Election comes downto free market views

What, not who, are you voting for?

Seriously, forget the guys representing each party. They don’t matter as much as their ideology or who they are actually representing. There are two choices: one vote gets you a free market enterprise without regulations and the other vote gets you a free market enterprise with regulations. It’s that simple. Which do you believe in?

Free market enterprise without regulations is also known as pure capitalism, privatization, trickle-down theory, supply-side economics to name a few. Ultimately, this direction wants to turn all schools, universities, hospitals, elderly care, police, fire, freeways, roads, parks and even the military into privately owned businesses. Listen to the rhetoric.

There is no humanity in business unless you have a business that profits from humanity.

Free market enterprise with regulations is a better direction to go. Regulations are for the people, not the super-rich. Keep all schools, universities, hospitals, elderly care, police, fire, freeways, roads, parks and even the military out of the hands of private industry. Deregulation is what got us into this mess to begin with. Greed will ultimately destroy our great nation, let us keep it in check. Keep the US in USA.

GREG HAYES, Boise

Think about choices

Matter of choice : As we get closer to the day that we elect our next president I hope that each one of us would take a moment and really reflect as to the choice for who we are voting for and why. Many will vote as they have done in the past: along party lines just to vote, not really thinking of the consequences, but just to vote; for that is what you have done in the past. It is your right to express yourself and vote for the person who you think will lead this country and do a good job for all. Remember there are consequences for the choices we make. They will affect us all!

ROGER ZOELLER, Meridian

Obama’s ideas haveconservative backing

While Obama is blamed for Obamacare, it’s long been advocated by “conservatives” like Romney. In a May 15, 1991, “JAMA” article Stuart Butler (and the Heritage Foundation) suggested mandatory health insurance with IRS enforcement. Butler, co-founder of the Adam Smith Institute, is with Heritage.

Libertarian professor Steven Yates emphasizes the need to distinguish between the American way of “free enterprise capitalism,” and its antagonist, “corporatist capitalism,” the collusion of big government and big business, the public-private partnerships that Otter and Luna love. Global corporatism —not free enterprise — is behind the education and health care “reforms.”

Also, Mitt Romney’s father, George, supported world government, according to Jo Hindman’s book, “The Metrocrats.”

Mitt Romney was published in the CFR journal, July/August 2007.

During the first presidential debate, Obama noted that companies get tax breaks for taking jobs overseas. (This includes utilizing Chinese slave labor.) Romney responded, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Former foreign trade reporter for the New York Journal of Commerce, Charles Fuller, says Obama’s statement was true — and there’s no way Romney, an alumnus of Harvard’s graduate school of business, could not know that profits from American factories overseas are exempt of U.S. taxes if the money stays outside the U.S.

VIOLET HARRIS, Caldwell

Tea Party controlsRomney, GOP

When you realize the true intentions of Romney and his tea party friends, the outcome of any debate is unimportant. From my viewpoint, President Obama has done an excellent job pulling us out of the worst economic disaster in U.S. history. When he got rid of bin Laden, he didn’t make a (G.W. Bush) sideshow out of it either. Bush cost the middle class 40 percent of our net worth which we are gradually getting back under Obama.

The most important item in this coming election is the future of our children’s Social Security. Using smoke and mirrors, Romney and Ryan plan to balance the U.S. budget on the backs of our children. Eliminating Social Security for our young people is the GOP and tea party’s solution to the deficit. Not even the socialists would stoop this low. A Republican isn’t even allowed to vote without prior approval from the tea party. That’s why they have been stalling and dragging their feet for the last four years.

While Romney was getting richer from the Bush tax cuts, offshore income and Swiss bank accounts, we were all losing our shirts. Do we want his hands on our Social Security?

ROBERT G. SCHULTZE, Riggins

Religious freedomis a guiding issue

In response to Mr. Allen Marsh’s letter to the editor published Oct. 22, it seems to me that he is referencing slanted media sources to make his argument just as what he accuses his Christian friends of doing.

I do have to agree, though, that this election is about more than jobs and the economy — it is also about religious freedom. How can Marsh make the claim about whether President Obama is a Christian? Does he have inside information that the rest of us don’t have? What does he consider religious freedom? I see many religious organizations that are telling its followers who to vote for, yet they don’t pay any taxes. Religious freedom, as well as civil freedom is about giving women the right to choose, marriage equality and allowing people to worship the way they choose.

