Answer the ClaimsDear Editor,
G. Michael Thomas’ article (Sept. 8 issue) certainly served its function of getting people talking. Although well-written, the story was as long on rhetoric and talking points as it was short on verifiable facts.
Anyone proclaiming that there is “no evidence” of Obama “reaching across party lines” and that he lacks accomplishments has neglected to adequately research the issues. A quick search on the U.S. legislative site (loc.gov) revealed his work with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) on S.1139 Nuclear Safeguards and Supply Act of 2007 as well as with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) on S 1977 Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act of 2007. Both bills address the concerns about securing nuclear materials (especially in former Soviet states) to prevent them from falling into the hands of radical factions that will use them against the U.S. or our allies. Both are pending in committee.
The attacks on Joe Biden were also unwarranted. Answers to the question what does Biden bring would include: foreign policy experience, cross-cultural knowledge and diplomacy. Considering these skills have been underutilized for the past eight years, perhaps we should try something new, such as working with our allies to marginalize our mutual enemies.
The questions voters should ask are: Tax who and spend on what? The fact is the Government Accounting Office (GAO) realized that as many as two thirds of the corporations operating within the U.S. paid no taxes between 1998 and 2005! Loop holes, tax shelters and offshore mail drops have rendered billions of dollars beyond the reach of the Internal Revenue Service.
On the spending side, with $10 billion a month going to many fraudulent and wasteful contracts in Iraq, the aging American infrastructure is disintegrating. Just over a year ago 13 people died in the Minneapolis bridge collapse caused by cutbacks in basic maintenance. One way to redistribute scarce federal funds is to reexamine the “no-bid” “cost-plus” contracts in Iraq and thoroughly investigate cases of malfeasance. Rep. Henry Waxman and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates are investigating “at least a dozen soldiers and marines were electrocuted” in the showers on bases in Iraq because of improper grounding of electrical components.
The Bush education policy of “No Child Left Behind” has been an unfunded mandate for educators to do more with less. An Obama administration will ensure that school systems have the resources they require to affectively prepare the next generation for continuing their academic and professional careers. The U.S. can only regain the lead in technological advancement if our children are proficient in science, mathematics and engineering. This country’s future depends on the educational system of today.
Daily more information surfaces regarding the policies and positions of Gov. Palin. During her gubernatorial campaign Palin supported the $398 million “Bridge to Nowhere” until it became a national outrage, however Palin kept the money and spent it on other Alaska road projects. She defended this position in an interview on KT100-TV (Juneau, Alaska) on Nov. 2, 2006. Also deceptive is Palin’s earmark record, which was $153 million less than the previous governor, she still requested $453 million. As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin hired Washington lobbyists to bring $27 million to a town of only 6,700 people.
I believe that my fellow students and community members who regularly read the ET are intelligent enough to make sound political decisions on the critical issues facing this nation if they were not spoon-fed spin but instead presented with actual information.
-J. Chris Henry

Author