LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Romney echoes Obama
7/27/2012Mitt Romney left out the middle of the President's remarks in his latest commercial. In his July 22 op-ed column, "Did the state make you great?", Charles Krauthamer perpetuated Mr. Romney's error by twisting and leaving out the context of the quote.
What President Obama said, according to ABC News: "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
During his July 18 visit to Bowling Green, Mr. Romney said: "I know a lot of people helped you in business, perhaps the banks, investors, no question your mom and dad, schoolteachers, the people who build roads. There are a lot of people in government who help us."
Thomas Grover
Metamora, Ohio
Government not a help to businessman
When the President says my achievements were the manifestation of the government's efforts, I take offense.
I am a broadcaster with 60 years' experience. I've owned, operated, and constructed six radio stations in Michigan, Texas, Indiana, and Kentucky. I specialized in buying troubled properties and building them into audience-serving, community-involved, award-winning, profitable stations. In the business world, these are called turnarounds.
I had no financial help from the government in my small-business swashbuckling.
I will not tolerate a man telling me that my achievements were the results of the federal government's largess. My achievements came, in several respects, despite the federal government.
George Freeman
Tiffin
Zimmann shows fiscal wisdom
Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher, a candidate in Ohio's 9th Congressional District, should emulate his Springfield Township neighbor, Angela Zimmann, who is running in the 5th District ("Clothing charges may be no-no; Wurzelbacher might not be able to use campaign funds," July 20).
At a campaign stop with her, I commented on her red dress. She said she bought the dress for $12 at a thrift store. Who better to balance the budget?
James Harris
Sylvania
Are we to beware of 'Joe's' clothes?
In Walden, Henry David Thoreau warns readers to "beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes." I don't know whether Mr. Wurzelbacher has read Thoreau, but his reported reluctance to exchange his trademark Carhartts for the more professional attire his campaign reportedly urged him to buy classically recalls his enlightened "new wearer of clothes."
Mr. Wurzelbacher cannot unseat U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo). His purpose, to quote Thoreau, may be "but to brag as lustily as chanticleer in the morning." That, and to collect a modest salary from his campaign supporters.
David Teall
Springfield Township