LETTERS: President saved country from collapse
To the editor:
Clarence Lanzrath spun a good tale in his letter to the editor (“Hypocritical ‘help,’” Feb. 6 Review-Journal). Republicans wrecked our economy and continue to sabotage our recovery for their own political gain.
Under President Barack Obama, there has been a burst of economic growth, robust January sales, a steady increase of more than 200,000 jobs created monthly for the past five years and a steady decrease from the 7.3 percent unemployment rate he inherited. Mr. Obama prevented a second Great Depression, saved the U.S. auto industry and got health care reform passed, which is making health care more secure for Americans.
Additionally, 17 million children can no longer be denied health care due to pre-existing conditions. Young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance through age 26. The GOP recently had its 56th vote to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, yet has not revealed an alternate plan.
The president created the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which is currently helping 9 million families cover college costs. Furthermore, Mr. Obama overcame furious lobbying by big banks to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This bureau will set rules to hold banks, credit cards companies, mortgage lenders and others accountable to protect consumers from abuses and deceptive practices.
The Obama administration negotiated a bipartisan agreement leading to a payroll tax cut for 160 million working Americans — equivalent to about $40 every paycheck. The president was responsible for simplifying and expanding access to refinancing mortgages at today’s low interest rates. This could save millions of homeowners about thousands of dollars a year on their mortgage payments.
The outlook continues to grow brighter for the middle class under the present administration. Yet middle-class families must stand up and fight against the right-wing policies that protect billionaires and big oil companies on the backs of working families and seniors.
RO CHAPMAN
HENDERSON
Reid’s future
To the editor:
There was an interesting article about Sen. Harry Reid’s prospects in the 2016 election (“Reid named ‘most vulnerable,’” Feb. 9 Review-Journal).
Sen. Reid got lucky in 2010 because GOP voters nominated the far-right-wing Sharron Angle, who really turned off a lot of voters. Had Sue Lowden or Danny Tarkanian gotten the nomination, Sen. Reid would already be gone.
Let’s hope Republicans can pick a better candidate this time around, so that voters in this state can finally end Sen. Reid’s political career.
TIM HICKS
LAS VEGAS
R-J untrustworthy
To the editor:
Why does the Review-Journal blast the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System, but only allow a letter to the editor by state Sen. Tick Segerblom to defend the program? I am a medically retired law enforcement officer (injured in the line of duty) collecting from PERS, and I am constantly insulted when journalists write about only a small percentage of retirees in PERS. It shows that the Review-Journal is very biased in its reporting of certain issues.
I dedicated almost 26 years to helping protect the citizens of Clark County, and I now suffer from chronic pain that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Now I have to be insulted and disrespected by individuals who have blinders on.
I now view the Review-Journal as being untrustworthy on any subject. The R-J should be ashamed of its lack of thorough investigating and representing all the facts.
GREGORY STANPHILL
HENDERSON
