‘Change’ For The Better?

Not This Term

To the Editor:

Since taking office nearly three years ago President Obama promised to run a transparent administration, work with business leaders to create jobs, and eliminate loopholes in the corporate tax system. So far this administration’s actions have been nothing short of a disaster. While he promised transparency we were told by his party, in particular Nancy Pelosi, congress needed to pass Obamacare in order to find out what’s is the bill. Transparency? I don’t have time to get into the health bill but I guarantee every American would be disgusted if they knew what’s is in that bill. On top of that Obama addressed both parties last week proposing another round of government stimulus called “the jobs act.” He even had the audacity to call the $447 billion jobs act “paid for.” Obama stated a special trust will be set up and funded for job projects so when new projects need the funding, the money is there. Is he kidding me? Transparency? He forgot to mention where the initial $447 billion is coming from! We have to borrow it! Obama is flat out lying to America by saying this is paid for. My final points deal with this administration working with business leaders and tax reform. In January Obama appointed GE’s CEO Jeffrey Immelt as chairman of the “Counsel on Jobs and Competitiveness.” Since taking over almost a decade a ago GE’s stock value has fallen around 40 percent (including dividends). Is this really a guy we want advice from? In the last ten years GE has spent more than $200 million on lobbyists, many of them tax law specialists. For this GE earned $5 billion in the US in 2010 and paid zero taxes. Do we really expect this guy’s going to help close loopholes? Probably not but maybe he can help bring jobs to the US. Unfortunately under Immelt GE has eliminated 34,000 US jobs, added 25,000 foreign jobs, recently closed a plant in Racine, Wis., to be replaced in Poland, and is about to move its 115-year-old US-based x-ray business to China. This is the guy our President appoints to head the Jobs Counsel. If that’s not Crony Capitalism I don’t know what is. After 32 months in office I think we can all agree it’s time for a “Change.”

Daniel M. Patti

84 South Main Street, Newtown                         September 14, 2011