Romney short on specifics, long on rhetoric

To the editor:

Wednesday's editorial was mislabeled. The headline should have been, "A few loaded questions for the president." No matter, let me try to help.

1. George W. Bush lowered the tax rates paid by the richest Americans and got us into the mess we are now. President Obama wants to return to the rates paid by the richest Americans during the very successful Clinton administration.

2. Does anyone believe that raising the dividend and capital gains rates on the Adelsons, Wynns and Romneys of this world will curtail job creation? If so, I have a bridge to sell them very cheaply.

3. During the vibrant economy of the Reagan and Clinton administrations, we ran a budget deficit. A balanced budget without job creation is meaningless.

4. President Obama, like his predecessors, has tried to make Medicare more efficient. The billions saved has not affected coverage. Just the opposite is true - coverage has been expanded to preventative care, while drug costs to seniors have decreased.

5. Making college available to those who cannot afford it is a laudable goal. Does the Review-Journal dispute the fact that, in general, college graduates make more money than those who have only a high school education?

6. Both Democrats and Republicans need to work together to keep Medicare and Social Security solvent. We owe it to those who paid into them for decades.

7. Mitt Romney is running for the highest office in the land. Voters need to know he paid his fair share of taxes. He released those tax returns for Sen. John McCain during the VP vetting process four years ago. Why is he hiding them now? He brags he never paid an income rate of less than 13 percent - a lower rate than many middle-class Americans pay.

President Obama has a clear vision for America. Unfortunately, Mr. Romney is short on specifics and long on rhetoric.

Irwin Kaufman

Las Vegas

College marks

To the editor:

Your Wednesday editorial "A few questions" was one of the best I've seen. I hope those questions do get asked of President Obama.

I would add one more: Mr. President, you repeatedly assert that college education is important. As your prospective employer, I want to see your own college records. Will you release them?

Charles Gould

Las Vegas