Who cares whether President Obama is Christian or not? This is not a valid argument and has nothing to do with the presidency. If conservatives cannot accept other religions, same-sex marriages or a woman’s right to choose, maybe they need to do some self-reflection on their Christian beliefs, since they question the president’s Christianity.

MONSIGNOR SHANE SLIVNIK, RSJ, Eagle

Obama is best choice

I am voting for Obama. It is not that he has done everything I would like, though he has done a lot. He is intelligent, calm, thoughtful and compassionate. Romney is arrogant and chameleonic; he changes with his audience on so many issues. Romney has pledged obeisance to lobbyist Grover Norquist on taxes. His win would entrench the radical right and could mean dismantling much that we depend on. Medicare, Social Security and health care are the most talked about, but many programs and policies of government are targeted by the far right. Debt reduction is given as the reason, but Ryan’s budget plan of reduced spending and taxes, endorsed by Romney, foresees deficits continuing for decades even with fuzzy optimistic arithmetic.

A Romney win would make the Supreme Court even more conservative so that “we the people” would lose even more to corporations and big finance. Romney’s foreign affairs advisors include the same right wing neocons that got us into Iraq and are eager to do the same in Syria and Iran and other places. And we do not need a vulture capitalist in the White House. Obama, despite his shortcomings, is our best hope.

KENNETH VISTE, Boise

Obamacare providesmeaningful reform

Republicans have been arguing that we should lower the costs of medical care for decades. They are absolutely right. However, their proposals have not attempted to significantly lower the costs of medical care. Instead, Republicans have only proposed to decrease government spending on medical care. These are not the same thing. Medical care costs can be lowered if large groups of people pool their resources to gain leverage against the providers who constantly overcharge their customers and Uncle Sam.

Obamacare created a panel of medical experts to evaluate when the government is getting ripped off, and then make recommendations on how to get a good deal. When the government realized that health providers have been overcharging Medicare by over $700 billion, Obamacare diverted this wasteful spending to something worthwhile — creating a large pool of customers to help negotiate lower costs for health care through insurance exchanges, universal coverage, and outcome-based care helping 30 million more Americans get insurance. There was not one single benefit cut to our nation’s seniors through Obamacare. Just because Republicans and Fox News want to defeat Obama doesn’t mean we should reject meaningful reform.

RICHARD ZUERCHER, Caldwell

Firing the presidentwon’t help economy

Before voting, consider the following:

During the past 30 to 40 years — with the approval of Congress and numerous presidents — many manufacturers got away with closing factories with high-paying jobs in America, so they could move operations to countries with lower wages, such as Mexico, Malaysia, India and China. Unless we start penalizing companies like Apple, Micron, etc., by imposing tariffs on the products they manufacture cheaply in the aforementioned countries and then sell here for much more than their production and shipping cost, those good jobs will not come back. (Read: “America, What Went Wrong?” by Bartlett and Steele and/or their new book: “Betrayal of the American Dream.”)

Thanks to our exploding population, 250,000 to 300,000 new workers want to join the labor force every month, while in spite of efforts by our elected officials, far fewer jobs are being created. Firing Obama and electing Romney won’t change that.

Most Idahoans will probably vote for Romney. They should realize that the shady organizations that spend gazillions to help him get elected are headed by Grover Norquist, Jack Abramoff, Karl Rove and Ralph Reed. If those names don’t ring a bell, you aren’t informed enough to vote!

ROBERT BOESTER, Boise

Dems, Republicanshave alternatives

I’m writing to show my support for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party in her bid for president. As a liberal, I can’t support a mandate for the continuation of Barack Obama’s draconian law enforcement and military policy, his bailout of Wall Street, his spineless health care reform, his support for international free trade agreements, his pandering of big oil, or any of the other right-wing policies he endorses. I invite any like-minded liberals to join me in support of Dr. Stein as she truly and honestly represents liberal ideology by calling for an end to military occupation of sovereign nations, true health care reform through Medicare for all, ending the failed war on drugs, and a transition to a green energy economy.

