Letters to the editor - Oct. 15, 2008

October 14, 2008 10:07 pm

— Middle class needs votes for Obama
We always talk about “this election that will make or break us,” and I have said that myself several times. But there is no question that this election will determine the future of the working middle class.
During the past eight years the middle class has been under attack by George Bush and the conservative Republican Party, including John McCain. Instead of investing in America’s infrastructure, America’s education system, America’s health care system, America’s middle-class jobs, George Bush and John McCain instead have invested a trillion dollars in Iraq.
Look where we are today – millions without health care, an education system that is failing our kids and our teachers, an infrastructure in shambles and jobs, what jobs? The middle class is on the brink of being gone forever if we don’t make a change this election. What we fought so hard to achieve these past 40 or so years has been wiped away in the past eight years, and don’t think for one second that John McCain is a friend to the middle class. If John McCain is elected president, that will be the nail in the coffin.
John McCain is nothing but a third term for George Bush and his policies. During the past eight years he has voted more than 90 percent of the time with George Bush! While our jobs have been going overseas, McCain has done nothing. While millions have went without health care, McCain has done nothing.
Barack Obama and the Democratic Party are the voice for the working middle class’ future. During the Democratic Convention in August, Democrats included the auto industry and the UAW in their platform by saying that we “needed a friend in the White House during the tough times and that we had to invest in the auto industry’s future.” At least that is more than what McCain has done for us. Not once during the Republican Convention was the auto industry or the UAW mentioned.
Republicans even started their convention on Labor Day, the holiday when we are to honor the working class in this country.
If all of that was not enough, now John McCain is saying he believes that any health-care coverage that the UAW negotiated for U.S. autoworkers should be considered as income and that it should be subject to federal tax. That, my friends, would be one huge tax increase on the working middle class.
We have to set aside the issues this election that the Republicans try and divide us with every time: guns, abortion and gay rights and vote to save our jobs and are middle-class way of living! This election we have to vote for someone who is going to stand up for us, the working middle class. We have to vote for change. Please join with me in casting a vote for Barack Obama, Joe Biden and the rest of the Democratic ticket. We have to stand for something before we have nothing left to stand for.
Richie Halfacre II
Sharpsville
Democrats offer county leadership
My friends, I write in support of all the local people like Ron Herrell and Bob Snow, both candidates for state Legislature, and Bob Hayes and Bill Thompson, both candidates for county commissioner, and Lance Rice, a candidate for county auditor, and Sonie Widland, a candidate for county treasurer, and Dr. Devona Beard, a candidate for county coroner, and Dan Alexander, a candidate for county surveyor, and James Lushin and Mark Fulk and myself, Jerri Bourff, all three of us are candidates for county council.
I do this not just because we are fellow Democrats on the ballot this Nov. 4, but also because I feel we all have the qualities necessary for the change and leadership that this county needs right now.
Like all of you, I wait for some sort of answer to come from our great national question on the current economic crisis. Many of our trusted officials from the government to the financial institutions have called for changes from Wall Street to help Main Street. As I look at it, our county government needs some changes as well – ironically enough, this is on Main Street in downtown Kokomo.
These people are all on the outside looking in, and they all offer good, strong leadership qualities. So for real change here in Howard County, look to these people to do what is necessary to make that change.
Jerri Bourff
Council candidate

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