If Mitt Romney were president today, 60 million Americans facing $20 billion in "Sandy" damage would be SOL -- or hoping that the state they live in could somehow help them out. That's because disaster relief would no longer be a function or responsibility of the federal government and FEMA would no longer exist, thanks to Romney.
The state of New Jersey, for instance, which brought to its knees by that storm, being solely responsible for preparation, rescue and recovery from the horrendous damage "Sandy" wreaked is about as ludicrous as expecting a patient that has open-heart surgery to sew him/herself up and assume her/his own care, including vital-sign monitoring and IV drips.
"Sandy" made NJ Gov. Chris Christie a true believer of the need for FEMA and other federal assistance. This is what he said:
Christie told news outlets that the president’s response had been “outstanding,” said that coordinating with the administration had been “wonderful,” and remarked that “the president has been all over this and he deserves great credit.” He even told Fox News the president had done a “great job for New Jersey” while staying above the fray about politics. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/in-superstorm-sandy-new-jersey-governor-chris-christie-praises-president-obamas-crisis-leadership/2012/10/30/89769e32-22b5-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_story.html
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie thanked President Obama for his help in the face of Hurricane Sandy, and praised the president’s leadership Tuesday. http://www.examiner.com/article/governor-christie-praises-obama-s-leadership-aftermath-of-sandy
That's just one of the reasons I'm voting for President Obama. Others include:
- Middle-income Americans' mortgage, education, child and other vital tax deductions will NOT be at risk, like they are likely to be under Romney.
- Pay parity is more realistic. The Lilly Ledbetter Act, which enables women to know if their male counterparts -- same work, same experience, same training -- are being paid more than they are, and to sue their employers if they are, is a start. Obama will sign into law the Fair Pay Act, which will ensure that women are paid 100% of what their male counterparts earn, not just 73-77%, which is now the case.
- Women's access to healthcare, preventative care and screening for breast and cervical, including reproductive information and pregnancy prevention methods will not be eliminated as they are likely to be under Romney.
- Insurance-company ban on from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
- Stopped the country’s plunge off the economic cliff and ended the Great Recession created by GWBush and Republican Congress fiscal irresponsibility.
- Substantially cut taxes for working Americans -- twice.
- Private-sector job growth for the past 36 straight months.
- Robust and increasingly profitable U.S. auto industry and related businesses.
- Tough on terror and terrorists.
- Strong leadership regarding natural and national disasters.
- Ended Iraq war, ending Afghanistan war, strong leadership in not starting any new wars.
- Protecting consumers from predatory financial industry tactics by creating the Consumers Financial Protection Bureau.
- Will keep intact the Affordable Care Act (ACA)/Obamacare with provisions that:
Ø Provides healthcare coverage for millions who previously were uninsured, including people under 26 years old who can stay on their parents’ insurance plans.
Ø Reduces a major reason
for skyrocketing rise in healthcare costs – insurance premiums – by requiring
80 percent of premiums to be spent on actual care.
Ø Ends insurance-premium discrimination against women.
Ø Extends viability of
Medicare and benefiting those who use the program in at least two ways:
Covering preventative procedures such as annual physical exams,
which Medicare previously didn’t cover, and other screening procedures, all of
which is much less costly than trying to treat chronic and acute diseases after
they have become advanced and create collateral damage Closing the prescription drug “donut hole” and allowing price
comparison All reforms paid for by reductions in costs, not by increased fees
to users or costs to taxpayers
· Being able to achieve major accomplishments despite a
Congress that will do nothing that he proposes – even measures that were, in
fact, initially Republican proposals, such as the ACA insurance mandate, which was part of Newt Gingrich's 1994 "Contract with America" – that
would benefit the country for fear that it might help his re-election.
Here’s proof:
Ø Republicans have mounted
the worst filibuster record in Senate history, blocking bills that would have
increased employment and blocking key appointments, including judges, to the
detriment of the justice system
Ø The McConnell rule,
which Mitch McConnell articulated two years ago as “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President
Obama to be a one-term president.” That’s the Republicans’
#1 priority.
Not create jobs Not reduce the unemployment rate Not improve the economy Not national defense
Ø While defeating
President Obama might be the Republicans’ political objective, making that
their number one governing objective has not been and still isn’t in the best
interest of the country or the People
It is beyond me why anyone, and certainly why any woman, would
ever vote for a Republican and not vote for President Obama.
