GOP sweep will cure woes? Wrong!

To the Editor,

Thank you for publishing, "Whose country is it anyway?" by Patrick J. Buchanan! Has he switched parties? If not, he has definitely backed away from blaming Obama for everything. Mr. Buchanan did the right thing by going to the heart of the matter instead of repeating GOP and Tea Party rhetoric. What is the heart of the matter? It's not Obama policy. It's outsourcing, illegal immigration, and the tax code.

Today outsourcing is not confined to manufacturing jobs. Now it's quite likely that somebody in India prepared your tax forms, and your last MRI was likely read by an Indian doctor. Why? Because the Indian is glad to do it for $15,000 per year, but an American expects $85,000.

Millions of illegal aliens are paid under the table tax-free and they take advantage of every school lunch, welfare program, and emergency room service available. All of which are funded by legal American taxpayers. Illegals earn roughly $60 billion annually, and it all could be going into U. S. citizens' pockets. It's estimated that Latin illegals send $8-10 billion home, meaning they suck that much right out of the U. S. every year. That number for illegals from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East is unknown. Mr. Buchanan is absolutely correct that neither party will stop illegal immigration. Somebody may make some noise, but nothing will happen until there is a terrorist attack in the interior of the country.

Related to Mr. Buchanan's piece, there is so much chatter out there about "reviving the private sector." Naturally the GOP says business and industry need more tax breaks and less regulation. Wasn't the Wall Street meltdown caused by deregulation? No business that sells Chinese junk deserves a tax break, and no business that uses foreign labor deserves a tax break. There is also chatter about energy costs, especially gasoline. Big oil tax breaks are $4 billion so far in 2011. If the code stays the same, projected tax breaks through 2021 will be $77 billion. Exxon Mobile's tax rate from 2008-2010 was 17.6%. The average citizens' rate during the same time was 20.4 percent. Considering big oil's profits, shouldn't that industry pay more, not less? Note that those dollar amounts above do not include federal subsidies to the extractive industries. On May 25, 2011, Republicans unanimously voted down Democrat's attempt to put forward legislation to end subsidies to oil companies. Did that help the deficit?

Closer to home, campaign finance records show that Congressman Roy Blunt has received $1,012,398 from extractive industries since 2006, and he took $310,534 from industry lobbyists in the first half of 2009. Roy Blunt has always voted to give oil and gas companies tens of billions in tax breaks, subsidies, and perks while many Missouri families are sinking into poverty.

Yes, Clinton embraced NAFTA and globalization in his second term, but 22 million jobs were created in his presidency. 1.1 million jobs were created in G. S. Bush's Presidency, and how many were lost? Bush also rushed into two unfunded wars of choice and reduced taxes. How did all that help the budget? And who will be most served by bringing back the disastrous Bush fiscal policies? Only the rich. So I believe that most people out there who think things will get better if there is a GOP sweep in 2012 couldn't be more wrong.

Lou Dersch

Williamsville, Mo.