Letters to the Editor

+ Deficits, debt are the issues!
Dear Editor:
Gov. Mitt Romney has now stated he has not paid less than 13% in taxes. Not hard to believe; I’m guessing most of his income came from long-term investments, which are taxed at a maximum rate of 15%.
The deficits are the problem, not Romney’s taxes.

When Barack Obama became president in 2009, the national debt was $10.7 trillion. This debt is an accumulation of debt incurred by the previous 43 administrations.

In the three years of the Obama administration, the national debt increased by $4.4 trillion to $15.1 trillion at the end of 2011. Current forecasts for 2012 estimated the national debt will be $16.2 trillion at year end.
In his four years as president, Obama has increased the national debt 50%.

As America is reducing its armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, which represents a diminishing cost in defense spending, where is the money being spent?

If this administration is given another four years, the debt will increase by another $5 trillion or $10 trillion over his eight years in office, adding as much debt as the previous 43 administrations combined!

Are we supposed to be more concerned about what Gov. Romney’s finances are as opposed to what the Obama administration is doing with our money?
Ray Rajewski
Longboat Key

+ Keep it flowing
Dear Editor:
Long live the Longboat Observer and its advertisers!

I’ll be sure to patronize all of them. Keep the truth flowing!
Trudy Mahoney
Longboat Key

+ You should apologize
Dear Editor:
I was saddened and disgusted by your editorial in the July 19 Longboat Observer. To declare that the president of the United States is anti- American is shameful.

I am an independent voter and have not been happy with a lot of what President Obama has done, but to stoop to this level of disrespect for the office of the president, and the Americans who elected him is disgraceful.

If you were in the military, as I was, you could be brought up on charges with this inflammatory language about the commander in chief.

As an American you have every right to strongly disagree with this or any president, but to me it is disrespectful of the American people and our way of life to bring the discourse to this level.

I can only imagine what the editorial would have been when Franklin Roosevelt introduced the Social Security Act.

I hope that enough of the true Americans have also expressed their displeasure with this editorial and that a retraction or an apology will be forthcoming.
Edward J. Rabin
Longboat Key