Wealthy want government for their benefit alone

For the first time in my nearly four-score years, I’m worried about the increasing hard-right turn our government is taking. For most of the first 200 years, we had a government of, by, and for the people and were represented by politicos dedicated to providing more and more Americans with equal opportunities and with equal rights to vote their choice. During those years the rich always paid higher taxes, and most took pride in supporting a country where they could earn more while doing more to help those less fortunate.

But with the advent of corporate funding and superPACs, the rich now run political ads to persuade voters to support an emerging selfish agenda: “Vote for those who won’t reinstate the former tax rates on the wealthy.” As a result, we are on the brink of becoming a government “of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy.”

Bowing to the elite stirs anger in the majority – middle- and lower-income citizens. A need to cater to the rich is the first step to collapse, as evidenced in the collapse of many nations from the ancient Roman Empire to today’s Arab Spring countries. Escaping the rule of the elite was a huge factor in the birth of America.

Years ago I read that English politicians were allowed to spend a fixed amount of money per campaign, and campaigns for each office could be conducted only during specified time periods. Perhaps now is the time to review our campaign regulations if we wish to continue the democratic republic so carefully designed by our Founders.

E.

GENE GORRELL Fremont

Colorado suspect’s gun more powerful than soldiers’

Maybe it’s just me, but I find it ironic that three military men were killed in Aurora, Colo., with weapons I did not have privy to when, as a United States Marine, I was sent to war in Vietnam.

MORRIS PARRISH Defiance, Ohio

Ryan offers America clear ideological choice

My wife and I are delighted to see Rep. Paul Ryan selected as the running mate for Gov. Mitt Romney. He brings some sense and logic to the problems at hand. One of these problems is what to do with Medicare. Ryan has shown a choice toward saving the program. Contrary to what most of the media and most of the Democrats say, he is not attempting to get rid of it. This must be the lie of the year.

George Soros through his puppet, President Obama, is actually working toward “single-payer” health care. Look at what Soros says in this regard and the organizations he supports and what their goal is. This will get rid of Medicare and Medicaid and all other health plans, including private insurance. Those who are uninformed will deny this, and the media certainly are not honest.

Ryan certainly does give America a choice between the GOP – “we trust you” – and Obama and the Democrats – “trust us.” Ryan, with his faith in the people, and Obama, with his elimination of work hard to succeed (and add to this, you must contribute to my campaign).

Ryan and Gov. Mitt Romney can and should battle Obama, Soros and the Democrats on ideological grounds. The GOP is the party of freedom versus the Democrats who espouse the communist/Marxist line. This has been proven by the takeover of GM, health care, insurance.

In a speech in Colorado, Obama said: We want to do for the rest of American industry what we did for GM and the auto industry. He nationalized GM and gave half ownership to the UAW. The stock for GM at the time of the bailout was about $39 per share and it is now about $20 per share. Yes, Obama did a wonderful job. GM still owes the American people billions. This is not an accident as Obama intends to nationalize all industry.

TOM HOSIER Spencerville