Look at the choice we're facing

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February 15, 2012

Look at the choice we're facing

As I See It Richard Astukewicz The Daily News of Newburyport Wed Feb 15, 2012, 03:55 AM EST

For the 2012 election the Republicans are giving us a presidential choice of Romney, Paul, Gingrich and Santorum. If this is the best the Republicans can give us, we are in deeper trouble than we think.

The Democrats fueled by the Seven Dwarfs — Martin Bashir, Dylan Ratigan, Chris Mathews, Al Sharpton, Ed Schultz, Rachael Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell — heap the praises of President Obama for seven hours a day, five days a week as the savior of our nation.

On Jan. 19, on my cable I listened in shock — the United States Air Force will have some planes made in Brazil. What is this president thinking — our military needs "made in Brazil"? I thought he was a "job creator."

The week of Jan. 8 he announced more green energy solution failures. Eleven companies have failed in 2011.

Range Fuels was to build the first cellulosic ethanol plant in Soperton, Ga. After a $225 million investment that included $85 million in government subsidies, it closed without producing an ounce of ethanol.

Geo Thermal, $120 million in subsidies, Sun Power $1.2 billion in subsidies have failed, Solyndra failed along with Beacon Power. Waiting in the wings for more failures are two electric battery companies. A123 Systems and Enerl are fighting to survive. All these companies received subsidies and were to put green energy solutions as the nation's job and economy solutions.

It's very clear President Obama's agenda is failing.

I keep reading the recession is over, but we still have millions of jobless. Our president has stifled job growth with his economic policies, increased government regulations and the coming of the Affordable Care Act in 2014.

What his policies have done is to force companies to invest in equipment and technology that will increase output, productivity and profit. This does not create jobs, just corporate profit and bonuses.

So despite President Obama's words to help the middle class, create jobs, lower unemployment and close the gap on income inequality, his efforts have done the exact opposite.

Air Force planes from Brazil?

Democrats will tell us differently. They point to the stock market — it's making profits for companies, bonuses for CEO's but no jobs. I thought this was the party of the working class — the working class of Brazil making U.S. Air Force planes.

The president of working people, the job-creating president, when bailing out the auto industry forced the closing of hundreds of car dealerships, putting thousands out on the streets so they could collect for 99 weeks. The job creator in action and he wants four more years.

Another presidential failure is his health bill. Doctors, hospitals already faced with millions of daily decisions will be facing greater problems as nothing is clear or etched in stone in this health bill — it's learn on the go.

How do you add 30 million people on health care, cut costs, improve care when our health system is filled to capacity now?

As of Jan. 9, our national debt is now equal to our entire economy and Obama wants to add to that debt by the tune of $1.2 trillion — this is Harvard economics.

The Congressional Budget Office has projected that under the current agenda, our national debt will continue to increase for the next 75 years. This is a disaster and unsustainable.

In 2011, President Obama proposed a jobs bill to help the middle class, put people to work and help the economy. He blamed the "No" party for its failure.

Currently, our government has "47" separate jobs programs. The Government Accountability Office has said that these are the most wasteful government programs with no measurable benefits. Another example of President Obama and the Progressive Party failures.

This is a clear example of what Albert Einstein called "Insanity — when you think that by doing more of what you are already doing, you can get a different result."

No one wants a president to be a failure. President Obama has had his moments, but that was why the nation elected him, to do the right things, make the right decisions and lead the nation.

President Obama has more failures than achievements and don't tell me what he inherited: His job was to solve those problems and when it comes to jobs, the economy and foreign policy, he has failed to produce the desired necessary results.

So we will go to the voting booths in November with the Republican nominee and Obama as our choices.

Our nation, our people of hard-working citizens playing by the rules, living to make a better life, deserve better than what we are receiving from our government.

Where is that leader to unite this nation and lead us in the 21st century?

I can't believe — U.S. Air Force planes from Brazil. It has to be a mistake and/or overturned by Congress.

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Richard A. Astukewicz of Salisbury is a retired business manager.