EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

I can’t believe that it has been 4 years since The United States of America elected President Barack Obama.  It was a time of hope and President Obama was elected on his promise to create change.  Has he?  Let’s look at his key initiatives and then you can decide if he has done enough.  My comments follow in red.

CREATING JOBS

• Took swift action to prevent a second Great Depression.  While much work remains, American businesses have added 5.2 million jobs in the past 31 months.  He could only do what he was able to do without causing further damage to the economy – could any other President have done more?
• Rescued the American auto industry from collapse, saving more than 1 million jobs around the country.  U.S. automakers have added nearly 250,000 jobs since June of 2009 – the best period of growth in more than a decade Imagine the increase in jobs if the auto-industry embraced creating electric cars?  It would decrease our need for dirty oil and at the same time create a more sustainable environment – The United States of America could be the leaders in green energy if they were not so afraid of the oil and auto industry.
• Supported  the resurgence of American manufacturers, who have added more than 500,000 jobs since January 2010,  the strongest period of job growth since 1989.
• Kept teachers in classrooms and police officers, firefighters, and first responders on the job helping keep our communities safe.

ENERGY

• Domestic oil and natural gas production has increased every year since President Obama took office.  In 2011, U.S. oil production reached the highest level in 8 years and natural gas production hit an all-time high.  On Federal lands and waters alone, oil production is up 13% This is good for the government and oil companies but how is it good for our environment – I keep saying this “they can create satellites that can roam our universe but we can’t move forward on sustainable energy”.  There is solar and wind power, why are we not embracing this?  Government is afraid of big oil and the auto industry, that is why!
• U.S. dependence on foreign oil has decreased every year since President Obama took office.  We now import less than half of the oil we consume and in 2011, imports as a share of total consumption declined to a 16-year low If the U.S. is not as dependent on foreign oil, why is the construction of the pipeline from Alberta into the United States still ongoing?  Does the U.S. not consider Canada ‘foreign’?  This pipeline is another environmental catastrophe waiting to happen – we can’t forget the devastation of Exxon Valdez and the BP oil spill in the Gulf – the repercussions of these spills will last a lifetime on our environment, animals and humans.
• The U.S. has doubled renewable energy generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources since 2008 thanks to the President’s record investments in clean energy.  If this President has doubled renewable energy – what was the previous administration doing in terms of renewable energy.  If we want to continue to have a safe, clean and sustainable environment – doubling the efforts is good, but we can certainly do better!
• New fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, the first in 30 years, will cut oil consumption by 2.2 millon barrels a day, slash emissions by 6 billion metric tons, and save the average driver $8,000 at the pump by 2025.  Again – scratching the backs of the auto industry.  If the government really wanted to save money for the average driver’s, they would create more electric cars – it is doable.  Watch the documentary ‘Who Killed The Electric Car’ by Chris Paine to get the facts.
• New programs to improve energy efficiency in our homes, buildings, factories, and transportation systems will reduce pollution and save money for businesses and families. 

FINANCIAL REFORM

• Fought for and implemented historic financial reforms to create a more stable and responsible financial system that holds Wall Street accountable, discourages irresponsible financial risk-taking, and ends taxpayer-funded bailouts.
• Established tools and resources to investigate and prosecute financial fraud and other abusive practices that led to the financial crisis.
• Created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tasked to protect consumers from deceptive and predatory financial practices by ensuring banks, mortgage and student loan lenders, and credit card companies play by the rules.
• Outlawed unfair and deceptive credit card practices, such as retroactive rate increases and charging fees without clearly disclosing them first.
• Ended more than $60 billion in wasteful subsidies for big banks and used the savings to put the cost of college within reach for more families.

I believe there are good intentions here – but I have watched enough programs and documentaries to know that Wall Street and government are too corrupt to make the necessary changes in the bank industry or financial sector for the greater good to the consumer.  Also – those who were somewhat responsible for the financial crisis are now working with the Obama administration.

HEALTH CARE

• Ended insurance companies’ unchecked power to cancel policies, deny coverage, or charge women more than men, and established new rights to appeal insurance company decisions.
• Ensured that no American will be denied care or charged more due to a pre-existing condition as of 2014.  17 million children with pre-existing conditions already benefit from this protection.
• Ensured preventative care is covered by insurance companies and Medicare with no co-pay or cost sharing – including mammograms for women and wellness visits for seniors.
• Helped nearly 5.4 million seniors since 2010 save an average of $768 each on the cost of their prescription drugs after hitting the prescription coverage gap.
• Required insurance companies spend at least 80% of premiums on health care, and less than 20% on advertising, overhead and CEO salaries – or provide customer rebates.
• Guaranteed 6.6 million young adults the security of knowing they can stay on their parent’s health care plan until they’re 26.