For my conservative friends, I invite you to look at the platforms of Gary Johnson (Libertarian) and Virgil Goode (Constitution Party). Both candidates offer a more honest representation of conservative ideology than does Wall Street puppet Mitt Romney. The Republican and Democratic parties have stifled the national dialogue for too long. As an electorate, we need to send a clear message to those in government that we expect them to represent We the People, not just corporate interests.

ANDY CENARRUSA, Boise

Obama has helpedstraighten out mess

I note the passing of George McGovern. While he said many quotable things, I have always liked, “Would a chicken vote for Col. Sanders?” This could well be a slogan for the average Idaho voter, either the 47 percent or the 99 percent — why vote Republican?

When Bill Clinton left office he left behind a federal budget surplus.

When George W. Bush left after eight years in office, he left a screwed-up mess.

After three and a half years of President Obama, we are out of Iran, leaving Afghanistan, the economy is turning around, Social Security and Medicare have been given a shot in the arm, and Wall Street has been jerked up by the seat of their pants.

The Romney-Ryan propaganda machine is accusing Obama of not doing enough to unscrew the screwed-up mess the GOP left behind.

Why do the Republicans hate Obama so much? Because he did most of what he said he would. That which he didn’t get done was because he had a foot-dragging Republican House of Representatives to contend with.

Vote Obama. Vote Democratic.

RAY HEIDT, Marsing

Vote for Obama

Some say The Idaho Statesman is biased. In my opinion, that’s not true. I find the paper to be very fair and balanced. Thanks are in order for allowing its readers to exercise their First Amendment Rights. Thank you! What a great country we live in. Countless times in our lives, we’ve put our hands over our hearts and pledged allegiance to our flag and one nation under God. Our currency says In God We Trust. Majestic scenery is referred to as God’s Country. In just a few days, we will vote to save God’s Country, our country, or we’ll vote to sell it to the greedy you-know-whats. If you are a believer, the choice is clear. Do you vote for a dishonest man who says he doesn’t care about 47 percent of us, whose strings will be pulled by the very wealthy, or do you vote for the man who is honest and truly cares about God’s Country and all of us. I believe in God and will respectfully vote for our president, Barack Obama. Things are getting better and we will be safer with him at the controls.

RICHARD L. MICKEY, Boise

Reverse decline,vote for Romney

Recently, I had the joy of introducing my youngest children to the classic 1965 movie “The Sound of Music.”

The movie starts with the simple introduction “in the late ’30s, the last golden years of Austria” at that time, many Austrians were enamored with Nazi Germany and were moving the country in that direction. The movie’s leading man, Captain Von Trapp, is saddened by what he sees happening to his beloved Austria.

I find myself identifying with Captain Von Trapp. I, too, see my beloved country in decline; I see a substantial number of my countrymen enamored with a charismatic leader who is moving our country toward the losing and disproven ideals of socialism.

Come on, liberal America. Wake up to the fact that we mistakenly elected an empty suit into the White House. It’s OK, we didn’t know any better. Real progressives correct course as the truth is revealed. Political party doesn’t matter; let’s elect a better leader this time, before it’s too late.

DAVID SCOTT, Boise

We can’t afford the status quo

Status quo is not OK.

Regarding Joe Numbers’ letter (Oct. 15), we can only hope that “Life as we know it will end under GOP ticket.” Four more years of the status quo is unimaginable.

We are currently heading on a downward spiral toward socialism and you don’t even see it coming. Actually, maybe you do and that’s OK with you. Seems that if you’re a liberal, progressive (love that one) or whatever you call yourselves these days, common sense is an oxymoron.

By the way, the Mayans have nothing to say about when this world will end: that’s God’s prerogative. Think about that.

ZOE ANNE CABE, Boise

Don’t trust Romney; vote Obama

The 2012 race is in the home stretch and “we the people” have a clear choice. We can elect a commander in chief or a chief panderer.

President Obama steadied our ship and averted a second great depression. He ended the war in Iraq, trusts women to make their own health care decisions, supports gay rights and believes in the middle-class.

Mr. Romney has the spine of a sea cucumber and the values of a chameleon, ever changing. At first he was a hawk and now he is a dove. He was previously pro-choice and now he believes life begins at conception. He says he is a job creator, but in reality he is a job destroyer. He publicly states he is for all Americans, but in private he says most of us are lazy and on the dole.

This election is about trust. Mr. Romney cannot be trusted. Vote Obama 2012.

JACKIE J. AYMON, McCall