the deficit is to increase the tax base with jobs, not to increase taxes. The fact is we need a balanced budget if we want to balance the debt; taxing won’t work. Fact is the debt is climbing past 16 trillion dollars, so maybe it is time for a change.
National Security: Stronger National security means a stronger America, and Mitt Romney believes in a stronger America. Romney also believes that our country’s defense forces are too small and has developed plans for building an additional six Navy ships per year and adding 100,000 active-duty personnel. Mitt also promises a stronger stance on foreign policy than Mr. Obama does. I mean, considering Obama’s foreign policy is worse that Jimmy Carter’s; Obama set the bar low here for Mitt. Mitt wishes to strengthen our ties with Israel and he intends to have a no nonsense policy regarding terrorism in the Middle East. Mitt also wishes to keep the prison in Guantanamo Bay open and to have all terrorism trials there. I feel this is a good thing, or at least a better option than closing Gitmo and having a terrorist’s trial in New York don’t you think?
Abortion: Romney is a pro-life and believes abortions should be limited to cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Romney also does not support the use of federal funds for abortions.
This is only a little information on a few important issues that both candidates must hurdle if they wish to make 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue their home for the next four years. The facts are in, and it doesn’t look like Obama did a great job. Sure, he inherited a poor situation, but he made it worse. It is up to the voters to decide whether or not Obama deserves a second term, I just hope all American look at the facts (the mounting debt and the minimal job growth should speak for themselves). I just hope that Americans will think long and hard about who they want to vote for in November.
Editor’s Note: This article is printed alongside Taylor Hart-McGonigle’s The Change We See in the WordsWorth print edition.
