Letters
Letters to the editor
Highlands Today
Published: June 4, 2012
Middle-class mysteryPublished: June 4, 2012
As a retired middle-class man, I am perplexed as to how Mitt Romney can possibly have any understanding or concern for the middle class he keeps saying he wants to help.
How does a man with an annual income from a family inheritance, investments and profits from Bain Capital of over $2.5 million a year have any idea of what it's like to live on a middle-class salary of $50,000 a year?
Does Mitt Romney, who paid a little over 13 percent of his reported income last year in federal income taxes, while my wife and I paid 16 percent in federal taxes on our retirement income, really care about an equitable tax system that would help the middle class?
Does Mitt Romney, with his bank accounts and houses spread out all over the world, really have any idea of what it's like to have to scrape up enough cash to pay a monthly mortgage?
Does Mitt Romney, who, while at Bain Capital, was only concerned about the bottom line and assuring that his stockholders got dividends from the companies he took over and once boasted "I like to fire people," have any empathy or concern for those people who are out of work because they lost their jobs?
Does Mitt Romney, who loaned his son $10 million to start a business and recently told students to "go into business even if you have to borrow money from your parents," realize that many middle-class parents don't have the money to help their children start a business?
Does Mitt Romney, who never had to worry about putting food on the table for his family or pay tuition for a son or daughter to go to college or worry about paying for medical care for a family member who may be seriously ill, really understand the plight of the middle-class family he claims to wants to help?
In short, if Mitt Romney cannot comprehend the problems of the middle class, how can he possibly help middle-class people? What does Mitt Romney really understand about the middle class? I suspect nothing!
Anthony J. D'Angelo
Lake Placid