Letter to the Editor: Obama presidency bad for middle class

I am a retired handicapped educator who votes independently. I am considered to be middle-class. Therefore, I must vote for Romney-Ryan, as President Obama has done enormous harm to middle-class households. Obama signed his stimulus spending bill in January 2009 when the median household income was $54,983. By June 2012, it had tumbled to $50,964, adjusted for inflation. That is $4,019 in lost real income. Even if you start the analysis in June 2009 when the recession ended the median household income is down $2,544 or nearly 5%. The decline during the Bush recession from December 2007 to June 2009 was 2.6%. Thus the Obama recovery cost us almost twice as much as the Bush recession! The President claims that the decline on his watch is from over a decade. But that is not true as the middle-class gained 30% from 1983 to 2005. That $2,544 that was lost during Obama’s tenure is just gone!

Manufacturing, retail sales and our GDP are down! We have 8.1% unemployment, millions who have stopped looking for work, millions who are underemployed and millions more on the food stamp program.

Barring presidential leadership (which has been lacking, in my opinion), the Pentagon will be walloped with another drop and disproportionate funding cut. It will be $50 billion a year for a decade. Under last year’s budget control act, Obama and congress need to agree on new federal savings to stop these cuts from starting on January 2. Secretary Leon Panetta says, “It’s “unworkable” and a “disaster” that will increase severe damage to our national defense!” Obama has been busy traveling around our nation for photo opportunities and lobbying for votes instead of minding his responsibilities. This cut would weaken America at a time of Great World Conflict! It is not all President Obama’s fault but we do not have many countries who are our friends that would stand up with us if push came to shove. It is time for a change!

Gerald Ray

Spokane