Again – this sounds great and some great progress has been made to the health care needs of many American’s but why hasn’t the government talked about preventative health care, proper nutrition, holistic health and wellness?  Preventative measures to health care will ensure that many American’s will not need to visit their doctor and more importantly, rely on prescription drugs to maintain wellness.

I believe that some progress has been made for ‘middle-classed’ Americans but I think the U.S. government works in the best interests of the Wall Street, oil and auto.  How can this stop?  We need to continue to speak out against corporate greed, we need to ensure that our elected officials know that our priority is not to make CEO’s richer by enabling corruption or causing environmental disasters.  The government has to show its citizens that they will not tolerate greed but punish those who break the laws or cut corners to line their pockets with money.

You many not want to vote for Obama, so who is the alternative?  Mitt Romney.  What will Mitt Romney do as President of The United States of American?  Here are Mitt Romney’s stances on the issues:

ABORTION

• Personally against abortion, but pro-choice as Governor. (2002)
• Scientifically, life begins at conception. (January 2012)

CONTRACEPTION

• Vetoed emergency contraception for rape victims. (July 2005)
• 1993:  Morning-after pill could make abortions obsolete
• Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives. (October 2012)

STEM CELLS

• Vetoed stem cell research bill. (May 2005)
• Outlaw embryo farming, but alow using surplus embryos.  (May 2011)

VOTING RECORD

• Oppose Roe v Wade, but won’t tamper with abortion laws. (December 2006)
• Would be delighted to sign federal ban on all abortions.  (November 2007

GAY RIGHTS

• Supports Benefits for gay partners, but not gay marriage. (September 2002)
• Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. (January 2006)
• 2003:  Worked with cities to prepare for gay marriages. (November 2011)
• Everything but “marriage” for gay couples. (September 2012)

CORPORATIONS

• You don’t help the wage-earner by attacking the wage-payer. (January 2008)
• Corporations won’t send jobs overseas if tax rates lowered. (March 2010)
• Corporations are people. (August 2011)
• Big banks handle massive regulations; small banks get killed. (October 2011)
• Capitalism works; free enterprise works; & profit works. (January 2012)
• You raise taxes on business and you kill jobs. (October 2012)
• Bankruptcy would have allowed Detroit to come out stronger. (October 2012)

DRUGS

• Combat the ruthless narco-terrorists in Colombia. (July 2007)
• Mandatory sentence & higher penalty for repeat drunk driving. (August 2007)
• Opposes legalization of recreational or medical marijuana. (April 2011)
• We share cross-border drug problem with Mexico. (September 2012)

EDUCATION

• Schools can teach family values, but not religion or prayer. (August 2004)
• Supported abolishing the federal Department of Education. (March 2002)
• God created universe, but evolution created human body. (May 2007)
• Eduction is not just the teachers’ union. (December 2007)
• Smaller classroom size only matters to teachers’ unions. (September 2011)
• Higher spending rarely correlates with better results. (September 2012)
• No cuts to college funding. (October 2012)
• Free college for the top quarter of high school graduates. (October 2012)

ENERGY & OIL

• No-regrets policy: energy independence and CO2 reduction. (May 2007)
• Exporting carbon emissions to China hurts US and planet. (August 2007)
• Develop energy technology like nuclear or liquefied coal. (October 2007)
• Need worldwide global warming solutions; not CAFE or US tax. (January 2008)
• They don’t call it “America warming” but “global warming”. (January 2008)
• No-regrets policy at home; reduce greenhouse emissions abroad. (March 2010)
• Humans contribute to world getting warmer. (November 2011)
• No consensus on extent of global warming or human activity. (September 2012)

Every time there is an election, you may hear people comment “I am not voting because both candidates suck”, “why should I vote, I don’t like either candidate” or “I’m going to vote for an independent”.  The people who make these comments will usually be the first to voice their distaste in the election results.  If you didn’t exercise your right to vote – then don’t complain about the outcome!’  I wonder how many American’s knew that Roseanne Barr was running as a presidential candidate for the Green Party and now the Peace and Freedom Party?

Take the time to learn about each of the candidates and if you have the opportunity, review that party’s platform to understand their stance on the issues that are important to you.  Make an informed decision on who and which party you are voting for and vote!

Here are the links to Barack Obama’s, Mitt Romney’s and Roseanne Barr’s websites:

www.barackobama.com

www.roseanneforpresident2012.org

www.mittromney.com

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!