Walsh too far right for me

A front-page article in a McHenry County newspaper titled “Walsh firm on reform” offered a disturbing look into Rep. Joe Walsh’s views on Social Security, President Obama and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, betrayed by his comment, “The president should be ashamed of himself for punting on entitlement reform.”

Walsh displays his anti-Social Security position when suggesting people should be able opt out. He understands how Social Security works and knows each generation pays for the prior generation. However, by letting people opt out you cut funding for seniors, and worse, destroy it for future generations.

You do not solve fiscal problems by cutting funding, which simply pours fuel on the fire. Due to heavy handed pundit commentaries people become blinded by ideology, unwilling to accept truth in front of them. That includes the topic of “reform.”

Several years ago I wrote about Republican “reforms.” One such was the bankruptcy “reform” act making it harder for Americans to declare bankruptcy. Most egregiously this preceded the mortgage crisis and one could easily conclude this “reform” was based upon knowledge of impending mortgage doom.

Another such “reform” was the Overtime Pay Act whose name hides the fact it actually took away overtime pay from the majority of American workers.

But the biggie was “finance reform” of 1999 which gutted the Glass-Steagal Act. Gutting financial regulations resulted in the Wall Street crash of 2008.

Walsh sadly cherry-picks his “data” when making the claim, “Ninety-eight percent of businessmen and women I talk to say repeal Obamacare.” Sadly he left out the fact a survey last year shows the majority of Americans support the 2010 health care act.

With each vote Walsh moves farther to the right, farther from Middle America. This problem must be resolved in 2012.

Anthony Bravos

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