So Much Is at Stake In Elections Results
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Sixth of a Series
This is the sixth of a series in which Moore County’s Republican and Democratic party chairmen will address various political issues. Today's issue is the upcoming election. Jim Heim is chairman of the Moore County Democratic Party. Robert M. Levy is chairman of the Moore County Republican Party. Click here for Levy's take on the issue.
The early-voting polls are open, and the question arises: What's at stake? From a Democrat's perspective, pretty much everything.
When President Obama took office 21 months ago, the economy was in free fall and jobs were being lost at a record pace. Through dramatic action by the new administration, the recession was ended and unemployment numbers have been steadied. Disaster was averted, but much more needs to be done.
Sadly, Republicans -continue to obstruct and delay at every turn. But they have little else to offer. Their Pledge to America, touted as a conservative plan for the future, is so poorly thought out that many of their candidates are running away from it as fast as they can.
Not only would their plan to reduce government spending and cut taxes cause much higher unemployment and delay -economic -recovery, it would also actually increase the federal deficit.
Republicans claim that revenue lost by this tax cut would be recovered by increased employment. One economist calculates that we would have to add more than 63 million jobs a year for the next 10 years for that to happen. That's nearly twice our population and simply not possible.
To Republican dismay, President Obama's first budget year just ended with a deficit $100 billion less than Mr. Bush's final year. And he has added more jobs already than his predecessor did in eight years. These are not signs of an administration headed in the wrong direction.
Bad policy is only one of the Republicans' worries. Many of their candidates, encouraged by the tea partiers, have been simply baffling in their -positions. There's the gubernatorial candidate in Arizona who said, without evidence, that drug -smugglers were beheading -people in her state.
In Nevada, the Republican Senate -candidate claimed that Sharia law, applicable only to Muslims, has been instituted in a Texas town that hasn't existed since 1975. In Georgia, a Republican congressman said that the federal government wants to force you to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Here in North Carolina, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx told students that tobacco was no worse than the soft drink Mountain Dew. Others want to privatize or eliminate Social Security, require a $2,000 deductible for Medicare, limit Medicaid assistance for maternity care, eliminate or reduce the minimum wage, and the list goes on.
Long a vital part of American politics, the Republican Party has been taken over by its most extreme elements. Those willing to work across the aisle to help solve America's pressing problems find themselves being replaced by more radical candidates.
The plain fact is that the Bush tax cut, scheduled to expire at the end of the year, is the root of much of our economic misery. Promoted to stimulate the economy and add jobs, it actually led to the poorest job creation record since Herbert Hoover.
By reducing the tax on high incomes, this policy rewards get-rich-quick schemes while reducing the incentives to build wealth through reinvestment. The result has been the loss of trillions of -dollars and the idling of nearly 20 percent of our workforce.
Now is the time to give those workers jobs. There has not been a better time for a public works program. Interest rates are at record lows, and there's much to be done. Our nation's highways, rails and air traffic network, vital for economic growth, have long been starved for maintenance and in serious need of repair. In some localities, paved roads are now being ground up and returned to gravel for lack of money to patch them. We have the means and the workforce available to turn this around.
American wages have fallen 5 percent since 2000. Wealth disparity in this country is the worst ever recorded. One-fifth of Americans now own 85 percent of the wealth. The rest of us must make do with the remaining 15 -percent. That is unsustainable.
Democrats have long been the champions of the middle class and working Americans. Democratic tax policies in the post-war era helped promote innovation and encouraged the creation of good-paying jobs. We can and must do it again.
Democratic presidents working with Democratic Congresses have by far the best records for job creation, market growth, increased economic -activity and GDP growth. Democrats have long led the way with programs like Social Security, Medicare, civil rights, worker safety, the GI Bill and more.
Democrats know that Americans aren't afraid of hard work - it's how we became the world's industrial powerhouse. And we know that our children and grandchildren depend on us to give them the boost they need to build better lives. Democrats understand that to get a consumer economy such as ours restarted requires a surge in demand. And that demand has only one source: working Americans. There is no more important task before us.
We are going through a difficult time and progress has been painfully slow and frustrating at times. But we cannot afford to return to the policies that got us into this mess. Your vote is essential. The polls open again tomorrow morning at 9 at the Agricultural Center on Pinehurst Avenue in Carthage. I'll be there. Will you?
