One idea I hear expressed among voters is that they like President Obama and most of his policies but object to his "give-a-ways." When pressed, these voters point to federal government safety-net programs for the poor and those out of work.
But President Obama has done nothing to change the requirements of the basic safety-net programs in the U.S. Perhaps one reason for the sustainability of this idea is the promulgation of the lie by the Romney campaign that the president has eliminated the work requirement of the main assistance program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. There is absolutely no truth to this rumor.
The real "give-a-ways" are those that the Romney administration would provide to corporations and the very rich.
A recent example is the current investigation of several investment firms in New York that are being investigated for converting income from fees to investment income. The reason for this conversion is that fees, like earned income, require a 35 percent federal tax payment, while investment income requires only 15 percent. This kind of manipulation of accounting costs the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars that can be used to offset our debt.
There is no doubt that if Mitt Romney becomes president, more money will go to corporations and the very rich. President Obama, conversely, wants to build the economy through continued growth of a strong middle class. Trickle-down economics and deregulation got us into the mess that we first experienced in 2008 and from which we are currently struggling to recover. We don't need more give-a-ways to the rich and to large corporations to get us out of this economic down turn.
Jane Crumrine
Marietta
