OPINION:
It would seem prudent for each of us, regardless of party affiliation, to step back from all the emotion of the 2012 campaign cycle and seriously contemplate what the country would get with the re-election of President Obama and what it would get with the election of Mitt Romney.
Past experience indicates that an Obama win would result in higher taxes for high earners, while Mr. Romney would extend the Bush tax cuts for everybody. There is little doubt that Mr. Obama would continue to apply Keynesian economic philosophy, practicing his belief that more government and more spending will stimulate the economy. Mr. Romney is more likely to implement the ideas of Milton Friedman, who advocated smaller government and greater reliance on monetary policy and the private sector. Friedman concluded that government cannot be trusted to solve problems because it is by its nature corrupt and inept.
On the energy front, we can expect Mr. Obama to continue his search for a green-energy utopia. He will continue to increase regulation of fossil fuels, leading to less drilling for domestic oil and higher fuel costs. Mr. Romney, on the other hand, is likely to consider that we have more than 300 million vehicles that run on gasoline, and that our factories rely on low-cost fossil fuels to stay competitive. He is likely to expand exploration and use of domestic energy while pursuing only green energy alternatives that are cost-effective.
Health care presents another clear distinction. An Obama re-election will put an end to efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while a Romney presidency would start with an effort to repeal this legislation.
We as citizens have an enormous responsibility to choose wisely this November as the path we select will determine the country we leave to our children and grandchildren.
MIKE FERREER
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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