Jim Heim is chairman of the Moore County Democratic Party. Contact him at democrat@heim.us.
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Comments
lindy888 2 years, 7 months ago
Mr Heim...Why do you people keep blaming Bush for this Mess...I don't think we had this massive debt when he left...Seems to me he had a demo congress to deal with his last years...Now I have one question for you...How do you spend your way out of debt??? You have to know the answer....that's what you are trying to do...Can't wait until Nov 2nd..These people coming in mean business...they will cut spending ..and I hope they repeal the big raise congress gave it's self....
MikeNC 2 years, 7 months ago
Dear Chairman Heim. President Obama has admitted this past week after 22 months in office, "He's Failed". That he appears to be the same old Tax and Spend Liberal Democrat and now admits there weren't any Shovel Ready jobs in the first 800 Billion Bail out, in one breath and then advocates YET another $50 Billion for another Shovel Ready Project. He promised 8 % unemployment because he had a great team of economic advisors, who knew how to fix unemployment. Now we are told by the Administration to "get use" to almost 10% and maybe higher for the next two years. It's rather hard for people to grasp all of this and still have a vote of confidence in Democrats this year.
nothingspecial 2 years, 7 months ago
Mr. Heim, you're sure right about the stakes being high.
Democrat's in power the past two years have taken us to the brink of something most akin to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Here's a link to an article that contradicts your version of our economic woes and is far more plausible:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/249783/how-turn-recession-depression-victor-davis-hanson
None 2 years, 7 months ago
Yep ~ In January '09, Billions in TARP funds were spent in one month! Or was that in December before Dubba left office? If Dubba had one year remaining in his term, we could revisit the Great Depression....Hell folks if Obama had waved a magic wand and cured all the financial problems of this nation and put all the crooks on Wall Street in jail - many of whom were Bushes buddies ~ I'm sure he would have been equated with the Anti-Christ!
Rome wasn't built in a day nor can the esculation of national debt be erased in a few years or by one president. Get real folks....
JRowerdink 2 years, 7 months ago
Only by Jim Heims’ twisted logic or twisted syntax is the federal budget deficit in President Obama’s first budget year $100 billion less than in President Bush’s final budget year. Here are the facts:
President Bush’s term ended in January, 2009 so his last year in office was 2008. During 2008 (Bush’s final year), the federal deficit was $460 billion. In 2009, President Obama’s first year in office, the deficit was $1.4 trillion, more than triple that of 2008.
In 2010, the deficit is projected to be $1.3 trillion, the second highest in our nation’s history; second only to 2009.
Mr. Heim should know that Article I, Sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution assign to congress the sole authority for raising revenue, passing spending bills and borrowing money. The Democrats controlled both houses of congress during the last two years of President Bush’s term. During those two years, the deficit increased from $248 billion in 2006 to $460 billion in 2008. Then they proceeded to the uncharted realm of $1 trillion plus deficits in 2009 and 2010.
Jim Heim knows this because he I’ve provided this information to him before. This kind of fact-twisting is what the American people are tired of. The Democrats will see the result of the voters’ displeasure on November 2.
John Rowerdink
JAP 2 years, 7 months ago
This Heim guy must be on crack! Does he not remember the economic state of this country was under (Democratic) President Carter? Does he not remember the turnaround that happened under (Republican) President Reagan?
I can't believe this quote " One economist calculates "!!!! What if one scientist said the earth was flat?? Would you believe that scientist???....
And I can't believe he uses Social Security as an example of the good work of Democrats.....I mean really.....use a system that is bankrupt as an example of the good work of you party????!!!!!
None 2 years, 7 months ago
John => Come now...President Bush’s term ended in January, 2009 so his last year in office was 2008. During 2008 (Bush’s final year), the federal deficit was $460 billion. In 2009, President Obama’s first year in office, the deficit was $1.4 trillion, more than triple that of 2008."
Are you implying that the Wall Street Bailout or crisis occurred on Obama's watch? Had Dubba served anoher term (I know he couldn't) would the Wall Street Corruption been held in abyance until the next president came along to clean up the mess? I think not! Bush handed Obama a bag of crap on his way out the door.
