Janet S. Ramella – 10/24/04

This page was last updated on October 24, 2004.

Tired of Bush; Janet S. Ramella; Beaver County Times; October 24, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“As a registered Republican, I am appalled at the present condition of our country and the behavior of the president, a man who cannot admit when he is wrong.”

[RWC] Another self-proclaimed Republican who opposes President Bush? Please, guys, be original. If Ms. Ramella really is a registered Republican, I believe her positions below reveal her to be a RINO.

You have to admire the anti-Bush crowd’s dogged effort to get an “I was wrong” sound bite from President Bush. It’s a no win situation for President Bush. If he admitted mistakes, liberals would bash him. When he refuses to provide the sound bite, liberals bash President Bush for not recognizing he made mistakes. It’s a variation of the classic question, “When did you stop beating your wife?”

“I am tired of being told if one does not agree with the party line, that he is not a Christian or that he is unpatriotic.”

[RWC] Be specific, Ms. Ramella, who told you that? I ask because this is straight out of the list of Democrat talking points.

“Let’s start with the economy, which Bush insists is doing well, and all the jobs of which he keeps bragging.

“Ask those technically skilled workers who lost their well-paying jobs to foreign outsourcing how well the economy is doing. Most of the replacement jobs are at a minimum wage with no benefits. It is not possible to support a family under those conditions.”

[RWC] Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan doesn’t buy the claim that new jobs are of lesser quality than lost jobs. Testifying before Congress, Greenspan said, “We’ve not been able to find a significantly meaningful change in the quality of the jobs being produced relative to the quality of jobs being lost for the nation as a whole over the last year.” Is that true for Pennsylvania? I don’t know.

The real disposable income of American workers has increased every month since at least January 2003 with the exception of September 2003.

“By Sept. 6, 8,000 homes this year were lost to foreclosures in Allegheny County alone. That does not sound like an economy which is improving. Our economy is not improving at the rate that the president keeps telling us, and our middle class, which has always been one of the greatest strengths of our country, is shrinking.

[RWC] While Ms. Ramella was quick to mention foreclosures, she conveniently failed to mention home ownership is at its highest point in history and climbing.

“Do we want to be a country of only haves and have-nots? If the economy keeps on its present path, I’m afraid that is the direction we are going.”

[RWC] Our economy is growing faster than that of any major industrialized nation and Ms. Ramella believes that’s a problem?

“President Bush pushed for a No Child Left Behind Act but has not funded the schools adequately to implement all the aspects of that bill. He talks of people owning something, and foreclosures are higher than ever. He said the doctors and patients make health decisions; tell that to a patient who has had a procedure refused by his HMO.”

[RWC] “Not funding No Child Left Behind?” It’s those pesky Democrat talking points again. The NCLB Act placed ceilings on spending. When we don’t spend up to those ceilings, the education establishment likes to claim we’re not “fully funding” NCLB. In truth, federal education spending has increased in every Bush budget. In Clinton’s last budget, 2001, the Department of Education spent $35.7 billion. In Bush’s 2004 budget, that figure was $62.8 billion! That said, I oppose any federal funding of education because it is not a cited responsibility in the U.S. Constitution.

Regarding healthcare decisions, what does the President have to do with that? That said, if Kerry has his way, government will become your insurer and that means government will make your healthcare decisions.

“Let me end with, my country right or wrong, but when it is wrong, let’s correct it. Isn’t it time for a change?”

[RWC] I’ll repeat what I said above. Any Republican who believes it makes sense to replace a moderate Republican with a socialist probably isn’t a practicing Republican.