Economy gets no help from Roskam, GOP

I read the interview with Peter Roskam in a recent Daily Herald with amazement. Is this the same congressman who has been representing the 6th District for the past few years? Has he even been at his post in Washington? It appears not. Here is a man who consistently voted the Tea Party line. He has voted against clean air, clean water, women’s rights and a repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the 1 percent.

What has the Republican Party done to focus on jobs and the economy? Nothing! Every presidential initiative to reduce the unemployment rate has been countered by the right wing. What initiatives has Peter Roskam put forward? If he had his way thousands of autoworkers in Detroit would be on the bread line and Toyota would be the world’s largest auto manufacturer. Allowing GM and Chrysler to founder was not the way to bring jobs back to America.

The slow, steady growth in jobs in the past two years has been due to the policies of the Obama administration, but for Republican intransigence it would have been faster.

Yes, Congressman, a revision of the tax code is sorely needed, but not in the way you propose. He then has the gall to talk about building a consensus. With whom? The Tea Party? The only consensus in the Republican Party is to trash the president and his policies and forget about the 99 percent. Enough Congressman Roskam! No wonder Congress has only a 7 percent approval rating. You cannot wipe the cream pie off your face that easily. Just remember it’s the middle class who put you where you are today. After Nov. 6 you and your fellow conservatives may be unemployed, too.

Peter Yates

Barrington