Paul Ryan, Rob Portman, John Kasich and Mitt Romney’s son Josh have all visited Clermont County in the last few weeks. Why is Clermont receiving all this attention?
Why, the answer is simple. Ohio is the key to the presidential election and Clermont County and southwest Ohio holds the key to unlock the door to the White House. Every single vote in Clermont County and greater southwest Ohio will determine who takes the presidential oath of office in January.
The choice is simple. The president is running on a campaign of no hope with no change in the policies which have brought us to the brink of economic disaster. The president’s current campaign slogan is “forward.” I’m afraid that is forward straight over a steep cliff of high unemployment, continuing one trillion dollar a year deficit spending, raising taxes, picking winners and losers- well maybe mostly losers in our stagnant economy, no leadership in foreign affairs, and the full implementation of Obamacare.
Mitt Romney’s plan couldn’t be more different. His emphasis is on creating jobs by creating an economic environment conducive to growth. He plans to cut taxes with emphasis on helping the middle class and small businesses who are the chief creators of new jobs. He plans to eliminate unnecessary regulation thereby loosening a brake on our faltering economy. He will champion domestic energy production and approve the Keystone pipeline. He will promote fair trade and open markets while cracking down on the unfair trade practices of China. His plan to cut the deficit caps federal spending below 20 percent of the economy. Finally he will repeal Obamacare which raids Medicare of over $700 billion, taxes “nothing,” and kills jobs by placing additional burdens on small business.
Cutting taxes and cutting government has it been tried before? You bet President Reagan came in with a similar program to free the restraints upon the American economy. The results speak for themselves. During the seven year recovery the economy grew by one third. Real economic growth for 1984, the year marking the end of Reagan’s first term, was 6.8 percent. Growth for most of this year has been below 2 percent. Twenty million new jobs were created during the Reagan recovery increasing civilian, not governmental, employment by 20 percent. Disposable income increased 18 percent, median income has fallen $4,300 under Obama. Gasoline prices actually fell; gas cost $1.84 in 2008. Reagan’s policies led to unprecedented 25 year boom.
Our founders recognized that our rights came from a benevolent Creator and that no government or group of men could or should impinge upon them. They also envisioned a limited government providing the necessary infrastructure so that individuals could make their own opportunities by their own sweat, ingenuity and God given talents. Unfortunately today’s administration believes that government should be able to chose everyone’s path to prosperity while at the same time enslaving future generations to a growing mountain of debt.
You have a choice. Can you really afford four more years like the last four? Vote Romney-Ryan.
Tim Rudd is the chairman of the Clermont County Republican Party.