None 2 years, 7 months ago
JAP => turnaround that happened under (Republican) President Reagan? And how many billions was spent on the Star Wars Inititive? http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0846897.html
I think all of them are corrupt and should be thrown out of office. If anyone thinks their elected officials represent YOUR interests, then you are living in a vaccum.
Our county has been going down the economic slid for decades. Do you remember the $500.00 hammers; $3,000. toilet seats. How about the million dollar ink pen developed by NASA that would write upside down? The Russians used pencils!
Get real folks ~ our politicians have been bought and sold by lobbyists, if they wasn't - not one could afford to run for office. Next time you have a prescription filled and see the cost - thank Richard Burr.
In the mean time, turn in your Medicare card and send back your Social Security Check. That's considered by most conservatives as government handouts contributing to our national debt!
madstork 2 years, 7 months ago
Good point. TODA has broken new ground on Levy comment. Lot of vitriol there, all comments still attached. Go Pilot!! A good example of why I stopped the home delivery
JRowerdink 2 years, 7 months ago
Toda……Whatever President Bush did or didn’t leave for President Obama has nothing to do with Jim Heim’s willful attempt to mislead the Pilot’s readers. Certainly, President Obama had plenty of challenges to address when he took over. However, my response to Jim Heim’s article simply addressed the fact that his comments about the deficit were factually incorrect. Worse, Heim knows his comments were wrong; he simply chose to try to mislead the readers.
There were things about President Bush’s performance that I didn’t like either. Having said that, I challenge you to name one specific thing his administration did that caused the housing and banking crisis that were the seeds of the recent recession. I don’t think you can do it.
John Rowerdink
sgmartin 2 years, 7 months ago
Wow. Some people here have very short and selective memories. This really isn't about Obama or Bush. It is about the future of this country. I am certainly not satisfied with many members of Congress - particularly Burr - and will vote accordingly.
blake 2 years, 7 months ago
John, here is an old article in the NYT that is pretty fair in its assessment of the blame Bush deserves. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/business/worldbusiness/20iht-prexy.4.16321064.html?_r=1
Arestorer 2 years, 7 months ago
sgmartin, The Blame game never has a winner only loosers. Voting is our only voice for the future of our county and country. Remember vote early and often.
madstork 2 years, 7 months ago
Dear Editor,
Levy article has 50 hits...none being posted here. Have you blocked the site?
Ross 2 years, 7 months ago
I wonder why they let these "advertisements" be posted. BOTH sides simply spout half truths!
I am SO tired of all this partisan rhetoric!
sbouser 2 years, 7 months ago
There seems to be some confusion here — and we at The Pilot (actually, I as editor) inadvertently caused it. There was no blocking going on. We accidentally put Jim Heim's column up on the Web twice — once under his name and once without it. As a result, user comments were split and ended up in two places. They have now been combined under the version above. Sorry.
BigE 2 years, 7 months ago
For those of you who can read, enjoy-
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/209395
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/220013
A couple thoughts-
The "bubble" continued to expend and then dramatically burst on Bush's watch. Counting numbers at one moment of time along the uptick in the bubble's growth is going to give you misleading data which of course depending on your ideological bias can result in drawing the wrong conclusions.
Like every corporation, State, and financial entity, the resulting decrease in revenues happened so fast and so severely you just can't cut costs fast enough to make up for the shortfall. Growth of the Federal deficit occurred for more than just an increase in spending. I own a small business and can tell you, there is not a lot you can do when revenues drop 50-75% overnight.
In addition to losing jobs and taking pay cuts, way too many Americans lost the cash flywheel of the equity growth in their homes which they tapped to spend beyond their means.
Do some research, there are more than a few economists who will tell you that if you severely cut spending during a recession you will contribute to it and make things worse.
I wish the world and our problems were as simple as the ideologues of both parties claim them to be. Unfortunately, they are not. As Obama says in the interview, when they get to his desk there are no simple or easy answers. If there were, they would have been solved by someone else.
blake 2 years, 7 months ago
@BigE, The federal revenues shrunk by <20% (not 50-75%) at the same time spending increased by over 20%. You would not run your business that way.
BigE 2 years, 7 months ago
@blake Governments are not businesses; it's not their mission to make a profit. Besides, they are guaranteed a return on their investment (from the flow of dollars trickling thru the economy, e.g., income tax, sales tax, increased demand for goods and services, etc.) I am not guaranteed anything on my business investments. It's a different decision.